infolivedaily

 We may only be a third of the way into 2022 (and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may change the math), but the current box office champ of the year is The Batman (Certified Fresh at 86%) with $368 million domestically and $759 million worldwide. That being true, one of the biggest announcements out of several from CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week may have also been the least surprising, which is that Warner Bros. has officially started development on a sequel to The Batman.  Nothing is known about the premise or the cast just yet, except that Robert Pattinson will return as the title superhero and that it will be directed again by Matt Reeves. We can probably expect that a number of actors and characters from the first film will also return (Andy Serkis and Jeffrey Wright as Alfred and Jim Gordon seem likely), but Pattinson was the only one officially announced at CinemaCon. As for the villain (or villains) to be featured in the sequel, there has been a lot of spe...

 Russian forces have stolen "several hundred thousand tonnes" of grain in the areas of Ukraine they occupy, Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister said on Saturday. Speaking to Ukrainian national TV, Taras Vysotskiy expressed concern that most of what he said was 1.5 million tonnes of grain stored in occupied territory could also be stolen by Russian forces as well. Ukraine's foreign ministry accused Russia on Thursday of stealing grain in territory it has occupied, an act it said increased the threat to global food security. READ MORE : https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220430-un-seeks-to-broker-civilian-evacuation-from-ruins-of-mariupol-while-russia-continues-offensive-in-kharkiv

 A media report surfaced yesterday hinting at a major change in Tata Motors' top brass. A report by ETAuto claimed that Mayank Pareek, President - Passenger Vehicles, Tata Motors, had decided to quit the company. In case you don't know, Mayank has been credited with the turning things around for the company by introducing popular products like Tiago, Nexon, and Harrier. So, his decision to leave Tata Motors, especially at a time when the company is going all out to increase its market share in the passenger vehicles segment, could affect the company's growth plans. So, Tata Motors was quick to quash this rumour and issued a statement clarifying that Mayank Pareek has not quit the company. Mayank, who joined Tata five years ago, was previously employed with Maruti Suzuki for over two decades.  The sales slowdown plaguing the Indian automobile industry has caused several rejigs among the top management in various automobile companies. While some have joined new carmakers like...

 New Delhi: Tulsi Tanti, the founder and chairman of Pune-based wind turbine manufacturer, and chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturer association,said that by changing the reverse bidding process, India can deliver 10,500 MW capacity every year which will require about Rs 70,000 crore investment. He spoke to ETEnergyWorld on the sidelines of the curtain raiser press meet for wind energy trade fair and conference, Windergy India 2022 scheduled to be held at Pragati Maidan from April 27-29, 2022. Edited excerpts. Read : India can install 2,500 MW wind power capacity in current year: Tulsi Tanti, founder and chairman, Suzlon Group - ET EnergyWorld

 Earlier this week , in a meeting of employer-side attorneys and union suppression consultants, Ken Hurley, the vice president of human resources and labor relations at The Kellogg Co., spoke candidly about a new environment that has shifted the traditional power of employers and emboldened workers and labor unions. In hushed tones, Hurley described the tactics employed by activists during a nearly 10-week cereal plant strike last fall. The strike prevented concessions from workers and forced Kellogg’s to back off a plan to expand its two-tier wage system. “In my view,” Hurley said, “the union leadership at the bargaining table were behaving more like terrorists than partners.” The conversation was hosted by a human resources and labor relations trade group called CUE. Hurley said he was surprised by the aggressive nature of the union, which generally has not engaged in confrontational tactics or strikes. Hurley claimed that the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Mill...

  NEW DELHI: Tarun Katial, former chief executive officer at video streaming platform ZEE5, and Keertan Adyanthaya, former head of content and communication at The Walt Disney Co. for APAC (Asia and Pacific region) in Hong Kong, have come together to launch Serendipity Media Technology, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered platform for writers, producers and entertainment companies. The service will help writers with insights and tips on how to make their scrips better besides providing them timelines of topical events that could make for interesting stories and the characters that could feature in them. At a later stage, the platform will also have critics on board that will evaluate and rate scripts sent in by writers and production houses. Read More : https://www.livemint.com/companies/people/tarun-katial-launches-new-technology-platform-for-writers-production-companies-11624337409014.html

 CBFC Chairman and lyricist, Prasoon Joshi's mother, Sushma Joshi, passed away this morning (April 24). A lecturer of political science, Sushma Joshi had also worked with All India Radio for more than three decades. Apart from this, she was also a classical singer. Sushma Joshi's family issued an official statement on her demise. The statement read, "With profound grief we would like to inform of the demise our beloved mother Smt Sushma Joshi during the early morning hours of 24th April. Her light will continue to guide us always." Sushma Joshi's last rites were held today, April 24, at Ram Bagh Samshan Bhumi in Gurugram. The family will soon hold a prayer meeting. And, the date and time for the prayer meeting will be informed shortly. The note further read, "Your thoughts and prayers will give us the strength and solace at this difficult juncture." Prasoon Joshi rose to fame with Rajkumar Santoshi's Lajja and did not have to look back after that. Fr...

 Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) heads to the House Chamber for a vote regarding the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Technical Corrections Act on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. The flood of controversies surrounding Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) shows no sign of ceasing just weeks before his May 17 primary, raising questions as to whether he can avoid a runoff despite being one of the highest-profile freshmen in the House. Cawthorn in the past week alone has been hit with a slew of bad headlines and is now facing calls for an ethics investigation into alleged insider trading by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), who is also backing a primary challenge against Cawthorn. Read More : https://thehill.com/news/3472093-mounting-scandals-fuel-uncertainty-over-cawthorns-reelection/

Rajeev Jhawar Rajeev Jhawar is the son of Brij Kishore Jhawar. He has been the Managing Director at Usha Martin Limited since May 19, 2008.Usha Martin is known for making a wide range of wire rope products, which have applications across the world. The ropes manufactured by Usha Martin serve in some of the most critical applications across diversified industrial segments, which include oil & offshore, cranes, mining, elevators, aerials, fishing, conveyor belts and general engineering. Rajeev Jhawar Usha Martin is on the Boards of various corporates including Orient Cement Limited (part of CK Birla group companies) and Neutral Publishing House Limited which has a leading regional newspaper under the flagship title ‘Prabhat Khabar’ published in the Indian cities of Patna, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Jamshedpur & Kolkata. He is also a director on the boards of Usha Martin’s overseas subsidiaries, i.e Usha Martin International Limited in the UK, Usha Siam Industries Public Company Limited in...

 LONDON: In a region plagued by conflicts, crises, and disputes, it can at times be hard to see beyond the disheartening news revolving around the Middle East. But one new show, however, aims to focus on the light that shines through the darkness. READ MORE : arabnews.com/node/2070986/media

 RIYADH: With Saudi airfare skyrocketing on some domestic routes, the aviation authority has stepped in to calm angry travelers with a set of measures including reviewing the pricing structure and current capacity. The General Authority of Civil Aviation said it has recently noticed a change in the prices of some categories of tickets. This has prompted the authority to take a slew of direct measures that will lead to a review of the pricing structure of domestic air transport and an increase in seats capacity and number of flights. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070891/business-economy

  RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is soon planning to launch its first national strategy for protecting intellectual property, a top government official said. “The move is part of the Kingdom’s plan to promote knowledge-based economic activities as it diversifies its income streams away toward non-oil sectors under the grand scheme of Vision 2030,” Sami Al-Sodais, deputy chief executive of IP policy and collaboration at Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, told Arab News in an exclusive interview. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070871/business-economy

  DUBAI: After taking the landmark step in 2019 to open its doors to international tourism as part of a strategy to diversify its economy, Saudi Arabia is now fast-tracking measures to streamline its air connectivity network, making it faster and cheaper to visit the Kingdom. A recently signed agreement between the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and Emirates, one of the biggest commercial carriers in the world, promises to boost the number of international travelers opting to vacation in the Kingdom, while benefiting both economies. READ MORE: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070521/saudi-arabia

SAN FRANCISCO: Billionaire Elon Musk has reached an agreement to acquire Twitter for approximately $44 billion, the company said. The outspoken Tesla CEO, the world’s wealthiest person, has said he wants to buy Twitter because he thinks it’s not living up to its potential as a platform for “free speech.” He says it needs to be transformed as a private company in order to build trust with users and do better at serving what he calls the “societal imperative” of free speech. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070436/media

 Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan 2022 is on course to exceed last year as the Kingdom bounces back from the COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows. Saudi central bank data analysed by Arab News, shows that, including the Shaaban peak week and the following two weeks, Saudi consumers spent SR33.7 billion this year, up 13.7 percent when compared to the same period last year. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070331/business-economy

DUBAI: Even before the Ukraine war began, one thing became clear quickly — that demand for conventional energy was not going away. Now, with Brent crude hovering around $107 per barrel and natural gas costing $6.95 per MMBtu amid heightened risks of supply disruptions, the impending fiscal windfall gives the Gulf Arab states extra resources to accelerate their transformation into “green economies.” READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2069756/middle-east

 MAKKAH: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques recently announced that thousands of volunteers are working at the Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan. The areas in which those volunteers work varied from translation to helping the elderly use transportation services (electric vehicles). The volunteers were recruited through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s national platform for volunteer work. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070476/saudi-arabia

 Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman made a telephone call to British prime minister Boris Johnson. The crown prince and Johnson discussed the developments in Ukraine and the exerted efforts toward regional and international issues. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070581/saudi-arabia

 CAIRO: Egyptian archaeologists unearthed the ruins of a temple for the ancient Greek god Zeus in the Sinai Peninsula, antiquities authorities said Monday. The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said in a statement the temple ruins were found in the Tell el-Farma archaeological site in northwestern Sinai. Tell el-Farma, also known by its ancient name Pelusium, dates back to the late Pharaonic period and was also used during Greco-Roman and Byzantine times. There are also remains dating to the Christian and early Islamic periods. Find more : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070401/art-culture

 NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump said Monday that he has no intention of rejoining Twitter even if his account is reinstated following Elon Musk’s agreement to buy the social media giant for roughly $44 billion. Trump told Fox News that he will instead focus on his own platform, Truth Social, which has been mired in problems since its launch earlier this year. Read More : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070556/media

  JEDDAH: The Saudi Export-Import Bank allocated around SR250 million ($66.6 million) for small and medium enterprises in the first quarter of 2022 — and plans to earmark another SR300 million by the end of the year. “About 42 percent of our client base currently are SMEs. From the bank’s inception to the end of 2021, we approved over SR1.2 billion for them,” Saad Alkhalb, CEO of Saudi EXIM Bank, told Arab News. Check : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2069806/business-economy

 For decades, Patisserie Cremino, a popular pastry shop in Beirut braced itself for the high demand of cakes, eclairs, tarts and other delectables during the months of Christmas, Easter and Ramadan. This Ramadan, however, proved different. Know More: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070621/middle-east

 LVIV/KYIV, Ukraine: Russia told the world not to underestimate the considerable risks of nuclear war that it said it wanted to reduce and warned that conventional Western weapons were legitimate targets in Ukraine, where battles raged in the east. “The risks now are considerable,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russia’s state television according to a transcript of an interview on the ministry’s website. “I would not want to elevate those risks artificially. Many would like that. The danger is serious, real. And we must not underestimate it.” Read More : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2070651/world

  Dubai 's billionaire ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum inflicted 'exorbitant' domestic abuse on his ex-wife Princess Haya, a senior British judge has concluded, as he awarded her sole responsibility for looking after their children. The ruling caps the end of an extraordinary, bitter and hugely expensive three-year custody battle at the High Court in London between Mohammed and his former wife, Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah. Check Here : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10647755/Dubais-billionaire-ruler-inflicted-exorbitant-domestic-abuse-ex-wife-Princess-Haya.html

Shyam Maheshwari was the former Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Partner of SSG Capital Management, and is primarily responsible for SSG’s investment activities in India. He has 17 years of experience in the deal sourcing, analysis and investing industry. On talking about the art of debt restructuring that the financiers are currently delighted about, Shyam points out some critical factors to identify a successful restructuring. ​ Shyam Maheshwari was a member of Ares SSG’s investment committee and is a director of Ares SSG Singapore. His primary role in the institution was the evaluation of investment opportunities in the India and Asia regions. He was the co-founder and chief executive officer of SSG Capital and left the company at end of 2021.He has 17 years of experience in the deal sourcing, analysis and investing industry. He is also an Associate Member at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and on the board of various companies. Previously, Mr. Maheshwari served...

  RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a cable of congratulation to Emmanuel Macron on being re-elected for a second term as French president, the Saudi Press Agency reported on early Monday. The king expressed his best wishes for success to the president and commended the distinguished relations between Saudi Arabia and France and their peoples. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable and wished success to the president and more progress to the French people. Macron has been re-elected for a second term as French president on Sunday, with 58.2% of the vote, according to estimates from the Ipsos polling institute. Turnout for the French presidential run-off stood at 63.2 percent at 5 p.m. on Sunday, down by more than two percentage points from the same time in the second round of the 2017 presidential race, the interior ministry said. The centrist Macron asked voters to trust him for a second five-year term despite a presidency that was troubled by protes...

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a high-profile case involving a high school football coach who was reprimanded for postgame prayers on the football field’s 50-yard line.   The dispute has drawn dozens of briefs from interest groups on both sides, with religious liberty advocates urging the 6-3 conservative majority court to advance their cause, while backers of the school have asked the justices to lay down a marker on church-state separation.   Read More : https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3460420-supreme-court-revisits-prayer-in-school-in-football-coach-case/