AMTD's Movie “The Last Dance” Marks New History for HK Movie Industry

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AMTD's Movie “The Last Dance” Marks New History for HK Movie Industry

2024-11-29 20:16 Last Updated At：20:20

PARIS & NEW YORK & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 29, 2024--

AMTD Group Inc., AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB), AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) (“AMTD Digital”), and World Media and Entertainment Group (“WME”), the multi-media, entertainment and cultures platform of AMTD Group, are proud to announce that, after shattering 9 major Hong Kong movie records, "The Last Dance", the new movie produced by WME, has grossed HK$100 million in box office, and becoming the Top 3 highest-grossing local film ever in the Hong Kong film history.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241128976751/en/

Outside Hong Kong, the film also enjoys enormous widespread acclaim and has scored well in particular in Malaysia, the UK and Singapore. The film is scheduled to be released in more countries later this year.

AMTD serves as a Production Company of the Movie, while Dr. Calvin Choi, founder of AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital serves as a Producer.

About AMTD Group

AMTD Group is a conglomerate with core business portfolio to span across media and entertainment, education and training, and premium assets and hospitality areas.

About AMTD IDEA Group

AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) represents a diversified institution and digital solutions group connecting companies and investors with global markets. Its comprehensive one-stop business services plus digital solutions platform addresses different clients’ diverse and inter-connected business needs and digital requirements across all phases of their life cycles. AMTD IDEA Group is uniquely positioned as an active superconnector between clients, business partners, investee companies, and investors, connecting the East and the West. For more information, please visit www.amtdinc.com or follow us on X (formerly known as “Twitter") at @AMTDGroup.

About AMTD Digital Inc.

AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) is a comprehensive digital solutions platform headquartered in France. Its one-stop digital solutions platform operates four main business lines including digital solutions services, digital media, content and marketing services, digital investments as well as hospitality and VIP services. For AMTD Digital’s announcements, please visit https://ir.amtdigital.net/investor-news.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward- looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, plans, and expectations of AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital Inc., are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the filings of AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital Inc. with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital Inc. do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Thousands of workers march across Italy in general strike demanding better pay and services

2024-11-29 20:07 Last Updated At：20:12

MILAN (AP) — Thousands of teachers, health care workers, trash collectors and others walked off their jobs across Italy on Friday to protest a decline in spending power, persistently low salaries and government policies they say have weakened public services.

Italy’s most powerful trade unions called the eight-hour strike and mobilized marches in cities across the country to target Premier Giorgia Meloni’s latest budget that they say penalizes schools, health care and other services. They also are pressing for a more equitable distribution of profits from private companies to workers.

“These protests don’t just speak to the government,’’ Maurizio Landini, head of the powerful CGIL conglomerate, told reporters in Bologna. “They speak also to entrepreneurs, managers and businesses, who in these years have made profits like never before.”

The strike forced ITA airlines to cancel dozens of domestic and international flights, and hit schools, hospitals and local transport. Unions called for an eight-hour strike but Transport Minister Matteo Salvini imposed an injunction limiting the strike in the transport sector to four hours.

It was the first general strike since last November. Unions faced possible sanctions for involving the health care and justice sectors, which have staged strikes recently. The Italian railway, which also has been the target of recent labor actions, was exempted.

Italy’s health care sector has been suffering staffing shortages that has forced the hiring of nurses from abroad, with care in the poorer south particularly lagging that in the more prosperous north.

“There are many people who go abroad because the salaries are too low,’’ said Anna Salsa, a member of the UIL health care union, at the demonstration in Rome. “We are forced to do double shifts to give the minimal levels of essential care.”

Protesters also cited persistent increases in the cost of basic necessities. Despite indications that inflation is cooling, the Codacons consumer protection lobby said that grocery costs for a family of four have risen by 238 euro ($251) a year in 2024 compared with last year, forcing many families to reduce their consumption.

While starting salaries in Italy are aligned with the rest of Europe, pay increases do not keep pace, said Maurizio Del Conte, a labor law expert at Milan’s Bocconi University. As a result, Italy’s gross median salary of 35,000 euros (nearly $37,000) a year is at the low end of European averages, well behind its G7 partners in France and Germany.

He noted that such protests are historically more influential when engaging center-left governments, which are friendly to unions, rather than conservative governments, such as Meloni's far-right-led government.

Paolo Santalucia contributed from Rome.