DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Thailand sentences man to record 50 years in prison for insulting the monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Sentences for those convicted under Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, or lese majeste law, can be decades long and hundreds of people have been prosecuted in recent years. A criminal court found him guilty of 14 violations of lese majeste and sentenced him in January 2023 to 28 years. At least 262 people have been charged with lese majeste during that time, the group added. Thailand’s lese majeste prosecutions continue despite a civilian government now being in power, following almost a decade of military-backed rule. The verdicts include a decision by the Constitutional Court on whether Pita sought to overthrow the monarchy through his election campaign to amend the lese majeste law.

Persons: Mongkol Thirakhot, Chiang Rai, ”, majeste, TLHR, Mongkol, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Akarachai, Anchan Preelert, lese, Arnon Nampa, Arnon, ” TLRH, Thailand’s lese, Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita Organizations: CNN, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Facebook, Supreme, UN Human Rights, YouTube, Forward, Constitutional Locations: Chiang Rai, Thailand, TLHR, Thai

☆ Why Carlyle is making big private credit investments in Hollywood companies like New Regency and 'South Park' creators' Park County
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The investment speaks to Carlyle's underlying thesis in this space, said the managing director, Ben Fund, who sits on the Carlyle Credit Opportunities team. "It is amazing how much people love some of this high-quality content," Fund told Insider, speaking about famous sitcoms or films from recent decades. Streamers also need unique original titles to lure subscribers, but "it's a lot more expensive and risky to create new content than it is to license content," Fund said. Finding strategies to support Hollywood through volatile timesCarlyle's big moves come as private asset managers step up their lending game in Hollywood. For Carlyle, Fund said, this creates opportunity — and he added that such companies often have "real pride" and a "real legacy" to uphold.

Persons: Carlyle, Smith, Ben Fund, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Arnon Milchan, Yariv, Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, it's, we're, hasn't Organizations: Washington DC, New Regency, New, Carlyle Credit, Bloomberg, Hollywood, Fund, Netflix, Content Partners, ICM Partners, CAA Locations: New, Carlyle, Park County, California, Hollywood

☆ Thai court denies bail for lawyer who called for monarchy reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Arnon Nampa, a prominent activist and former human rights lawyer, speaks to media ahead of a Thai criminal court's verdict in a case of allegedly having insulted the monarchy, at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A Thai court denied bail on Saturday for an activist lawyer sentenced to four years in prison for royal insults, his lawyer said, in one of the Southeast Asian country's highest-profile lese-majeste cases. Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, 39, is widely known for a speech during pro-democracy protests in 2020 when he broke taboos by calling for public debate on the role of Thailand's powerful king. The Appeal Court read out an order on Saturday rejecting Arnon's bail request due to concerns that "if bail was given he would escape", said his lawyer, Krisadang Nutcharus. Krisadang said he would consult with Arnon on whether to make another bail request or appeal the order to the Supreme Court.

Persons: Arnon, Athit, Arnon Nampa, Krisadang, Thailand's, Prayuth Chan, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Orathai Sriring, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Arnon Nampa, Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK

☆ Activist who called for Thai monarchy reforms sentenced to 4 years for royal insults
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A prominent activist and lawyer made famous for his open calls for reform of Thailand's powerful monarchy was on Tuesday sentenced to four years in prison for royal insults, a judge and his lawyer said. Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa is widely known for his taboo-breaking speech during pro-democracy protests in 2020 during which he called for public debate on the role of Thailand's powerful king. Thailand's lese-majeste law shields the palace from criticism and carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for each perceived insult of the monarchy, a punishment widely condemned by international human rights groups. He was a leader in the youth-led pro-democracy movement that swept the capital Bangkok in 2020, drawing hundreds of thousands into the streets. As of last month, at least 257 people have been charged with 112 since 2020, according legal aide group, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Persons: Arnon, Athit, Arnon Nampa, Thailand's, Krisadang Nutcharus, Prayuth Chan, ocha, Martin Petty Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Arnon Nampa, Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK

☆ Activist Who Called for Thai Monarchy Reforms Sentenced to Four Years for Royal Insults - Judge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - An activist and lawyer made famous for his open calls for reform of Thailand's powerful monarchy was on Tuesday sentenced to four years in prison for royal insults, a judge said. Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa is widely known for his taboo-breaking speech during pro-democracy protests in 2020 during which he called for public debate on the role of Thailand's powerful king. Arnon had denied wrongdoing. (Reporting by Napat Wesshasartar, Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty)

Persons: Arnon Nampa, Arnon, Napat Wesshasartar, Chayut, Martin Petty Locations: BANGKOK

☆ Unreasonable? Israel's Judicial Overhaul Dismays Environmentalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Under the changes passed so far, the government and ministers are now exempt from judicial oversight based on the so-called "reasonableness clause". The prime minister's office and ministries involved in the inquiry said they were not responsible. The 15-judge Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Sept. 12 against this amendment. It was launched before the judicial overhaul and sought a ruling based on the application of the reasonableness clause. The prime minister's office and environmental protection minister's office declined to comment for this article.

Persons: Ari Rabinovitch JERUSALEM, Amit Bracha, Adam Teva V'Din, Benjamin Netanyahu, Barry Levenfeld, Arnon Tadmor Levy, ATD, Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri, Silman, Netanyahu's, Lahav, Ari Rabinovitch, Edmund Blair Organizations: Tel, Israel Union, Environmental Defense, Supreme, Likud Locations: Tel Aviv, Herzliya

Lawmakers, including Yariv Levin, the Justice Minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security, at the Knesset in Jerusalem after the vote on Monday. Israel’s nationalist right celebrated a hard-won victory Monday after seven months of struggling to advance the contentious plan to weaken Israel’s judiciary in the face of mounting opposition. Many on Israel’s right say Israel’s Supreme Court is staffed by activist judges who have tied the hands of elected leaders. Right-wing voters commonly say they “vote for the right and get the left” and blame the courts for striking down popular policies. A weakened court would allow Mr. Ben-Gvir to fulfill such campaign promises, he said.

Persons: Yariv Levin, Itamar Ben, Gvir, ”, —, Benjamin Netanyahu —, Rafi Sharbatov, Ben, Arnon Segal, Segal, “, we’ve, Bezalel Smotrich, God’s, Mr, Smotrich, Smotrich’s, Dan Odenheimer, Odenheimer, “ It’s Organizations: of National Security, West Bank, Air Force, West Locations: Jerusalem, Israel’s, Israel, West Bank, Efrat

☆ Israel's main union to discuss declaring general strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, July 24 (Reuters) - The head of Israel's main public sector union said on Monday he would meet with other union officials to discuss the possibility of declaring a general strike after parliament ratified a key element in a controversial judicial overhaul plan. Arnon Bar-David, chairman of the Histadrut labour federation, has been trying to mediate a compromise between the government and opposition. "From this moment on, any unilateral progress in the reform will have serious consequences ... Either things will progress with broad agreement or they will not progress at all," said Bar-David. Bar-David said he would meet with Histadrut officials to declare a "general labor dispute in the economy," and will "activate it if necessary until a complete shutdown is achieved."

Persons: Arnon Bar, David, David . Bar, Steven Scheer, Ari Rabinovitch Organizations: Thomson

☆ Israeli financial markets slide after judicial overhaul vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, July 24 (Reuters) - Israeli financial markets tumbled on Monday, with the shekel hitting a two-week low versus the dollar, after lawmakers ratified the first bill of a judicial overhaul sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In protest at the vote, a forum of some 150 of Israel's largest companies held a strike on Monday. Azrieli (AZRG.TA) and Big (BIG.TA), two of Israel's largest malls, said stores in their shopping centres would be closed. But news that compromise talks collapsed erased early gains and sent the shekel weaker, with losses deepening after the vote. The shekel has weakened some 10% versus the dollar since late January when the government unveiled its controversial judicial overhaul plan, setting off mass protests and harming foreign inflows.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Nir Elias, Arnon Bar, Netanyahu, Steven Scheer, Bansari Mayur, Karin Strohecker, James Mackenzie, Christina Fincher, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Israel, MPC, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Washington

☆ Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan testifies in Netanyahu case
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attends Arnon Milchan's video testimony, during Netanyahu's ongoing trial at the District Court in Jerusalem, June 25, 2023. ATEF SAFADI/Pool via REUTERSJERUSALEM, June 25 (Reuters) - Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan began his testimony in the corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, in a court session that was broadcast live from an English seaside town direct to Jerusalem. The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing in this case and two other cases that are being heard in the same trial. The prime minister has described the gift-giving among friends as normal conduct and his trial as a political witch-hunt. When the prime minister arrived at the Jerusalem court to watch from afar, Milchan greeted him off-screen with "Shalom, Bibi!"

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Arnon Milchan's, ATEF, Arnon Milchan, Netanyahu, Milchan, Bibi, Shalom, Dan Williams, Maayan, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, REUTERS JERUSALEM, Hollywood, Brighton, Australian, Israel

☆ Hollywood Tycoon Testifies in Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the opening hours of his testimony, Mr. Milchan described his relationship with Mr. Netanyahu as “close friends, almost brothers,” and confirmed that he had given cigars and Champagne to Mr. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara. Mr. Netanyahu, who is on trial in three separate but interlocking corruption cases, has been charged with fraud and breach of trust in the case involving Mr. Milchan. Mr. Netanyahu has denied all wrongdoing. Mr. Milchan, 78, who produced blockbusters like “Pretty Woman,” “Mr. His colorful life and relationship with Mr. Netanyahu has helped turned the Case 1000 trial into a showcase of the nexus of money, power and influence in Israel.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Arnon Milchan, Milchan, Netanyahu, “, ”, Sara, Mr, Smith ” Locations: Hollywood, Israel

☆ The Hollywood Producer Who Could Bring Down Israel’s Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The life story of Arnon Milchan, billionaire Hollywood mogul and secret agent, could have been made for the silver screen: He produced blockbusters like “Pretty Woman,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and also made a fortune from arms dealing, including covert exploits procuring weapons for Israel, his native country. A decade ago, he went public about his work for Israeli intelligence, landing himself in a spot of trouble. But a longstanding relationship he had with Benjamin Netanyahu, then and once again the Israeli prime minister, proved to be useful. Mr. Netanyahu successfully lobbied senior American officials on Mr. Milchan’s behalf to reinstate his visa, according to an Israeli indictment against Mr. Netanyahu.

Persons: Arnon Milchan, ”, Smith ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Mr Locations: Israel, United States

☆ Israeli institutional tech investment down 40% in 2022 - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Over the second half of last year, just 16 investments were made by Israeli institutional investors - four of those being early stage seed deals. But institutional investors have not been a big part of its success, with most investment coming from venture capital funds. Led by mostly foreign VCs, Israeli tech firms raised some $15 billion in 2022. Nimrod Vromen, chief executive of Consiglieri, said that institutions last year had more inclination for early stage investments. "Israeli institutional investors’ experience in early stage investments, combined with the Israeli government’s commitment to supporting the startup ecosystem amidst political legislative turbulence, signals potential for future investment growth," he said.

Persons: Arnon Segev, Yoav Sherman, Nimrod Vromen, Vromen, Steven Scheer, Ed Osmond Organizations: Israel Innovation Authority, Israel Venture Capital, Thomson

☆ 3 Gen Zers on deciding to become full-time freelancers: ‘I wouldn't go back’ to a corporate job
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A majority, 70% of Gen Zers consider freelancing to be as viable a career option as a typical office job, according to a February 2023 Fiverr survey of 7,121 Gen Zers from around the world. Gigi Robinson, 24, influencerGigi Robinson, 24, had long struggled with chronic illnesses like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and endometriosis. When he moved to Boca Raton, Florida, at 15, he started making videos about what it was like for a Brazilian to live in the U.S. And those gained some traction. But though he'd hoped YouTube would become his full-time gig, the channel wasn't making much. He'd also started hiring freelancers to take on some of the work from his clients.

"Stop this judicial process before it is too late," Arnon Bar-David, Israel's Histadrut union leader, said in a televised speech, addressing Netanyahu directly. Protests have taken place across Israel for the last four months, sparked by anger at controversial judicial reforms pushed by Netanyahu's government, the most right-wing in Israel's history. The planned overhaul would significantly weaken the country's judiciary and make it harder to remove Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, from power. On Sunday, Netanyahu's office announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had opposed the motion, escalating protests. "We must all stand up strongly against refusals," Netanyahu said on Twitter around the time of the announcement, without directly referencing Gallant.

☆ Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham panicked and texted that Fox News 'hates us' after calling Arizona for Biden and bragged about their 'enormous power' at the network
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New emails and texts released in Dominion Voting System's case against Fox News highlighted internal strife. The three prime-time hosts, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity, felt sidelined after the Arizona call. "We are officially working for an organization that hates us," Ingraham texted the two hosts in November 2020. On Tuesday, a new series of internal emails, private texts, and depositions helped illuminate the internal rifts between Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and their coworkers after the network called Arizona for Biden. "We are officially working for an organization that hates us," Ingraham texted Hannity and Carlson on November 16, 2020, according to court documents.

☆ Text message shows Fox News president refused to air Nevada election results because it would have sealed Biden's victory, The New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fox News was heavily criticized by its viewers after it called Arizona for Biden in 2020. After the immediate backlash, Fox News President Jay Wallace was reluctant to call Nevada, per NYT. Nevada's election result would have made Joe Biden's victory all but certain. The network's election team was prepared to call Nevada on November 6, NYT reported, which would have all but cemented Biden's victory. But in a text message reviewed by the Times, Wallace, who has been the network president since 2018, refused to air the result.

☆ The promising new Alzheimer's drugs to watch — and the far-out ideas that could reshape how we treat the disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But amid some positive news, companies focused on Alzheimer's have said they've received an influx of investor interest. In trials, Leqembi was found to slow the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in Alzheimer's patients over 18 months. Eli Lilly's drug donanemab is expected to have data soon but just faced a setback from the FDAEli Lilly's donanemab is the focus of a late-stage trial. In the first half of this year, Eli Lilly is expected to release data for its Alzheimer's drug donanemab, which is being tested in a late-stage trial. Getty ImagesAduhelm, the first Alzheimer's drug to be approved in 18 years, was OK'd by the FDA in 2021 but has faced controversy.

☆ Bret Baier wanted to rescind Fox News' decision to call Arizona for Biden in 2020 and wrote in an email, 'The Trump campaign was really pissed,' book says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fox News anchor Bret Baier "was ready to give into" pressure from Trump after the network said he lost Arizona, new book says. "'The sooner we pull it...and we put it back in his column the better we are,'" he wrote, according to the book. "'The Trump campaign was really pissed,' he wrote in an email to Jay Wallace, the president and executive editor at Fox," according to the book set for publication on Tuesday. "'It's hurting us,'" he wrote, according to the book. The spokesperson noted that Arnon Mishkin, the head of the Decision Desk who was in charge at the time of the Arizona call, is returning for the November elections as Decision Desk head.

Search resuls for: "Arnon"

19 mentions found