General

Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence, explains where markets are headed in the context of rumors that dovish Fed chief Jerome Powell might stay a second term, even as corporate earnings and cash-rich US tech giants might boost gains with share buybacks.

The local music industry received some hopeful news after being affected severely by the pandemic for over a year now. The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia announced the formation of a government agency to ensure the growth of our local music industry. The Malaysian Music Industry Corporation (PIMM) was established to boost the music industry in a comprehensive and holistic manner. We take a deeper look at initiatives by the government to help aid musicians at this moment in time.

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By The Way is a rapid-fire segment that gives you a snapshot of developing stories in the music world. This week, Rockstar Games not only released a new update for their GTA Online video game but also introduced their very own record label called CircoLoco Records which will produce music that will be embedded into the gameplay. Swedish music tech company delivers an AI-driven music application called Starmony which promises to produce you a song in just a blink of an eye by using your voice. As music festivals around the world make a revival, it was reported that more than 1000 attendees have contracted Covid-19 after attending the Verknipt festival earlier this month. Lastly, Kanye West will be dropping a new record called Donda, which is a tribute to his late mother - and it will be his tenth studio album.

Posthumous albums have been a trend for years now. However, it can be tricky at times - not having the artist involved in the creative process may affect the quality of an album. Though we see more posthumous albums being released recently, does it add value to the legacy of the artist? We discuss.

IMAGE SOURCE: Hip Hop Canada

On this week's show, we have Daniel Teoh from Biji Bumi Durian, a social enterprise that is working with orang asli communities to bring their durians to wider renown in Malaysia! For Daniel, what began as a volunteering trip to an orang asli village 7 years ago turned into a full-fledged mission to bring more awareness to these communities through trips, conversations and most recently, through durians!

IMAGE SOURCE: Biji Bumi Durian 

There are plenty of cars to go through in this week's episode, as we discuss the hot and new Audi RS3, the refreshed Toyota Aqua (Prius C), and the 1280hp, gasoline-powered Koenigsegg Jesko hypercar.

In Part 2, we go through the local car launches, starting with the luxurious BMW 330Li, the facelifted flagship Volkswagen Arteon R-Line, rumours of a small Volkswagen Taigun, and the arrival of a turbocharged Hyundai Kona 1.6.

In Part 3, we discuss a mild hybrid car that's been largely forgotten in recent years: the second-generation Honda Insight. Valued between RM20k-30k these days, this hybrid family car is like most Hondas; reliable, functional, cheap to run and to mend - mild-hybrid battery included.

This is our no-holds-barred review of Loki, and it is burdened with glorious spoilers! In this special episode of Popcorn Culture, we talk about the latest Marvel TV show to our hearts' content - and this is no deception, there WILL be spoilers on plot, reveals, and twists, and what it all means for the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He is Loki, of Asgard, and he is burdened with glorious purpose! After escaping The Avengers with the help of the Tesseract, the God of Mischief finds himself in the crosshairs of the mysterious TVA - an organization that exists beyond time and space. As things unravel, Loki soon realizes that there is more to his existence than he could have ever imagined. In this episode, we review Marvel Studios' latest spinoff series and discuss how it fits into the larger MCU tapestry, Loki's arc independent of Thor, and how this show compares to its predecessors.

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said has proposed for Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun to attend the special Parliament sitting in order to take questions on the emergency ordinances. We discuss the rationale behind this call.

Image Source: Lens Hitam, Shutterstock

With the pandemic continuing to impact our daily lives, we look at the role of the media and the challenges reporters have faced in the past year. First off, we look at how the media has had to adapt to the flood of information on Covid-19. Next, we discuss the role that social media plays in the dissemination of news. Finally, we speak to a journalist on what it's been like covering the pandemic on the ground.

Image Source: Isaac Quesada, Unsplash