By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An April 2023 jury trial has been scheduled in Dominion Voting Systems Inc’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit accusing Fox News of trying to boost its ratings by falsely claiming the voting machine company rigged the 2020 U.S. presidential election against former President Donald Trump.

In a short written order issued on Friday, Delaware state court judge Eric Davis said he was scheduling Denver-based Dominion’s lawsuit for trial on April 17, 2023. Fox, part of Fox Corp, had asked Owens for a trial date in early 2024.

Owens set aside five weeks for the trial, which could be the first of several involving baseless claims made by a variety of news outlets and individuals about Dominion’s technology. Dominion filed its lawsuit against Fox News in March 2021.

People associated with Trump’s campaign, including lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, floated conspiracy theories that Dominion rigged vote totals in the weeks after the Nov. 3, 2020, election in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Trump.

Dominion has filed defamation lawsuits against several Trump allies, including Giuliani and Powell, as well as conservative television networks Newsmax and One America News. Another election technology firm at the center of conspiracy theories, Smartmatic, has filed similar lawsuits.

The defendants have said they were commenting on matters of public concern and their remarks are free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

Davis in December ruled against a Fox News request that he dismiss Dominion’s lawsuit. Owens wrote in his ruling that it was “reasonably conceivable” that Dominion has a viable defamation claim, and allowed the company to continue to seek documents and witness testimony from Fox.

Fox News representatives have called Dominion’s lawsuit “baseless” and have said the network remains committed to defending itself.

“As we have maintained, FOX News, along with every single news organization across the country, vigorously covered the breaking news surrounding the unprecedented 2020 election, providing full context of every story with in-depth reporting and clear-cut analysis,” a Fox spokesperson said in December.

Fox News and Dominion representatives did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham)

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday stood by his characterization of Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide,” saying Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian.”

“I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting,” Biden told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One to return to Washington after an event on the economy in Iowa.

“We’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me,” he said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Eric Beech)

Mark Wahlberg still has his fake prop penis from ‘Boogie Nights’.

The 50-year-old actor starred in the 1997 fil about a waiter-turned-adult film star and admitted he still has the fake penis he used to play the well-endowed Dirk Diggler but keeps it “locked away.”

Asked if he still has the prosthetic, he said: “Yes, yes. It’s in a safe locked away. It’s not something I can leave out, like if my kids were looking for the spare phone charger and pulled that thing out. It would not be a good look!”

The ‘Father Stu’ star – who has Ella, 18, Michael, 16, Brendan, 13, and Grace, 12, with his wife Rhea Durham – went on to explain that he believes that his eldest daughter has seen the movie but is “sparing” him the conversation about it.

Speaking on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, he said: “I think Ella has seen it. But she has not had the conversation with me, thank God! She’s sparing me!”

The Oscar-nominated star was then asked by 54-year-old host Ellen to name the host of the “best” party he had attended in Hollywood and was quick to name late director Penny Marshall before revealing that he was once “thrown out” of a get-together by late film legend Debbie Reynolds.

He said: “Penny Marshall. Her and Carrie Fisher used to have their annual party, one was at Penny’s, one was at Carrie’s every other year.Oh God, [Carrie’s mother] Debbie Reynolds threw me out by the ear one year.

“I met everyone in the business through Penny Marshall. I wouldn’t have a career if it were not for her.”

‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ has had all gay references edited out for its release in China.

The movie – which has a rumoured budget of $200 million – has had six seconds of dialogue removed between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, roles played by Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen.

Of the decision, Warner Brothers said: “As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors. Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.”

Lines removed from the movie – which is a part of the prequel series to the Harry Potter books – include “Because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love” for Chinese audiences.

The studio maintains that with the cuts “the spirit of the film remains intact” as the censored movie still contains allusions of their close relationship.

Censorship is not new to western cultural exports to China as in 2019, the Freddie Mercury biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was changed to remove all mentions of the Queen frontman’s homosexuality. This follows an array of anti-LGBT moves from the government – which is led by Xi Jinping – including a clampdown on dating apps such as Grindr.

In China, the movie debuted in the box office top spot last weekend, however internationally the flick has proved to be a financial disappointment after taking only $58 million in 22 markets.

Alexandria (United States) (AFP) – It’s just a small box to tick on an application form, but a huge breakthrough for D. Ojeda, a non-binary person who on Monday became one of the first Americans to apply for a gender-neutral passport.

“Even with my family, they still don’t get it,” said Ojeda, a 34-year-old activist who goes by D. and uses the pronouns “they, them.” “So at least I have the government to say who I am as a person.”

The option to receive a passport with an “X” gender designation, which was made available Monday by US President Joe Biden’s administration, was hailed as a blessing for an estimated 1.2 million Americans whose gender identity falls outside the categories of man or woman.

It came at a time when Republican lawmakers across the country have been passing legislation that critics say curtails LGBTQ rights and was likely to further fuel tensions around gender issues in a deeply divided nation.

At their home in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Ojeda began to fill out the long online passport application form, putting down their first and last name, then choosing from three options for gender: M for male, F for female and X for people who don’t identify as either. They chose the latter.

They also ticked the box for “gender change,” to reflect the difference from their previous passport, which identified them as female. They didn’t have to provide any medical documentation for the change.

“I think that’s incredible,” said Ojeda, who works as an organizer at the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and holds a doctorate degree in psychology. 

“What makes it difficult for trans people is just how hard it is to get anything changed,” such as legal documentation, said Ojeda.

When Ojeda and their NCTE colleagues learned of the new passport option, they “started crying at each other,” Ojeda added, seated at their desk in a blue sweater, with a thin beard and with their hair pulled back.

See me as ‘who I am’

The State Department announced in October that it had issued the first American passport with the X designation for gender after a long legal battle waged by a person from Colorado who is intersex.

But it was only on March 31, the International Day of Transgender Visibility, that the State Department announced it was extending that right to all Americans, as well as adopting other measures on the federal level meant to simplify administrative hurdles for transgender and non-binary people.

A few other countries have similar policies. Australia began issuing X-gender passports in 2011, with New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Argentina joining the roster since then, as well as, Pakistan and Nepal.

Ojeda already boasts a driver’s license from their home state of Virginia, where their gender is marked as X. Ojeda said the procedure was simple: they received an appointment, filled out the application and the X box was already there.

“I was really happy about that because it was the first time I see myself and I in an identification form,” Ojeda said. 

Things, however, get more complicated with travel. Ojeda says they are often called “Ma’am,” which is upsetting.

Born in Peru, Ojeda cannot wait to visit their relatives there, now that they have a new passport, which is required for international travel.

Though they are still struggling to get their family to accept them.

“You know, they don’t say the name that I want,” said Ojeda, who was given a different first name at birth.

“When I pretended to be a woman, and I tried really hard, there was something that always bothered me,” said Ojeda.

Now, they added, “I can turn around and say, ‘well in my ID the government sees me as who I am, and maybe you need to start seeing me as who I am.'”

“It feels like the world is safer.”

Anderson Cooper has tested positive for COVID-19.

The 54-year-old CNN anchor has contracted the coronavirus and while he didn’t offer any details on his symptoms, he confirmed his children are “negative”.

Alongside a photo of himself in bed, he wrote on his Instagram Story: “Just tested positive for COVID. Thankfully the kids are negative. Hope to get back to work soon.”

The presenter didn’t go into detail on how he’s feeling, and it’s not yet confirmed whether or not he will work remotely will he recovers.

Just this week, a number of celebrities have tested positive for COVID-19, including couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, which meant Thursday’s (07.04.22) performance of Broadway show ‘Plaza Suite’ had to be cancelled.

And Kelsea Ballerini had to host the 2022 CMT Music Awards from home due to the virus.

Her co-host, ‘Avengers’ actor Anthony Mackie, took to the stage at the beginning of the evening to introduce a “back-up KB”, Kane Brown, who co-presented the show.

Anthony said: “I know all of you were looking forward to seeing Kelsea Ballerini out here tonight on the stage, but she’s a little under the weather.

“But just like the NFL has backup QBs, here at the CMT Awards, we have backup KBs.”

Before Kelsea first appeared on screen, country stars Thomas Rhett and Martina McBride both jokingly offered their services as co-hosts for the night.

During her first appearance via video link from home, Kelsea said: “This is my normal Monday night, in full glam, with lighting I set up myself, and a remote truck outside.

“I would so much rather be there with you, but I will be popping in all night long.”

Kelsea, who made numerous costume changes during the night, later headed outside into her garden to sing her new single ‘Heartfirst’.

Brooklyn Beckham has changed his name to Brooklyn Peltz Beckham on Instagram after his wedding to Nicola Peltz Beckham.

The newlyweds – who had to delay their wedding for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – announced they will be going via “Mr. and Mrs Peltz Beckman” on their Instagram page on Monday (11.04.22).

They shared the news in the caption of a snap of the pair of them at their star-studded Palm Beach nuptials – where the guest list included Brooklyn’s parents David and Victoria Beckham, Eva Longoria, Gordon Ramsay, Rashida Jones, Michael Bay and M. Night Shyamalan – which took place over three fun-filled days.

And, the wannabe chef and his new wife have also updated their display names on the social media app to reflect the changes.

The 23-year-old model labelled the 27-year-old actress “my beautiful bride”, while Nicola shared a photo of herself and father Nelson Peltz, writing “thank you for the most beautiful weekend of my life. You’re the wind beneath my wings.”

Earlier this year, Brooklyn revealed that he got “Peltz” inked across his chest, alongside his cherub tattoo.

In response, Nicola commented: “I’m so happy you’re a Peltz @brooklynbeckham.”

Retired soccer ace David and his fashion designer wife both welcomed Nicola to the family.

The 46-year-old football legend wrote on Instagram: “Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Beckham. Welcome to the family @nicolaannepeltz. Love you Bust.”

Brooklyn’s 46-year-old mother – who also has sons Romeo, 19, Cruz, 17, and daughter Harper, 10, with the former England captain – added: “Congratulations Mr and Mrs Beckham X Welcome to the family [series of heart emojis] x.”

An heir to Disney has come out as transgender and blasted Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Walt Disney’s Grandson, Roy P. Disney, recently disclosed to the Los Angeles Times that their child, Charlee Disney, is transgender. Charlee, who uses the pronouns them/they, then spoke to the Times.

“I had very few openly gay role models,” Charlee told the Times. “And I certainly didn’t have any trans or nonbinary role models. I didn’t see myself reflected in anyone, and that made me feel like there was something wrong with me.”

Charlee said they identified as gay for years, but then a few years ago, disclosed to family members they were trans.

Kids who identify as LGBTQ already have to deal with higher rates of suicide, Charlee noted.

“Then to put something like this law on top of that?” Charlee asked. “They can’t learn about their community and their history at school, or play sports or use the bathroom they want to use?”

The law is the recent Florida bill that was signed by Republican Gov. Robert DeSantis. The law bans teachers of young students from discussing sexual orientation in the classroom. Some have called it discriminatory and a step-back in LGBTQ acceptance.

Disney has since pushed back against the bill leading to an ongoing fight with DeSantis and Republicans in Florida.

Kim Kardashian “screamed” when she found out her law exam was picked as a model answer.

The ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star has been studying for the baby bar and took to Instagram to share the exciting news that one of her answers had been selected by the examining board as a model answer for other students.

Kim’s law tutor Sam Arlen Farkas shared the news on his Instagram stories, writing: “‘So proud of @KimKardashian!!! Looks like her essay with a nearly perfect score… Got. Picked. As. A. Selected. Student. Answer!! Well done, Kim!! (sic)”

The TV personality, too, was overjoyed by her triumph, adding to a pal who asked what it all meant: “It means that when I took the bar my essay scored the highest so they used my essay as the model answer to show future people taking it what the answer should be. I legit screamed when my professor Sam told me!”

Back in 2021, Kim managed to pass the baby bar after three failed attempts.

She wrote on Instagram: “OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!! Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection. For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me. I failed this exam 3 times in 2 years, but I got back up each time and studied harder and tried again until I did it!!!

“In California, the way I’m studying law you need to take 2 bar exams, this was just the first one but with the harder pass rate. I was told by top lawyers that this was a close to impossible journey and harder than the traditional law school route but it was my only option and it feels so so sooooo good to be here and on my way to achieving my goals. (sic)”

Dolly Parton gets up at three AM every morning.

The ‘9 To 5’ singer has confessed she is an early riser, and admits that – like the rest of her family – she prefers to get up early in the morning to get things done, as her body doesn’t need much sleep.

She told Insider: “I don’t need a whole lot of sleep. I go to bed pretty early, but even if I’ve been up late – it’s just kind of like a little clock inside of me that says ‘it’s 3 o’clock!’ I do some of my best work there, but I get enough sleep. I don’t require as much sleep as a lot of other people do, that’s kind of a Parton family trait.”

Dolly has been a musician for years now – and she recently shared the secret to becoming a huge music star.

She explained: “I’m going to have to say a third, a third, a third … You gotta have a backbone. You gotta keep your heart, you gotta keep your soul. I’ve often said I’ve never hardened my heart – I just try to toughen the muscles around it. You have to learn to be strong without becoming harsh or hard. I try to never let anybody or anything get to my true heart or my true soul.”

The ‘Jolene’ hitmaker also admitted she has “sacrificed” a lot to make it.

Speaking about her road to success, she added: “I’ve sacrificed a great deal, and I was always willing to do that, but I only sacrificed to a point. I would never – I have never compromised to the degree that I lost my integrity, my beliefs, my faith, any of that … I would walk away, I’d never go past that point.”

By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will announce a new rule to rein in ghost guns and ban the manufacturing of such firearms on Monday as the administration faces growing pressure to crack down on gun deaths and violent crime in the United States.

Ghost guns are privately made firearms that are not marked with a serial number and are difficult for law enforcement to trace when used to commit a crime.

Biden and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco will announce the final rule from the Department of Justice at an event at the White House on Monday. The final rule has been making its way through the federal regulation process for nearly a year and is likely to draw opposition and litigation from gun advocates in the coming weeks.

At the event, Biden will also nominate Steve Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney from Ohio, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, a senior administration official told reporters.

The announcement is part of a series of measures announced by Biden and the Justice Department in April last year to tackle growing gun violence in the United States and curb mass shootings.

In 2021, there were about 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported to ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations – a tenfold increase from 2016, according to statistics shared by the White House.

The Justice Department rule bans unserialized “buy build shoot” kits that individuals can buy online or at a store without a background check and can readily assemble into a working firearm in as little as 30 minutes with equipment they have at home. It also turns some ghost guns already in circulation into serialized firearms.

Gun deaths increased in 2021 over 2020, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

In 2021 there were 20,726 gun deaths in the United States, not counting suicides by gun, the nonprofit reported. This included 693 mass shootings, defined by four or more people being shot, and claimed 702 lives and injured more than 2,800 people, the group reported.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional reporting by Rich McKay; Editing by Stephen Coates)

(Reuters) – Russian former reporter Ivan Safronov said ahead of the resumption of his treason trial on Monday that he plans to vigorously fight the charges against him and does not fear the prospect of being jailed.

Safronov, who covered military affairs for the Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers before becoming an aide to the head of Russia’s space agency two months before his arrest in July 2020, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

He denies accusations of passing military secrets about Russian arms sales in the Middle East and Africa to the Czech Republic, a NATO member, while he worked as a reporter in 2017, calling them “a complete travesty of justice and common sense”.

His detention sent a chill through Russia’s media landscape, where controls were already tight and have been tightened further since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

His trial resumes behind closed doors later on Monday.

Striking a defiant tone in personal correspondence seen by Reuters on Monday, Safronov said he harboured no illusions about the prospect of being imprisoned for his alleged offences.

“I will fight until the end, there is no doubt about that,” Safronov wrote in a letter sent from Moscow’s Lefortovo prison and dated March 26.

“If it’s a prison term, then it’s a prison term. It absolutely doesn’t scare me,” said the letter, shown to Reuters on condition the addressee remained anonymous.

Safronov has said state investigators pointed to his acquaintance with a Czech journalist he met in Moscow in 2010 who later set up a website which Safronov said he contributed to using information entirely based on open sources.

Since sending troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Moscow has introduced a law outlawing the use of certain terms to describe its military intervention in Ukraine, which it calls a “special military operation”.

That prompted many independent media outlets to close or relocate.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

David Beckham gifted his son Brooklyn Beckham a £350,000 Jaguar for his wedding present.

Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz tied the knot in a glittering star-studded ceremony over the weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, saying their ‘I dos’ in front of family and friends on Nicola’s family’s luxury estate.

David and Victoria have been seen driving around in the luxury vehicle, whilst Brooklyn and Nicola were also seen in it as they made their way to the post-wedding brunch on Sunday morning.

The stunning baby blue car is all-electric and was specially commissioned by Beckham, with the company’s whole 120-strong team working on the stunning car at Lunaz in Silverstone, England.

Each customer who purchases from Lunaz is able to name the unique colour they want for their car, but the Beckhams have chosen to keep the name of the colour they chose private.

The insider is adorned with light cream, with the team keeping to the original Jaguar design but adding subtle updates to allow it to be run and used as an electric vehicle.

On the technical side, there are uprated brakes, suspension and steering.

David Lorenz, Founder CEO of Lunaz, said: “In creating this beautiful, electrified Jaguar XK140, we are honoured to bridge the gap between David Beckham’s professional life, where he is an investor in Lunaz and his family life.

“This remarkable car is the perfect gift to his son Brooklyn and daughter-in-law, Nicola on their wedding day. In every respect, this extraordinary electric classic car by Lunaz symbolises a bright, positive future.”

Brooklyn and Nicola tied the knot this weekend, just under two years after they got engaged.The pair made their romance Instagram official in January 2020 and then announced the happy news of their engagement six months later.

By Pavel Polityuk

KYIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukraine said on Monday that tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russia’s assault on Mariupol and Russian forces have slowed down evacuations from the besieged southeastern city, where conditions are desperate.

“Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers.

Reuters has confirmed widespread destruction in Mariupol but could not verify the accuracy of his estimate of those killed in the strategic city, which lies between Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern areas of Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists.

If confirmed, it would be by far the largest number of dead so far reported in one place in Ukraine, where cities, towns and villages have come under relentless bombardment and many bodies, including of civilians, have been seen in the streets.

The head of the Russia-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, told Russia’s RIA news agency on Monday that more than 5,000 people may have been killed in Mariupol. He said Ukrainian forces were responsible.

Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the mayor of Mariupol, said on the Telegram messaging service that numbers of people leaving the city had fallen, not because people did not want to escape but because Russian forces had slowed pre-departure checks.

Around 10,000 people were awaiting screening by Russian forces, he said. Russia does not allow military personnel to leave with civilian evacuees. There was no immediate comment from Moscow, which has previously blamed Ukraine for blocking evacuations.

Mariupol was among nine humanitarian corridors agreed with Russia on Monday to evacuate people from besieged eastern regions, but its corridor was for private cars only, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

It was not possible to agree the provision of buses, she said.

Ukraine says Russian forces are massing for a new offensive on eastern areas, including Mariupol, where people have been without water, food and energy supplies for weeks. Moscow calls its invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation”.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; writing by Conor Humphries; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Washington (AFP) – President Joe Biden will announce new measures cracking down on so-called “ghost guns” on Monday, with an executive order set to increase restrictions on the weapons that can be assembled at home in minutes and are difficult to trace as they lack serial numbers.

The new rule, a year in the making, addresses a kind of weapon that law enforcement officials say has almost doubled in its appearance in police reports between 2020 and 2021.

Such guns are “the weapon of choice for many violent criminals,” the White House said in a statement.

The new rule states that weapons part kits that can easily be assembled into a working firearm will be subject to the same requirements as commercially available fully assembled guns, administration officials said.

Dealers selling these weapons parts kits will now be required to conduct a background check on prospective buyers, according to the new regulations.

Gun kit manufacturers must also include a serial number on key weapon components, while licensed dealers who take a “ghost gun” into their inventory must add a serial number, the US Justice Department said in a statement.

Finally, in order to boost tracing efforts, the new rule states that federally licensed dealers of firearms must keep records for as long as they are in business, rather than for a 20-year period as is currently the case.

“This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns, will help ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes, and will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities,” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

From January 2016 to December 2021, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received approximately 45,240 reports of suspected privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement, the Justice Department said. Those reports were linked to at least 692 homicide or attempted homicide investigations, it added.

The use of such weapons has been increasing, with the number of reports nearly doubling to more than 19,000 from 2020 to 2021, it said.

Over the past five-year period, the ATF could only trace 0.98 percent of suspected “ghost guns” handed in by law enforcement to an individual purchaser, the department said.

On Monday, the White House said that Biden will also nominate Steve Dettelbach, a former US attorney from Ohio, to run the ATF after the president’s first nominee, a gun control advocate, ran into opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress.