'We've been expecting you, Mr Bond...': 007 back after virus delay
LONDON: The latest James Bond movie gets its world premiere next week, nearly six years after the last film in the storied franchise and an 18-month delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic. "The film is a celebration of Bond -- the 25th film and almost 60 years and, most importantly, Daniel Craig's final outing. The last Bond movie "Spectre" -- released in late 2015 -- set box office records for a 2D film in China, and grossed more than $880 million worldwide, according to movie industry magazines. "No Time To Die" sees Bond drawn out of retirement in Jamaica by his old friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter. However, he made headlines in 2015 by saying he would "rather slash my wrists" than play 007 again.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 24, 2021 02:03 UTC
Disabled people can now use Android phones with face gestures
Disabled people can now use Android phones with face gesturesPeople with disabilities can use their Android powered smartphones with a smile or tilt of their headSAN FRANCISCO - Using a raised eyebrow or smile, people with speech or physical disabilities can now operate their Android-powered smartphones hands-free, Google said Thursday. Two new tools put machine learning and front-facing cameras on smartphones to work detecting face and eye movements. "To make Android more accessible for everyone, we're launching new tools that make it easier to control your phone and communicate using facial gestures," Google said. "Every day, people use voice commands, like 'Hey Google', or their hands to navigate their phones," the tech giant said in a blog post. "This feature also works with VoiceOver so you can navigate Apple Watch with one hand while using a cane or leading a service animal," Apple said in a post.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 24, 2021 01:41 UTC
Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont arrested in Italy
Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont arrested in ItalyFormer Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition following an attempt to gain independence through a referendumMADRID - Exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was arrested in Italy on Thursday, his lawyer and an aide said, four years after fleeing following an independence referendum that Madrid ruled unconstitutional. Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, tweeted that the exiled separatist leader was arrested on his arrival in Italy, where he was travelling in his capacity as an MEP. Following Thursday's arrest, Madrid expressed "its respect for the decisions of the Italian authorities and courts". - 'Persecution' -New Catalan president Pere Aragones -- a separatist but more moderate than his predecessor -- condemned what he called the "persecution" of Puigdemont. Besides Puigdemont, former Catalan regional ministers Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati are also wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 24, 2021 01:07 UTC
Schauffele and Cantlay to face McIlroy and Poulter as Ryder Cup opens
Schauffele and Cantlay to face McIlroy and Poulter as Ryder Cup opensCaptains Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker announced the pairings for Friday's opening foursomes matches at Thursday's opening ceremony for the 43rd Ryder Cup. KOHLER: Americans Xander Schauffele, the Tokyo Olympic champion, and US PGA playoff winner Patrick Cantlay face Europe's Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy in Friday's opening foursomes session of the Ryder Cup. Schauffele and Cantlay are Ryder Cup newcomers but played four matches together at the 2019 Presidents Cup. Spanish legacy is deep in the Ryder Cup and I'm hoping we can start a new tradition." The event was delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, those involved not wanting to conduct the Ryder Cup without spectators.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 24, 2021 00:22 UTC
Ancient footprints re-write human history in the Americas
Ancient footprints re-write human history in the AmericasWhite Sands in New Mexico has offered up 23,000-year-old footprints that indicate humans were in North America much earlier than previously thought. LOS ANGELES: Footprints dating back 23,000 years have been discovered in the United States, suggesting humans settled North America long before the end of the last Ice Age, research published on Thursday showed. The findings push back the date at which the continent was colonized by its first inhabitants by thousands of years. Sediment filled the indentations and hardened into rock, protecting evidence of our ancient relatives, and giving scientists a detailed insight into their lives. For decades, the most commonly accepted theory has been that settlers came to North America from eastern Siberia across a land bridge -- the present-day Bering Strait.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 24, 2021 00:11 UTC
Bright side of the Moon
Ref 6002R-001 Sky Moon Tourbillon Haut Artisanat. The classic moon phase complication has evolved in following the progression of the celestial body through its different phases. Ref 6002R-001 Sky Moon Tourbillon Haut Artisanat. Ref 6002R-001 Sky Moon Tourbillon Haut ArtisanatLaunched in 2001, the Sky Moon Tourbillon is Patek Philippe's second most complicated wristwatch combining 12 complications, including a minute repeater that strikes on cathedral gongs. Ref 6002R-001 Sky Moon Tourbillon Haut Artisanat.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 23:47 UTC
Horror tale for the family
As we get closer to October and Halloween, finding spooky movies to watch with the family isn't so easy. His room is covered with posters of various horror movies such as The Lost Boys and The People Under The Stairs. Right off the bat, you know Nightbooks is geared towards families and kids, so there's no graphic violence, sex or things that we see in adult-oriented horror movies. It's a horror movie and it delivers on that promise. It's the perfect gateway horror movie for families to watch that's scary but not too scary.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 23:47 UTC
US envoy to Haiti resigns, slams migrant deportations
US envoy to Haiti resigns, slams migrant deportationsHaitian migrants cross the Rio Grande river from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, to the United States. PORT-AU-PRINCE - The US special envoy to Haiti resigned Thursday two months after his appointment, denouncing the Biden administration's deportation of Haitian migrants from the US-Mexico border back to their poverty-stricken homeland. - Deportation fears -The resignation came after the Biden administration had already flown 1,400 Haitians back to Haiti on 12 flights. Many Haitian migrants are still in Ciudad Acuna, where they also risk being deported. Blinken said the underlying problem was Haitians falsely believing they can stay in the United States due to protections announced by Biden which only apply to those already in the United States.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 23:37 UTC
Firms rip reopening delay to Nov 1
The reopening plan for five areas -- Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phetchaburi -- faced another setback after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided to put off the starting date from Oct 1 to Nov 1. For Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, this was the third postponement from an initial reopening schedule of mid-September, all attributed to a vaccine shortage. "Airlines had started to invest in service maintenance and recruit staff to prepare for new flow of tourists," said Mr Tassapon. In the past few months, authorities could not provide a realistic vaccination plan to provide local communities proper protection. Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the decision by CCSA to reduce the quarantine period to seven days for inoculated visitors will help spur tourism demand upon reopening.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 23:26 UTC
NT, GBDi join hands to launch national healthcare database
NT, GBDi join hands to launch national healthcare databaseNational Telecom (NT) is joining forces with the Government Big Data Institute (GBDi) to launch a "Health Link" centralised platform to gather patients' records from around 100 hospitals to facilitate healthcare services. The platform, which leverages NT's cloud system, is expected to follow international standards for data storage and exchange. The move should make it easier for patients who transfer hospitals to share their medical records. Tiranee Achalakul, vice-president of GBDi, said hospitals normally have their own patient database systems, so exchanging information is complicated and time-consuming, which subsequently hinders cross-hospital treatment of patients. The system's health data will be encrypted throughout the data exchange process to make sure outsiders cannot access it during operations.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 23:26 UTC
Handicraft exports enjoy uplift as demand recovers
Handicraft exports enjoy uplift as demand recoversExports of Thai handicrafts remain promising despite the ongoing pandemic. Thailand's handicraft exports are expected to grow by nearly 20% this year, driven by increasing demand for silverware, goldware and ornaments. The biggest export market for craft products was the United States, delivering 47.9 billion baht, followed by Japan worth 10.5 billion baht, Germany worth 10.4 billion baht, Hong Kong worth 6.98 billion baht, the United Kingdom worth 6.27 billion baht, China worth 5.9 billion baht, Australia worth 4.82 billion baht, Vietnam worth 3.64 billion baht, Singapore worth 3.63 billion baht, and Switzerland worth 2.88 billion baht. Other gainers were handicraft products; furniture and parts; sculptures and wooden ornaments; artificial flowers, leaves and plants; hand-woven fabrics, silk fabric and ceramic bowls. Mr Pornpon said SACIT is developing a "Thai Crafts Online" scheme to sell Thai handicraft products via e-commerce and other platforms.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 23:26 UTC
Hamilton hoping to end frustrating pursuit of 100th win in Russia
Hamilton hoping to end frustrating pursuit of 100th win in RussiaLewis Hamilton is looking for his 100th Grand prix win in SochiSOCHI (RUSSIA) - Lewis Hamilton will be seeking to exploit every advantage he can find this weekend as he bids for an unprecedented and thus far elusive 100th Formula One win to regain the lead in the world championship at the Russian Grand Prix. Not only is he seeking a record fifth triumph in the former Olympic Park but Mercedes are unbeaten in all seven races held there. That all suggests that the 36-year-old Briton has a sumptuous chance to overhaul the Dutchman's five-point advantage in the championship. - Hamilton 'laser-focused' -Hamilton is expected to have fully recovered from the headaches and neck pain he suffered in Italy and, according to Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff, is in determined mood. Another collision remains likely, though Hamilton will this time hope to be beyond reach of the young Dutchman's boldest moves.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 03:22 UTC
Billie Eilish, BTS, Elton John in concert for climate action, vaccines
Billie Eilish, BTS, Elton John in concert for climate action, vaccinesEilish's performance in New York will be broadcast around the worldPARIS - Some of the biggest names in pop, from Billie Eilish to BTS and Elton John, will lend their star power to Global Citizen Live on Saturday for a round-the-world event to raise awareness on climate change, vaccine equality and famine. The star-studded line-up will also push for action at the G20 next month and COP26 climate meeting in November. Ed Sheeran will perform in Paris alongside Elton John, with Doja Cat, Black Eyed Peas and Stormzy supporting. Global Citizen said it wants one billion trees planted, one billion vaccines delivered to the poorest countries and meals for 41 million people on the brink of famine. Global Citizen describes itself as a movement with a mission to end extreme poverty by 2030.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 01:30 UTC
13,256 new Covid cases, 131 deaths Thursday
13,256 new Covid cases, 131 deaths ThursdayA student reacts as she is vaccinated against Covid-19 in Laksi district, Bangkok, on Tuesday. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Thailand logged 13,256 new Covid-19 cases and 131 more fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Thursday morning. The new cases increased from 11,252 new Covid cases announced on Wednesday when the country recorded 141 more deaths. Since April 1, when the third wave of Covid-19 began, Thailand has treated 1,495,750 Covid-19 patients, 1,352,936 of whom have recovered to date. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,524,613 Covid-19 cases, with 1,380,362 complete recoveries so far.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 00:56 UTC
BIFF unveils rich line-up
(Photos courtesy of Busan International Film Festival)The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition to take place on-site from Oct 6-15. Asia's premier gathering of film professionals aims to shake off pandemic-related uncertainties with a slate of over 190 titles, with the focus on Asian cinema as usual. BIFF says that with On Screen, it wants to "present more diverse and higher-quality works to the audience, whose range of fandom is expanding. The rich, diverse programming of BIFF has always been its strength, while the festival's steady championing of Korean cinema as well as upcoming Asian talent since the early 2000s has earned it a lot of friends across the continent. Though the lingering impact of the pandemic will affect arrivals of international guests, Busan seems to adopt an unruffled, business-as-usual attitude.
Source:Bangkok Post
September 23, 2021 00:00 UTC