Disney resolves dispute with Scarlett Johansson over 'Black Widow' movie
LOS ANGELES (Oct 1): Walt Disney Co and actress Scarlett Johansson have resolved their legal dispute stemming from the release of her Marvel superhero movie "Black Widow," the company and the performer said jointly on Thursday. Johansson, 36, sued Disney in July, accusing the company of breaching her contract when it offered the movie on streaming at the same time it was playing in theaters. Disney had countered at the time that there was "no merit" to the lawsuit and asserted that the studio had complied with terms of Johansson's contract. "I'm very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding 'Black Widow,'" Alan Bergman, content chairman for Disney Studios, said in a statement on Thursday. Johansson said she, too, was happy to have resolved her differences with the company and looked forward to further collaboration.
Source:The Edge Markets
October 01, 2021 00:56 UTC
Increase investment in earth observation technology
Due to advances in the imaging technology, monitoring of natural assets can be done remotely and at reasonable cost. Earth observation technology can also support other SDG agendas, including building smart cities, border surveillance and early warning on climate disasters. Investing in earth observation technologies will pay as we strive to achieve a better and more sustainable future for the nation. The deployment of earth observation imaging in Malaysia is still at a low level. It is time we invest in infrastructure to support earth observation technology.
Source:The Star
October 01, 2021 00:11 UTC
As North Korea escalates, Biden plays it cool
North Korea for Biden is "still a priority issue but also a no-win kind of scenario," said Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center. In an April policy review, the Biden administration said it was willing to engage North Korea and be flexible. North Korea has nonetheless taken small steps to ease tensions with South Korea, including restoring a military hotline. The Biden administration has put a priority on allies South Korea and Japan and backed efforts by the South's dovish president, Moon Jae-In. "North Korea has a game plan – to push the US off strategic patience and to get them to put sanctions relief on the table.
Source:The Star
October 01, 2021 00:00 UTC
Sapura Energy posts RM1.5bil loss in Q2
KUALA LUMPUR: Sapura Energy Bhd made a RM1.52bil loss in the second quarter (Q2) as the Covid-19 pandemic pushed up the cost on certain projects, forcing the oil and gas company to make hefty provisions for foreseeable losses. “This is the result of a lower percentage of completion recognised for projects in the current quarter under review, following recognition of foreseeable losses and higher costs for certain projects,” Sapura Energy said in a statement yesterday. Sapura Energy logoGroup chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Anuar Taib said it is currently negotiating amicable solutions with clients. Sapura Energy expects the current hurdles and uncertainties to continue in the second half of the year. To lead this effort, Sapura Energy has set up a board restructuring taskforce to provide oversight and support to the management team.
Source:The Star
October 01, 2021 00:00 UTC
Egyptian authorities say they blocked Brotherhood financing scheme
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities said on Thursday they had blocked a scheme aimed at financing the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and alleged a link to the imprisoned founder and former chairman of dairy and juice firm Juhayna, Safwan Thabet. It described Thabet as a "Brotherhood leader". Amnesty said the authorities had failed to produce evidence for the alleged affiliation with the Brotherhood. Juhayna is a household name in Egypt and the country's largest dairy products and juice producer. The Brotherhood has been subject to a sweeping crackdown since then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led their ouster from power in 2013.
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 17:37 UTC
Philippines kicks off election season under pandemic cloud
So far, just three contenders have declared their intention to run for president, the most famous, senator and newly retired https://reut.rs/3EYCDzw boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao https://reut.rs/3kRUMHu. Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, https://reut.rs/3FgtdzN a former actor, and Senator Panfilo Lacson, an ex police chief, have also confirmed they will run. Critics say his interest in the vice presidency is also a self-preservation move. Vice president, Leni Robredo https://reut.rs/3l2o2vf, who leads the opposition, is also being urged by supporters to run for the top post. More than 60 million Filipinos will vote in May 2022 for a new president, vice president, and more than 18,000 lawmakers and local government officials.
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 17:03 UTC
Ethiopia expels seven U.N. officials, accusing them of 'meddling'
There has been increasing international criticism of conditions in Tigray and all parties fighting in northern Ethiopia face the possibility of sanctions from the U.S. government. Many nations fear the spreading conflict in Ethiopia - Africa's second-most-populous nation and a regional diplomatic heavyweight - might further destabilise an already fragile region. The seven people being expelled include the country heads of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The seven have 72 hours to leave, the ministry said in a statement, accusing them of "meddling" in internal affairs. In August, Ethiopia suspended the operations of the Dutch branch of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the Norwegian Refugee Council, accusing them of arming "rebel groups".
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 17:01 UTC
Private groups aiding thousands in Afghanistan worry about dwindling funds
Vague U.S. security vetting procedures for Afghans seeking to leave also are contributing to the delays that George said are bleeding her organization of tens of thousands of dollars a day. Money concerns are growing among other non-profit groups supporting thousands of vulnerable Afghans seeking evacuation from Taliban rule amid reports the Islamist militants are conducting house searches, reprisal killings and other abuses. The groups say there are tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans seeking evacuation. But it has not agreed to pick up the costs of private charter flights, the private groups said. Still, Human First Coalition spokesman Alex Plitsas said he understood the State Department's concerns because "a lot of random people" have contacted private groups seeking evacuation.
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 16:07 UTC
Boy passed out after vaccination due to lack of sleep, not having proper breakfast, says Melaka Health Dept
Earlier, a 36-second video was circulated on social media alleging that the pupil had fainted after receiving his vaccine dose. He said the pupil felt delirious at the car park of the PPV after getting his jab. Dr Rusdi said the unconscious pupil was then rushed back to the PPV by his family members for medical attention. Dr Rusdi said the medical officers also followed-up on his condition while the boy was at home. Article type: metered User Type: anonymous web User Status: Campaign ID: 46 Cxense type: free User access status: 3Join our Telegram channel to get our Evening Alerts and breaking news highlights
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 15:00 UTC
CPO futures at all-time high of RM4,595 on supply worries
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed at an all-time high today as concerns over weak production continued to lift sentiment. The benchmark palm oil contract - December 2021 - jumped RM140 to RM4,595 a tonne. Palm oil trader David Ng said the expectation of stronger exports in the coming weeks also added to the positive sentiment. According to independent inspection company AmSpec Agri Malaysia, exports of Malaysian palm oil products for September rose 33.55 per cent to 1,628,168 tonnes from 1,219,166 tonnes shipped during August. Article type: metered User Type: anonymous web User Status: Campaign ID: 46 Cxense type: free User access status: 3Join our Telegram channel to get our Evening Alerts and breaking news highlights
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 12:33 UTC
India's Bharti Airtel to invest $673 million on data centre expansion
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Telecoms group Bharti Airtel said on Thursday it will invest 50 billion rupees ($673 million) in expanding its data centre business to meet customer demand in and around India. Airtel Business chief executive Ajay Chitkara said its Nxtra unit will make the investment by 2025, with plans to build a data centre economy across 80 Indian cities, adding that the move will triple its installed capacity to more than 400 MW. "There is a huge potential and huge demand (for data centres) which is expected in the next three to four years time," Chitkara told a virtual news conference. Public cloud spending in India is expected to exceed $12 billion by 2025, Naveen Mishra of research firm Gartner said. Separately, Airtel said Nxtra will increase the use of green energy for its data centres, aiming to source 50% of its power requirements from renewable sources.
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 09:33 UTC
Three-year-old boy first Covid-19 case involving tourists in Langkawi
ALOR SETAR: A first Covid-19 case among tourists in Langkawi has been detected by the state Health Department here. State Health director Dr Othman Warijo said the case involved a three-year-old boy from Nilai, Negri Sembilan who tested positive for the virus after symptoms appeared on Sept 25. He said the child's parents had received complete Covid-19 vaccinations and have no history of Covid-19 or being in close contact to Covid-19 cases. "Investigation also found that three relatives of the parents' child, who are Langkawi residents, have become close contacts to the case. "The child's parents and three relatives have been quarantined for 10 days and the results of their swab tests turned out negative," he said.
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 09:11 UTC
First 100 days in office: Ministers told to present report cards to public, says PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Cabinet Ministers have been instructed to present a report card to the people for them to evaluate their performance in the first 100 days in office. The other core principles set are to boost social wellbeing, increase infrastructure, strengthen unity in the Malaysian Family, and enhance delivery. “The ministers have been asked to announce their Malaysian Family Aspiration Performance 100-day report card to the people so that they can evaluate the ministers and ministries’ performance. The 100-day evaluation period for Cabinet ministers started on Sept 1. On Aug 27, when announcing his Cabinet line-up, Ismail Sabri said all appointed Cabinet ministers were given 100 days to prove themselves.
Source:The Star
September 30, 2021 08:26 UTC
MDEC denies offering vouchers for cash to businesses
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 30): The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has never issued any message offering vouchers that can be redeemed for cash to companies registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM). MDEC, in a statement, said the corporation is aware of many attempts, including this latest message, to use its name on social media and WhatsApp in an attempt to scam the public. “MDEC reiterates that such messages or postings are fake and give a negative perception to the ongoing business digitalisation support programmes by the government for businesses,” according to the statement. Therefore, MDEC encouraged the public to stop spreading unverified or fake news and instead refer to the official website as well as social media channels of MDEC to get accurate and updated information. For the latest news and announcements, the public can visit http://mdec.my, it said.
Source:The Edge Markets
September 30, 2021 05:15 UTC
My Say: CPTPP offers Malaysia best path to build back better
However, the more stringent requirements for joining the CPTPP, presently the gold standard for regional trade agreements, will enable Malaysia to build back better and faster. Similarly, the digital trade provisions in the CPTPP will help create an enabling digital policy environment for the Malaysian digital economy to grow and scale. Building Malaysia’s trade policy principles through both the CPTPP and RCEP will enhance the sustainability of the country’s competitiveness. It has been more than five years since Malaysia signed the original Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and almost three years since the CPTPP. Malaysia not ratifying the CPTPP does not mean status quo for the country’s economy; rather, it will set Malaysia back.
Source:The Edge Markets
September 30, 2021 03:33 UTC