Showing posts with label 10th Golden Screen Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10th Golden Screen Awards. Show all posts

Thursday, July 2, 2015

PayPal to buy digital money transfer provider Xoom


SAN FRANCISCO - PayPal Inc said it would buy digital money transfer provider Xoom Corp. for $890 million as it muscles into a growing international remittance market and expand in countries like Mexico, India and China ahead of a spinoff from eBay Inc.

The offer price of $25 per share in cash represents a premium of about 21 percent to Xoom's Wednesday closing price of $20.70.

Xoom shares surged on the announcement and were trading around the offer price in extended trading.

"Our aim is to bring the companies together to make it a true consumer champion in remittances," PayPal President Dan Schulman said in an interview with Reuters.

Xoom, which has 1.3 million customers and a presence in 37 countries, allows users to transfer money via desktop, mobile phones and tablets. The acquisition would allow Xoom to expand into new markets with less execution risk, Xoom CEO John Kunze said on Wednesday.

Xoom will operate as a separate service within PayPal after the completion of the deal.

PayPal faces increasing competition from rivals like Stripe and Square, which is popular with smaller businesses, and Apple Inc.'s Apple Pay. Online commerce foe Amazon.com Inc. is also beginning to explore in-store payments.

The San Jose, California-based company said holders of about 18 percent of Xoom's outstanding shares, including all executive officers and directors of Xoom and certain entities affiliated with Sequoia Capital, have agreed to vote for the deal. It intends to fund the transaction with cash on its balance sheet.

PayPal said the deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2015, will slightly hurt its adjusted earnings per share for 2016. The company is slated to separate from eBay this month and list as an independent company.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is financial adviser to PayPal, while Sidley Austin LLP is its legal adviser. Qatalyst Partners is financial adviser to Xoom and Goodwin Procter LLP is its legal adviser.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Marian Rivera addresses detractors


MANILA, Philippines -- Among local TV's most visible leading ladies today, Marian Rivera has learned an important lesson from being in the entertainment industry for almost seven years: detractors come with the territory.



In an interview with ABS-CBN News at the sidelines of filming for the action-comedy flick "Kung Fu Divas" on Monday, Rivera addressed the negative feedback to her recent best actress win at the 10th Golden Screen Awards -- her first major acting nod since joining showbiz.

"Okay lang po 'yun. Sa industriya talaga lahat dadaan sa ganyang pagkakataon. Ang importante, ikaw, sa sarili mo, mahal mo ang trabaho mo. Ako, para sa akin, 100%, mahal ko 'yung trabaho ko. Kung ano man ang ibigay sa akin, ibigay man o hindi, thankful ako," she said.

Rivera said she is particularly thrilled to mark a milestone in her career by starring alongside comedienne Ai Ai delas Alas in "Kung Fu Divas," which is written and directed by Onat Diaz.

Ai Ai-Marian team-up

Dubbed local showbiz's "Comedy Queen," delas Alas is also considered "box-office royalty," owing to her string of blockbuster films, from the "Tanging Ina" franchise to the current all-time highest grossing local film "Sisterakas."

"Proud ako na nakasama ko siya. Sabi ko nga, napakalaking bagay sa akin na makatrabaho ko si Ate Ai, dahil marami akong natututunan sa kanya," Rivera said.

She added: "Minsan nga, sabi ko, parang hindi ako artista eh. Ako 'yung tumitingin sa kanya, tumatawa ako sa kanya on the spot, pero, 'Ay, rolling na!'"

"Kung Fu Divas" is also Rivera's first major team-up with a top ABS-CBN talent. Rivera is a contract artist of GMA-7, and is seen as one of its most prized talents.

"Iyon po ang maganda para sa akin, nagkakaisa ang industriya natin, na si Ate Ai at ako pinagsama na magkaiba ng network," she said.

Asked whether there is chance that she will topbill another film with a Kapamilya star, Rivera said, "Sa teaser kasi namin (seen above), baka ito na 'yung 'Una at huling pagsasama,' so tingnan natin."

In the first trailer released for the comedy flick, the characters of delas Alas and Rivera are seen competing in a pageant called "Hiyas ng Dalampasigan." Their "fight for the crown" quickly escalates to an apparent kung fu match, which literally takes them to the mountains.

During the visit of ABS-CBN News to the movie's filming on Monday, Rivera related that it was her first time to act in a chroma set. Chroma key composting is a special effects or post-production technique in films used to make actors appear as if they are in a different environment.

Referring to the chroma set, delas Alas said, "Actually, 'pag nakakakita ako ng ganito, alam ko mahirap. Kasi 'yung mga fight scenes sa chroma usually ginagawa eh. Ayan nakaka-stress na 'yan, pero napakagandang pelikula, sa totoo lang."

Close ties

Over the course of filming for "Kung Fu Divas," Rivera said she has become close with delas Alas. For her part, the veteran actress said she has grown fond of her co-star.

"Masarap katrabaho ni Ate Ai, napaka-transaparent, napakabait, napaka-sweet. Hindi naging mahirap para sa akin ang mag-reach out sa kanya," Rivera said.

In a separate interview, delas Alas added, referring to Rivera, "Napaka-propesyunal, napakabait na bata, napakamasayahin, tawa nang tawa, at maaga sa set. Mabait."

"Super bonding [kami], parati niya akong pinapasalabungan. Ako naman, binibigyan ko siya ng mga little gifts. Bonding talaga. And love ko siya, mabati eh," she said.

Also starring Roderick Paulate, Edward Mendez and Nova Villa, "Kung Fu Divas" is scheduled to hit theaters nationwide in October 2013.

source: abs-cbnnews.com