Monthly Archives: September 2022

Near breaking point on Mexico’s GM corn ban – Farm Progress

Posted: September 11, 2022 at 1:47 pm

Of all the things that happened in 2020, a grenade was dropped on December 31 of that year when Mexicos government published a decree aimed at phasing out GM corn and glyphosate use in the country. Two days later, Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, made good on his campaign promise when he announced the country would end the import of genetically modified corn for human consumption by 2024. That decision is now impacting U.S. farmers ability to utilize and adopt technology key to addressing pests which will hurt not only U.S. farmers, but also bring higher prices to Mexico consumers.

Mexicos proposed GM corn ban, expected to take effect in 2024, has the potential to increase the countrys food insecurity, add $4.4 billion to its corn import costs, and impose fundamental and costly changes on the U.S. and Canadian farming and grain handling sectors, according to a report published by World Perspectives, Inc., and commissioned by CropLife America.

Chris Edgington, Iowa corn farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, says farmers are already seeing a slowed approval of biotech traits in Mexico. Some companies are reluctant to push unapproved traits in Mexicoif the country could potentially turn product away if its mistakenly mixed with approved traits.

Logistically, the U.S. is Mexicos prime supplier of corn, however, they arent adopting biotechnology traits widely needed and accepted by U.S. farmers. Edgington explains if Mexico only allows the import of GM traits theyre currently accepting, within a few years those traits will no longer be on the market and Mexico may not have any approved corn events available to import. Some U.S. crop technology providers are moving towards technology including RNA and AI, which Mexico has not approved, and doing so because the companies recognize these traits are better for corn producers.

Were probably not going to change the trait train, Edgington says of the need for growers to access more traits to deal with Mother Nature, pests and continue to adapt. We need new technology, he says.

If the grenade goes off when he walks out the door at the end of 2023, the price to the consumers is going to be pretty large, says Edgington.

President Joe Biden, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai have all pointed out the issue in recent discussions with their counterparts. Ted McKinney, chief executive officer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, says state governments have tried to communicate the negative effects of this policy within discussions with those at the state-level in Mexico.

I would say we're entering a new phase and you should watch this, McKinney says. Up to this point. I think there have been a general feeling that okay, yellow corn is moving and starts and stops with white corn, but that trade by and large is okay. I'm now hearing the traits are not being introduced into corn, and the same with soy.

McKinney continues, Because theres enough disruption starting to mount, and patience will wear thin in a few more months, maybe a year, weve got to change tactics. McKinney doesnt know how that exactly looks, but many different stakeholders are continuing to have discussions with government officials on how you put the pin back in the grenade.

In mid-August, members of MAIZALL - the International Alliance of Maize Growers, which includes members from Abramilho in Brazil, MAIZAR in Argentina and the National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains Council in the United States sent a delegation to Mexico where they met with government representatives and industry stakeholders to discuss the countrys 2020 Presidential Decree. The delegation also raised concerns about the likely impact of the lack of authorizations by Mexico of new GM corn events for import since May 2018.

Farmers from these countries, that produce 50% of the worlds corn and 81% of corn exports, compete in the global marketplace but work together to address common international market access issues.

Mexicos annual import of 17 million metric tons of GM corn could be jeopardized by the combination of the presidential decree and the lack of authorizations of new GM events for import, MAIZALL says. Since it is very unlikely that such volumes of non-GM corn will be available in international markets in 2024, Mexicos current policy will lead to food insecurity and affordability of many of its staple foods, such as corn tortillas.

The missions members emphasized the importance of a science-based, transparent and a proportionate regulatory approach to policy pertaining to agriculture and food production.

In our countries, GM crops are evaluated by leading independent scientists as part of a rigorous process to ensure all approvals guarantee environmental and food safety, says John Linder, a farmer from Ohio, who was part of the MAIZALL mission and is a MAIZALL director representing the United States. Biotechnology helps farmers increase yield, reduce the use of plant protection products and conserve the quality and biodiversity of the soil and the environment all key aspects in sustainable food production.

Andrew Brandt, USGC director of trade policy, who also was part of the MAIZALL delegation, says there were positive meetings and good questions from the government officials involved. MAIZALL directors had a successful trip to Mexico talking about the benefits of biotechnology, Brandt says.

But at the end of the day, this still lies in the hands of Mexicos President AMLO. A regulatory change will be required to allow additional traits to continue to be available to U.S. farmers as well as prevent the stop of flow of yellow corn to Mexico. If no action is taken, the end result will not be pretty.

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Inter-ministerial consultations in progress on revising WPI base year to 2017-18: DPIIT secretary – Economic Times

Posted: at 1:47 pm

Inter-ministerial consultations are progressing on revising the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) base year from 2011-12 to 2017-18, a top government official has said. Revising base year to 2017-18 for computation of wholesale inflation would help in presenting a more realistic picture of the price situation in the country.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in June last year issued a draft technical report of a working group, which suggests revising the base year of wholesale price index and addition of about 480 new items such as medicinal plants, pen drive, lifts, gymnasium equipment and certain motorcycle engines in the new series.

The draft report was placed in public domain and its feedbacks were considered before finalisation of the report.

In the case of agriculture commodities, new items such as medicinal plants like isabgol, aloe vera and menthol; fennel seed and methi seed, mushroom and watermelon were proposed to be added in the new series subject to availability of data.

At present, the index has a total of 697 items, including primary articles (117), fuel and power (16), and manufactured products (564).

In the new series, a total of 1,176 items in these three categories have been proposed -- primary articles (131), fuel and power (19), and manufactured products (1,026).

According to the draft report, in the current series of WPI, the electricity index is computed based on the price quotations of power generating stations only from hydro and thermal power stations. Now it is proposed to build three indices -- hydro, thermal and solar electricity. Thermal electricity is further bifurcated into thermal coal and gas.

WPI revision is a periodic exercise. Current revision process of WPI considering base year 2017-18 has been undertaken to incorporate the structural changes in the economy.

Two major indices are used for tracking price movement -- Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).

While the WPI measures price movement of goods in wholesale markets, the CPI tracks inflation at retail level and also includes certain services.

WPI is a key indicator to measure the average change in prices of a fixed set of commodities at the initial stage of a commercial transaction over a given period of time with reference to a base year.

Ever since the introduction of the WPI in 1942 with the base year 1939, seven revisions have taken place introducing new base years - 1952-53, 1961-62, 1970-71, 1981-82, 1993-94, 2004-05 and 2011-12, Jain said.

The current WPI base year 2011-12 series was launched in May 2017.

The wholesale price-based inflation eased to a five-month low of 13.93 per cent in July on easing prices of food articles and manufactured products. The WPI-based inflation softened for the second consecutive month in July, raising hopes of further decline in wholesale prices in the months to come.

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American killed in shark attack while snorkeling in the Bahamas, police …

Posted: at 1:46 pm

An American woman was killed in a shark attack while snorkeling with her family in the Bahamas on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

A family of five, from the Lake Erie area of Pennsylvania, were on a snorkeling tour in the waters northwest of Rose Island when one of them -- a 58-year-old woman -- was attacked by a bull shark shortly before 3 p.m. local time, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Tour operators along with family members attempted to rescue the woman but were unsuccessful, police said. The victim suffered serious injuries to the left side of her body and was transported by the tour boat to nearby Fort Montagu on the eastern shore of New Providence island, where she was pronounced dead by emergency medical responders, according to police.

In this screen grab from a video, authorities arrive at the location where a 58-year-old Pennsylvania woman was killed during a bull shark attack off Rose Island in The Bahamas.

Obtained by ABC News

The victim was identified by her employer as Caroline DiPlacido, project coordinator for the Office of Community and Government Relations at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

"Caroline was a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community and cherished many family ties to Gannon," the university said in a statement. "The news is devastating, and she will be missed."

Caroline DiPlacido in an undated photo.

Caroline DiPlacido/Facebook

DiPlacido, a 1986 graduate of the university, is survived by her husband and three children, according to the school statement.

The victim and her family had arrived in the Bahamas on Tuesday morning via Royal Caribbean's cruise ship Harmony of the Seas, police said.

In this screen grab from a video, people arrive at the location where a 58-year-old Pennsylvania woman was killed during a bull shark attack off Rose Island in The Bahamas.

Obtained by ABC News

Royal Caribbean confirmed in a statement that the woman was a guest on the seven-night cruise, which sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday.

She was on an "independent shore excursion" in Nassau when attacked by a shark and succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital, according to the Miami-based cruise line.

"Royal Caribbean is providing support and assistance to the guest's loved ones during this difficult time," the company said in the statement Tuesday.

In June 2019, an American tourist snorkeling off Rose Island was killed in a shark attack. The victim, 21-year-old Loyola-Marymount University student Jordan Lindsey, died after a school of sharks attacked her.

ABC News' Mina Kaji contributed to this report.

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American woman killed by shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas

Posted: at 1:46 pm

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An American tourist was killed by a shark during a vacation in the Bahamas, according to local authorities.

The 58-year-old woman was on a snorkeling trip with her family when she was fatally maimed by a bull shark.

"It is further reported that family members observed a bull shark attacking the female," police said, according to Reuters. Tour company employees and family members rushed to rescue the woman.

The victim, who was a Pennsylvania resident, was taken a local hospital and declared dead. Police say that her upper body sustained injuries.

SHARK SIGHTINGS PLAGUE BEACHES NATIONWIDE OVER THE WEEKEND

FILE- A bull shark gets up close to inspect divers during an eco-tourism shark dive off of Jupiter, Florida, on May 5, 2022. (Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The woman and her family were passengers on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas cruise. According to Royal Caribbean International, it was an independent shore excursion.

The incident took place off the island of Green Cay, which is a half mile away from Rose Island where a 21-year-old American woman was killed in a shark attack in 2019.

SUMMER SHARK SIGHTINGS CONTINUE TO SPIKE ON EAST COAST

Royal Caribbean International confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital.

"It's just an unfortunate situation," Royal Bahamas Police Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said at a news conference.

Royal Caribbean International said it is "providing support and assistance" to the shark attack victim's family. (Royal Caribbean)

"Royal Caribbean International is providing support and assistance to the guests loved ones at this time," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Harmony of the Seas is currently on a7-nightcruise that sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 4."

The incident comes a month after an 8-year-old British boy was attacked by three nurse sharks in the Bahamas.

The victim was rushed to a nearby island, where she was pronounced dead. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

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"My son could have been killed," the boy's father, Michael Downer, said. "It was like a scene out of Jaws."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Woman killed in shark attack while snorkeling in Bahamas, cruise …

Posted: at 1:46 pm

A shark attacked and killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger who was snorkeling in waters around the Bahamas on Tuesday, according to authorities.

The incident involved a 58-year-old woman from Pennsylvania and occurred at a popular snorkeling spot near Green Cay in the northern Bahamas, police spokeswoman Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told The Associated Press. Skippings said the woman's family identified it as a bull shark.Royal Caribbean International said in a statement that the person died after arriving at a local hospital for treatment and that the company is helping their loved ones. They said the guest was participating in an independent shore excursion in Nassau and had been sailing on Harmony of the Seas, which is on a seven-night trip after departing Florida on Sunday.

The woman has not been identified publicly by authorities, but Gannon University, a private Catholic school in Erie, Pennsylvania, identified her as alumna and current university employee Caroline DiPlacido. The university said she was the project coordinator for the Office of Community and Government Relations on the Erie campus.

"Caroline was a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community and cherished many family ties to Gannon," the university said. "The news is devastating, and she will be missed."

The school said she is survived by her mother, husband and three children.

The majority of shark attacks in the Caribbean have occurred in the Bahamas, with two reported in 2019, one of them fatal. That incident involved a Southern California woman who was on vacation and was attacked by three sharks near Rose Island, located just a half mile from where Tuesday's attacked occurred.In December 2020, a fatal shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin, the first such incident in that region.Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, a number followed by 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.Michael Heithaus, a marine biologist at Florida International University in Miami, said in a phone interview that the high number of attacks in the Bahamas is likely linked to the fact that there are a lot of people in the water in that area and that it has a robust marine ecosystem.He said the Bahamas has a variety of shark species, the majority of which do not pay attention to people, except for bull sharks and tiger sharks."They get to very large sizes, and they eat big prey," Heithaus said, adding that sharks have incredible sensory systems and can be attracted to food, sounds and smells in the water.But overall, shark attacks remain rare, he stressed.Worldwide, there were 137 shark attacks last year, 73 of them unprovoked, according to the International Shark Attack File.

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The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Brings The Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. as First in a Series of Tourism Focused Events…

Posted: at 1:46 pm

Ministry Marks the Successful Start of Global Sales and Marketing Missions

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) this week, 7 September, hosted the first in a series of Global Sales and Marketing Missions at venues across Fort Lauderdale designed to further promote The Bahamas as a leading tourism destination and paved a path towards continued tourism recovery.

A delegation led by the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, participated in a lineup of productive meetings with key stakeholders from across the tourism industry, culminating in a culturally-inspired evening event at the Broward Center for The Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale.

During a tour of the newly named Little Bahamas of Coconut Grove, DPM Cooper was presented with a key to the City of Miami by Congresswoman Fredricka Wilson a Bahamian descendent leading the charge to preserve the history and contribution of Bahamians, who were the city's first settlers.

Joined by destination representatives, hotel partners and BMOTIA executives, DPM Cooper and Acting Director General, Latia Duncombe, hosted 150 sales representatives and industry partners and some 20 media and influencers at the evening event. Guests were transported to The Bahamas via picturesque digital displays of the beautiful Bahama islands, promotional videos highlighting the offerings of the 16 island destinations, a three-course sit down dinner featuring a Bahamian inspired menu, and an electrifying Junkanoo performance. A live Q+A panel highlighted The Bahamas' steadily growing tourism numbers for key industry leaders, sales and trade representatives, stakeholders and media in attendance.

"All of our markets are critical to our success as we strive to reach pre-pandemic tourism arrivals," said Duncombe.

"We have daily airlift coming from Florida and it's extremely important for us to show how easy it is to get to and through the islands of The Bahamas. Whether it's boating fishing, diving, or the MICE market, there are significant opportunities here in Florida just 50 miles away. We are reengaging our trade and media partners as part of our strategy to double stopover visitors across our 16 island destinations.

"We know it's not always possible for key industry sales and media representatives to visit our beautiful islands -- so it is important for us to bring a taste of The Bahamas directly to them to ensure the destination remains top of mind in a very competitive landscape."

The series of events will continue onto Orlando, Florida, 8 Sept., followed by New York City, New York, later this month. Further stops in North America include Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California, followed by cities across Canada.

In addition to major travel hubs throughout the U.S. and Canada, the delegation will be heading to Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates to bring a taste of Bahamian culture directly to key international markets across the globe to inspire travel to the destination.

ABOUT THE BAHAMASThe Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and easy way for travellers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the Earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at http://www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

PRESS INQUIRIES

Anita Johnson-PattyDirector, Global CommunicationsBahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation[emailprotected]

Weber ShandwickPublic Relations[emailprotected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA)

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Bahamas shark attack: PA woman killed while snorkeling, police say – USA TODAY

Posted: at 1:46 pm

Dnica Coto| The Associated Press

Pennsylvania woman sailing from Florida to Bahamas killed in shark attack

A woman traveling on a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida has died from injuries she sustained during an encounter with a shark.

Fox - 35 Orlando, Fox - 35 Orlando

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A shark attacked and killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger who was snorkeling in waters around the Bahamas on Tuesday, authorities said.

The incident involved a 58-year-old woman from Pennsylvania and occurred at a popular snorkeling spot near Green Cay in the northern Bahamas, police spokeswoman Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told The Associated Press.

Its unfortunate, she said.

Skippings said the womans family identified it as a bull shark.

Royal Caribbean International said in a statement to the AP that the woman died after arriving at a local hospital for treatment and that the company is helping her loved ones. They said the guest was on an independent shore excursion in Nassau and had been sailing on Harmony of the Seas, which is on a seven-night trip after departing Florida on Sunday.

Summer of sharks: Has there been an uptick in attacks? Here's what we know

Most shark attacks in the Caribbean have occurred in the Bahamas. Two were reported in 2019, one of them fatal. That incident involved a Southern California woman who was on vacation and was attacked by three sharks near Rose Island, just a half mile from the site of Tuesdays attack.

In December 2020, a fatal shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin, the first such incident in that region.

Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749and 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

What lies beneath coastal waters?Beware of sharks swimming closer to shore

American alligator attacks are rare.What to know about safety, size and location in graphics

Michael Heithaus, a marine biologist at Florida International University in Miami, said in a phone interview that the high number of attacks in the Bahamas is probably the result of a lot of people in the water in that area and a robust marine ecosystem.

He said the Bahamas has a variety of shark species, the majority of which do not pay attention to people, except for bull sharks and tiger sharks.

They get to very large sizes, and they eat big prey, Heithaus said, adding that sharks have incredible sensory systems and can be attracted to food, sounds and smells in the water.

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But overall, shark attacks arerare, he said.

Worldwide, there were 137 shark attacks last year, 73 of them unprovoked, according to the International Shark Attack File.

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British officials in The Bahamas offer condolences – Bahamas Tribune

Posted: at 1:46 pm

The visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966.

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BRITISH officials and others reacted to the death of Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, offering condolences to the royal family.

Thomas Hartley, British High Commissioner to The Bahamas, said in a tweet yesterday that the Crown has passed to our new monarch King Charles III, the Queens son.

My family and I mourn the loss of Her Majesty the Queen, and offer the King our loyalty and devotion, he tweeted. A condolence book will be opened in due course. God save the King.

Former British High Commissioner to The Bahamas Sarah Dickson called the announcement terribly sad news.

People around the world will be joined in mourning the passing of the icon of public service. Thoughts and prayers with her family for their loss, she tweeted.

While speaking to reporters at the Office of the Prime Minister earlier yesterday, Mr Hartley spoke about the deep ties between the two nations.

The UK and The Bahamas are our cousins, as both realms of Her Majesty and as communities that have long seen many Bahamians in the UK and many Brits here in The Bahamas - both making positive contributions to each other, he said.

I think theres a clear overlap but a clear sort of affinity between our countries that will make my job as high commissioner easy to do in many ways because there already so much positive energy here but I hope like Mrs Dickson before me... I hope by the time I leave that we will see continued strength and continue the kind of institutional strength but also family relationships and sports, arts and music relationships between our countries grow.

CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett tweeted her deepest regrets on the passing of the Queen, adding a life of service and duty is over.

The Royal Commonwealth Society said in a media statement they were immensely saddened to learn of the passing of the Queen, their patron.

From her public commitment to the Commonwealth family in Cape Town, South Africa, as a young princess in 1947, and throughout her long life and reign, the Queen was an instrumental figure in nurturing and inspiring this unique, voluntary association of independent, and sovereign nations, the statement read.

Since becoming the Head of the Commonwealth and patron of the society in 1952 at the age of 26, the Queens dedication to the Commonwealth has been unparalleled. From her numerous official visits to nearly every Commonwealth country, to lending her name and support to programmes and events of which the Society has been honoured to deliver and support, including The Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition, The Queens Commonwealth Canopy and The Queens Young Leaders, Her Majestys commitment to the value, and values, of this network of nations and peoples is humbling and irreplaceable.

Executive chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Dr Linda Yueh, said: No one has made a greater contribution to the Commonwealth over the decades than the Queen. As head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty personally reinforced the links by which this unique network brings peoples and countries from around the globe together in common cause.

Her life and tireless efforts will forever be linked to this voluntary association of 56 independent and equal, sovereign states, which encompass over 2.5 billion people, and to whom the Queen displayed an unwavering dedication.

Jerusa La Ali, the political attach at the British High Commission, noted the impact the Queens death will have on the Commonwealth.

Today we mourn the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. Her loss is deeply felt throughout the realms including The Bahamas, the Commonwealth and around the world. A digital condolence book will be available at royal.uk/condolence.

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a total, Overstuffed BLAST [TIFF] – Jordan Ruimy

Posted: at 1:45 pm

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery has screened at TIFF. The reviews are very good with an 86 on Metacritic based on 7 reviews.

Many were skeptical about my assertion, a few months ago, that Rian Johnsons Knives Out sequel was Netflixs #1 horse for awards season. Well, now with Bardo, White Noise, and Blonde having been screened, there is no doubt that Johnsons film is top priority, as it should be.

This sequel is outrageous in its implausibility, but I didnt care. Johnson infuses such slick style and invention to the film that its too infectious not to be caught up in its peeling onion narrative. The writer-director has built up a considerable filmography over the last decade or so with Looper, The Last Jedi, and Knives Out.

We had already been warned beforehand, by Johnson himself, to not reveal too much about this sequel. Its twists and turns should be kept hush-hush. So, lets just do that. I will say that just like the 2019 original Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is convoluted, but why complain about the ambition Johnson has brought to his screenplay here?

All you need to know is that tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. Its a close knit of friends who call themselves the disrupters, a politically incorrect bunch who have plenty of secrets to hide. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc (a hammy but playful Daniel Craig) is put on the case.

The cast is aces. Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), the governor of Connecticut. Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) a hung-ho Twitch influencer. Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) a former supermodel with no filter, and Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.) a scientist who works for Miles. However, Andi Brand (Janelle Mone), Miles former business partner, who lost everything during a hostile takeover, mysteriously pops up, claiming she was invited. But was she though?

Mone Is immensely appealing here. Tackling multiple personalities and never giving away her game. Make no mistake about it, the popular singer is a bona-ride actress and her work here will likely set her up for a fruitful career in movies.

This is a mystery wrapped in deception after deception. Johnson goes back and forth in time. Theres a non-linearity to the film that keeps you guessing. In a way, this is a deconstruction of the murder-mystery genre, constantly shape-shifting into something else at every turn. It can all be too much, but your eyes are always stay glued to the screen. Its infectiously slick. [B+]

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Power of silence: Queen Elizabeth II’s reticence stood her and her country in good stead in times of tumult and change – The Indian Express

Posted: at 1:45 pm

At several points during the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II which ended with her death on September 8 the very institution of the Crown was brought into question. It was criticised by the Right for presiding over the end of Empire. For progressives in Britain and beyond, it was the ultimate symbol of aristocracy and unearned privilege; the tentpole that held up a class structure that was obsolete and obscene. Britains longest-serving monarch transcended the limitations of her office by staying true to the best principles of being the constitutional head of a democratic state. In doing so, she ensured that the Crown not only survived the post-War churn but also continued to be a steady hand, a sort of over-arching spirit of a nation, through the tectonic shifts in politics and society for the better part of a century.

On June 2, 1952, when Elizabeth unexpectedly ascended to the throne, the jewel of the empire had already conducted its first general election. Over the next few years, as the head of a diminished Commonwealth, she was witness to a wave of decolonisation. Workers rights, European unity, emerging from war-time frugality, the sexual and social liberation of the 1960s through fraught times in politics and society, the Queen maintained a studied neutrality. Today, in an age of constant opinions, social media rants and virtue signalling, the power of that silence can easily be underestimated. Yet, it is that reticence that gave the head of the British state and the Church of England the ability to remain the most prominent signifier of nationhood as the UK became increasingly culturally and ethnically diverse. At times, especially during family dramas and tragedies the controversial love life of her sister Princess Margaret, the tragic death of Diana, the politically-incorrect gaffes by her consort, the departure of Meghan Markle and Harry that silence dented her image. In the larger reckoning, though, it kept her above the fray.

In ways subtle and grand, from her face on currency notes to the warm Christmas address, the Queen has been a fixture in the lives of her countrys people. By the sheer dint of her longevity, she is also a global figure. In a new period of uncertainty in the UK, from the fallout of the Ukraine crisis to the strained relationship with Europe, most people of that country are bound to miss the only monarch they have ever known.

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