Briefly

UNITED STATES

Govt admits liability in fatal DC air collision

The US Justice Department said on Wednesday the federal government was liable in the fatal Jan 29 collision of a military helicopter and American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The government admitted it "owed a duty of care to plaintiffs, which it breached, thereby proximately causing the tragic accident" and that the pilots of the Army helicopter and regional jet "failed to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid each other".

Warner Bros spurns Paramount takeover bid

Warner Bros Discovery on Wednesday rejected a hostile takeover bid by Paramount launched last week to trump plans by streaming giant Netflix to acquire the Hollywood giant and owner of CNN. In a statement, Warner Bros said the terms of the Netflix merger were better, while the Paramount offer "once again fails to address key concerns that we have consistently communicated". It described the Paramount offer as risky, saying it was backed up by "an unknown and opaque revocable trust", among other factors. "We are confident that our merger with Netflix represents superior, more certain value for our shareholders," it said.

JAPAN

Prosecutors seek life term for Abe's shooter

Japanese prosecutors demanded a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of fatally shooting former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, during the trial of the case at the Nara District Court on Thursday. With trial proceedings having concluded, the court is scheduled to hand down its verdict next month. Abe was shot and killed on July 8, 2022, while delivering a campaign speech on a street in Nara in support of a Liberal Democratic Party candidate in the House of Councillors election. Yamagami was arrested at the scene.

Agencies - Xinhua