News Headlines - 12 August 2020

▽Hong Kong media tycoon Lai, activist Agnes Chow released on bail | Al Jazeera

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, owner of Hong Kong's Apple Daily, and pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, have been released on bail after they were arrested as part of a crackdown under a new national security law imposed by Beijing.
Lai was released in the early hours of Wednesday, flanked by his lawyers, and greeted by supporters who chanted "fight till the end" and "support apple, have an apple a day", referring to the pro-democracy tabloid... In total, 10 people were arrested on Monday, with the targeting of pro-democracy opposition figures in the semi-autonomous territory drawing international criticism and raising fears that Beijing is revoking freedoms promised under the "one country, two systems" formula that has been in place since the end of British colonial rule in 1997.

▽‘Free Agnes’ goes viral in Japan after Hong Kong activist arrested : The Asahi Shimbun

Chow, who was released on bail late at night on Aug. 11, expressed gratitude for the widespread support she received in Japan on social media.
She said the lyrics of the hit song “Fukyowaon” (Discord), by popular Japanese all-female idol group Keyakizaka 46, came to her mind while she was detained. The song is about having the strong determination to stick to one’s beliefs and resist pressure from others to give in.

▽Japan’s opposition DPP party to split as merger talks hit impasse | The Japan Times

Some members of Japan’s Democratic Party for the People will not participate in a merger with a larger opposition party due to disagreements over policy, the former’s leader said Tuesday.
Yuichiro Tamaki said he is among the lawmakers choosing to splinter off rather than join forces with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, ending months of discussions aimed at building a united front against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition.

▽SoftBank posts $11.8bn net profit in first quarter - Nikkei Asian Review

SoftBank Group on Tuesday reported a net profit of 1.25 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) in the April-June quarter thanks to the merger and sale of its stake in U.S. mobile carrier Sprint and a recovery in its $100 billion Vision Fund, marking a return to profit after its worst ever loss in the previous quarter.

▽Disney ends the historic 20th Century Fox brand - BBC News

Walt Disney has brought to an end one of the best-known names in the entertainment industry, 20th Century Fox.
It comes as the legendary House of Mouse has rebranded one of its TV studios as 20th Television.
It follows January's rebranding of the 85-year-old film company 20th Century Fox as 20th Century Studios.
Last year Disney completed a $71.3bn (54.7bn) deal to buy the bulk of Rupert Murdoch's Fox media assets.