MAM
News18 India salutes the martyrs of Kargil war with Vijay Diwas Adhiveshan
Commemorating 21 years of the India’s victory in the Kargil war, News18 India is organising Vijay Diwas Adhiveshan. The virtual summit will pay homage to the brave-hearts who sacrificed their life in the war. This special edition of News18 India’s flagship property – Adhiveshan will host discussions and debates with renowned army veterans, political leaders, bureaucrats, sport stars and celebrities.
The virtual conclave will be graced by former Chiefs of Armed Forces – Gen V.P Malik & Gen Bikram Singh who will share their experiences and untold stories from the war. Another session will have personnel from ITBP and Delhi police pay a musical tribute to the martyrs of the war. There will also be exclusive sessions with Gen V.K. Singh, Former Army Chief & MoS (Road Transport & Highways), highlighting the current defence strategies and preparedness of the country in the phase of any external threats including the recent standoff with china.
The conclave will feature an intense debate on the approach adopted by the opposition parties while confronting the government on various issues with top newsmakers and political leaders such as Sambit Patra, Gaurav Bhatia, Pawan Khera and Gaurav Vallabh. Prominent athletes and celebrities such as Yogeshwar Dutt, Vijendra Singh, Tiger Shroff and Anupam Kher will add a different dimension to the show.
This edition of News18 India Adhiveshan will also touch upon key topical issues through a special session with Ram Madhav, National General Secretary of BJP on the construction of Ram Mandir as well as a session with Sanjay Jha & Aditi Singh on Congress leadership's reluctance to give greater prominence to the party’s younger leaders.
The virtual summit will have the channel’s team of leading anchors including Kishore Ajwani, Amish Devgan, Prateek Trivedi and Neha Pant leading the various discussions. Vijay Diwas Adhiveshan will not only pay tribute to the brave soldiers, but will also highlight the learnings from the Kargil war that will hold the country in good stead in the future.
Tune into Vijay Diwas Adhiveshan on July 25th, 3 pm onwards only on News18 India.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
