Lastly, you can add a Spider-Man from a different dimension to your growing diorama of multiversal web-slingers. Hot Toys unveiled a Spider-Man based on Andrew Garfield’s wallcrawler from Spider-Man: No Way Home, and to complete the trio, Tobey Maguire’s webhead is swinging into action as well. This version of Spider-Man features a familiar costume with distinctive raised webbing, plenty of hands, Maguire’s sixth-scale likeness, and assorted web-shooting parts.
The deluxe version adds a themed Sandman base, which will fit in with the previously revealed Lizard, Electro, Green Goblin, and Doctor Octopus figures.
Manchester United could make four more signings before the window is out, to add to their three so far.
According to Samuel Luckhurst, Erik ten Hag is still “two priority targets short” as his competitive debut against Brighton and Hove Albion edges closer.
Priority among priorities remains Frenkie de Jong, whose battle to recoup the €17m owed in deferred wages is set to come to a head as pressure builds on Barcelona to balance their books before their La Liga registration deadline.
That would strengthen the midfield, which has already seen Christian Eriksen added to the mix.
United have also shored up their defence by bringing in Eredivisie pair Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.
Ten Hag has spoken of his desire to add to the squad in offense and that would most certainly be the second priority position left to target.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are the only senior wide options in the squad and while Anthony Elanga has come into the squad well, there is little here in terms of depth.
With all three being right-footed, a left-footer would be preferable, although the market appears to be drying up for that particular profile of player.
Antony has been the mooted target, but with Ajax having already lost Martinez, Ryan Gravenberch, Sebastien Haller and Nassair Mazraoui this summer, they are unwilling to part with the Brazilian for anything other than a show-stopping fee.
According to the Laurie Whitwell:
“A move for Antony is being ruled out at this stage due to Ajax placing a €100 million asking price on his head.”
A move for Antony is being ruled out at this stage due to Ajax placing a €100million asking price on his head. [@lauriewhitwell] #MUFC
Meanwhile the Ronaldo situation rumbles on, and should he manage to will a Champions League club willing to sign him into existence, Ten Hag will be needing a striker as well.
Benjamin Sesko’s agent has met with John Murtough over a possible move, with United reportedly set to launch an official bid in the coming days.
While the 19-year-old would by no means be a ready-made Ronaldo replacement, he could grow into a starring role while offering a different option to a rejuvenated Anthony Martial.
The issue in this instance is that RB Salzburg have already sold Karim Adeyemi in this window and as such would be looking for a fee of around £55m to part with the centre forward ready to step into his role.
In the case of either priority target or the Ronaldo replacement, it is to be hoped that the club have a Plan B as the clock ticks on.
Luckhurst also adds that with Dean Henderson out on loan, “United are expected to recruit a back-up goalkeeper”, bringing the total of targetted transfers to four.
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The US Commerce Department said late on Friday it will limit the size of government subsidizes for semiconductor manufacturing and will not let firms use funding to “pad their bottom line.”
On Thursday, the US House of Representatives gave final approval to legislation that provides $52 billion (nearly Rs. 4 lakh crore) in government funding to boost semiconductor manufacturing and research. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation early next week.
The Commerce Department Friday told chips companies awards will be “no larger than is necessary to ensure the project happens here in the United States” and added it will discourage “race-to-the-bottom subsidy competitions between states and localities.”
Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal said the group backed the legislation after lengthy negotiations with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo after the group expressed concerns chips companies would use funding for stock buybacks or pay dividends.
A caucus spokeswoman said Friday “progressives were able to vote for the bill yesterday, confident that the department would be ensuring the funding could not be used for corporate self-enrichment.”
Commerce said applicants must supply detailed financial information and projections for proposed projects and capital investment plans: “The department will go over these with a fine-tooth comb and make sure that companies are not padding their models to ask for outsized incentives.”
A Commerce Department spokesperson declined to comment beyond the web posting.
The department vowed to “give preference in awards to companies who commit to make future investments that grow the domestic semiconductor industry … and not engage in stock buybacks.”
The legislation does not prohibit stock buybacks by companies receiving government funding but does prohibit the use of grant funds for the buybacks.
Companies winning funding will be prohibited for 10 years “from engaging in significant transactions in China or other countries of concern involving any leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing capacity or material expansions of legacy semiconductor manufacturing capacity designed to export to the US and other countries.”
Brazilian prosecutors on Friday called on messaging platform WhatsApp to delay the launch in Brazil of its new feature called Communities until January to avoid the spread of fake news during and immediately after the country’s election in October.
The federal prosecutors said the expanded reach of the new tool comes “at a time when fake news about the functioning of institutions and the integrity of the Brazilian voting system could jeopardize the democratic stability of the country.”
The MPF, as the federal prosecutors office is known, said Communities could undermine the efficient steps taken by WhatsApp in recent years to contain the spread of fake news.
WhatsApp is one of the messaging platforms that supporters of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro most use to communicate, organize rallies, and divulge their views. Bolsonaro is seeking re-election but is trailing leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil’s most polarized election in decades.
The messaging service owned by Meta agreed in April to postpone the launch of the new platform until after an expected second-round run-off vote at the end of October.
But the MPF said in a statement this was not enough to mitigate the “serious risks that an increase in disinformation can generate … in the last two months of the year.”
A WhatsApp spokesperson said the company will continue to carefully evaluate the best time to launch the new platform and would duly reply to the authorities’ request.
The MPF said WhatsApp is installed on 99 percent of the smartphones in Brazil.
The new feature would expand the number of users from 256 at present to 512, allowing messages to be sent to 2,560 people at once. This would increase users’ ability to viralize content, the MPF said.
The prosecutors noted WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption prevents those responsible for the platform from monitoring and moderating the content of the messages exchanged on it.
Kenya’s ethnic cohesion watchdog has given Meta’s Facebook seven days to tackle hate speech and incitement on the platform relating to next month’s election, failing which its operations will be suspended.
East Africa’s biggest economy is in the throes of campaigning ahead of presidential, legislative and local authorities elections on August 9.
Advocacy group Global Witness said in a report published on Thursday that Facebook had accepted and carried more than a dozen political advertisements that breached Kenya’s rules.
Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) said the report corroborates its own internal findings.
“Facebook is in violation of the laws of our country. They have allowed themselves to be a vector of hate speech and incitement, misinformation and disinformation,” Danvas Makori, an NCIC commissioner said on Friday.
Meta has taken “extensive steps” to weed out hate speech and inflammatory content, and it is intensifying those efforts ahead of the election, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
“We have dedicated teams of Swahili speakers and proactive detection technology to help us remove harmful content quickly and at scale,” the spokesperson said.
The NCIC has held talks with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), which regulates social media firms, and it will recommend the suspension of Meta’s operations, Makori said.
He accused Meta of violating Kenya’s constitution and laws governing hate speech and the use of social media platforms.
“This country is bigger than a social media company or an entity. We will not allow Facebook, or any other social media company, to jeopardise security,” he said.
Supporters of the leading presidential candidates, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and deputy president William Ruto, have used social media platforms to praise their candidates, persuade others to join them or accuse opposing sides of various misdeeds.
The NCIC is a statutory body established to foster ethnic harmony among Kenya’s 45 tribes, some of which have targeted each other during violence in past polls.
Taiwan’s “key position” in making semiconductors will not be shaken and production on the island is the most efficient way of doing things, the Economy Ministry said on Friday in response to the US Congress passing a major new chips act.
The US House of Representatives passed the sweeping legislation on Thursday to subsidise the domestic semiconductor industry as it competes with Chinese and other foreign manufacturers.
Taiwan is a major chip producer, home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, which is also investing $12 billion (roughly Rs. 95,000 crore) in a new plant in Arizona.
The Economy Ministry noted that it is “happy to see” Taiwanese firms being able to access “resources on the ground” when they operate around the world, and to establish good relations in the US supply chain.
At the same time, Taiwan is an advanced global semiconductor manufacturing centre with the most resilient and competitive production model, it added.
“After 50 years of continuous innovation, investment and generations of talent, our country’s semiconductor manufacturing efficiency, supply chain integrity and innovation energy have always been at the world’s top, and Taiwan’s key position in semiconductors will not be shaken.”
Taiwan has always been a partner of the world, as shown by its efforts to alleviate auto chip supply chain problems, and the “made in Taiwan” model of manufacturing semiconductors is the most efficient and reliable way of doing things, it said.
“Whether in the past, present or future, Taiwan will continue to play the role of an indispensable partner in the global supply chain.”
Taiwan has been keen to show the United States, its most important international backer at a time of rising military tensions between Taipei and Beijing, that it is a reliable friend as a global chip crunch impacts auto production and consumer electronics.
But Taiwan’s government is also determined to keep the majority of advanced chip manufacturing at home.
China had lobbied against the US semiconductor bill, calling it reminiscent of a “Cold War mentality” and “counter to the common aspiration of people” in both countries.
An Austrian firm which Microsoft said created malicious software that was detected on the computer systems of some of its clients in at least three countries has said its spying tool “Subzero” was for official use in EU states only.
On Wednesday, Microsoft said the firm, DSIRF, had deployed the spying software, or spyware capable of accessing confidential information such as passwords or login credentials at an unspecified number of unidentified banks, law firms, and strategic consultancies.
“Subzero is a software of the Austrian DSIRF GesmbH, which has been developed exclusively for official use in states of the EU. It is neither offered, sold, nor made available for commercial use,” DSIRF said in an emailed statement.
“In view of the facts described by Microsoft, DSIRF resolutely rejects the impression that it has misused Subzero software,” it added.
It was not clear which EU member state governments, if any, were using the tool. DSIRF did not respond to requests for further comment.
Austria’s interior ministry told local news agency APA on Friday that it was investigating the Microsoft claims. The ministry did not respond to requests from Reuters for comment.
Spyware tools have come into increased focus in Europe and the United States after Pegasus, spyware developed by Israel’s NSO, was found to have been used by governments to spy on journalists and dissidents.
DSIRF said they had commissioned an independent expert to investigate the issues raised by Microsoft, and had reached out to the U.S. tech giant for “collaboration on the issue”.
Microsoft declined to offer further comment.
In its Thursday blog post, the company said DSIRF had developed four so-called “zero-day exploits”, serious software flaws of great value to both hackers and spies because they work even when software is up to date.
DSIRF listed a handful of previous, commercial, clients as references in an internal presentation promoting Subzero that was published by the German news website Netzpolitik last year.
Two of the companies that were named in that presentation, SIGNA Retail and Dentons, told Reuters they had not used the spyware and had not consented to be a reference for the company.
DSIRF did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Argentina’s economic restrictions have reached the sports industry, with the first signing of a local football player with cryptocurrencies hitting national headlines.
The transfer of midfielder Giuliano Galoppo from Banfield’s Athletic Club to Sao Paulo Futebol Clube was made in USD Coin (USDC), exceeding $6 million and up to $8 million depending on the volatile exchange rate of the Argentine peso, according to local sources. The transfer was made possible through a collaboration with the Mexican crypto exchange Bitso.
“We are very proud to work with these two clubs for this historical signing of Sao Paulo with all the safety, transparency and flexibility that the crypto economy has to offer,” said Thales Freitas, Bitso’s director in Brazil.
The transfer happened amid a difficult economic situation for Argentinian sports clubs. The reported exchange gap between pesos and dollars keeps escalating, affecting the possibility for football players to get signed by international teams and inducing them to renegotiate their contracts to adjust their salaries to the volatile dollar price.
The country’s unstable economy has led to a major adoption of cryptocurrencies, especially stablecoins. The tendency toward stablecoins notoriously escalated after the shocking resignation of Argentina’s economy minister earlier this month.
The practice of crypto adoption has also been replicated in sports by players and clubs alike in the country. However, this would be the first time clubs could accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment for international transfers to regain a competitive advantage in the market for their players.
Despite its novelty, the cryptocurrency transaction involving Galoppo will still be subject to regulations. According to Bloomberg, Argentine central bank sources clarified that Galoppo’s transfer is an export operation. As a result, Banfield will be forced to liquidate their USDC into local currency, pesos, using the official exchange market.
On the other hand, it remains unclear how the pro footballer chooses to exchange USDC to the official exchange market directly while allowing the club to resist the central bank’s measures.
A recent study conducted by Big Four accounting firm Deloitte revealed the potential of the crypto ecosystem in redefining revenue streams and fan engagement across the sports industry.
The report anticipates crypto to bring about a nexus “around sports collectibles, ticketing, betting, and gaming.” For example, with nonfungible tokens (NFTs), the sports industry can introduce initiatives around fractional ownership, which could spark the reinvention of the ticket resale process.
“When my parents passed away, I followed their wish for me to take care of our family home in Sudaji Village.
At that time, the village was already known as a tourism destination thanks to its cultural traditions and scenery and, in 2014 I started to realise my dream to develop homestays, where tourists stay with local families, in my village.
I was fully confident that I could succeed, based on my tourism and hotel background. I observed the operations of homestays and learnt how to transform my house into one.
Putu Sayoga for ILO
A bungalow at Esa di Kubu Homestay in Sudaji Village, Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia.
It was a success; my homestay, Esa di Kubu, was chosen by the Bali Tourism Office to represent Sudaju Village in a national tourism award, and was awarded second prize.
Afterwards, the Bali Tourism Office recommended that I take part in the International Labour Organisation’s Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) hospitality coaching programme.
The programme helped us to ensure that our facilities and equipment reached accepted ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) regional standards. We learnt about professional bedding, toiletries, food presentation, guest services and so forth. Every month, the trainer would coach us, and evaluate our progress.
The training also taught us the importance of digitalization and digital marketing, and I began promoting my homestay online. As a result, sales and visitor numbers increased, and I received high ratings on online tourism platforms.
Putu Sayoga for ILO
Dekha Dewandana makes a bed at Esa di Kubu Homestay in Sudaji Village, Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia.
‘We were all panicked and worried’
Then, at the end of 2019, COVID-19 hit. From January 2020, foreign guests began cancelling, and by March, when the Indonesian government declared a pandemic in the country, we had only five guests left, all of whom had found themselves trapped in Bali.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we received health protocol training from the ILO: we were taught how to protect ourselves by observing measures such as maintaining physical distance, using masks, and washing our hands. We maintained the protocols with the trapped guests, who continued to stay while finding ways to be repatriated.
Due to the global and national lockdown and mobility restrictions we had no guests and no income. We were all panicked and worried. I used my savings to buy daily needs, particularly food: I bought as much rice and instant noodles as possible, because the stores and markets were closed down.
I was contacted by my former overseas guests, asking about my condition and offering some help, which I felt grateful for. Their support helped my family to survive until the end of the 2020.
The first seven months of 2021 were the most difficult. We were planting vegetables to survive, but my fellow villagers and I barely ate during that period, and I began to lose hope.
Putu Sayoga for ILO
Dekha Dewandana and his wife greet their guests with traditional turmeric drink at Esa di Kubu Homestay in Sudaji Village, Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia.
‘My homestay has become alive again’
Eventually, conditions improved, restrictions were lifted, and we received assistance from the government. I never forgot about my homestay dream during this period, during which I repainted and fixed up the house.
Foreign visitors began to return, and in January 2022 I received a group of tourists from Denmark and Switzerland.
I’m glad that my homestay has become alive again.
As well as running my business, I am one of the founders of Sudaji Homestay, a group for homestay owners who have completed the ILO hospitality coaching programme.
Not all the homestay owners can speak English or have an understanding about marketing and digital marketing, and the group is there to share knowledge, and help members to maintain standards for their homestays.
I share my skills and knowledge so that we can continue to maintain our reputation as one of Indonesia’s leading tourism village, so that my fellow villagers do not have to find jobs elsewhere.”
Putu Sayoga for ILO
Dekha Dewandana arrange words with flowers at Esa di Kubu Homestay in Sudaji Village, Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia.
Elon Musk countersued Twitter on Friday, escalating his legal fight against the social media company over his bid to walk away from the $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3.5 lakh crore) purchase, although the lawsuit was filed confidentially.
While the 164-page document was not publicly available, under court rules a redacted version could soon be made public.
Musk’s lawsuit was filed hours after Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery ordered a five-day trial beginning Oct. 17 to determine if Musk can walk away from the deal.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Also on Friday, Musk was sued by a Twitter shareholder who asked the court to order the billionaire to close the deal, find that he breached his fiduciary duty to Twitter shareholders and award damages for losses he caused.
Musk owes a fiduciary duty to Twitter’s shareholders because of his 9.6 percent stake in the company and because the takeover agreement gives him a veto of many of the company’s decisions, according to the lawsuit, which seeks class status. The lawsuit was filed by Luigi Crispo, who owns 5,500 Twitter shares, in the Court of Chancery.
Musk, the world’s richest person and chief executive of Tesla, said on July 8 that he was abandoning the takeover and blamed Twitter for breaching the agreement by misrepresenting the number of fake accounts on its platform.
Twitter sued days later, calling the fake account claims a distraction and saying Musk was bound by the merger contract to close the deal at $54.20 (nearly Rs. 4,500) per share. The company’s shares ended on Friday at $41.61 (nearly Rs. 3,500), the highest close since Musk abandoned the deal.
McCormick fast-tracked the case to trial last week, saying she wanted to limit the potential harm to Twitter caused by the uncertainty of the deal.
Twitter has blamed the court fight for slumping revenue and causing chaos within the company.
The two sides had basically agreed to an Oct. 17 trial, but were at odds over the limits of discovery, or access to internal documents and other evidence.
Musk accused Twitter this week of dragging its feet in response to his discovery requests, and Twitter accused him of seeking huge amounts of data that are irrelevant to the main issue in the case: whether Musk had violated the deal contract.
The chief judge in her order on Friday appeared to anticipate discovery disputes to come.
“This order does not resolve any specific discovery disputes, including the propriety of any requests for large data sets,” said McCormick.
Musk also faces a week-long trial in Wilmington, Delaware, beginning Oct. 24. A Tesla shareholder is seeking to void as corporate waste and unjust enrichment the CEO’s record-breaking $56 billion (roughly Rs. 4.5 lakh crore) pay package from the electric vehicle maker.
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