Crypto adoption will be driven by high-growth markets, with or without the US

Crypto adoption will be driven by high-growth markets, with or without the US

Crypto adoption is rapidly growing in high-growth markets, where the technology is solving real-world problems, like remittances, financial inclusion and supply chain inefficiencies. Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk The US is in the middle of a crypto boom. Exchange-traded fund approvals have opened the door to institutional adoption, liquidity is increasing…

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Microsoft is closing its local operations in Pakistan

Microsoft is closing its local operations in Pakistan

Microsoft is closing its operations in Pakistan, marking the end of a 25-year presence in the South Asian nation. The Redmond-based company on Friday told TechCrunch that it is changing its operational model in Pakistan and will now serve its customers through resellers and “other closely located Microsoft offices.” “Our customer agreements and service will…

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APOS: BBC Studios Asia Teams With Korea’s Studio JanChi for Culinary Docuseries ‘12 Seas’

APOS: BBC Studios Asia Teams With Korea’s Studio JanChi for Culinary Docuseries ‘12 Seas’

BBC Studios Asia has unveiled its first co-production with Korean production company Studio JanChi, a four-part culinary travel series titled 12 Seas (working title). Announced during this week’s APOS media summit in Bali, the project is part of BBC Studios’ growing partnership with the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), and signals the company’s continued investment…

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Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Black Red Yellow’ Wins Best Picture at Expanded 2025 Shanghai Film Festival

Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Black Red Yellow’ Wins Best Picture at Expanded 2025 Shanghai Film Festival

The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival cast a net wide for the winners of this year’s Golden Goblet prizes, with filmmakers from as far afield as Kyrgyzstan and Portugal being called to the stage to accept awards during a glittering closing ceremony inside the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Golden Goblet jury president Giuseppe Tornatore — whose Oscar winner Cinema…

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Chinese Director Qiu Sheng Explores AI In His Film ‘My Father’s Son’

Chinese Director Qiu Sheng Explores AI In His Film ‘My Father’s Son’

For Qiu Sheng, Father’s Day was especially momentous this year. The recent holiday marked the world premiere of his deeply personal second feature, My Father’s Son, a seven-years-in-the-making sci-fi exploration of the director’s real-life dad, who died when he was a teenager. An unusual mix of speculative sci-fi imagination and intimate family sentiment, the film…

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Shanghai Hidden Gem: ‘The Guardian of Stories’ Brings Laotian Folktales to Life (With Puppetry)

Shanghai Hidden Gem: ‘The Guardian of Stories’ Brings Laotian Folktales to Life (With Puppetry)

Siphai Thammavong has dedicated his life to preserving the traditions of storytelling in Laos and there’s a growing sense of urgency in his quest. As we discover in Claudia Bellasi and Markus Steiner Ender’s richly evocative documentary The Guardian of Stories, the keepers of the country’s folktales are dying out and Thammavong’s fear is that…

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‘Nine Puzzles’ Becomes Disney+’s Biggest Korean Hit; Director Yoon Jong-bin Talks Creation, Season 2 Possibilities

‘Nine Puzzles’ Becomes Disney+’s Biggest Korean Hit; Director Yoon Jong-bin Talks Creation, Season 2 Possibilities

Disney+ has found its biggest Korean hit yet in mystery thriller Nine Puzzles, now the platform’s most-viewed title ever across the Asia-Pacific region — surpassing all other series and films. It also ranks as the most-watched Korean title on Disney+ globally and continues to gain traction in Western markets, the company says. A psychological crime…

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Bitget secures Georgia license as part of Europe expansion

Bitget secures Georgia license as part of Europe expansion

Bitget picks Georgia for its next step in Eastern Europe, attracted by clear regulations, tax benefits, and a growing crypto user base. Bitget has obtained regulatory approval in Georgia to operate as a digital asset exchange and custodial wallet provider within the Tbilisi Free Zone (TFZ). This move expands Bitget’s licensing presence in Eastern Europe,…

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