Tuesday, 11 November 2025

Trump BBC tiff from Indy

The ‘legal trip wires’ facing Trump in threatened $1bn legal action against the BBC

The US president’s lawyers say legal action will be launched if the BBC fails to comply with demands over a ‘Panorama’ documentary aired last year – but how likely is it that a case will be launched, and the US president would win?

Tuesday 11 November 2025 15:32 GMT

Media lawyer explains significant legal hurdles Trump faces to sue BBC

Donald Trump would face legal hurdles in launching a $1bn lawsuit against the BBC over “defamatory” statements on Panorama, partly because the documentary may not have been aired in the United States.

Under defamation laws in Florida, where the US president has threatened to launch his case, Trump: A Second Chance? must have been available to view in the state for a lawsuit for damages to be filed.

The BBC, which is currently reviewing a letter from Mr Trump’s lawyer on the legal threat, has not confirmed if the programme was aired in the US state.

Ski with peace of mind

while our ESF instructors take care of your children.

Discover more

Inspired by

If it wasn’t shown on iPlayer in the US, or on the broadcaster’s global feed, media lawyer Mark Stephens said it could create an early stumbling block for the US president. He also said Mr Trump’s team could struggle to prove “additional serious harm” to his reputation, and that he might want to avoid further focus on his conduct from a court case.

“There are more than a few legal trip wires between President Trump and legal victory against the BBC,” said Mr Stephens.

Comedian hits back at uproar over offensive joke aired on BBC

Christian missionary father and daughter died when plane bound for Jamaica crashed in Florida

Injured train stabbing victim tells Ryanair to ‘grow up’ after he’s refused refund

Why is Donald Trump threatening legal action?

Mr Trump has threatened legal action against the corporation after concerns were raised over the way clips of his speech before the attack on the US Capitol in 2021 were edited for the Panorama programme.

Clips from two different sections of the speech appeared together, apparently making it seem he told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.

For the latest on the legal threat by Mr Trump against the BBC – click here for our live blog

BBC director-general Tim Davie resigned after criticism of the handling of concerns raised over the Trump ‘Panorama’ documentary (AFP/Getty)

In the summer, a memo by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee, raised the issues – and critics have accused the BBC of failing to respond properly.

Advertisement : 21 sec

On Monday, Mr Trump’s counsel, Alejandro Brito, sent a letter to the corporation, demanding that “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” made about the US president be retracted immediately.

The letter also demanded an apology and for Mr Trump to be compensated “for the harm caused”.

The BBC has until Friday, 5pm EST, to comply, before Mr Trump will be “left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than 1,000,000,000 dollars in damages”, the letter said.

Why would Mr Trump launch action in the US?

Mr Trump’s legal threat states he would plan to launch a legal suit against the BBC under Florida law.

Under UK defamation laws, a claim must be made within a year of the material being published. The Panorama programme was aired in October 2024, which means it has passed the deadline for legal action to be launched in the UK, Mr Stephens said.

However, in the US state of Florida, the time limit is two years, which means action could be launched.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens says Trump faces ‘legal trip wires’ in winning a legal battle against the BBC (BBC)

Mr Stephens told BBC Breakfast: “A UK defamation claim is now out of time, he had one year from Monday October 28 2024 when Panorama aired so he’s 14 days or so out of time for a claim in the UK. A claim in Florida would be in time, it’s a two-year limitation there.”

What difficulty could Mr Trump face in launching a case against the BBC?

Despite being within the legal time limit under the law in Florida, Mr Stephens said there were more “legal trip wires” for Mr Trump to secure victory in a case.

For the case to go ahead, Mr Stephens said Mr Trump’s legal team would have to show that the programme had been aired in the US state of Florida.

The BBC has not confirmed if it was, but on its website, it states that viewers watching iPlayer, the platform on which the programme was aired, had to be in the UK to stream and download content.

It’s not yet clear if the programme was shared on the BBC’s global news feed. The Independent has contacted the BBC to ask if it was.

Mr Stephens said: “The problem for President Trump’s lawyers is that Panorama wasn’t broadcast in the USA and BBC iPlayer isn’t available in the USA, so it’s not clear if any US court would have jurisdiction to hear the claim.”

Could BBC win the case against Mr Trump in court?

In the UK, to win a defamation case, the accuser has to prove that the statement was made and published, and it caused serious harm to the reputation of the claimant.

In the US, law states that the accuser has to show that there was “actual malice” in making the statement, rather than mere negligence.

The law, along with a greater respect for freedom of expression in the US, could make it challenging for Mr Trump to win a case against the BBC, solicitor Joshua Rozenberg told BBC’s Today programme.

Critics said the ‘Panorama’ edit was misleading and removed a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully (AP)

He said: “Generally speaking, there is respect for freedom of expression in the US, perhaps more than in the UK. Generally speaking, you have to show that the person you are accusing acted with malice.

“So there are definitely restrictions on being able to sue and arguments that can be put.”

Mr Stephens also told BBC Breakfast that Mr Trump could face difficulty in proving his case for overwhelming financial and reputational harm.

He said: “Trump’s reputation has already been battered by nine judicial findings, some congressional hearings, global coverage of 6 January [storming of the US Capitol] and he faces ongoing civil lawsuits in Washington.

“So proving that Panorama caused additional serious harm is a bit of a stretch. If it can be shown by the BBC that his reputation was already in tatters on this issue, blaming the BBC for the wreckage of that is a bit of a tough sell.”

A media lawyer said that a lawsuit could risk Trump’s own conduct being brought under a microscope (Getty)

Chris Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media, said libel laws in Florida meant he was “very assured” the BBC would win a case launched against it by Mr Trump.

He said: “I have no doubt the BBC misrepresented what the president said, and that’s pretty clear, I think everyone agrees – that’s why you had those resignations. [I’m] also very assured that if the BBC took the case to court they would prevail, they would prevail because the state of Florida has pretty strong libel laws that defend media companies and free speech.”

What risks would Mr Trump face in proceeding with legal action?

If a legal suit was launched against the BBC, Mr Stephens told BBC Breakfast that, as well as further scrutiny on BBC operations, it could also bring Mr Trump’s conduct under the microscope.

He said: “This is a civil case, not a criminal case, so the standard proof for the BBC is less high and, as a consequence, you have got real litigation risks that the libel trial would put Trump’s January 6 conduct under the microscope in a court.”

RECOMMENDED

just before I go to bed. 11/11/2025

just before I go to bed

Watch Mr Burton a biopic about Richard Burton's early life

Truly Wonderful

Trump got the apology already

HE was impeached of Jan 6 stuff

but his Party bailed him out

HE has pardoned 1000s of criminals

HE did nothing for hours

and Pence could have been lynched

So it seems strange he wants 1,000,000,000 USD now

ANYWAY

Epstein is terrible, Follow the dark money

1.5billion

BUT

on a personal level I hide. my hernia with baggy tops

or you will all say I'm a triple breasted whore from Alpha Centrii

So on Utube news channels I see a sickly Trump

Always sitting down

But I've seen urine bags strapped his legs, maybe

AND a device strapped under his shirt, maybe

Come Clean White House

will Trump suddenly die, and you bury him in the car park

for some tax benefit

he buried his own first wife on a golf course,

and the grave is in a terrible state

IF I was as sick as Trump looks and his ramblings proves

I'd retire and have fun with children and grandkids

Trump is the most famous person on the planet

But sadly for all the wrong reasons

as for me, I have a life of daily pain and tinnitus,

any chance Walter Reid would come to me

Monday, 10 November 2025

Tomorrow would have been my dad's Birthday, he was born on 11/11/21 so104 if he was still alive

and only because my dad got extra time did I get a family.......

Michael Casey

It’s a contradiction in terms immediately , how can I copyright a Saint . A brand new saint at that . I first heard of him through some Religious reading I did . I feel embarrassed to admit it , but I am a practising Catholic , its not fashionable to have any Faith but its mine so I admit it . Immediately the prejudice begins , but if I WERE A Jew or a Muslim , it would be the same . I do feel that my catholic tastes have given me a broader outlook on life , as has my eclectic tastes and rubbing shoulders with a wide variety of people .

But I want to talk about Padre Pio . I had a crisis and was reading about him at the time , so I said my prayers to him and the way forward was revealed . Though Padre Pio always says go Higher , he is just a stepping stone on the way to a better place . What is so hard to understand about Padre Pio is how he suffered . He had the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune . Condemned by his own superiors , made to be quiet for a decade and so forth . Science Fiction teaches or rather amuses us about Time Travel , but with Padre Pio it really happened , he wanted to share in Christ’s agony so he thought , what if he too could have and suffer the wounds on that day of Crucifixion . So it came to pass that he suffered for 50years . He had the indignity of medical examinations and of being thought just to be a mental patient , but his work and life proved his holiness .

So it’s nearly 1990 and I hear about him and read a few books , it’s hard to understand the value of suffering in this age of quick fix pain killers and the lets have a fix , whatever the fix might be , sex, drugs and rock and roll or whatever . It’s like suddenly studying again after years of lying fallow , the learning curve is enormous . So too is it with Padre Pio , the idea behind his life is enormous , but so too is the capacity for love and help .

My favourite story is how Padre Pio explains that The Wedding Feast at Cana happened because Jesus could not refuse his mother . Very Italian , or Irish or Spanish and so on , but could any of us refuse our mothers?

So I thought more about what Padre Pio said , and his motto of Pray Hope Don’t Worry became my own . Carpe Diem is another good motto but perhaps this can be used by any Hedonist , or other kind of selfish person .Padre Pio reminds us to pray and that pray is not wasted , its perfume that is never wasted is a phrase I like . My mother always used to say that if you couldn’t sleep you should say the Rosary , and she was right . Though in today’s world an hour on the Internet or with MTV might do the trick .

So why the devotion to Padre Pio , I’ll cut to the chase.

My mother died suddenly but peacefully in her sleep , my brother tried CPR , but she was gone . Imagine the angusih amongst her 6 children and her husband of nearly 50 years .

All except me , my mother had said no tears when she go ,so I never cried , I was the odd one out .I know how prayerful she was , so I had no need of tears .

Eight bare weeks later my brother , the same brother heard our dad fall out of bed , so he ran to his bedroom . My brother was facing the exact same situation , he tried CPR , the ambulance was called , an injection was given straight to the heart . On weekends there is a doctor in the ambulance , so Luck , if that’s the word was with us . The next day 4 of my brothers and sisters came around to tell me the news . When my sister had come around 8 weeks previously I knew somebody was dead but I assumed it was my dad , he’s die first we all thought . So now 8 weeks later it was his turn to die .

At the hospital dad was given 1 week to live , I cried like a baby , worse than a baby , but I loved him , so I told him he should go to our mother and not hang on if he didn’t want to . The next day I was in my sister’s house crying , we picked hymns for his funeral .Yet my father survived , 19 patients on a heart ward , 18 died my dad survived . Padre Pio was besieged by my prayers , I put Padre Pio’s photo under his pillow . Dad lost his mind , he was in Dudley Rd for 3months , 12 weeks , more than half of them all tubed up . His life hanging in the balance . At the same time somewhere in Florida another man was at deaths door , he was a totally stranger to me , I didn’t even know his name , I’d never met him , he was give 24hours to live , a Chinese man from Shanghai was at deaths door . The Chinaman survived .My dad’s memory was totally wiped , he did not know who I was, I’m your son was greeted with , am I married . I was the favourite son , he did not even know me . But still we prayed , it’s a feeling in your guts , just like when you are nearly killed as you cross the road , its in your guts and in your heart , Jesus save my dad , Jesus save my dad , Padre Pio help !!! This goes around your head like a merry go around or a kaleidoscope . Finally dad awoke . He said that he can remember hearing the doctor say to wheel him down to the end of the ward , because he’d be dead soon . At that moment my dad awoke, and the doctor dropped his cup of tea in shock . No not an instantaneous miracle , but as Dr Singh had said if he were 30years younger he’d have a heart transplant because dad’s heart was rubbish .

Now , when I told my brother that dad was reading a newspaper he was shocked . His memory had come back . He knew who we all were .Every day for three months I walked the corridor at Dudley Rd , the longest hospital corridor in Europe , 1 kilometre long . Finally he left the hospital , my sister had found a good home for him to live in , he was far too weak to live in the family house .

For 3 years dad survived , like a Godfather with all his children making constant visits . Finally I met my future wife . It was her uncle who had miraculously survived at the same time as my father . It was her uncle who encouraged us in our love . From Shanghai to Birmingham .These great men , her uncle and my father never met , but I know Padre Pio must have helped both of them . Further prayer was needed to bring me and my wife permanently together . A Chinese miracle happened . Now we are wed , we have a 2year old and please God a healthy second baby in the Autumn . The improbability of our meeting , plus the fact that both men HAD to live for us to be married and have a family , this may be a coincidence to some but I know a miracle when I see one. A miracle is something that makes you feel humble , it makes you know that God has whispered your name . When I look at my wife , I feel humble . Seeing our daughter laugh and play also makes me humble as will our new baby.

Then you can look back and know that prayer is like perfume that can never be wasted , your life has led you to where you are now , yes at times sad and terrible , but be humble in the sight of God means something , not just for me , but for all Believers .

I once stood by the fridge and said to Padre Pio , I give up , you take over , all I want is to be married , and perhaps have a family , and do something useful with my life . That was just before my eyes were opened to my wife . I used to say that I got 2 out of my 3 wishes . Perhaps my current occupation is my 3rd wish , or a more outstanding miracle is waiting in the wings , but as Padre Pio said ,always ask for the big Grace . Perhaps we have to be humble enough to deserve it , because I believe it to be a fact that , truly great people are humble because they know just how little they really know.

and little did I know I'd have mixed race kids, Chinese/Irish

Martin is my confirmation name too, though my priest called my Sancho Panza 57 years ago