News Headlines - 05 February 2021

▽Smartmatic Voting Machine Company Sues Fox for $2.7 Billion - Rolling Stone

The legal blitz by voting-machine companies who have been the target of right-wing conspiracies just took another big step forward. On Thursday, the company Smartmatic sued Fox News and some of its biggest names alleging defamation and asking for a staggering $2.7 billion in damages.
The 285-page complaint names Fox Corporation, Fox News Network, as well as Fox hosts Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, and Jeanine Pirro, along with the pro-Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell who have both made frequent appearances on Fox. The complaint filed by Smartmatic alleges the defendants spread lies about Smartmatic as part of the broader conspiracy theory that the 2020 presidential election was riddled with fraud and stolen from former President Donald Trump.

▽Aung San Suu Kyi could face prolonged detention | NHK WORLD

A Myanmar court has granted permission for the detention of ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint until February 15.
The National League for Democracy on Wednesday released a police document dated February 1. It accuses Aung San Suu Kyi of having illegally imported 10 items of communications equipment and using them without permission.
Win Myint is charged with having violated coronavirus restrictions by greeting election campaigners last September.
The NLD says the court granted permission for the two to be held until February 15.

▽Harvard professor invites fury by calling 'comfort women' prostitutes - The Straits Times

A journal article written by a Harvard professor has provoked fury in South Korea for its assertion that "comfort women" were not sex slaves, but prostitutes who chose to work in military brothels under voluntary agreements.
In the paper, titled Contracting For Sex In The Pacific War, and published in the International Review of Law and Economics, Dr Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese legal studies at Harvard Law School, argued that Korean comfort women - as they are often euphemistically labelled - were part of Japan's licensed prostitution system at the time.

▽Sony sees record $10bn profit as COVID ups home entertainment demand - Nikkei Asia

The company on Wednesday revised up its net profit forecast to 1.085 trillion yen ($10 billion) for the current fiscal year, up 86% from a year ago. The profit figure would surpass an all-time high of 916 billion yen recorded for the year ended March 2019... The record performance will be supported by a 7% jump in revenue to 8.8 trillion yen and an 11% increase in operating profit to 940 billion yen, boosted by pandemic-fueled demand for home entertainment.

▽Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics: Playbook rules detailed to safeguard against coronavirus - BBC Sport

Singing or chanting will be discouraged at the re-arranged Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in a bid to safeguard against the spread of coronavirus.
Instead, those attending the Olympics - due to begin on 23 July - and Paralympics - set to start on 24 August - will be encouraged to clap in order to show support.
The suggestion is one of a number of rules detailed in a 'Playbook' published by organisers.