Ewan McGregor is back for a six-episode "Star Wars" limited series, set in between the events of the prequel trilogy and the original "Star Wars" LOS ANGELES - When Ewan McGregor first played a lightsaber-wielding Jedi hero in the much-maligned "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, he didn't feel much love from the fans. Initial audience excitement about returning to a galaxy far, far away in 1999's "The Phantom Menace" was quickly doused by the prequels' corny dialogue, arcane inter-galactic politics and Jar Jar Binks. But as he steps back into his role for Disney+ series "Obi-Wan Kenobi," out next Friday, McGregor says he has been pleasantly surprised by a major re-evaluation of the prequels, particularly among younger viewers. "One of the difficult things about being in the prequels was that when they came out, they were not seemingly well received," McGregor told a virtual press conference Thursday. "Because there was no social media, there was no direct avenue to the fans at the … [Read more...] about McGregor return to ‘Star Wars’ inspired by love for ‘difficult’ prequels
All obi wan kenobi lightsabers
Cloudflare’s Manic Growth Hints at The Future of Cloud Networks
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin If you are networking company, a cloud network, or a content delivery network (CDN), you are probably watching Cloudflare very carefully. The rapid expansion of the company’s business model shows how fast traditional networking and technology functions are being subsumed into the cloud. In a recent earnings release, the company completed another solid quarter of growth driving its stock price back toward new highs. Revenue in the three months ended in March rose 51%, year over year, to $138.1 million. The company is almost at the breakeven line on profits, as it continues to invest in new growth. The company’s network is located in 200+ cities and it has more than four million free and paying customers. From 2018 through 2020, it had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50%, reaching $431 million in revenue in 2020. This should serve as a vision, or a warning, for what is to come. Cloudflare has taken the CDN model, … [Read more...] about Cloudflare’s Manic Growth Hints at The Future of Cloud Networks
Five held as Hong Kong customs seizes HK$22 million worth of fake luxury goods with big names pirated
Hong Kong customs officers have confiscated HK$22 million (US$2.8 million) worth of fake brand-name products ranging from high-heeled shoes to watches and arrested five people in a two-week citywide operation. An investigation suggests most of the nearly 80,000 counterfeit products seized in the operation were destined for countries such as the United States, Britain, Germany, Czech Republic, India, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, the Post has learned. Items seized by officers from customs’ intellectual property investigation bureau between April 26 and Monday included handbags, high-heeled and sports shoes, fashion accessories, sunglasses, watches and mobile phone accessories. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge , our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The fakes replicated well-known brand names … [Read more...] about Five held as Hong Kong customs seizes HK$22 million worth of fake luxury goods with big names pirated
King leaves for Abu Dhabi to pay last respects to Sheikh Khalifa
SEPANG: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has departed for Abu Dhabi to pay his last respects to United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who died on Friday (May 13). The special aircraft carrying His Majesty departed from the Bunga Raya Complex at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here at about 4.20pm Sunday (May 15). Sultan Abdullah was accompanied by Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, Foreign Ministry Chief of Protocol Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and Chief Protocol Officer of the Malaysian Government Datuk Rozainor Ramli. Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar and Prime Minister’s Department senior deputy secretary-general Datuk Sollehuddin Alyubi Zakaria were present to bid farewell to His Majesty. Prior to his departure, Sultan Abdullah went through the guard-of-honour mounted by the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment … [Read more...] about King leaves for Abu Dhabi to pay last respects to Sheikh Khalifa
Sultan of Johor receives interim report on Pulau Batu Puteh case
Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar - A + A JOHOR BAHRU: Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar on Sunday (May 15) received the interim report by the Special Task Force set up by the Federal Government to review actions and legal issues regarding the Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca), Middle Rocks and South Ledge case. According to a post on Sultan of Johor's official Facebook, Minister in Prime Minister's Department (Law and Parliament) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, accompanied by Task Force Chairman Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, presented the report during a briefing at Istana Polo here. Also present was the Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. The Cabinet on Oct 29 last year had agreed to form the Task Force, following a decision during the tenure of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2018 to drop a review application for the Pulau Batu Puteh case in the … [Read more...] about Sultan of Johor receives interim report on Pulau Batu Puteh case
[CELEB] Koo Kyo-hwan takes a walk on the weird side
Koo Kyo-hwan [NETFLIX] Koo Kyo-hwan is back in a role that he excels in, in Tving original series “Monstrous.” Koo is playing the strange but brilliant archeologist Jeong Ki-hoon who chases after supernatural phenomenon. Ki-hoon also runs a supernatural magazine titled “Monthly Ghost Stories” and a YouTube channel with the same name. Ki-hoon always seems to have a response no matter what kind of predicament he’s in, but his past has scarred him. After losing his young daughter in an accident, he separates from his wife, Soo-jin, who decides to lives alone in Jinyang County, South Gyeongsang. The couple each suffer from the loss of their daughter alone. Koo Kyo-hwan portrays a brilliant yet eccentric archeologist named Jeong Ki-hoon who encounters a cursed Buddha statue in Jinyang County, South Gyeongsang, in Tving series “Monstrous.” [TVING] Nothing seems to faze Ki-hoon anymore until he encounters a cursed Buddha statue discovered deep in a forest in Jinyang … [Read more...] about [CELEB] Koo Kyo-hwan takes a walk on the weird side
PKR polls 2022: Tensions surface during voting at Bayan Baru branch
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 16): There was some tension at the PKR Bayan Baru branch in Penang as party members voted in the 2022 PKR party elections, due to arguments between supporters there on Monday (May 16). However, the situation was brought under control within a sort period of time. The branch is facing a contest between state Commerce, Industry and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain and Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin. Abdul Halim said when contacted that the incident was caused by provocations between supporters, but nothing untoward occurred. "There was no scuffle or physical fight. It is usual for supporters to woo voters whenever voting occurs but there’s no provocation because we are all from the same party," he added. Meanwhile, Penang PKR chairman Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said voting, that also involved 12 other branches, Kepala Batas, Tasek Gelugor, Bagan, Permatang Pauh, Bukit Mertajam, Batu Kawan, Nibong … [Read more...] about PKR polls 2022: Tensions surface during voting at Bayan Baru branch
Agong meets with new UAE President in Abu Dhabi
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2nd right) at Mushrif Place, Abu Dhabi, UAE on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Photo credit: [email protected] Negara) - A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 16): Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Monday (May 16) departed to visit the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Mushrif Place, Abu Dhabi at around noon local time. According to Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, His Majesty was received by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “During the face-to-face meeting that lasted almost an hour, His Majesty conveyed his condolences to the President and the UAE government, and congratulated Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan on his appointment as the new President and head of state of the UAE,” … [Read more...] about Agong meets with new UAE President in Abu Dhabi
NFCorp, 10 others yet to reach settlement with govt in RM250m lawsuit; case adjourned to November
Mohamad Salleh (Photo by Low Yen Yeing/The Edge) - A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 17): National Feedlot Corp Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail and nine others have yet to reach a settlement with the Malaysian government in the RM250 million lawsuit initiated against them. Mohamad Salleh and the nine others are accused of misappropriating RM118 million from a RM250 million loan granted to NFCorp by the government in December 2007 to set up and operate a national feedlot centre in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan. The government is seeking from the accused RM253.62 million, which includes accrued annual interest of 2% from May 1, 2019. On Jan 25 this year, High Court judge Anand Ponnudurai had given the parties until May 17 to reach a settlement or continue with the civil suit before him. However, on Tuesday (May 17), both parties informed the judge that they would require a further extension as a settlement is currently still in the works and … [Read more...] about NFCorp, 10 others yet to reach settlement with govt in RM250m lawsuit; case adjourned to November
Buddhist single mother to know on Aug 1 if able to challenge unilateral conversion of children
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 17): The High Court has set Aug 1 to deliver its decision on whether a Buddhist single mother can challenge the unilateral conversion of her three children by her Muslim-convert ex-husband. This comes after Loh Siew Hong's leave application for a judicial review against the unilateral conversion of her three children was heard on Tuesday (May 17) before High Court Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. Loh's counsel A Srimurugan confirmed this with theedgemarkets.com when contacted. He also explained that the respondents had argued that the leave application was out of time. The respondents contended that as the children — 14-year-old twin girls and a 10-year-old boy — were converted on July 7, 2020, the application for leave should have been made within 90 days of that date. However, Srimurugan said that Loh only got confirmation of the conversion on March 21 when she was reunited with her children. Furthermore, Loh's counsel added … [Read more...] about Buddhist single mother to know on Aug 1 if able to challenge unilateral conversion of children