Thanks to the high-speed Laos-China railway connectivity, Laos has been seeing a steady stream of visitors from Thailand.
250,000 Thai Tourists Visited Laos Between May and July
Young Monks Injured in a Hit-and-Run Incident in Vientiane Province
Yesterday, a car hit two young monks while they were on the street collecting alms from people in Phonhong District.
Top Credit Rating Agency Plans to Withdraw its Rating for Laos
Fitch recently announced that it plans on withdrawing its rating for Laos by the end of September.
Five Ways You Can Help Flood Victims in Oudomxay
Major districts in Oudomxay Province have recently been affected by a tropical storm. Heavy flooding has led to many residents losing their homes and becoming displaced overnight. If you want to help out the flood victims, here are five verified places you could consider donating to.
ETHW DAO, an Extraordinary DAO Organization, is going to start its IEO Event
GEORGE TOWN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – Media OutReach – 2 September 2022 – Recently, ETHW DAO, the Extraordinary DAO Organization Relying on Coin-up, announces its first round of IEO from 2pm, September 1 to 2pm September 10 (GMT+8), Users can participate in by logging into Coin-up. Aiming to provide scalable technical, financial and community support for the continuation of ETHPOW to continue the POW consensus mechanism. $ETHDA will serve as an incentive token to form an economic closed loop in the internal and external ecology of ETH.
After a whole year of in-depth exploration, ETHW DAO launches a revolutionary alternative of metaverse by innovatively combining 2 emerging technologies, Metaverse and Dao, empowered by Web3 construction, where rights for the people, by the people.
Based on the principle of democratic autonomy, ETHW DAO has set up a unique reputation token mechanism, which is a set of contribution criteria based on which reputation metrics are created. Community members can earn their Reputation Tokens (NFTs) by crowd funding, voting, providing research reports, and completing tasks. Members can exercise corresponding rights that match their reputation metrics. This means that personal contributions should be the true measure of the governing rights for the community.
ETHW DAO community members are divided into 3 segments. The first segment is called Original DAO, in which members are granted a certain amount of private placement at the beginning of the project. The members of Original DAO are to become the highest level of decision-making. The second segment is made up by ETHW DAO Token holding member, which is the segment that can make initial proposals for the organic ecology to be built in the future. And the third segment is constitute of sub-DAO members, which links to global resources.
Under the governance principles based on Reputation Tokens, ETHW DAO creates a Community Token Mechanism based on ERC20 protocol to create a complete economic model, called Community Tokens, $ETHDA, which have been issued in the amount of 200,000,000.
Of $ETHDA, 9% of the tokens are given to start-up contributors for outstanding community projects and 11% of the tokens are given to ETHW DAO Labs for outstanding community members. This aims to motivate all community residents to proactively contribute to its building. 45% of $ETHDA is used for circulation within the internal ecosystem; 15% of $ETHDA is used for sales; 15% is used for liquidity; and the remaining 5% is used for private placement.
Based on this economic model, ETHW DAO has established an NFT mechanism to facilitate the circulation of $ETHDA, where each community builder will be distributed an NFT in the future. These NFTs can be traded in NFT marketplace once all 10,000 NFTs are activated. Long-term NFT holders will receive NFT as interest on their earnings.
ETHW DAO prospects to be the organization that helps people in the real world connect to the metaverse and unleash the creativity of the metaverse by developing quantum computing tools, integrating virtual land and NFT, and creating a hyper ledger. In the world built by ETHW DAO, rights of the people, for the people, and members of ETHW DAO community in the metaverse will be empowered by the democratic self-governing philosophy of DAO.
Hashtag: #ETHWDAO
Cambodian Government Upset with Beauty Pageant Costumes
The Cambodian government has expressed displeasure at Miss Grand Cambodia over the outfits worn by the contestants of the beauty pageant.
Virtuos Launches Co-Development Studio Calypte in North America
Calypte aims to bring expertise in distributed development, accelerated career paths and exposure to diverse AAA video game titles to talent in the Bay Area
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 1 September 2022 – Virtuos, a leading global game development company, today announced the launch of Calypte – a Virtuos Studio, its co-development and first full-service studio in North America covering all aspects of video game production including art, design, and engineering.
Based in the Bay Area, Calypte’s proximity to a major game development hub enhances collaboration between Virtuos and its partners through stronger alignment on project requirements and shorter turnaround time. Leveraging Virtuos’ established distributed development model, scale, and expertise, partners will be provided round-the-clock support to deliver bigger games in faster iterations – which is essential to meeting the growing consumer demand for high-quality live content.
Kirsten Kennedy, Studio Director of Calypte – a Virtuos Studio
Calypte is led by Studio Director Kirsten Kennedy. An award-winning producer, Kirsten brings with her over two decades of experience in the game industry, which includes 14 years in development production and four years in publishing production. Some notable AAA game franchises she has worked on include The Walking Dead, Sid Meier’s Civilization, and Grand Theft Auto. As part of the Virtuos North America team, she will work alongside Jake DiGennaro, General Manager, North America at Virtuos.
Building upon Virtuos’ success in operating virtually throughout the pandemic period, Calypte is a new concept studio that promotes flexible working. Its employees are encouraged to work from anywhere – at home, in the office, or in a hybrid manner. The studio will also host employees from Virtuos’ 12 other studios worldwide, allowing for integration and interoperability across the company’s global network. Additionally, Calypte’s strategic location in the Bay Area allows it to leverage the region’s expertise in game development, storytelling, and technology.
Jake DiGennaro, General Manager, North America at Virtuos said, “We saw the opportunity to bring Virtuos’ values and expertise in distributed game development to the Bay Area. With the launch of Calypte, we look to provide alternative and accelerated career paths with opportunities to work on diverse AAA games. We also remain dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that fosters and embraces creative endeavors – and ultimately, the making of great games.”
Kirsten Kennedy, Studio Director, Calypte said, “I’m excited to be joining the Virtuos family and am honored by the trust that Jake and the team have in me to steer our growth in North America. From the concentration of gaming studios in the region to the diverse pool of highly-skilled and experienced gaming talent, the Bay Area is a fantastic place to grow our studio.”
The establishment of Calypte marks Virtuos’ fourth expansion this year alone, starting with the acquisition of Volmi in Kyiv. That was followed by its scaling up in Southeast Asia with the acquisition of Glass Egg in Ho Chi Minh City and the official launch of Virtuos Kuala Lumpur. In 2020, Virtuos expanded in North America with the acquisition of CounterPunch in Los Angeles and the establishment of Virtuos Montreal.
Hashtag: #Virtuos #Calypte
About Virtuos
Founded in 2004, Virtuos is a leading global video game development company headquartered in Singapore with studios across Asia, Europe, and North America. With over 3,000 full-time professionals, Virtuos specializes in game development and art production for AAA consoles, PC, and mobile titles, enabling its partners to generate additional revenues and achieve greater operational efficiency.
For over a decade, Virtuos has successfully delivered high-quality content for more than 2,000 projects and its clients include 18 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide. More information at 
www.virtuosgames.com.
LEONINE Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film reveal first look on Milli Vanilli biopic GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE
- Lead actors are Tijan Njie as Robert Pilatus and Elan Ben Ali as Fabrice Morvan
- Matthias Schweighöfer stars as Milli Vanilli producer Frank Farian
- Writer and director is multi award-winning filmmaker Simon Verhoeven
- Produced by Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, producers of the Academy Award® winning feature film THE LIVES OF OTHERS, the two-time Academy Award® nominated NEVER LOOK AWAY, and the groundbreaking Netflix Original Series DARK
LOS ANGELES, US – Newsaktuell – 1 September 2022 – European major LEONINE Studios reveals first look on its international biopic GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE, produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film.
(L-R) Elan Ben Ali as Fabrice Morvan and Tijan Njie as Robert Pilatus in GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE; © LEONINE Studios/Wiedemann & Berg Film/Denis Pernath
After a year of intense casting in five countries, newcomers Tijan Njie from Germany and Elan Ben Ali from France are set to portray the lead roles of the Milli Vanilli frontmen Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, the top-charting pop and R&B duo. Matthias Schweighöfer (Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”, “Heart of Stone”, “Army of the Dead”) is starring as German music producer Frank Farian. The cast also includes Graham Rogers (“Ray Donovan”, “The Kominsky Method”, “Atypical”) as Milli Vanilli’s US assistant Todd and Bella Dayne (“Humans”, “Troy – Fall of a City”) as Milli, Farian’s right-hand.
Matthias Schweighoefer as Frank Farian in GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE; © LEONINE Studios/Wiedemann & Berg Film/Gordon Timpen
The film is centered around the true story of the notorious scandal involving dancers Robert Pilatus’ and Fabrice Morvan’s rise to fame in the late 1980s as pop sensation Milli Vanilli. Orchestrated by music producer Frank Farian, they became global stars with three No. 1 hits in the US. But only a small circle of insiders know that the duo is not singing but lip syncing to the voices of two other artists. At the height of their fame, Milli Vanilli win the Grammy Award but the situation behind the scenes escalates and the pressure on Rob and Fab grows. When the truth is revealed, they stare into the abyss while the world witnesses one of the biggest scandals in music history.
Multi award-winning filmmaker Simon Verhoeven is directing, based on his original screenplay GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE. Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, producers of the Academy Award® winning film THE LIVES OF OTHERS, the two-time Academy Award® nominated film NEVER LOOK AWAY and the groundbreaking Netflix Original Series DARK are producing. Producer Kirstin Winkler (“2012”, “10,000 BC”, “Anonymous”) is overseeing production.
Principal photography takes place in Munich and Berlin (Germany), Capetown (South Africa) and Los Angeles (USA). Filming will wrap in December 2022. The film follows a true language approach and is shot almost entirely in English. The title echoes Milli Vanilli‘s 1989 break-out hit GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE, originally written by the US Hip-Hop group Numarx and later covered by successful music producer Frank Farian.
Kevin Liles, member of Numarx, legendary co-founder and CEO of music company 300 Entertainment is executive producing alongside co-producers Simon Verhoeven, Frank Farian and Stefan Gärtner. Associate producers are Jasmin Davis, daughter of the late John Davis, and Brad Howell, who were the true voices of Milli Vanilli and invaluable consultants in the development phase. Carmen Pilatus, sister of the late Rob Pilatus, Milli Vanilli’s former assistant Todd Headlee, and Ingrid Segieth aka Milli, Frank Farian’s right-hand, are also attached as associate producers.
Writer and director Simon Verhoeven says: “GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE is captivating on so many levels. It not only tells the spectacular rise of two underdogs making it to the zenith of showbiz within one summer, it also gives a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of that illusory world of fame and its sometimes tragic and unscrupulous machinations. Personally, I think Rob and Fab did not deserve to become the sole scapegoats of this scandal.”
Quirin Berg, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Production Officer of LEONINE Studios: “GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE comes from the heart of a decade when MTV planted its flag on the moon and we were able to see music, not just listen to it. Our film celebrates Rob and Fab and what they achieved with Milli Vanilli and at the same time Simon’s fantastic screenplay also captures the complexity and ultimately tragic dimension that came with it. He offers not just an immensely entertaining take on the story but also a layer of critical reflection that asks many questions which seem more relevant today than ever. It took many years to secure the music rights and it’s a huge milestone to see this project in production now.”
The film is produced by LEONINE Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film, in co-production with Sentana Film, SevenPictures and Mediawan. The production is financially supported by German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film Board (FFA), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG Baden-Württemberg and Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Digitales. All rights are with LEONINE Studios.
Independently from LEONINE Studios’ feature film, US entertainment company MRC is producing a documentary on Milli Vanilli, directed by Luke Korem. Korem also serves as a producer via his Keep on Running Pictures. Bradley Jackson and Fulwell 73 also produce. Hanif Abdurraqib will executive produce. Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, Simon Verhoeven and Kirstin Winkler are serving as associate producers on this documentary project as well.
– Pictures are available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) –
Hashtag: #LEONINEStudios
