Mary Kay Donates Hand Sanitizer in Asia Pacific Region to Support COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Efforts and Support Frontline Heroes Videos by journalists in Dakar, Bogota, Beirut, Kuala Lumpur and Paris bureaus by Yassine Khiri with AFP bureaus across the world With their art, technology know-how, creative social networking skills or political commitment, post-millennials, known as […]

by Glenn CHAPMAN Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday chief Bob Iger was handing off the top executive post after building the media-entertainment powerhouse into the undisputed Hollywood leader. Disney’s board named Bob Chapek, a 27-year veteran of Disney, the new chief executive, effective immediately. Iger, who has been CEO for 15 years, will assume the […]

by Jocelyne Zablit Can the black comedy “Parasite” win South Korea its first Oscar ever? Will Laura Dern become the first in her acting family to nab an Oscar statuette? Here’s a look at some interesting facts and trivia ahead of the 92nd Academy Awards being held Sunday in Hollywood: ‘Parasite’ aims big “Parasite” already […]

French media giant Vivendi said Tuesday it would sell 10 percent of its Universal Music Group subsidiary to a consortium led by the Chinese behemoth Tencent for three billion euros.  The agreement, worth around $3.36 billion, is “based on an enterprise value of 30 billion euros for 100 percent of UMG’s share capital” and is expected […]

by Catherine Lai A rom-com about a lesbian flight attendant and a romance in a gay spa are among the shows featured on Asia’s first LGBT-focused streaming service, which is pushing boundaries in an often highly conservative region.  GagaOOLala brings more than 1,000 feature films, shorts, web series, and documentaries to people across Asia, where […]

Eight-year-old Ryan Kaji earned $26 million in 2019 on his YouTube channel, making him the highest-paid creator on the platform, according to a list published Wednesday by Forbes magazine. Kaji, whose real name is Ryan Guan, was already the video platform’s highest earner in 2018, with $22 million, according to Forbes. His channel “Ryan’s World,” […]

Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg on Friday defended the policy implemented by his news agency to steer clear of investigating him, saying doing so would not be credible. Bloomberg told CBS News he “hired somebody outside” to run the Bloomberg News organization and establish policies for ethics. “People have said to me, ‘How can you […]

The finance and media group Bloomberg said Thursday it fixed what it termed a glitch in its market information terminals that directed users to presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s campaign website by typing in the letters “MIKE.” The company, which operates a major network for financial market data as well as a news organization, said it […]

by Erwan Lucas Gamers were counting down to Tuesday’s launch of Google’s feature-rich, on-demand offering Stadia. But is its bang as big as its much-advertised buck? AFP had a chance to gain a first impression at the web behemoth’s Paris office in advance of the launch as Google bids to raise the bar to new […]

by Rob Lever / with Thomas Urbain in New York Michael Bloomberg’s likely run for the presidency would create a hornet’s nest of practical and ethical problems for his company, which as one of the world’s biggest news organizations would be thrust into coverage of its owner. A campaign could set up unusual challenges for […]

Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday it signed up 10 million subscribers for Disney+ within a day of launching its new streaming television service. The company said in a statement it has seen “extraordinary consumer demand” and “has already reached a major milestone, achieving a remarkable 10 million sign-ups since launching.” The news comes despite a launch […]

by Javier TOVAR With two young daughters, Mery Montenegro is preparing to add Disney+ to her list of streaming subscriptions, which already includes Netflix, Hulu and Amazon — and, when combined with her cable TV bill, costs her almost $1,500 per year. Her eldest Victoria, 6, asks every day when the new platform will launch, […]

Animated film “Abominable” will not be shown in Malaysia after its distributor Sunday said it could not comply with censors’ demands to cut a controversial scene showing Beijing’s disputed claims in the South China Sea. The decision comes after Vietnam pulled the Universal Pictures movie from theatres days ago and the Philippines’ foreign secretary called […]

An eighty-year-old Malaysian newspaper, which had close links to the corruption-plagued former ruling party, halted publication Wednesday after years of financial struggle, with more than 800 staff affected. Utusan Malaysia was the country’s oldest Malay-language newspaper, founded in 1939 during British colonial rule by Yusof Ishak, who went on to become the first president of […]

Warner Bros.’ “Joker” has survived the intense controversy over its violent themes to take in an estimated $93.5 million in North American theaters this weekend, setting a record for an October release, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” provides the backstory for the rise of Batman’s maniacal nemesis, painting a dark […]

by Richard SARGENT / AFP Accessing everything from Wikipedia to Google Maps in Myanmar is about to get a lot easier when it finally adopts the universal code underpinning phone and online communication next week. Tech experts say the move to bring the country more in step with the rest of the digital world is […]

SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son is no stranger to controversy, but a meltdown at WeWork has sparked pointed questions about whether his enormous investments and futuristic pronouncements are more style than substance. It has been a tough year for Son, who transformed a firm that began in software into a powerful tech investor that backs […]

edotco Group strengthens position in the region with eighth market entry into the Philippines Spearheading the shared infrastructure model in the Philippines to improve operational efficiencies in the telecommunications industry  Intends to build 1,000 towers in three years, plans to invest USD100 mil over five years edotco Group Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian-based firm, enters the Philippines market. They […]

by Andrew MARSZAL / AFP “Game of Thrones” took the top Emmy for best drama Sunday but dark British comedy “Fleabag” was the surprise big winner of television’s glitziest night, dominating the comedy prizes at a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles. “Thrones” — the most decorated fictional show in the history of the Emmys, television’s […]

In taking this spot, Bezos bumped Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates down to second place. Bezos became the richest man in modern history earlier this year, and has a net worth of $160 billion; last year, his worth was $81.5 billion. Since becoming the richest man in modern history earlier this year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos […]

Disney chief Bob Iger resigned from Apple’s board of directors as the companies are poised to launch rival online streaming services, according to a filing Friday with US regulators. Iger’s departure came the same day that the iPhone maker announced that its Apple TV+ subscription service with a budding library of original content will go […]

Norwegian telecom operator Telenor said Friday talks on merging its Asian operations with Malaysian telecoms group Axiata have ended due to complexities with the transaction. The companies announced in May that they had entered talks on creating a new company to serve nearly 300 million customers in nine Asian countries. Telenor would have controlled 56.5 […]

Superhero Black Widow is a woman at the top of her game, and so is the actress who plays her — Scarlett Johansson is the world’s highest paid actress for the second year in a row, according to Forbes’s annual ranking published Friday. Johansson, 34, earned $15.5 million more than she did in 2018, primarily […]

US toymaker Hasbro announced Thursday that it is acquiring studio Entertainment One, which owns popular cartoon series “Peppa Pig” among other children’s content, for approximately $4 billion. Under the all-cash transaction, Entertainment One shareholders will receive 5.6 pounds ($6.86) per share, according to a statement from Hasbro. In addition to Peppa Pig, the popular swine […]