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Philips, Elekta Partner On Oncology Care

(RTTNews) – Royal Philips (PHG), and Elekta said that they have signed agreements to advance comprehensive and personalized cancer care through precision oncology solutions.

In the partnership, the companies will leverage their capabilities to pursue integrated vendor-agnostic solutions, enhancing interoperability between the two parties’ systems and software in order to drive precision in oncology.

Oncology care is transforming, driven by an increasingly precise diagnosis of each tumor, and a continuously expanding range of therapy options. Healthcare providers require integrated solutions throughout the entire cancer care pathway, from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up.

Mkango to Create European Rare Earths Hub in Poland With Grupa Azoty Pulawy, Poland’s Leading Fertiliser and Chemicals Company

LONDON and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM/TSX-V: MKA) (the “Company” or “Mkango”) is pleased to announce that Mkango and Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe ”Pulawy” S.A. (“Grupa Azoty PULAWY”) (together the “Parties”) have agreed to work together towards development of a rare earth separation plant (the “Plant”) in Poland.A new Polish wholly owned subsidiary of Mkango, Mkango Polska, has been established and a highly experienced Country Director for Poland, Dr Jarosław Pączek, has been appointed, together with rare earth separation experts, Carester, and a strong team of technical advisors and engineers.Grupa Azoty PULAWY (Warsaw Stock Exchange: ZAP) is part of The Grupa Azoty Group, the European Union’s second largest manufacturer of nitrogen and compound fertilizers, and a major chemicals producer. Its products are exported to over 20 countries around the world, including Europe, the Americas and Asia.The Parties have signed an exclusive lease option agreement for a site adjacent to Grupa Azoty PULAWY’s large scale fertiliser and chemicals complex at Pulawy in Poland, which provides excellent infrastructure, access to reagents and utilities on site, and an attractive operating environment, resulting in a highly competitive operating cost position for the Plant, based on scoping studies to date.Located within a Polish Special Economic Zone, the site provides excellent access to European and international markets. Production from the Plant will strengthen Europe’s security of supply for rare earths, used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and other green technology and strategic applications, and aligns with European initiatives to create more robust, diversified supply chains.

Development of the Plant is expected to bring significant benefits to the Mkango group:Higher value-added products with increased margins – targeting 2,000 tonnes per year of separated neodymium (Nd) / praseodymium (Pr) oxides, and 50 tonnes per year dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb) oxides in a heavy rare earth enriched carbonateGreater integration – plant development fully underpinned by sustainably sourced, purified mixed rare earth carbonate from Mkango’s Songwe Hill operations, with other synergies being evaluatedIncreased marketing flexibility with a broader range of potential customers – future opportunities to produce and market separated heavy rare earthsCatalyst for regional growth and the green transition – potential for further downstream developments and related businesses, including renewables, creating additional jobs in the regionEngagement with financial institutions is underway to accelerate development, and additional strategic partnerships, downstream developments and marketing opportunities are being evaluated.Feasibility studies for the Plant are being undertaken in parallel with Mkango’s Songwe Hill rare earths project (“Songwe”) in Malawi and other opportunities, including Mkango’s interest in HyProMag Limited, which is developing production of short loop recycled rare earth magnets in the UK.William Dawes, Chief Executive of Mkango stated: “Development of this Plant will underline Mkango’s unique positioning in the rare earths sector. Our integrated “mine, refine, recycle” strategy, encompassing sustainably sourced light (NdPr) and heavy (Dy/Tb) rare earths from Malawi and rare earth magnet (NdFeB) recycling in the UK, via our interest in HyProMag, is now enhanced by the opportunity to create a rare earths separation and downstream hub in Poland, working with one of Europe’s largest chemical and fertilizer companies. “Rare earths are a vital component of magnets required in many technologies needed for the green energy transition. Therefore, their security of supply is becoming increasingly important to governments worldwide, especially in Europe and the US. We have carried out extensive due diligence on the site and believe the development of the Plant in Poland will enhance the sustainable supply of rare earths into Europe, as well as bringing significant benefits to the region, creating new jobs and potential, additional, downstream developments.

“We very much look forward to working with Grupa Azoty PULAWY and our partners worldwide to create value for all stakeholders and contribute to development of a more robust and sustainable rare earths supply chain.”Andrzej Skwarek, Management Board Member of Grupa Azoty PULAWY stated:“We look forward to working together with Mkango on this exciting project, which complements the adjacent activities of Grupa Azoty PULAWY, benefiting from synergies in relation to reagents, by-products, utilities and infrastructure. As an industry leader in Poland, Grupa Azoty PULAWY welcomes this potential new development to the region and will continue to support Mkango as it progresses through the feasibility studies.”Jarosław Pączek, Mkango’s Country Director for Poland stated: “This is a very exciting development for Poland at a time when Europe is focused on strengthening supply chains for critical materials and transitioning to a greener economy. The creation of a new European hub for rare earths at the heart of central Europe in Poland complements battery, electric vehicle and renewable energy developments in the region, with a site strategically located for European trade and transport routes and benefiting from plug and play access to reagents and utilities. I look forward to working with Mkango and Grupa Azoty PULAWY on this groundbreaking project for Poland and Europe.”Pulawy Rare Earths Separation PlantThe Plant is expected to initially produce approximately 2,000 tonnes per year of neodymium, praseodymium and / or didymium (NdPr) oxides as well as a heavy rare earth enriched carbonate, containing approximately 50 tonnes per year dysprosium and terbium oxides. It is also expected to produce lanthanum cerium carbonate. Mkango is evaluating marketing and processing options for the heavy rare earth enriched carbonate and lanthanum cerium carbonate. The Plant will use best-in-class, conventional and proven technology, and will benefit from excellent rail and road infrastructure as well as the direct supply of the required processing reagents from Grupa Azoty PULAWY. It will also have access to a local skilled workforce, on-site engineering and project development expertise and R&D science institutes.

Based on scoping studies undertaken to date, the Plant is expected to have highly competitive operating costs.Feasibility Studies and Technical TeamExtensive scoping studies and due diligence has been completed to date on the Plant site. Further feasibility studies will be completed by Carester, SENET (a DRA Global Group Company) and a local engineering firm, Prozap, together with support from Grupa Azoty PULAWY. The Carester team has extensive operating and advisory experience in rare earth separation at industrial scale, and will also provide ongoing technical support during construction and operation of the Plant. Mkango is also working closely with ANSTO to optimise feed specifications for the Plant.Mkango will also be supported by its Chief Technical Advisor, Mike Vaisey, formerly Vice President, Research and Technology, for Lynas Corporation. Mr Vaisey has 25 years of international experience in the mining and chemical industries, in senior operational and technical development roles, with a track record of successful technology commercialisation.Development of the Plant is expected to be underpinned by the sustainable supply of a purified mixed rare earth carbonate from Mkango’s Songwe Hill project in Malawi. Mkango will also evaluate the potential to process third party feeds.

The feasibility studies for the Plant will run in parallel with those for the Songwe Hill rare earths project.The Company will seek to maximise the renewable energy content and minimise the carbon impact of the developments in both Malawi and Poland, as part of the feasibility studies.Environmental and Social BenefitsIn addition to synergies with the existing operations, the Plant is expected to bring significant benefits to Poland and the EU, including additional jobs and potential for further downstream value-added developments. It is also expected to support the development of a more robust supply chain for rare earths in Europe and other markets, catalysing the green transition globally.Sustainability is integral to Mkango’s vision and the Company intends to implement robust sustainability policies in Poland to support the Company’s ethos of actively engaging with local communities as well as implementing and supporting community-based initiatives.

Mkango PolskaMkango has established a Polish subsidiary, Mkango Polska, to develop the Plant and investigate other business opportunities in Poland. The Company has appointed Dr Jarosław Pączek as Country Director for Poland and to support the Company’s growth in the region. Dr Pączek has been appointed to the board of Mkango Polska.Dr Pączek holds a PhD in law and is a corporate financier by training. Over his career in private equity, he led teams on many high-profile projects and has sourced and managed transactions in many different industries and geographies. Prior to his career in private equity, Dr. Pączek gained experience as the deputy general director of the largest Polish mobile phone operator and as a lawyer working for Hogan and Hartson, a Washington based law firm. Amongst his various affiliations he is a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.Scientific and technical information contained in this release has been approved and verified by Nicholas Dempers Pr.Eng (RSA) Reg. No 20150196, FSAIMM of SENET (a DRA Global Group Company), who is a “Qualified Person” in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 — Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.About Mkango

Mkango’s corporate strategy is to develop new sustainable primary and secondary sources of neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium to supply accelerating demand from electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean technologies. This integrated ‘mine, refine, recycle’ strategy differentiates Mkango from its peers, uniquely positioning the Company in the rare earths sector.Mkango is developing the 51% owned Songwe Hill rare earths project in Malawi with the ongoing Feasibility Study funded through a £12 million investment by strategic partner Talaxis Limited. Malawi is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa”, a stable democracy with existing road, rail and power infrastructure, and new infrastructure developments underway. Following completion of the Feasibility Study, Talaxis has an option to acquire a further 26% interest in Songwe by arranging financing for project development including funding the equity component thereof.In parallel, through its 75.5% interest in Maginito Limited (www.maginito.com), Mkango is developing green technology opportunities in the rare earths supply chain, encompassing neodymium (NdFeB) magnet recycling as well as innovative rare earth alloy, magnet and separation technologies. Maginito holds a 25% interest in UK rare earth (NdFeB) magnet recycler, HyProMag Limited (www.hypromag.com).Maginito’s strategy is underpinned by offtake rights for sustainably sourced primary and secondary raw materials from Songwe and HyProMag, respectively, and is geared to accelerating growth in the electric vehicle sector, wind power generation and other industries driven by decarbonization of the economy.Mkango also has an extensive exploration portfolio in Malawi, including the recently announced Mchinji rutile discovery, for which assay results are pending, in addition to the Thambani uranium-tantalum-niobium-zircon project and Chimimbe nickel-cobalt project.

For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca.Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) DisclosureCertain information contained in this announcement may have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango, its business, the Plant and Songwe. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “is expected to”, “scheduled”, “estimates” “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will”, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, governmental action relating to COVID-19, COVID-19 and other market effects on global demand and pricing for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, factors relating the development of the Plant, including the outcome of the feasibility study, cost overruns, complexities in building and operating the Plant, changes in economics and government regulation, the positive results of a feasibility study on Songwe and delays in obtaining financing or governmental approvals for, and the impact of environmental and other regulations relating to, Songwe and the Plant. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

For further information on Mkango, please contact:Mkango Resources LimitedWilliam Dawes Chief Executive Officer will@mkango.ca Canada: +1 403 444 5979Alexander LemonPresidentalex@mkango.ca  www.mkango.ca @MkangoResources  Jarosław PączekCountry Director, PolandJPaczek@mkango.caPoland: +48664144130  BlytheweighFinancial Public RelationsTim BlytheUK: +44 207 138 3204  SP Angel Corporate Finance LLPNominated Adviser and Joint BrokerJeff Keating, Caroline RoweUK: +44 20 3470 0470  Alternative Resource CapitalJoint BrokerAlex Wood, Keith DowsingUK: +44 20 7186 9004/5  Bacchus Capital AdvisersStrategic and Financial AdviserRichard AllanUK: +44 20 3848 1642The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

With cyberattacks on the rise, organizations are already bracing for devastating quantum hacks

Amidst the houses and the car parks sits GCHQ, the Government Communications Headquarters, in this aerial photo taken on October 10, 2005.David Goddard | Getty ImagesLONDON — A little-known U.K. company called Arqit is quietly preparing businesses and governments for what it sees as the next big threat to their cyber defenses: quantum computers.It’s still an incredibly young field of research, however some in the tech industry — including the likes of Google, Microsoft and IBM — believe quantum computing will become a reality in the next decade. And that could be worrying news for organizations’ cyber security.David Williams, co-founder and chairman of Arqit, says quantum computers will be several millions of times faster than classical computers, and would be able to break into one of the most widely-used methods of cryptography.”The legacy encryption that we all use to keep our secrets safe is called PKI,” or public-key infrastructure, Williams told CNBC in an interview. “It was invented in the 70s.””PKI was originally designed to secure the communications of two computers,” Williams added. “It wasn’t designed for a hyper-connected world where there are a billion devices all over the world communicating in a complex round of interactions.”Arqit, which is planning to go public via a merger with a blank-check company, counts the likes of BT, Sumitomo Corporation, the British government and the European Space Agency as customers. Some of its team previously worked for GCHQ, the U.K. intelligence agency. The firm only recently came out of “stealth mode” — a temporary state of secretness — and its stock market listing couldn’t be more timely.The past month has seen a spate of devastating ransomware attacks on organizations from Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S., to JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker.Microsoft and several U.S. government agencies, meanwhile, were among those affected by an attack on IT firm SolarWinds. President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order aimed at ramping up U.S. cyber defenses.What is quantum computing?Quantum computing aims to apply the principles of quantum physics — a body of science that seeks to describe the world at the level of atoms and subatomic particles — to computers.Whereas today’s computers use ones and zeroes to store information, a quantum computer relies on quantum bits, or qubits, which can consist of a combination of ones and zeroes simultaneously, something that’s known in the field as superposition. These qubits can also be linked together through a phenomenon called entanglement.Put simply, it means quantum computers are far more powerful than today’s machines and are able to solve complex calculations much faster.Kasper Rasmussen, associate professor of computer science at the University of Oxford, told CNBC that quantum computers are designed to do “certain very specific operations much faster than classical computers.”That it is not to say they’ll be able to solve every task. “This is not a case of: ‘This is a quantum computer, so it just runs whatever application you put on there much faster.’ That’s not the idea,” Rasmussen said.This could be a problem for modern encryption standards, according to experts.”When you and I use PKI encryption, we do halves of a difficult math problem: prime factorisation,” Williams told CNBC. “You give me a number and I work out what are the prime numbers to work out the new number. A classic computer can’t break that but a quantum computer will.”Williams believes his company has found the solution. Instead of relying on public-key cryptography, Arqit sends out symmetric encryption keys — long, random numbers — via satellites, something it calls “quantum key distribution.” Virgin Orbit, which invested in Arqit as part of its SPAC deal, plans to launch the satellites from Cornwall, England, by 2023.Why does it matter?Some experts say it will take some time before quantum computers finally arrive in a way that could pose a threat to existing cyber defenses. Rasmussen doesn’t expect them to exist in any meaningful way for at least another 10 years. But he’s not complacent. “If we accept the fact that quantum computers will exist in 10 years, anyone with the foresight to record important conversations now might be in a position to decrypt them when quantum computers come about,” Rasmussen said.”Public-key cryptography is literally everywhere in our digitized world, from your bank card, to the way you connect to the internet, to your car key, to IOT (internet of things) devices,” Ali Kaafarani, CEO and founder of cybersecurity start-up PQShield, told CNBC.The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology is looking to update its standards on cryptography to include what’s known as post-quantum cryptography, algorithms that could be secure against an attack from a quantum computer.Kaafarani expects NIST will decide on new standards by the end of 2021. But, he warns: “For me, the challenge is not the quantum threat and how can we build encryption methods that are secure. We solved that.””The challenge now is how businesses need to prepare for the transition to the new standards,” Kaafarani said. “Lessons from the past prove that it’s too slow and takes years and decades to switch from one algorithm to another.”Williams thinks firms need to be ready now, adding that forming post-quantum algorithms that take public-key cryptography and make it “even more complex” are not the solution. He alluded to a report from NIST which noted challenges with post-quantum cryptographic solutions.

Ark Invest On DocuSign Says Confident Pandemic-Induced Transition To e-Agreements 'Not A Temporary Shift'

Cathie Wood-led Ark Investment Management believes the e-signature company DocuSign Inc (NASDAQ:DOCU) could continue pulling more customers beyond the COVID-induced transition to online electronic agreements.

What Happened: The San Francisco, California-based company’s shares jumped 19% on Friday after reporting strong earnings, surpassing expectations on both revenue and earnings. It also raised guidance for the second quarter and fiscal year. 

The New York-based investment firm Ark, which holds about 2.59 million shares, worth about $503.9 million, in DocuSign, said it believes the company appears to be gaining traction in international markets and the growth in its Agreement Cloud amid COVID-19 is not a temporary shift. 

“Additions to the management team and clear strategic roadmaps have bolstered our confidence in the company,” the investment firm said in a note.

DocuSign offers the Agreement Cloud, a broad cloud-based software suite that enables users to automate the agreement process and provide legally binding e-signatures from nearly any device. The company was founded in 2003 and completed its IPO in May 2018.

Why It Matters: Online or electronic agreements have become increasingly popular with organizations during the pandemic.

BofA Securities had in April estimated that DocuSign will “continue benefiting from a strong adoption cycle, stemming from demand for a cloud based solution which reduces contract execution cycles time from weeks to less than a day.”  

See Also: Why BofA Is Bullish On DocuSign Stock

Price Action: DocuSign shares closed 19.76% higher at $233.24 on Friday. 

Photo by Cory Doctorow on Flickr

BitMEX receives prestigious ISO information security certification

MAHE, Seychelles, June 7, 2021 /CNW/ — 100x Group, the holding structure for the BitMEX platform – the world’s leading cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform – today announced that it had received the prestigious International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) information security certification ISO/IEC 27001.The ISO is an independent global body that establishes and assesses important standards for a wide variety of industries and functions. ISO/IEC 27001 provides the requirements for establishing a top-flight information security management system including safeguards for customer and partner data, a particularly important aspect for leading financial services companies.Alex Höptner, CEO of 100x, said: “It’s difficult to overstate the importance of information security for a platform like BitMEX. Traders trust us because of our track record on security – we have never lost a single Satoshi through intrusion or hacking. But security is never a static process and in order to continue to set the bar as high as possible, we sought – and were awarded – one of the most rigorous certifications: ISO/IEC 27001.” The award of the ISO/IEC 27001 certification requires an extremely thorough audit of IT systems but goes much further. It is a thorough examination of an organisation’s information security risks including potential threats, vulnerabilities and impacts of both. The certification process also requires an assessment of a bespoke, comprehensive set of information security controls and risk mitigation protocols and the implementation of a complete management process to ensure information security standards continue to evolve and improve.

Brian Rankin, Head of Security at 100x Group, said: “Data security is a cornerstone of our business and the ISO certification shows just how seriously we take that commitment. Working with BSI, the organisation that developed these exacting standards, the certification process has taken nearly a year and hundreds of hours of detailed audits. However, as pleased as we are, we recognise that this is just part of our ongoing obligation to keep our customers as safe as possible.”About 100x Group100x Group explores, incubates, and pursues opportunities and investments as part of its mission to reshape the modern digital financial system into one which is inclusive and empowering. It was created by the founders of HDR Global Trading Limited, the company behind the cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform, BitMEX.For media inquiries, please contact Ruder Finn: 

Winky Chow / Jess Lo(+852)22016474 / (+852)22016473100xGroup@RuderFinnAsia.com / BitMEX@RuderFinnAsia.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitmex-receives-prestigious-iso-information-security-certification-301306534.html

SOURCE 100x Group

Sensex, Nifty Seen Tad Higher At Open

(RTTNews) – Indian shares look set to open a tad higher on Monday after the latest U.S. jobs report suggested the economy is expanding but not fast enough to encourage the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy.

Falling COVID-19 infections in the country and accelerated pace of vaccinations may also offer some support, with several states and Union Territories easing the lockdown restrictions which they first started imposing in mid-April.

On the economic front, gross GST (Goods and Services Tax) collections in May (for sales in April) topped Rs 1 lakh crore for the eighth month in a row, despite most states imposing strict restrictions to break the chain of transmission of the infection.

Asian markets traded mostly higher this morning, though overall gains remained muted as investors looked ahead to the U.S. consumer-price inflation due this week for more clues.

Meanwhile, the Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday endorsed a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15 percent to make multinational companies pay more tax and impose levies on U.S. tech giants such as Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc.

Gold held steady as bond yields retreated and the dollar dropped from a three-week high against its rivals after the release of U.S. jobs data.

Oil extended gains to hit multi-year highs, while Bitcoin traded around $36,000 as China banned several influential social media accounts focused on crypto-related content over the weekend.

U.S. stocks ended firmly in positive territory on Friday after the Labor Department report showed job growth in the U.S. reaccelerated in May but still fell short of economist estimates, helping ease inflation and tapering jitters.

Non-farm payroll employment jumped by 559,000 jobs in May after climbing by an upwardly revised 278,000 jobs in April. Economists had expected employment to surge by 650,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent in May from 6.1 percent in April, while economists had expected the unemployment rate to dip to 5.9 percent.

The Dow rose half a percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.9 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index rallied 1.5 percent.

European stocks eked out modest gains on Friday amid continued optimism about global economic recovery.

The pan European Stoxx 600 edged up 0.4 percent. The German DAX also rose about 0.4 percent while France’s CAC 40 index and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 both edged up around 0.1 percent.

Autodesk Confirms A$38.50/shr Proposal To Buy Altium

(RTTNews) – Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) confirmed that it has submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire all the outstanding shares of common stock of Altium Limited (ALU.AX) for A$38.50 per share, to be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement.

Altium is a software company headquartered in San Diego, California and publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. The company develops software used by printed circuit board (PCB) designers and electrical engineers at organizations around the world to deliver connected, intelligent products.

The proposal represents a 41.5% premium over Altium’s closing price of A$27.21 on June 4, 2021.

‘Conjuring’ tops box office as people return to theaters post-pandemic

It was a scary good weekend for horror sequels at the box office as movie-goers return to theaters while COVID-19 pandemic restrictions subside.

“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” took the top spot for the week with a $24 million haul, ousting last week’s leader “A Quiet Place Part II,” which took in $20 million this week and $88.6 million over two weeks, according to Comscore.

Disney’s “Cruella” was third with $11.2 million domestically and “Spirit Untamed” took in $6.2 million for the fourth spot in its opening weekend. “Cruella” has had $43.6 million in total domestically, Comcast said.

“Raya and the Last Dragon,” another Disney film, was fifth for the week with $1.3 million, and $53.5 million since its opening.

The third installment of “The Conjuring” – and the first not directed by James Wan – reportedly had the biggest opening of an R-rated movie in the pandemic era. After a strong Memorial Day weekend and several big name movies being released, the industry is hoping its in the midst of a post-pandemic rebound.

The movie industry was ravaged by the pandemic restrictions and major studios grew gun shy about releasing moves during the height of the coronavirus shutdown last year.

Even as restrictions have eased, studios have opted to release movies simultaneously onto big screens and on streaming platforms. That was the case with the latest “Conjuring,” which was available on HBO Max over the weekend.

As of last weekend, there were 4,332 theaters open in North America or 75 percent of the number compared to the same time in 2019, Comcast said. At the start of the year, that number was only 2,227 or 41 percent.

Many theaters have also dropped face mask requirements for full-vaccinated theatergoers.

Hong Kong Stock Market Tipped To Find Support On Monday

(RTTNews) – The Hong Kong stock market has finished lower in three straight sessions, sinking more than 550 points or 1.8 percent along the way. The Hang Seng Index now rests just shy of the 28,920-point plateau although it’s expected to stop the bleeding on Monday.

The global forecast for the Asian markets is positive in response to U.S. employment data and rising crude oil prices. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian bourses are tipped to open in similar fashion.

The Hang Seng finished slightly lower on Friday following mixed performances from the financials, properties, casinos, technology stocks and oil companies.

For the day, the index slid 47.93 points or 0.17 percent to finish at 28,918.10 after trading between 28,737.97 and 29,023.18.

Among the actives, AAC Technologies advanced 0.78 percent, while AIA Group and Alibaba Health Info both rose 0.41 percent, Alibaba Group fell 0.28 percent, ANTA Sports climbed 1.03 percent, China Life Insurance shed 0.50 percent, China Mengniu Dairy jumped 1.19 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) added 0.47 percent, China Resources Land skidded 1.39 percent, CITIC was up 0.22 percent, CNOOC lost 0.35 percent, CSPC Pharmaceutical tanked 1.64 percent, Galaxy Entertainment increased 0.24 percent, Hang Lung Properties retreated 1.22 percent, Henderson Land surged 2.19 percent, Hong Kong & China Gas sank 0.83 percent, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China collected 0.80 percent, Longfor gained 0.44 percent, Meituan plummeted 1.69 percent, New World Development declined 1.09 percent, Sands China dropped 0.58 percent, Sun Hung Kai Properties surrendered 1.01 percent, Techtronic Industries plunged 1.88 percent, Xiaomi Corporation tumbled 1.50 percent and WuXi Biologics soared 1.51 percent.

The lead from Wall Street is solid as the major averages opened firmly higher on Friday and picked up steam as the session progressed.

The Dow climbed 179.39 points or 0.52 percent to finish at 34,756.39, while the NASDAQ jumped 199.99 points or 1.47 percent to end at 13.814.49 and the S&P 500 advanced 37.04 points or 0.88 percent to close at 4,229.89. For the week, the Dow rose 0.7 percent, the NASDAQ added 0.5 percent and the S&P rose 0.6 percent.

The strength on Wall Street came after the Labor Department report showed job growth in the U.S. reaccelerated in May but fell short of estimates, while the jobless rate fell to 5.8 percent.

Traders viewed the weaker than expected job growth as a Goldilocks situation, where the economy is expanding but not fast enough to encourage the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy.

Crude oil prices moved higher Friday amid rising hopes for increased demand and the recent OPEC decision to gradually increase crude output. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for July ended up $0.81 or 1.2 percent at $69.62 a barrel, the highest settlement since October 2018.

Taiwan Shares Predicted To Bounce Higher On Monday

(RTTNews) – The Taiwan stock market on Friday halted the five-day winning streak in which it had jumped more than 640 points or 3.5 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now sits just beneath the 17,150-point plateau although it’s expected to find renewed support again on Monday.

The global forecast for the Asian markets is positive in response to U.S. employment data and rising crude oil prices. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian bourses are tipped to open in similar fashion.

The TSE finished modestly lower on Friday following losses from the financial shares, technology stocks and cement companies.

For the day, the index dropped 98.79 points or 0.57 percent to finish at 17,147.41 after trading between 17,084.49 and 17,225.06.

Among the actives, Cathay Financial retreated 1.43 percent, while CTBC Financial slid 0.66 percent, Fubon Financial sank 0.95 percent, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company eased 0.17 percent, United Microelectronics Corporation plunged 3.64 percent, Hon Hai Precision advanced 0.90 percent, Largan Precision dropped 0.82 percent, Catcher Technology lost 0.55 percent, MediaTek shed 0.41 percent, Asia Cement skidded 0.77 percent, Taiwan Cement was down 0.76 percent and Delta Electronics, First Financial, E Sun Financial, Mega Financial and Formosa Plastic were unchanged.

The lead from Wall Street is solid as the major averages opened firmly higher on Friday and picked up steam as the session progressed.

The Dow climbed 179.39 points or 0.52 percent to finish at 34,756.39, while the NASDAQ jumped 199.99 points or 1.47 percent to end at 13.814.49 and the S&P 500 advanced 37.04 points or 0.88 percent to close at 4,229.89. For the week, the Dow rose 0.7 percent, the NASDAQ added 0.5 percent and the S&P rose 0.6 percent.

The strength on Wall Street came after the Labor Department report showed job growth in the U.S. reaccelerated in May but fell short of estimates, while the jobless rate fell to 5.8 percent.

Traders viewed the weaker than expected job growth as a Goldilocks situation, where the economy is expanding but not fast enough to encourage the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy.

Crude oil prices moved higher Friday amid rising hopes for increased demand and the recent OPEC decision to gradually increase crude output. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for July ended up $0.81 or 1.2 percent at $69.62 a barrel, the highest settlement since October 2018.