Highlights of the day: Discovery ends Paramount merger talks, says reports

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11:12 PM

Warner Bros. Discovery Ends Paramount Merger Talks, CNBC Says

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. ended its pursuit of a merger with rival Hollywood studio Paramount Global, CNBC reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Another potential suitor, Skydance Media, is doing due diligence on a potential combination with Paramount, the film and TV company that owns CBS, Nickelodeon and other channels, CNBC said. Paramount is controlled by its chair, Shari Redstone, and her family. The company has also received a $14 billion buyout bid from TV mogul Byron Allen. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. declined to comment. Shares of Paramount were up 1.6 per cent to $11.27 at 11:53 a.m. in New York.

 

11:00 PM

Joe Biden says solution needed to fund government, avoid shutdown

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden emphasized the necessity of finding a solution to fund the government, support Ukraine, and prevent a detrimental government shutdown.

10:04 PM

Nita Ambani likely to be chair of merged Reliance-Disney media business

Nita Ambani, spouse of tycoon Mukesh Ambani, is poised to become the chair of the board following the merger of Reliance Industries and Walt Disney's India media assets, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

10:04 PM

Burger Singh website hacked by Pakistani group

In an unexpected turn of events, popular fast-food chain Burger Singh fell victim to a cyberattack orchestrated by a Pakistani hacking group known as Team Insane PK, the company revealed on Tuesday. As per company’s post on X, the group not only infiltrated but also revamped the burger franchise's website on the 27th of February, 2024, leaving behind a digital graffiti wall that echoed their mischievous exploits.

9:55 PM

Zee board renames independent advisory panel as independent investigation committee

Zee Entertainment Enterprises board on Tuesday renamed independent advisory panel as independent investigation committee, the company said in an exchange filing.

8:56 PM

Imran Khan's party calls nationwide protest, March 2

Imran Khan's party, currently led from jail, declared a nationwide protest on Saturday, alleging rigging in the February 8 elections that has hindered their return to power. Speaking after meeting Imran Khan in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala jail, PTI's Secretary General, Omar Ayub, emphasized substantial rigging. PTI, along with other political parties, plans countrywide protests against the election irregularities, as stated by Omar Ayub to Geo News.

8:50 PM

SKM was not in favour of 'Delhi Chalo' call, says farmer leader Pandher

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday said several meetings were held with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha over the issue of 'Delhi Chalo' call but it was not in favour of the march to the national capital. Pandher said this while responding to the SKM's claims in the media that it was neither invited nor consulted before deciding about the 'Delhi Chalo' call. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver. The SKM, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, is not part of the 'Delhi Chalo' call but it has extending its support to the ongoing stir. The SKM had spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers' agitation against the now-repealed farm laws.

 

7:43 PM

New Lokpal chairperson

Former Supreme Court judge Justice (retired) A M Khanwilkar appointed Lokpal chairperson: Rashtrapati Bhavan

7:06 PM

MHA plans 5-year extension on Jamaat-e-Islami ban

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) likely to extend ban on Jamaat-e-Islami for the next 5 years: Sources

6:39 PM

Farmers' Protest: Internet halt in Ambala, Haryana on Feb 28-29

6:39 PM

Exide Industries invested Rs 250 million in Exide Energy Solutions

6:33 PM

Andhra Pradesh Speaker disqualifies 8 MLAs from assembly

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram has disqualified eight sitting MLAs -- four each from the ruling YSR Congress and the opposition Telugu Desam party -- from their posts based on complaints from the respective parties, ahead of the elections.

 

The disqualified members are Maddalo Giridhar Rao, Karanam Balaram, Vallabhaneni Vamsi and Vasupalli Ganesh from TDP and Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy, K Sridhar Reddy and Undavalli Sridevi, a circular from the Speaker's office said on Tuesday.

 

The following members of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly were disqualified on 26.02. 2024 by the Hon'ble Speaker, Andhra Pradesh, Legislative Assembly under X Schedule of the Constitution of India and as per the Members of Andhra Pradesh Assembly (Disqualification on grounds of defection rules), 1986, it said.

6:30 PM

RBI streamlines process of filing supervisory returns by banks, NBFCs

The RBI has issued directions for filing of supervisory returns for various supervised entities in order to bring clarity, brevity and harmonization. The move will help reduce the burden of compliance on the regulated entities based on the recommendations of the Regulations Review Authority (RRA 2.0) and an Internal Working Group of RBI.

6:30 PM

MHA may notify CAA rules pre-election code

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) could notify the CAA rules any time before the model code of conduct is implemented. The CAA rules would ensure the processing of Indian citizenship applications from persecuted minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh: Sources

6:20 PM

Voda Idea board approves equity fund raise of up to Rs 20,000 cr

Vodafone Idea board approves equity fund raise of up to Rs 20,000 cr; promoters to participate in equity raise, according to Company release. The statment also said, Vodafone Idea plans to raise around Rs 45,000 cr through mix of equity and debt.

4:43 PM

'Country taken for a ride': Supreme Court slams Patanjali in 'false' ads case

The top court criticised Patanjali Ayurved on Tuesday, saying that the company was 'taking the entire country for a ride' with their their 'misleading' advertisements. The court asked Patanjali to stop all electronic and print advertisements of its medicines giving misleading information with immediate effect.

4:38 PM

Jharkhand govt tables Rs 1.28 trillion budget for FY25 in Assembly

The Jharkhand government today tabled a Rs 1.28 trillion budget for the 2024-25 fiscal in the assembly. The JMM-led coalition government had presented a budget of Rs 1.16 trillion for the financial year 2023-24.

4:29 PM

Lok Sabha elections update: Three sitting MLAs, among 4 Lok Sabha candidates named by AAP in Delhi

Three sitting legislators have been named by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Delhi. The candidates' names were declared after AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on Tuesday.

 

The committee is the highest decision-making body of the party, headed by AAP supremo Kejriwal.

 

In Delhi, AAP has fielded candidates in the New Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, and East Delhi constituencies.

4:24 PM

LIVE news updates: Entrepreneurs, MSMEs play key role in making us fastest growing economy, says PM Modi

Our risk taking entrepreneurs and MSMEs play a role in making us the fastest growing economy,  says PM Modi at rally in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's Kongu region known for spirit of enterprise and contributes to India's wind energy capacity, PM Modi added.

3:37 PM

Congress dubs household expenditure survey as 'election-inspired' document

Accusing the BJP-led Centre of "destroying the credibility" of economic data, the Congress on Tuesday slammed a recently released household expenditure survey report as an "election-inspired" and "narrative-setting" document. Congress' reaction came after the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) released data on household consumption expenditure for 2022-23 on Saturday. 

3:33 PM

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi indicted in graft case by Pakistan court

 Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were indicted by a Pakistani court on charges that they allegedly received land as a bribe during his premiership, TV channel Geo News said. Khan is in jail since August in connection with other cases, and has denied the allegations.

2:35 PM

News update: ED issues 8th summon to Delhi CM Kejriwal in liquor policy case

The Enforcement Directorate has issued 8th summon to Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal asking him to appear on March 4.

2:29 PM

Pijush Kanti Biswas returns to Tripura unit of Congress after Trinamool stint

Pijush Kanti Biswas, who had quit the TMC and resigned as that party's Tripura unit chief last year, joined the Congress on Tuesday. It was a return to the Congress fold for Biswas as before joining the TMC, he had been a president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee.

 

12:49 PM

PM Modi reveals names of four astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday revealed the names of four astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission, India's maiden human spaceflight venture, during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala. 

 

The four astronauts are -- Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla. All the pitos, except Shukla, are group captains. Shukla is a wing commander. Read this story for more details. 

12:29 PM

PM Modi reveals names of 4 test pilots for India’s Gaganyaan mission

12:25 PM

SP leader Shafiqur Rahman Barq passes away after prolonged illness

Shafiqur Rahman Barq was 93-years old and served as an MP from the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier this month, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav met the SP MP at Siddha Hospital in Moradabad and inquired about his health. Expressing grief over his death, Yadav said in a post on X, "The demise of senior Samajwadi Party leader and several-time MP Mr. Shafiqur Rahman Barq Saheb is extremely sad. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow".

12:16 PM

Uproar in Maharashtra council as BJP blames Sharad Pawar for activist Jarange's comments

BJP leader Praveen Darekar on Tuesday objected to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's comments against Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought to blame  Sharad Pawar for it. Members of the opposition parties objected to this, leading to pandemonium in the House and its adjournment for five minutes.

12:11 PM

PM Modi to launch development projects in Yavatmal tomorrow

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate various development projects in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district on Wednesday. He will also release benefits under the PM KISAN and other schemes during the programme, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

12:05 PM

PM Modi, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and ISRO chairman S Somanath visit Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)

11:15 AM

Israel is ready to halt its war in Gaza as part of any initial hostage deal: Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden said that as part of any initial hostage deal, Israel is ready to halt its war in Gaza during the month of Ramadan, reports news agency AP.