Top headlines: UBS eyes Credit Suisse takeover, Amritpal declared fugitive

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UBS eyeing swoop for Credit Suisse amid fears of banking contagion

UBS AG was examining on Saturday a takeover of its embattled Swiss peer Credit Suisse, sources said, a move that could dampen fears the unfolding crisis might destabilise the global banking system.

The 167-year-old Credit Suisse is the biggest name ensnared in the market turmoil unleashed by the collapse of U.S. lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the past week, losing a quarter of its stock market value since Monday.

To get the crisis under control, UBS was coming under pressure from the Swiss authorities to carry out a takeover of its local rival, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The plan could see the Swiss government offer a guarantee against the risks involved, while Credit Suisse's Swiss business could be spun off. Read more

Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh declared fugitive: Jalandhar Police

Shortly after Amritpal Singh, the chief of pro-Khalistan outfit chief 'Waris Punjab De' was said to be on the run, Jalandhar Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal on Saturday late evening confirmed that the radical leader had been declared a "fugitive".

"Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh has been declared a fugitive. His two cars were seized and gunmen nabbed. We also checked if the firearms of his security escorts had been procured legally. A case has been registered. Punjab Police have launched a manhunt for Amritpal Singh and we are hopeful that he will be arrested soon. A total of 78 people have been arrested so far and further searches and raids are underway," Chahal said in an exclusive interview with ANI. Read more

Donald Trump says he expects to be arrested on Tuesday, calls for protest

Former President Donald Trump said he’s bracing to be arrested on March 21 in a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, citing unspecified leaks in the investigation, and called for protest to “take our nation back.”

Trump paired his comments in an all-caps post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday with a renewed verbal attack on investigators, who he said are pursuing a “fairytale” that has been debunked.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been convened a state grand jury into of a hush-money payment Trump allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public before the 2016 election about an alleged decade-old sexual encounter. Read more

Bank turmoil poses a $600 billion question for battered investors

Former President Donald Trump said he’s bracing to be arrested on March 21 in a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, citing unspecified leaks in the investigation, and called for protest to “take our nation back.”

Trump paired his comments in an all-caps post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday with a renewed verbal attack on investigators, who he said are pursuing a “fairytale” that has been debunked.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been convened a state grand jury into of a hush-money payment Trump allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public before the 2016 election about an alleged decade-old sexual encounter. Read more

Airlines misguiding people, forcing passengers to pay more, says Parl Panel

A Parliamentary Standing Committee has taken note of the high air fares charged by some airline operators in the domestic sector, and held that they are misguiding the public and forcing passengers to pay more.

The Committee also pointed out the wrong information published by the private airlines on their websites, regarding the number of seats left in the flight and the prices of the tickets.

"The level of misinformation can be gauged from the fact that even after the last tickets have been sold, the same number of seats show on the website, as indicated before the tickets sale. This indicates that airline operators are misguiding the public and forcing passengers to pay more," the panel said in the Demand for Grants (2023-24) report of the Civil Aviation Ministry. Read more