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Vodafone Idea (Vi) board approved a preferential share issue to raise Rs 2,075 crore from an Aditya Birla Group (ABG) entity, setting the stage for a wider funding programme critical to the revival of the cash-strapped telco. The shares will be issued at Rs 14.87 apiece to Oriana Investments Pte Ltd, Vodafone Idea said in a notice to the stock exchange on Saturday. The stock issuance will be at a premium to the closing price of Rs 13.32 on the BSE on Friday, which gave the company a market cap of Rs 64,841.52 crore. The relevant date for determining the floor price of the preferential issue will be April 8. Vodafone Idea was formed by the merger of Aditya Birla Group’s Idea Cellular and the India unit of Vodafone Plc in 2018. The board also approved an increase in authorised share capital to Rs 1 lakh crore from Rs 75,000 crore.

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 TV advertising for the first 15 matches experienced a 1% increase in ad volumes per channel compared to the previous edition, according to a report by TAM Media. The number of sponsors and categories climbed by 26% and 63%, respectively, to more than 50. The top five categories present in IPL 2024 together comprised 52% share of ad volumes, with Ecom-Gaming leading the list. The Ecom-Gaming category dominated the category list in all 15 matches of IPL 2024. Apart from Ecom-Gaming, the top five categories included Range of Food Products, Pan Masala, Cellular Phones-Smart Phones, and Securities/Sharebroking Organisation.

Virgin Atlantic jet collided with a stationary British Airways airliner while being towed from a stand at London's Heathrow Airport on Saturday, the airlines said. Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport, said no passenger injuries had been reported and it did not anticipate any ongoing impact to the airport's operations.

Conan O’Brien is likely to return to The Tonight Show, nearly 14 years after his abrupt departure. The 60-year-old comedian, who briefly helmed the iconic show from 2009 to 2010, is slated to make a guest appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night talk show.

BJP and 400 plus for the NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading from the front being the face of the party campaign. Sources tell ET that PM Modi will reach out to every Lok Sabha constituency with 'Modi Ki Guarantee' campaign. As per party sources, the number of rallies by Modi is likely to exceed the 2019 election number. In 2019, Modi addressed 142 public rallies and four roadshows reaching out directly to an estimated 1.5 crore people. Till Thursday, PM Modi has addressed 11 rallies across nine states since the announcement of elections. He has addressed two rallies each in Telangana and Karnataka, one each in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal. As per the schedule planned for Modi, he will address one rally for every three to four Lok Sabha seats. In states like UP, Bihar, Maharashtra which have 40 or more than 40 seats, Modi will address 18 to 25 rallies. Apart from that, the PM has also taken up the task of energising the party workers through interaction at the booth level and online tiffin meetings.

Wheel of Fortune," Pat Sajak, will bid farewell to the iconic game show with his final episode set to air on Friday, June 7, marking the Season 41 finale. Sajak has been a fixture on the show since 1981, when he took over as host of the daytime version, later also hosting the nighttime edition since 1983. Sajak, aged 77, who has been a fixture on «Wheel of Fortune» since 1983, announced his decision to step down last June after an incredible 40-year stint. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on June 12, 2023, Sajak expressed his gratitude for the memorable journey, stating, «I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last.» He added, «It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months”, a USA Today report quoted Sajak as saying.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said that by looking at Congress' manifesto it seems that they have released the manifesto for Pakistan elections. Sarma said, «Their manifesto is all about appeasement. They want to divide the society and come to power. We condemn their appeasement politics. By looking at Congress' manifesto it seems that they have released the manifesto for Pakistan elections.» The chief minister said, “Today is the foundation day of our party. BJP has worked for the nation. Nation is our Dharma. I invite the people to join the BJP on the occasion of the party's foundation day." The Congress has promised to abolish the Agniveer scheme, junk the “one nation, one election” proposal, restore the Planning Commission, review GST and the national education policy, implement women’s reservation right away, restore status quo ante on the China border in Ladakh and sack the Manipur government.

anti-India conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday swooped down on the premises of accused and suspected persons at 12 places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Of the total, 11 locations were searched in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh and one location in Kaimur district of Bihar in connection with the case registered originally by Uttar Pradesh's Anti Terror Squad (ATS). Several digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards and memory cards, along with incriminating documents like pamphlets of the proscribed naxal outfit, were seized during the search operation, said the NIA.

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan on Saturday said the airline hopes to stabilise operations for this month by this weekend and that more than 98 per cent of pilots have signed the new contract. The full service carrier faced significant disruption in operation earlier this week due to the non-availability of crew and many flights were cancelled. In a statement, Kannan said the situation has already improved with its on-time performance improving for the last three days. «We hope to stabilise our operations for the rest of April 2024 by this weekend,» he said.

The eight seats are Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim in the state's Vidarbha region and Hingoli, Nanded and Parbhani in Marathwada. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is April 8. A total of 352 candidates had submitted nomination forms for these eight seats, the official said.

Pushkar Singh Dhami Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the target of winning more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls as he is confident of the strength of the BJP's dedicated cadre. Dhami was speaking at a programme organised at the BJP's state office here on the occasion of the party's foundation day. «The target of winning more than 400 seats has been set by the prime minister as he is confident about your strength,» he said. «Your hard work and dedication have made the BJP the world's largest political party,» Dhami added.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Saturday cleared raising Rs 2075 crore from an Aditya Birla Group entity through a preferential share issue, setting the stage for a wider fund raise critical to the revival of the cash-strapped telco. «Issuance of upto 1,395,427,034 Equity Shares of face value of Rs. 10/- each at an issue price of Rs. 14.87 per equity share (including a premium of Rs. 4.87 per equity share), aggregating to Rs. 2,075 crores to Oriana Investments Pte. Ltd (Aditya Birla Group entity forming part of the promoter group), on a preferential basis...,» Vodafone Idea said in a notice to the stock exchanges on Saturday. It added that the relevant date for determining the floor price of the preferential issue is April 8, 2024.

Both Citi and Barclays may have been seen recently trimming headcount across their investment banks, but Barclays is also hiring. Its new recruits include a Morten Eikebu, who is fresh from a 15 and a half year stint at Citi in London.

Siddaramaiah on Saturday asked people to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi steps down after the Lok Sabha polls and make Congress leader Rahul Gandhi the PM of the county. Claiming that Congress always walks the talk and fulfills the promises made to the people, unlike the BJP, he said the party will fulfill the guarantees announced in its manifesto after coming to power, like it did in Karnataka under his leadership. «Congress has yesterday announced guarantees, we will fulfill them too. Congress party always walks the talk, unlike the BJP....you should understand that and try to bring Congress to power at the centre by removing the BJP government. I humbly request you to make Narendra Modi step down and make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister,» Siddaramaiah said. He was speaking after a road show here in favour of the Congress candidate from Kolar after offering prayers at the Kurudumale Ganapathi Temple. Calling BJP «a factory of lies» and asking people not to fall for lies created by BJP out of fear of defeat, the Chief Minister said that the five guarantee schemes implemented by his government have a five-year warranty. «We honored your vote by keeping our word,» he said.

Congress on Saturday hit back at Narendra Modi over his remarks that the party's manifesto bore a Muslim League imprint, saying the prime minister «does not know his history» as it was none other than Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee himself who was part of a coalition government in Bengal with the League in the early 1940s. The opposition party also accused the BJP of practising «politics of divisiveness». Addressing an election rally in Saharanpur, Modi said the Congress manifesto bears a Muslim League imprint while a part of it is dominated by the leftists. Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, «The prime minister does not know his history as it was, in fact, none other than Mookerjee, the president of the Hindu Mahasabha then, who was himself part of the coalition government in Bengal with the Muslim League.»

BJP walks the talk and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee is to save citizens from hardship, while the «useless» opposition is spreading hatred, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. Addressing a rally for Dr Rajesh Mishra, the BJP candidate from Sidhi Lok Sabha seat, Singh said the Congress-led UPA rule was mired in corruption, leading to some ministers getting jailed at the time. «Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks the truth. Modi ki guarantee is to save people from trouble and hardship. The BJP does what it says. It walks the talk. Since the time of Bharatiya Jan Sangh we have kept our word,» Singh said at a rally here. «The BJP fulfils each and every promise made in its manifesto. We were mocked for our commitment to the Ram Temple but it was built. We abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Hima Kohli, who heads the Supreme Court's committee for family court matters, on Saturday suggested legislative amendments to expand the jurisdiction of family courts and enhance their efficacy for smooth and effective disposal of cases. In her keynote address at a two-day regional conference for northern zone on family court matters, Justice Kohli said the Family Courts Act which came into being in 1984 is comprehensive but it has its limitations which contribute to the inefficacy of family courts. A significant limitation of the Act is its silence on granting injunctions against domestic violence, she said. «The gap was partially addressed by the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005 but jurisdictional challenges persist,» Justice Kohli said.

Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tearing apart the country's dignity and democracy and claimed that various tactics were being used to force opposition leaders to join the BJP. Addressing an election event of the party here, the former Congress chief claimed that for the last 10 years, the country has been in the hands of a government that left no stone unturned to promote unemployment, inflation, economic crisis and inequality. «Today our country's democracy is in danger. Democratic institutions are being destroyed and a conspiracy is being hatched to change our Constitution,» she alleged, adding, «This is a dictatorship and we all will give a reply to this.» «Considering himself great, Modi ji is tearing apart the dignity of the country and its democracy,» Sonia Gandhi said.

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 36.66 crore of Veena Developers in a bank fraud case belonging to the accused, Rakesh Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency said in a statement on Saturday. The bank fraud case involves Rakesh Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan, who are the promoters of Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd. (HDIL), along with other individuals associated with Mack Star Marketing Private Limited. The attached assets are in the form of commercial properties consisting of two office units measuring approximately 22,366 square feet in the Kaledonia building in Andheri (East) in Mumbai and shops situated in Veena Velocity Phase II, Diwanman in Maharashtra's Palghar.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has condemned the recent attack on NIA (National Investigation Agency) officers, describing it as a «very serious issue.» He flagged the need for authorities to treat the matter with the gravity it deserves. Bose stated that such attempts to intimidate investigating agencies are unacceptable and must be addressed firmly. He urged for swift and decisive action in dealing with the situation. «This is a very serious situation which has to be dealt with all the seriousness that it deserves. This kind of 'goondaism' should not be allowed. Muscle power should not replace legal power. This has to be dealt with an iron hand,» Bose told PTI at the Raj Bhavan. A vehicle carrying NIA officials was on Saturday attacked by villagers in Bhupatinagar, where they had gone to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case in which three persons were killed, police said. The investigation was later handed over to the NIA.

Modi took a dig at the Opposition saying that INDIA bloc's target is to «earn commission» if it comes to power, while the NDA is «on a mission». The INDIA bloc is contesting these elections with just one aim — to stop the BJP from winning more than 370 seats, Modi said. INDIA bloc is now seen as synonymous with instability and uncertainty; people no longer take it seriously, he said. Read PM Modi Live News Updates from Saharanpur Rally