Business
Disney says ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will return to ABC on Tuesday
Disney plans to bring “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” back to air on ABC’s broadcast network beginning on Tuesday, the company said in a statement.
The decision was announced nearly a week after ABC said it was suspending the late night show indefinitely. The network had pulled the show days after the host made comments linking the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” Disney said in a statement Monday. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
The late night host will address the matter during his show set to be taped on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.
Following days of discussions, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, made the decision to return the show to air, the person said. The two executives informed Kimmel on Monday, the person added.
Local station owners learned of the show’s return on Monday when Disney made the public announcement, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Jimmy Kimmel at the Disney Advertising Upfront on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
Michael Le Brecht | Disney General Entertainment Content | Getty Images
Broadcast pushback
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was suspended after Nexstar Media Group, which owns more than 200 broadcast TV stations across the U.S., announced its stations affiliated with ABC would preempt Kimmel’s show. Sinclair, another large broadcast TV station owner, similarly threatened to preempt the program.
Sinclair said in a release last week that it would not lift the suspension on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” until it had formal discussions with ABC “regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
As of Monday evening, a Sinclair representative said the company still planned to preempt the broadcast.
“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,” according to a statement from Sinclair. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”
Sinclair owns and operates nearly 40 ABC-affiliate stations across the U.S., including one in Washington, D.C., according to its website.
A Nexstar representative didn’t comment on the matter.
Kimmel said during his monologue last Monday that the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
“In between the finger-pointing there was grieving. On Friday the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level you can see how hard the president is taking this,” he continued, teeing up a clip of Trump on the White House lawn in which the president fields a question on Kirk but swiftly pivots to talking about construction.
Immediately following ABC’s suspension of the show, everyone from entertainers to politicians weighed in on whether Kimmel should return to air, and whether the incident should affect station owners’ broadcast licenses.
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr had suggested ABC’s broadcast license was at risk in light of Kimmel’s comments, telling CNBC last week, “we’re not done yet” with changes to the media landscape.
Trump suggested the federal government might revoke broadcast station licenses for the networks that are “against” him.
The FCC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Networks like ABC are part of a system that requires them to obtain over-the-air spectrum licenses from the federal government in order to broadcast across local stations. Since the networks are free to air over public spectrum — meaning anyone with an antenna can watch them — they must by law operate in “the public interest.”
Both Nexstar and Sinclair are currently looking to do deals that would require regulatory approval.
Nexstar recently announced a proposed $6.2 billion deal to merge with fellow broadcast station owner Tegna, a deal that would upend longstanding regulations for the industry on how many stations a parent company can own.
And Sinclair said in August it’s exploring merger options for its broadcast business, though it has yet to reach an agreement.
Political pressure
Kimmel’s suspension drew comparisons to CBS’s cancellation of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in July and raised questions about the protection of free speech in a Trump-era broadcast environment.
Trump’s scrutiny of media companies has intensified during his second term marked by high-profile defamation lawsuits, the defunding of public broadcasters and regulatory interference from the FCC. He’s particularly singled out ABC and NBC for what he called “unfair coverage of Republicans and/or Conservatives.”
Current and former late show hosts rallied behind Kimmel after his suspension and said the president’s influence amounted to censorship. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner blasted the FCC’s “intimidation” of ABC.
A letter organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, signed by more than 400 people including Hollywood stars and artists, backed Kimmel, saying his suspension marked a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas criticized the FCC’s Carr for his comments related to the suspension of Kimmel.
And on Monday, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani withdrew from an upcoming town hall on an ABC affiliate in protest of the network’s suspension of Kimmel.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC. Versant would become the new parent company of CNBC upon Comcast’s planned spinoff of Versant.
Business
Pakistan Petrol Crisis: Petrol shock, free rides & more: How is Pakistan dealing with Hormuz energy crisis – The Times of India
The Middle East crisis has stretched beyond the one month mark, sending ripples across the globe. While somes nations are hiking fuel prices, others are introducing other measures to cushion consumers from the impact while balancing energy reserves. Pakistan is no stranger to the ongoing energy volitality as the country imports almost 85% of its supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan government has already raised petrol prices multiple times since the conflict began, with the last raise being on Friday. The sharp rise in fuel prices pushed the government to roll out emergency relief measures, including free public transport in key regions, as public anger spilled onto the streets. Authorities announced on Friday that commuters in Islamabad and Punjab will not have to pay fares on state-run transport for the next 30 days.
Balancing Hormuz crisis and consumer interest
The decision follows widespread unrest after petrol prices were raised overnight by 42.7% to 485 rupees per litre, triggering protests and long queues at fuel stations. However, after public outrage, Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif later revised the hike, bringing petrol down to 378 rupees per litre. “This decrease will be applicable for at least one month,” he said during a televised address, adding, “I promise I will not rest until your life is back to normal.”Coming to diesel prices, the government had increased HSD price by PKR 184.49 per litre, from PKR 335.86 to PKR 520.35, but abolished the levy, providing some relief to citizens.Detailing the relief measures, interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “All public transport in Islamabad will be made free of cost for the general public for the next 30 days, starting tomorrow (Saturday),” noting that the government would shoulder a cost of 350 million rupees.Punjab has mirrored the move, removing fares on public transport and introducing “targeted subsidies” for trucks and buses. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif also appealed to transport operators not to shift the burden onto passengers, saying, “We promise to relieve the public of economic burden as soon as conditions improve.”In Karachi, similar steps have been taken by the Sindh government, which announced subsidies aimed at motorcyclists and small farmers.
Middle East tensions strain Pakistan
The developments come against the backdrop of rising global energy disruptions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran, which began on February 28. The conflict has led to retaliatory strikes across the Gulf and disrupted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for energy supplies, particularly to Asia.To manage the strain, Pakistan has introduced a series of fuel-saving steps, including a four-day workweek for many government offices, extended school holidays and a shift to online classes in some cases.The economic pressure is being felt acutely in a country where about 25% of the population of 240 million lives in poverty, according to World Bank figures. Earlier in March, fuel prices had already been increased by 20 percent, with authorities initially resisting further hikes.Protests broke out on Friday in Lahore, where demonstrators called for the government to withdraw the increase. “The government, overnight, has dropped a ‘petrol bomb’ on its people,” said Naveed Ahmed, a 39-year-old protestor. “Our nation cannot bear this situation right now. This storm of inflation must be stopped, and relief should be provided to the public.”Hafiz Abdul Rauf, another protester, questioned the reasoning behind the hike, saying, “The rise we are seeing is not due to the (Iran) war, but to pressure from the IMF, pressure that must be resisted. For God’s sake, step back from these demands and show some compassion for the people.”The pressure is not limited to Pakistan. Bangladesh has also raised prices of liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas by 29%. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund warned earlier this week that vulnerable economies face not only rising energy costs but also disruptions in supply chains. On March 28, it said it had reached an initial agreement with Pakistan on a $1.2-billion support package.
Business
PNB, Union & IDFC Bank see credit outpace deposit growth – The Times of India
MUMBAI: Credit growth continued to outpace deposit mobilisation for Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India and IDFC FIRST Bank at the end of the March quarter, reflecting sustained loan demand in a tight liquidity environment.Punjab National Bank reported global advances of Rs 12,61,420 crore as of March 31, 2026, up nearly 13% year-onyear, while global deposits rose 9.3% to Rs 17,11,476 crore. The bank’s total global business stood at Rs 29,72,896 crore, reflecting a 10.8% increase. Domestic advances grew 12.2% to Rs 11,95,811 crore and domestic deposits rose 9.2% to Rs 16,49,409 crore. The global credit-deposit ratio stood at 73.7% at the end of the quarter.Union Bank of India reported global advances of Rs 10,78,779 crore, marking a 9.8% year-on-year increase, while global deposits rose 2.7% to Rs 13,06,900 crore. Total global business stood at Rs 23,85,679 crore, up 5.8%. Growth was led by the retail, agriculture and MSME segments, where advances rose 12.6% to Rs 5,98,620 crore. Domestic CASA deposits increased 7.9% to Rs 4,59,988 crore, with the CASA ratio improving to 35.2%.IDFC FIRST Bank reported loans and advances of Rs 2,90,362 crore at the end of March, up 20% year-on-year, while customer deposits rose 17.2% to Rs 2,84,327 crore. The bank’s CASA ratio improved to 49.8% from 46.9% a year earlier. It said customer acquisition remained stable through March despite year-end tax outflows and tight system liquidity. It said asset quality stress in its microfinance portfolio has normalised, supporting further credit growth.
Business
PM Shehbaz reduces petrol price to Rs378 per litre – SUCH TV
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