Latest news with #Malek
See - Sada Elbalad
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Ahmed Malek Lands Next Lead Movie Role
Yara Sameh Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek has landed his next lead movie role in the film "Sawa Sawa" (Working Title). Malek made his last appearance on the big screen in the romance film "6 Ayam" ('6 Days'), starring Aya Samaha. The pic hails from director Karim Shaaban, in his full-length feature film debut. Shaaban directs the pic from a script by Wael Hamdy. Sea Cinema Productions is the studio behind the film. The official logline reads: "Fate brought them back together. Can they rewrite their ending." The film follows Youssef and Alia meet again by chance years after a forced separation during high school. With each on a different life path. Their reunion stirs up memories and raises new possibilities, blending themes of love, friendship, and life's unexpected turns. As they navigate who they've become, the story reflects on whether feelings endure or evolve as we grow and mature. "6 Ayam" hit Cinemas in Egypt on January 15 and in the Arab World on January 16. It has grossed more than EGP24.2 million in theaters. Born on September 29, 1995, Malek landed his first role in the 2005 TV series "Ayamna el helwa" (Our Good Days). A few years later, he made his feature debut in the 2008 film "Mafish Fayda", starring Moustafa Amar and Basma. Malek would later find international fame with roles in critically acclaimed films such as "Clash" (2016), "Sheikh Jackson" (2017), and "Leil Khargi" (2018) - all of which have been selected to represent Egypt in international film festivals and award circuits. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
See - Sada Elbalad
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Rami Malek's "Amateur" Sets Digital and Blu-ray Release Dates
Yara Sameh Egyptian-American Rami Malek's 20th Century thriller movie "Amateur," one of the year's best action thrillers, is all set to land on digital release later this month. Based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell, it was adapted by Ken Nolan. British novelist and popular historian James Hawes is directing the movie from a script by Gary Spinelli. Hutch Parker and Dan Wilson are producing, with Malek executive producing. "Amateur" follows a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won't act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself. The movie's official synopsis reads: 'Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.' The movie has generated plenty of buzz during the fall festival season. Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights. "The Amateur" boasts an all-star cast that includes Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne. Release back in April, the movie racked up solid numbers at the box office. Particularly in this modern era of franchises and comic book movies. Against a budget of around $60 million, Malek's action outing grossed $95.8 million worldwide, making the movie a financial success. "The Amateur" is set to get a digital release next week on June 10, with the action thriller then landing on 4K UHD and Blu-ray a little later on July 8. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New funding for private school vouchers will ‘set precedent' for future Missouri budgets
Gov. Mike Kehoe announces a plan to give state funding to the MOScholars program during his State of the State speech Jan. 28 in the Missouri House chamber (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Gov. Mike Kehoe's first budget proposal launched a tug of war between public-school advocates and those hoping to use state funds for private education. Both sides ultimately came away with what they wanted — but neither expects this to be the final showdown. State Treasurer Vivek Malek, who oversees the state's tax-credit scholarship program, told The Independent in an interview last week that he expects to more than double the number of scholarships administered by MOScholars in the upcoming school year. Those students would have a 'reasonable expectation,' he said, to be funded through graduation. And if donor funds continue to come up short, state funds would be required to support them. In January, Kehoe laid out a budget that did not fully fund public education while giving state funds for private-school scholarships. His request cut back $300 for the formula that determines state aid for public schools, contrary to the state education department's recommendation. But he added a $50 million appropriation to the State Treasurer's budget to help fund private-school scholarships through the MOScholars program. This windfall was not part of the treasurer's initial request. 'The governor made a policy or a budgetary decision to invest in one form of education and not fully invest in the other,' said state Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Democrat from Springfield and ranking minority member of the House Budget Committee. The House kept the governor's recommendations, and the Senate flipped the two priorities: restoring full funding to public schools but axing the $50 million for MOScholars. In May, state lawmakers reached an agreement to fund both and are awaiting the governor's signature. But the infusion of funds to MOScholars is likely to create more need in the program. Malek said he expects to use the $50 million to offer more scholarships than the current pot of donations could provide. There are 6,000 students ready to participate in the upcoming year, and he expects more to sign up. This past year, 2,700 students received scholarships. Malek hopes to make MOScholars self-sufficient, with enough donations to meet demand. But until then, he will request funds to, at a minimum, sustain aid for students already enrolled. 'I'll be working through the years to make sure the tax credits are still utilized and nobody is depending on a direct appropriation from (general revenue),' he said. Fogle told The Independent that the $50 million did not appear to be a one-time request. 'The $50 million that was put in general revenue was done, in part, because the tax credit program wasn't very popular, and donors weren't giving to that,' she contends. 'And the governor wanted to figure out another solution to privatizing education.' MOScholars currently operates through taxpayer-directed spending, where state funds are given to scholarship organizations through donations that receive a 100% tax credit. The program has faced issues funding scholarships each fall with the majority of donations coming at the end of the year. An additional $50 million — more than double the amount of donations received last year — would solve the funding lag, Malek said. 'Our calendars were misaligned, so now we will be opening (enrollment) up for next year, starting early in the fall so that people can sign up for next year's academic school year,' he said. 'This will give us the flexibility of doing that, which was not possible before.' The program has a $75 million expandable cap thanks to a large education package passed last year. State Rep. Stephanie Hein, a Springfield Democrat, said during debate in April that she wondered why the legislature expanded the donation limit from $50 million to $75 million when there have been $23.4 million in donations in 2024. In 2023, donations totaled $16.6 million. 'Donors just are not that excited to give to this program, even at a 100% tax credit,' she said. The program is in its infancy, with just three years of scholarships completed. The increased funding could help grow MOScholars to meet outsized demand — or it could create dependency on general revenue. Hein said this problem would be exacerbated by tax cutbacks planned by Republican state lawmakers. 'We are setting a precedent,' she said. 'And if we eliminate state income taxes, tax credits go away and we are going to be on the hook with (general revenue) to cover this program.' Even if the appropriation is signed by the governor, it might face legal challenges as some question the constitutionality of using general revenue for MOScholars. The 2021 law that established MOScholars prescribes that scholarships are funded by tax-deductible donations to educational assistance organizations, which are nonprofits that apply to administer the scholarships. But 2% of donations are directed to an account dubbed the 'Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Fund' overseen by the Treasurer's Office. The fund is 'to be used by the state treasurer for marketing and administrative expenses or the costs incurred in administering the program.' Some believe the law does not authorize the program to use general revenue. Fogle expects legal 'challenges that argue that directly appropriating tax dollars to private schools is unconstitutional.' 'The direct appropriation of general revenue is a completely different foundation than the tax credit,' she said. 'There are people on both sides of the aisle, whether they're voting in favor of it or not, who have considerable doubts and concerns.' Malek did not speculate on the possibility of a lawsuit. 'We will deal with it and when that happens, we will defer that to our general counsel, the attorney general,' he said. 'I cannot predict which course it will take.' Malek says MOScholars is 'another tool' for educating children, in addition to the public school system. 'I don't see why people would be nervous. This is not taking away any funding dollars from our traditional educational institutions,' he said. As State Treasurer, Malek was not part of the governor's decision on public-education funding and considers himself a 'big proponent of public schools.' 'My focus was just for the MOScholars program,' he said. 'We need some help to strengthen this program… and I'm glad that need was listened to.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vanguard new ex-China ETF followed push from Missouri Republicans
By Suzanne McGee and Ross Kerber (Reuters) -Investment manager Vanguard's new exchange-traded fund targeting emerging markets outside of China appears to have followed a push from the Missouri State Treasurer's office for products excluding Chinese stocks. The product highlights a new front in the decoupling of economic links between the U.S. and China as a result of the trade war U.S. President Donald Trump has begun between the world's two largest economies. Vanguard filed on May 30 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. Vivek Malek, Missouri's Treasurer, told Reuters the announcement came six weeks after a series of requests and meetings with Vanguard, a claim backed by letters and e-mails reviewed by Reuters. Malek successfully pushed for the state's pension fund to divest from publicly traded Chinese stocks in December 2023 and also pressed for a China-free fund option for the state's $4.5 billion 529 educational savings plan in an April 14 letter to the plan's program manager working with Vanguard. "I believe we moved the needle in the direction that helped them reach this decision," Malek said. Vanguard did not directly comment on Malek's statements, citing quiet period restrictions on discussing fund products still under SEC review. A Vanguard spokesman said the firm's goal is to offer investors of all kinds of lower-cost options. Had Vanguard not filed for its ex-China ETF when it did, the firm risked losing its position as the main provider of investment products in the state's 529 plan, Malek said. Next year, Missouri will be reconsidering which asset managers will be entrusted with those savings, and one of the conditions any firm must meet will be offering a fund that excludes Chinese stocks, Malek said. MORE EX-CHINA PRODUCTS Ex-China ETFs have been launched with growing frequency within the last three years, according to Morningstar, and Vanguard's ETF would bring the total to 13, four of which debuted in 2024. Like other Republicans, Malek has been a critic of investments in China and made removing them from state investment portfolios a political objective. In his April 14 letter, Malek pointed to economic, legal and geopolitical risks associated with Chinese stocks, adding these are "real, accelerating and incompatible with long-term fiduciary responsibility". Malek's staff met with Vanguard executives in early May, according to e-mails reviewed by Reuters, ahead of a May 21 meeting of the board of trustees for the Missouri college savings plan, the agenda for which included discussion of other investment options excluding China. On May 30, Vanguard advised the Missouri Treasurer's office that it would be launching the ex-China ETF. At nearly the same time as the e-mail was sent, it filed with the SEC. "Typically, the product development cycle is a matter of months, not weeks, so it's quite possible that Vanguard had already been looking at this as an area to explore," said Bryan Armour, an ETF analyst at Morningstar. Malek said he sees the new ETF as an example of effective collaboration between conservative state treasurers and asset managers. Since Vanguard has responded favorably to his request, Malek plans to make sure the new ETF is a success, pointing out that he has influence with the 120 or so other smaller pension funds across Missouri. "I'll be using my bully pulpit to encourage those pension funds to utilize this particular ETF from Vanguard," he said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vanguard new ex-China ETF followed push from Missouri Republicans
By Suzanne McGee and Ross Kerber (Reuters) -Investment manager Vanguard's new exchange-traded fund targeting emerging markets outside of China appears to have followed a push from the Missouri State Treasurer's office for products excluding Chinese stocks. The product highlights a new front in the decoupling of economic links between the U.S. and China as a result of the trade war U.S. President Donald Trump has begun between the world's two largest economies. Vanguard filed on May 30 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. Vivek Malek, Missouri's Treasurer, told Reuters the announcement came six weeks after a series of requests and meetings with Vanguard, a claim backed by letters and e-mails reviewed by Reuters. Malek successfully pushed for the state's pension fund to divest from publicly traded Chinese stocks in December 2023 and also pressed for a China-free fund option for the state's $4.5 billion 529 educational savings plan in an April 14 letter to the plan's program manager working with Vanguard. "I believe we moved the needle in the direction that helped them reach this decision," Malek said. Vanguard did not directly comment on Malek's statements, citing quiet period restrictions on discussing fund products still under SEC review. A Vanguard spokesman said the firm's goal is to offer investors of all kinds of lower-cost options. Had Vanguard not filed for its ex-China ETF when it did, the firm risked losing its position as the main provider of investment products in the state's 529 plan, Malek said. Next year, Missouri will be reconsidering which asset managers will be entrusted with those savings, and one of the conditions any firm must meet will be offering a fund that excludes Chinese stocks, Malek said. MORE EX-CHINA PRODUCTS Ex-China ETFs have been launched with growing frequency within the last three years, according to Morningstar, and Vanguard's ETF would bring the total to 13, four of which debuted in 2024. Like other Republicans, Malek has been a critic of investments in China and made removing them from state investment portfolios a political objective. In his April 14 letter, Malek pointed to economic, legal and geopolitical risks associated with Chinese stocks, adding these are "real, accelerating and incompatible with long-term fiduciary responsibility". Malek's staff met with Vanguard executives in early May, according to e-mails reviewed by Reuters, ahead of a May 21 meeting of the board of trustees for the Missouri college savings plan, the agenda for which included discussion of other investment options excluding China. On May 30, Vanguard advised the Missouri Treasurer's office that it would be launching the ex-China ETF. At nearly the same time as the e-mail was sent, it filed with the SEC. "Typically, the product development cycle is a matter of months, not weeks, so it's quite possible that Vanguard had already been looking at this as an area to explore," said Bryan Armour, an ETF analyst at Morningstar. Malek said he sees the new ETF as an example of effective collaboration between conservative state treasurers and asset managers. Since Vanguard has responded favorably to his request, Malek plans to make sure the new ETF is a success, pointing out that he has influence with the 120 or so other smaller pension funds across Missouri. "I'll be using my bully pulpit to encourage those pension funds to utilize this particular ETF from Vanguard," he said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
