NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ordered Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to halt their $81 billion merger for at least two weeks, allowing states that are challenging the deal more time to see their case through in court.
Twelve states, led by California, sued to block Paramount’s pending buyout of Warner last week— alleging that such a combination would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly moviegoers and cable customers across the U.S.
The states’ top prosecutors called on Warner and Paramount to not close the transaction until after a court had time to “fully evaluate” their claims. And when the companies refused, they filed for a temporary restraining order — which is what District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted on Monday. That opens the door to a potential preliminary injunction that the states are also seeking to effectively block the deal.
“This is a critical first win in our case to ensure this megamerger never sees the light of day,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement following Monday's order. “History tells the tale of what happens when a few people have great power over markets that are central to Americans’ lives: fewer opportunities for more people, worse products and services for all people.”
A Warner-Paramount tie-up would bring together two of the five last legacy studios in Hollywood — as well as host of TV networks, titles filling streaming libraries and news operations. That would include Warner’s HBO Max, fan favorites like “Harry Potter” and even CNN coming under the same roof of Paramount-owned CBS, movies like “Top Gun” and the Paramount+ streaming service.
Paramount did not immediately comment on Monday's order. But the company, which was bought out by Skydance just last year, has vowed to “vigorously defend” its Warner acquisition. Paramount previously called the states’ complaint “wrong on both the facts and the law,” maintaining that a merger would instead strengthen competition against bigger entertainment rivals. And it touted regulatory greenlights the deal has received elsewhere, including from the administration of President Donald Trump last month.
The temporary restraining order granted Monday halts the deal from progressing for at least 14 days, although the pause could be extended for up to 28 days. The court has set Aug. 3 as a date for a hearing on the states' preliminary injunction motion, although that schedule could also be pushed back.
FILE - The Paramount Pictures water tower is seen in Los Angeles, Dec. 18, 2025, with the Hollywood sign in the distance. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
GUWAHATI, India (AP) — At least 10 people were killed and 17 others remain missing after a suspected gas explosion triggered a collapse inside an under-construction tunnel at a hydropower project in India’s northeastern Himalayan state of Sikkim, near the Chinese border, officials said on Tuesday.
The blast ripped through the tunnel on Monday at Samardung village, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the state capital, Gangtok, where multiple workers were carrying out construction work on the 500-megawatt Teesta hydroelectric project, Anupama Tamling, a civil official in the area, told reporters. Survivors who managed to escape told authorities they heard a loud explosion before debris came crashing through the tunnel, trapping dozens inside, she said.
As news of the accident spread, six officials from the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is building the project, entered the tunnel to assist in rescue efforts but became trapped themselves, officials said.
“We have recovered 10 bodies so far and 17 others are feared trapped,” local police chief Sonam Dolma told reporters.
Rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been struggling to reach those trapped because of hazardous conditions inside the tunnel, where toxic gases have accumulated.
“We found toxic gases such as methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulphide inside the tunnel,” NDRF official Nitin Kumar told reporters at the scene. He said rescuers were using specialized breathing equipment as they tried to search for survivors amid dangerous air conditions.
Construction accidents are not uncommon in India, where rapid infrastructure growth often collides with fragile geology, construction lapses, extreme weather and safety standards.
In the Himalayan region, fragile mountains, seismic activity and unpredictable underground conditions make tunnel projects especially risky. In 2023 a section of a tunnel in northern Uttarakhand state collapsed, trapping 41 workers for 17 days before they were rescued.
Experts say the Teesta River basin, where the hydropower project is being built, lies in a seismically active region marked by young, fragile rock formations riddled with fractures and underground pockets that can trap ancient gases.
Dr. Devesh Walia, a geology professor at North-Eastern Hill University in the neighboring state of Meghalaya, said the area contains relatively young rock formations, some associated with coal-bearing strata.
“It is quite possible that methane along with other gases accumulated underground and may have triggered an explosion,” he said.
Members of the rescue team carry oxygen cylinders outside the entrance to an under-construction tunnel at a hydropower project in Samardung village, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Gangtok, India, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo)
