Briefly

INDIA

17 killed in blast at explosives factory

A blast at an explosives factory killed at least 17 people and injured 18 others on Sunday, officials in the western Indian state of Maharashtra said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accident was "deeply distressing" and wished a speedy recovery to the survivors. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called the incident "extremely unfortunate and tragic" in a post on X. The accident happened in Nagpur, about 800 kilometers from state capital Mumbai. "Rescue operations have been accelerated, and so far, 17 people have lost their lives,"Fadnavis said.

UNITED STATES

Paramount to acquire Warner in $110b deal

US media conglomerate Paramount Skydance announced on Friday it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valuing the combined company at $110 billion, after beating Netflix in a bidding war. The agreement ends a five-month saga and creates an entertainment behemoth whose effect on a struggling media landscape will be closely scrutinized. The merged entity will include CNN, CBS, and HBO as well as some of Hollywood's most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, the DC Universe, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Agencies via Xinhua