By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 22, 2026

LOS ANGELES — September 22, 2026 — Paramount Skydance has reached a settlement with California and 11 other U.S. states, resolving a major legal challenge to its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and clearing a key obstacle to the roughly $110 billion transaction.

The agreement ends an antitrust lawsuit filed in July by a coalition of state attorneys general. The states had argued that combining Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery could reduce competition across movie production, television, streaming and cable markets.

Conditions attached to the settlement

Under the agreement, the combined company will face several court-enforceable commitments over a period of up to five years.

Among the most significant provisions is a requirement to maintain a minimum level of theatrical movie production. The company must release at least 30 films annually during the first two years, rising to 32 films a year for the following three years. Financial penalties can apply if the commitments are not met.

Paramount has also committed to spending an additional $300 million annually on domestic film production, representing at least $1.5 billion in additional investment over five years. The settlement also establishes a $47.5 million fund for workers affected by the transaction.

The agreement includes provisions concerning cable negotiations and establishes measures intended to protect editorial independence at CBS News and CNN, two major news organizations that would come under the same corporate ownership following the transaction.

A major change for Hollywood

If completed, the acquisition would combine Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s extensive entertainment operations, including the Paramount and Warner Bros. film studios, CBS and CNN, and streaming services Paramount+ and HBO Max.

The Justice Department had previously cleared the transaction, while the lawsuit by the 12 states became a significant remaining obstacle. The settlement is subject to court approval.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office led the states’ legal challenge, said the settlement should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the merger. The states had originally sought to prevent the transaction, arguing that it could affect competition and consumers.

Paramount CEO David Ellison has described the merger as beneficial to consumers and the entertainment industry. The company is now moving toward completion of the acquisition, although the settlement’s court approval remains an important procedural step.

The proposed transaction would mark one of the largest consolidations in the modern U.S. entertainment industry, bringing two major Hollywood studios and their television, streaming and news operations under a single corporate structure.

TURGUTLU, Türkiye — September 22, 2026: At least 11 students were injured, two of them seriously, after a student opened fire near a high school in western Türkiye on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The shooting occurred at about 7:59 a.m. local time near the İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Turgutlu, in Manisa province. Police and emergency medical teams were quickly dispatched to the area.

According to Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, the suspected shooter was apprehended shortly after the incident. The suspect’s parents and grandfather were also taken into custody as part of the investigation, with authorities examining how the weapon was obtained.

Reports indicate that the weapon was a shotgun taken from the family home. The suspect allegedly fired toward students outside the school before attempting to leave the area on foot. The motive has not been established, although authorities are investigating reports concerning possible bullying.

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Investigation launched

The Turgutlu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a comprehensive investigation, with two prosecutors assigned to the case. Officials are examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the weapon’s possession.

The Turkish Education Ministry suspended classes at the affected school for the remainder of the day and sent inspectors to Manisa. Psychosocial support teams were also deployed to assist students, teachers and parents affected by the incident.

The shooting comes months after two separate school attacks in Türkiye in April that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. Those incidents prompted authorities to announce additional security measures at schools as the 2026–27 academic year began.

Authorities have not yet released further details about the identities of the injured students. The investigation remains ongoing.

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has disclosed that transport operators initially demanded a 30% increase in transport fares, citing rising fuel prices and other operational costs.

According to the union, the Ministry of Transport has been engaging transport operators over the proposed adjustment, with negotiations seeking to bring the increase down to between 10% and 15% to reduce the burden on passengers.

Speaking to the GPRTU Deputy National PRO, Samuel Amish on Kesben Maakye show in Accra, he revealed that discussions over fuel price increases began in August, prompting the government’s GHC 2 subsidy intervention and an inquiry by the Transport Ministry into the various factors contributing to demands for higher fares.
He added that subsequent stakeholders meeting was scheduled for today September 22, 2026 to determine what percentage of increments would be approved for transport fares as fuel prices surge.

The union noted that although some spare-parts dealers had claimed prices had fallen, a committee of inquiry found no significant reduction in spare-parts prices.
He further stated that some commercial drivers have already increased their fares without approval. The union stressed that such increases remain unauthorized until an official adjustment is agreed upon.

According to the GPRTU, once the approved fares are announced, passengers will be assured of standardized charges, while drivers who disregard the officially approved rates could face arrest and prosecution under the new Legislative Instrument (LI 251).

By Maurice Otoo

Former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is facing fresh charges in the alleged GH¢30 million Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) case after prosecutors refiled the charges.

The prosecution filed the new charge sheet on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following the collapse of plea-bargain negotiations between Wontumi’s legal team and the State.

The fresh charges include defrauding by false pretences, uttering a forged document, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state. Prosecutors allege that more than GH¢14 million was obtained from EXIM Bank and that the transactions resulted in an estimated GH¢30 million loss to the state.

The case concerns a loan facility allegedly obtained for a farming project involving Wontumi Farms Limited and another accused person. The prosecution has also alleged that forged documents were used in connection with an additional GH¢4 million facility.

When the case came before the court on Tuesday, Wontumi’s lawyers requested more time after receiving the fresh charge sheet only that morning. The court granted the request and adjourned the case to October 13, 2026, when Wontumi is expected to take his plea afresh.

The development follows weeks of plea-bargain discussions between the defence and prosecution. Those negotiations ultimately failed to produce an agreement, prompting the State to withdraw the earlier charge sheet and file the new one.

Wontumi has previously pleaded not guilty to the allegations. The EXIM Bank case remains separate from his other legal proceedings.