Daily Archives: July 5, 2020

How intriguing that Pirates of the Caribbean should be looking to Margot Robbie to lift the saga from the depths and out, once again, into the West Indian sunlight. The series has regularly dipped its toe into the potentially bountiful narrative trope of the female pirate surviving and thriving in a mans world, with Keira Knightley, Penlope Cruz, Zoe Saldana and, latterly, Kaya Scodelario among those to have swished cutlasses and swung from the rigging.

And yet the saga has had its issues with gender representation. Scodelario spent most of 2017s Dead Men Tell No Tales being ogled by Johnny Depps much older Captain Jack Sparrow. Previously, Knightleys journey from damsel in distress to (briefly) pirate king of the famed nine pirate lords ended with her back on land and spending her days longing for the once-a-decade return of Orlando Blooms tedious Will Turner.

As a fantasy series in which ancient gods prowl the oceans, immortality is real and our barmy buccaneers can switch from life to living death at the touch of a magic gold sovereign, you might think Pirates of the Caribbean would have little need for historical realism. Yet the idea of a female pirate surviving at sea for long without having to disguise herself as a man (like the real-life 18th-century figures Anne Bonny and Mary Read, as well as Cruzs Angelica in 2011s On Stranger Tides) seems even more fanciful than the existence of a fountain of youth. Having a woman on board was often considered to be bad luck during the golden age of piracy, because captains feared their presence would cause crew members to fight among themselves. And yet, it seems highly unlikely that Disney would consider transforming the swashbuckling series into a scurvy seadog take on Albert Nobbs even if that story is surely a fascinating one that will one day be told far away from the world of blockbuster cinema.

Margot Robbie, if she ends up signing on the dotted line, wont exactly be stepping into Depps well-worn boots. There remain separate plans for a reboot in the main Pirate timeline, though it is unclear at this stage whether Captain Jack Sparrow would make an appearance in the wake of Depps on- and off-screen struggles in recent years. If the Robbie project takes off, it is easy to see Disney quietly putting any other plans back in Davy Joness locker to focus on what works. Theres little doubt the studio sees the new film as a star vehicle for the Australian actor, or it would not have hired Robbies Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson to work on the script.

Hodson also wrote Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, miraculously taking a franchise that was once so macho that you wondered if the Autobots and Decepticons ran on pure testosterone and working it into a gentle, pleasingly complex coming-of-age tale that seemed to have more in common with the Iron Giant, ET or Disneys Big Hero 6. The studio will no doubt be hoping that she can work similar magic on Pirates of the Caribbean, which at its best was a joyous chance to catch top-notch character actors such as Depp, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane at the peak of their furniture-chewing powers, but at its worst descended into lazy, sexist retread territory with plots eventually becoming so foggy and convoluted that most of us would rather have joined Joness doomed crew on the Flying Dutchman rather than be forced to unravel them.

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Can Margot Robbie save Pirates of the Caribbean from irrelevance? - The Guardian

Jamaica adds forestry and land use to updated climate plan and toughens goals for energy. UK, due to host UN talks, hails greater climate ambition

Jamaica has become the first Caribbean nation to submit a tougher climate action plan under the Paris Agreement by adding targets for forestry and stepping up curbs on greenhouse gas emissions from energy.

The UK, which will host the next UN climate summit in November 2021, delayed from 2020 because of Covid-19, praised the move and urged other nations to follow suit as quickly as possible.

Worldwide, Jamaica is the 11th nation to submit an updated plan, or nationally determined contribution (NDC), at the five-year milestone of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Jamaicas new NDC is more ambitious than its previous one, the Jamaican government said in a submission to the United Nations, outlining the new goals worked out despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The nation was at risk from more intense hurricanes, sea level rise and a drying trend across much of the island, it said.

Norway sets electric car record as battery autos least dented by Covid-19 crisis

The new goal marked an upgrade by addressing land use change and forestry emissions, and committing to deeper emission reductions in the energy sector, it said.

By 2030, it promised to reduce emissions in the two sectors by 25.4% below business as usual (BAU) levels, and by a deeper 28.5% if the country gets international support.

By 2030, emissions covered by the plan would fall by between 1.8 and 2.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide relative to the projected BAU levels of 7.2 million tonnes, it said. That was more ambitious than a decline of 1.1 to 1.5 million tonnes under the original plan.

The NDC did not project Jamaicas total emissions in 2030. The first NDC in 2015 projected that the nations emissions would rise to 14.5 million tonnes by 2030 under business as usual, from 13.4 million in 2025.

The NDC said Jamaica would work in future to widen the NDC to include all sectors in the economy. Forests cover more than half of the island.

Airlinesclimate obligations postponed as UN body endorses industry proposal

Fantastic to see Jamaicas NDC showing greater climate ambition and scope during these difficult times, Alok Sharma, the president of the Cop26 talks and UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, wrote in a tweet.

We ask all countries to publish their own ambitious NDCs as soon as possible.

However the UK itself risks missing the 2020 deadline in the Paris Agreement for submitting an updated NDC. A spokesperson said the government was committed to bringing forward a plan well ahead of Cop26.

The World Resources Institute think-tank says the 11 NDCs submitted so far account for just 2.9% of global emissions.

Jamaicas NDC said Covid-19 had hit the nation hard, especially in its big tourism sector.

The pandemic has also had a ripple effect on rural livelihoods which rely predominantly on the climate sensitive fisheries and agriculture sectors, it said.

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Jamaica becomes first Caribbean nation to submit tougher climate plan to UN - Climate Home

Health and Tourism Partnership Addresses COVID-19 Risks to Travelers and Employees

MIAMI The Caribbeans health and tourism authoritiesCOVID-19 Caribbean Tourism Task Forceannounced a new initiative to help safeguard the health of travelers and employees during arecent virtual press conference, unveiling comprehensive health safety guidelines supported by an aggressive training schedule aimed at reaching thousands of the regions tourism employees in the coming weeks and months.

The initial set of guidelines includes detailed checklists backed by health safety training for various tourism industry sectors, including ground transportation, accommodation providers, food and beverage, and attractions.

General health safety protocols have also been created and will be supported with training delivered by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to a wide cross section of employees and owners in the tourism industry.

Companies in the region which participate in the training will be recognized, and accommodation providers which also join CARPHAs online Tourism Health Information System (THiS) will be eligible to receive the Caribbean Travel Health Assurance (CTHA) Stamp , adding further assurance to travelers about their commitment to health safety.

Building upon a unique partnership established over five years ago by CARPHA and the regions public and private sector tourism stakeholders, and recognizing the severe negative impact which COVID-19 could have on the tourism-dependent economies of the region, CARPHA, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) started working on COVID-19 preventative and education initiatives early in February.

This led to the formalization of the COVID-19 Caribbean Tourism Task Force a month later between CARPHA, CTO and CHTA, and later joined by the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resiliency and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECSC).

Not intended to replace specific national and territorial guidelines, or those being put in place by specific hotels and the industry, the procedures serve to reinforce and complement existing policies which have been drawn up to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The initiative has also been put in place to provide support particularly for the independent hotels, tourism-related businesses, and smaller destinations which lack the expertise or resources to develop their own.

The task force undertook a review, which engaged a cross representation of Caribbean tourism stakeholders, of health safety protocols and guidelines for tourism protocols issued by a range of destinations, industry enterprises, and regional agencies and are further synced with global protocols, including those of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

We started working with this (initiative) in January with the Member States and we have been leading the regional health response in this matter of COVID-19. Public health is our mandate, and in looking at how we can ensure we open up to tourism safely, we had guidance from not only our own technical sources but also the guidance and the wisdom of those in the field, said Dr. Joy St. John, CARPHAs Executive Director.

The leadership of both CHTA and CTO expressed their commitment to the engagement of tourism and industry partners in improving and maintaining health and safety standards throughout the region and were thankful for the expertise of the partners in delivering an impressive compilation of protocols.

CHTA CEO Frank Comito and CTO Acting Secretary General Neil Walters expressed that such collaborative partnerships are critical to the sustainability of the tourism sector on which many countries and territories depend for their economic survival.

The task force members agreed that disseminating the guidelines and beginning theessentialwork of training industry stakeholders while navigating the changing nature of the industry and the global economy were urgent priorities.

Also joining in the launch were Dr. Didicus Jules, Director General for the OECSC; Dr. Lloyd Waller, Executive Director for the GTRCMC; and CHTA President Patricia Affonso-Dass, who each reinforced their support and the importance of the initiative.

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Caribbean Unveils Initiatives To Support Reopening Tourism - South Florida Caribbean News

Johnny Depp isnt having a great time lately. The actor is mired in controversy with ex-wife Amber Heard. And its been nearly a decade since hes headlined a big hit movie. Still, fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean series are up in arms over apparent news Depp has been replaced. But he hasnt. At least not yet.

Many fans would prefer a new Pirates of the Caribbean doesnt happen at all without Depp. And its not hard to see why their fandom of the series is so tied to the actor. After all, were talking about a movie based on a theme park attraction, one which no one expected to become a hit at all.

Yet, Depps Oscar-nominated performance as Jack Sparrow sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow steered the movie to just the right sensibility. His character work elevated the project and is directly responsible for spawning a franchise. So, of course, its hard for some to imagine a version without him.

RELATED: Why the Pirates of the Caribbean Series Should End

And yet, the series has been suffering for years. The first movie led to two generally well-regarded sequels, and together they make for a solid adventure-fantasy trilogy. But the trouble began with 2011s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Although the fourth movie was a financial hit, it attempts to make Jack Sparrow the center of the story for the first time. The previous three centered on Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). This allowed Depp to run amok as the twitchy wild card.

Depps performance also suffered in the most recent two sequels. And in order to help the brand survive, Disney is looking to a shared universe model. News recently broke that Margot Robbie will lead a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. But she isnt serving as the series Depp replacement.

RELATED: Are the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies Available on Disney+?

Robbies movie will not, however, serve as a straight-up reboot of the franchise. But Disney does have one in the works. Although details are scarce right now, rumors have long swirled that Karen Gillan would lead this new incarnation of Pirates of the Caribbean. Fans have long thought the actor could play Redd, a character featured in the Disney theme park ride.

Gillans casting also makes a ton of sense, considering her action-heavy role in the Jumanji movies. After all, that series has adopted a similar tone as Pirates of the Caribbean. Plus, Gillan plays the fan-favorite role of Nebula in the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe. The future is dim for Jack Sparrow, but fans upset about his exit are getting worked up prematurely.

Read more here:

Don't Worry, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Hasn't Replaced Jack Sparrow -- At Least Not Yet - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The Tourism Minister,Francisco Javier Garca, was optimistic about the restart of tourism operations in the country. The Dominican Republic will regain its leadership in the region with the arrival of thousands of visitors, he said.

He stated that to guarantee the well-being and health of tourists, nationals, and foreigners, the authorities approved a rigorous protocol, which begins to apply immediately.

Tourists from all over the world were eager to see the arrival of this great day, the restart of operations in tourism, the sector that contributes the most foreign exchange to the Dominican economy, he said.

He stated that together with the health protocol, a broad promotion campaign will be launched in the country and abroad that will guarantee that tourists continue to prefer our country as their favorite destination.

Today is a great day for Dominican tourism, after the forced restrictions imposed by the pandemic.But rest assured that tourists from all over the world will once again choose us as their favorite destination and we will regain our leadership in the region, emphasized Garca.

He also recalled that the health protocols, approved by consensus withAsonahores, is the best guarantee that tourists will visit the Dominican Republic, according to a statement.

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Garca: DR will regain its leadership in the Caribbean with the arrival of thousands of tourists - Dominican Today

Royal Caribbean is hoping to beat its competitors to the open seas.

Assuming it will be safe to cruise again in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down cruising since March, Royal Caribbean on Thursday said it will start sailing again on Sept. 16, a few days ahead of Carnival and Norwegian.

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Carnival and Norwegian had previously announced a Sept. 30 start date.

But whether its Sept. 16 or Sept. 30, it all depends on the course of the virus which has spiked again in record numbers in Florida, the launching pad for many cruise lines as well as a skeptical public that has read about numerous instances of virus outbreaks on cruise ships.

In the meantime, a Royal Caribbean executive seemingly settled the argument over whether buffets will return.

Rest assured, Linken DSouza, the companys vice president of food and beverage operations, said according to CruiseRadio.net, the buffet will exist.

Previously, there had been much speculation about the return of the buffet due to concerns over the virus.

Buffets, however, will not look like they have in the past.

Weve worked through a variety of different scenarios, DSouza said, from employee service to individual portions to individual tons for self-service to finger [gloves] that you can [use to] pick up hot dishes. There may be some small modifications that allow us to ensure that we have a really great, healthy return to service, but your favorites and what youre used to at the (buffet) will still be there.

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Royal Caribbean Shares Update on Cruising Start Date and the Future of the Buffet - TravelPulse

SAN FRANCISCO Andersen Global announced it entered into a Collaboration Agreement with San Juan, Puerto Rico-based, full-service tax firm BDO Tax LLC, marking the organizations debut in the region.

Founded in 2000, BDO Tax LLC is led by Managing Partner Gaby Hernandez and supported by more than 140 professionals. It provides an array of tax and business advisory services to more than 3,000 clients, including transfer pricing, private client services, transaction advisory, government contracting, accounting services and tax compliance with a specific focus on international tax and inbound tax advisory.

As a former Arthur Andersen professional, I appreciate the importance and impact of working with like-minded individuals who share similar values and commitment to their clients, Gaby said. Collaborating with Andersen Global enhances our ability to deliver seamless coverage globally and provide a more comprehensive range of services.

Gaby has built one of the strongest practices in the region and will provide broad and synergistic regional coverage as we expand our presence in the Caribbean, said Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen CEO Mark Vorsatz. Gaby and his team demonstrate our commitment to stewardship, independence and transparency, and I am confident we can work together to expand our organizations global platform and capabilities in this region.

Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 5,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 177 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200702005110/en/

Contacts

Megan Tsuei Andersen Global 415-764-2700

#distro

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Andersen Global Expands in the Caribbean - Financial Post

Photo credit: Le Creuset

From Delish

You know youre an adult when you get excited about changing out your cookware with the season. With summer officially here, nows the time to swap the darker colors for bright, fun, and eye-popping hues. Le Creuset is coming in hot, as always, with a whimsical collection that will remind you of the ocean water.

The Lotus Collection has a fresh blue base color that is reminiscent of the Caribbean. The inspiration was glimmering calm waters over sugar-white sand, and the details on the pieces certainly bring that across. Unlike other Le Creuset pieces, the detail that graces the bright blue collection makes it extra special. You can get the Soup Pot, Square Dish, Mug, Rectangular Dish, and Demi Kettle on Le Creusets website. The items range from $20 to $270.

Le Creusets Japanese-inspired Lotus Collection celebrates the lotus flower, which represents luck and tradition in many eastern cultures and religions, reads press materials. Its regarded as a symbol of purity enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth. Even when its roots are in the murkiest waters, the lotus products the most beautiful flower.

The Lotus Collection was created for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Although the Games have been pushed back to next summer due to the global pandemic, the cooking and serving set are still appropriate for the season. Its unclear if itll be around when the Olympics do happen, but theres no reason to wait to start serving in style.

In addition to the Lotus Collection, Le Creuset has introduced a White with Gold Knob Collection on July 1. The brand says that its perfect for wedding season, and we couldnt agree more. The Round Dutch Oven, Signature Saucepan, Braiser, and five-piece Signature Set will add a chic summery look to any kitchen. Youll want to use them to cook and serve everything from sweet potato fries to pasta salad.

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Le Creusets New Lotus Collection Has The Perfect Caribbean Blue Color - Yahoo Lifestyle

CIFOR, in the frame of its SWAMP program and in collaboration with INTE-PUPC, CATIE and CINVESTAV, organizes two webinar sessions to support the Latin American and Caribbean countries on their steps forward to develop self-standing Blue Carbon programs that are connected with countries commitments on REDD+ and their FRELs. These sessions aim at 1. Reinforcing the development of national and jurisdictional Blue Carbon programs that support mitigation targets in the frame of the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and its National Determined Contributions (NDCs), 2. Offering options for developing jurisdictional Blue Carbon initiatives under VERRA, and their differences with the UNFCCC.

Audience: due to its technical character around UNFCCC-COP decisions, IPCC Guidance and UNFCCC reporting requirements, these webinars target Governmental officers with competence on developing Greenhouse Gas Inventories (GHG); Officers involved in the formulation of the REDD+ mechanism and FREL/FRL; and/or Officers responsible for the 2020 resubmission of countries NDCs. This webinar also targets researchers and land managers with interest on better understanding how reporting under the UNFCCC conditions the planning and development of Blue Carbon jurisdictional programs.

Language: the webinar will be in English

How to join: Through a registration link, from which confirmed participants will receive further information about access.

Register

Time reference: 9.00am Costa Rica, 10.00am Lima/Bogota/Panama, 11.00am Guyana, 12.00pm Suriname, 17.00pm Bonn

09:00-10:00 AM

CST/GMT-6

Date: week of the 20th of July, day and hour to be confirmed.

Justification: mangroves offer fundamental ecosystem services to society. This webinar particularly targets their roles as carbon storage (mitigation) and as adaptation to climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Countries are requested to submit their national targets on adaptation and mitigation under their National Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC. While most countries in the region already include mangroves adaptation roles such as protection against Sea Level Rise, hurricanes and storm surges; LAC governments are not yet quantifying nor including GHG mitigation of mangroves into their NDCs. A significant part of this omission relates to the technical complexities of creating self-standing Blue Carbon programs and GHG reports that are connected but independent from current REDD+ and FREL commitments. It also relates to difficulties deciding on which IPCC guidelines to follow for this process depending on whether mangroves are defined as forests or as wetlands (e.g. wetland supplement vs AFOLU guidelines). The other part naturally deals with limited data and the logistic complexities of measuring and monitoring these ecosystems.

This webinar will offer insights on UNFCCC and VERRA (voluntary market) steps forward for reinforcing national and jurisdictional Blue Carbon initiatives, with special interest on reinforcing Blue Carbon mitigation targets under NDCs-UNFCCC. This initiative builds upon a CIFOR-USFS SWAMP regional workshop held in Merida in 2019, in collaboration with CATIE, which supported Latin American and Caribbean governments on ways to include Blue Carbon commitments within their NDCs.

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Steps towards Blue Carbon mitigation under NDCs in Latin America and the Caribbean - Center for International Forestry Research

The northern half of the East Coast finished June and started July off with a week of fun surf, by summertime standards. But this is no time for revisionist history. Up and down the coast, June panned out about as we anticipated in the Summer Outlook: the waves were average. June is typically the slowest surf month of the year for damn near every spot in the North Atlantic. On the East Coast, it generally means a few longboard days, maybe a fish sesh or two, but no guarantees your shortboard will leave the garage.

The lone standout in June? The Gulf of Mexico. Breaks from South Padre Island, Texas, to Naples, Florida, saw days of surf from the long-lived and meandering Tropical Storm Cristobal.

Atlantic Summer Outlook: Whats So Different About This Summer?

If you scored in July, it was in the Gulf. Tropical Storm Cristobal. Photo: Alex Dantin

And now comes July. A month that usually offers no better hope for solid surf on the East Coast.

The tropics have gone quiet since unleashing a record flurry of named storms through the first week of June. Were expecting an above-average hurricane season this year, possibly even a hyperactive one, ever since El Nino was wiped from our future, leaving the door open for a tropically favorable La Nina to develop in time for the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. So when will the Saharan dust settle so the tropics can start firing back up with solid swell?

How La Nina Adds Fuel to Hurricane Season

When we look back at our 40-year dataset and past years with similar climate conditions, a pattern starts to stand out. July is moving-month before the busy tropical season kicks in. Some zones will be above-average, while others remain average or even regress to below-average. Is your spot headed in the right direction, or the wrong one?

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July Best Bets: East Coast and Caribbean -- Biding Time Until the Dust Settles and Hurricane Surf Arrives? - Surfline.com Surf News