Posts by Nathan Pine
El Nino worsens plight of Asia’s rice belt after war price shock
[SINGAPORE] A dry spell is sweeping across Asia’s rice fields, dealing another blow to farmers grappling with steep fuel and fertiliser prices triggered by the war in Iran. From Vietnam to the Philippines, production of the region’s most important food staple is under threat as a strengthening El Nino prolongs dry weather. That includes India,…
Read MoreDonald Trump Delivers Rally-Like Hour Of Rehash In White House Correspondents’ Dinner Speech
Speaking at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, Donald Trump delivered an hour-long speech blending shopworn rally material with a string of leaden one-liners. He was making his first appearance as president at the dinner, which had to be rescheduled last Aprtil after a shooter attempted to rush the ballroom and was…
Read MoreBlackRock gets soft demand for bond sale after AI debt sell-off
Published Sat, Jul 25, 2026 · 11:23 AM [NEW YORK] BlackRock has seen weaker-than-usual demand for a corporate bond sale tied to a Meta Platforms data centre project in Texas, as investors grapple with concerns about excessive artificial intelligence infrastructure spending. Final demand reached US$20 billion by late Friday (Jul 24) afternoon, or about 1.6…
Read MoreRalph Hemecker Dead: Director Of ‘Blue Bloods’, ‘The Flash’ Was 65
Director, writer, producer and showrunner Ralph W. Hemecker, known for his work on Witchblade, Blue Bloods, Once Upon a Time, The Flash, and The X-Files, among many others, has died. Hemecker died at his Glendale, CA home on July 10, his family confirmed to Deadline. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 65.…
Read MoreGuillermo Del Toro Says “No Godd*mn AI” In ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ Re-Release
As Guillermo Del Toro brings Pan’s Labyrinth back to theaters 20 years later, he’s sticking to tried-and-true restoration techniques. During Friday’s Hall H panel for the movie’s milestone anniversary at San Diego Comic-Con, the 3x Oscar winner reinforced his stance on using “absolutely no goddamn AI” in the 3D re-release, which premieres Oct. 9 in…
Read MoreBillionaire founder of Chinese broker Futu faces his toughest test
A securities fraud class action lawsuit is pending against Futu, Li Hua, chief financial officer Chen Yu [HONG KONG] From an early engineer at Tencent to the billionaire founder of Futu, Li Hua built one of China’s most prominent online brokerages. Now, the cross-border business model that powered Futu’s rise has exposed the 49-year-old entrepreneur to the…
Read More‘La La Land’ 10th Anniversary Concert Happening at Venice Film Festival
EXCLUSIVE: The tenth anniversary of La La Land will be celebrated at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival – La Biennale de Venezia with La La Land in Concert as part of the fest’s Cartier Cinema Club programming. The Damien Chazelle directed the 14x Oscar nominated, 6x winning film which made waves at the box…
Read MorePamela Anderson Talks ‘Rosebush Pruning,’ Second Chances & Baywatch
Since her critically acclaimed role in 2024’s The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson‘s acting career has been moving in a new direction. With decades devoted to more mainstream roles befitting of the blonde bombshell, Anderson now embraces projects that both challenge and scare her. Up next, she stars in the satirical dark comedy Rosebush Pruning, as…
Read MoreChuck Russell, Horror Movie Director, Dead at 74
The filmmaker—known for his work in The Mask, The Blob and Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors—died at 74 on July 22, his wife Ania Zeyne confirmed. “He was such a wonderful guy,” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter July 24. “He meant everything to me.” A case of death was not disclosed. Russell…
Read MoreParamount-WBD Merger Foes Cheer Legal Delay, Stocks Slide
After Friday’s delay in the Paramount-WBD antitrust lawsuit, shares of both media companies slid in after-hours trading, foes of the merger exulted and observers tried to process the latest twist in the merger saga. California Attorney General Rob Bonta hailed the agreement, under which Paramount pledged not close the $110 billion deal before June 1,…
Read MoreKalshi Threatens Netflix With Legal Action Over Prediction Market Doc
Kalshi threatened Netflix with a defamation suit over a recent trailer for the upcoming documentary The Prediction Games, premiering Sunday on the streamer. Following a court order requiring the prediction market app block sports-related markets in Nevada, Kalshi’s lawyers sent Netflix a cease-and-desist over footage from the trailer showing traders celebrating their Kalshi earnings from…
Read MoreOil falls on report China pushing for end US-Iran war
Published Sat, Jul 25, 2026 · 08:40 AM [HOUSTON] Crude oil futures prices were more than 4 per cent lower on Friday (Jul 24) after sources said that China had initiated a push to resume stalled peace talks between the US and Iran, but remained on track for hefty weekly gains. Both Brent and US…
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