Author: EchoAsiaNews

Los Angeles: Actress Barbara Eden has paid tribute to her former Ride the Wild Surf co-star Shelley Fabares following Fabares’ death at the age of 82. Eden shared memories of working with Fabares on Monday, August 24, describing their time filming the 1964 film as a positive experience. Eden Recalls Working With Fabares Eden said she was saddened to learn of Fabares’ death but remembered their time together while filming Ride the Wild Surf in Hawaii. Eden, 95, recalled sharing accommodation on Oahu with Fabares and actress Susan Hart during production. Eden described Fabares as a kind person, actress and…

London: England fast bowler Brydon Carse has been dropped from the squad for the second Test against Pakistan while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigates an incident at a club in Derby. ECB Refers Incident to Cricket Regulator The ECB said on Monday that the Cricket Regulator would investigate events that took place on Saturday night in Derby. Carse will remain unavailable for selection while the investigation is conducted and the facts are established. Carse, 31, did not feature in England’s opening Test victory at Headingley and will be replaced in the squad by fast bowler Sonny Baker.…

Tehran: Pakistan and Iran discussed measures to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and expedite an end to the ongoing US-Iran conflict during Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s meetings with senior Iranian officials on Tuesday, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Munir Holds Talks With Iranian Leadership During his day-long visit to Tehran, Field Marshal Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme National Security Council representative Mohsen Rezaei, Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. ISPR said the…

Los Angeles: Taylor Swift has returned to the stage for the first time since marrying Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, appearing at a Recording Academy event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Swift Performs Career-Spanning Acoustic Set Swift participated in “Icon Sessions with Taylor Swift: A 20-Year Retrospective,” an event presented by the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing. The session was recorded on August 18 at the Clive Davis Theater and released publicly on August 24. During a conversation with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Swift discussed her songwriting career before performing an acoustic mashup…

India: Indian apparel manufacturer Pearl Global is evaluating manufacturing opportunities in North Africa and countries including Jordan as it seeks to move production closer to European customers and reduce its dependence on the U.S. market, Managing Director Pallab Banerjee told Reuters on Tuesday. Pearl Global Seeks to Expand European Supply Network Pearl Global, which supplies brands including Zara, Levi’s and Gap, is considering partnerships and manufacturing opportunities closer to European markets. The company operates in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia and Guatemala, with the United States remaining its largest market. However, the U.S. share of Pearl Global’s revenue has declined to about…

United States: Shares of the Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund fell to their lowest level in more than 17 years on Friday after a short-seller raised questions about the fund’s distribution payments and financial position. The shares were last down 3.7% at $9.07, their lowest level since March 2009, following a decline of more than 6% in the previous session. Short-Seller Raises Questions Over Fund Distributions The decline followed a Thursday post by The Bear Cave, a short-selling newsletter owned by Hunterbrook Media. The newsletter alleged that the closed-end fund had been funding shareholder distributions by issuing new shares at a…

India: India’s effort to introduce color-coded nutritional warning labels on packaged foods has stalled following opposition from major food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, as health activists push for stronger consumer protections against products high in sugar, salt and fat. Reuters reported that India’s food regulator has instead proposed a black-and-white nutritional table displaying sugar, fat and salt levels. Food Companies Challenge Warning Labels The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) abandoned its earlier push for prominent front-of-pack warnings after a contentious meeting with industry representatives in March. According to recordings reviewed by Reuters, industry executives…

Switzerland, Sonova launched its third hearing-aid platform using real-time artificial intelligence on Monday, as the Swiss hearing-device maker seeks to strengthen its market position and meet its medium-term growth targets. The new Phonak EON platform is designed to be smaller and lighter, with technology that Sonova says can make speech twice as understandable while reducing listening effort. The company previously introduced its first real-time AI hearing aid in 2024. What Does Sonova’s New AI Hearing Aid Offer? Sonova said the EON platform uses advanced AI to improve speech recognition in noisy environments. The company expects the technology to attract both…

Brussels, European Union: The European Commission on Monday approved an additional €6.1 billion ($7.12 billion) in financial aid for Ukraine to procure defence equipment, including air-defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radar technology. The latest package brings the total value of EU-approved procurement plans for Ukraine to €22.1 billion, of which €8.35 billion has already been disbursed, according to the European Commission. What Will the New EU Aid Provide to Ukraine? The €6.1 billion package will support Ukraine’s acquisition of air-defence capabilities, missiles, ammunition and radar systems as Kyiv seeks to strengthen protection against Russian attacks. European Commission President Ursula von…

South Africa: MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, reported a 21.3% increase in adjusted profit for the first half of 2026, driven by subscriber growth and strong service revenue across several of its markets. The company said adjusted headline earnings per share rose to 793 cents for the six months ended June 30, compared with 654 cents a year earlier. MTN has more than 317 million customers across 19 markets. What Drove MTN’s Profit Growth? MTN’s group service revenue, excluding currency fluctuations, increased 17.5% to 115.3 billion rand ($7.21 billion). Strong performances in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire…