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☆ Colombia Potential Cocaine Output Rose 24% in 2022 - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Also at a more than 20-year high was potential cocaine output, which rose 24% to 1,738 metric tonnes. Coca is the chief ingredient in cocaine, whose production has fueled the Andean country's six-decade armed conflict, which has killed at least 450,000 people. Petro's government wants to help rural communities voluntarily substitute some 100,000 hectares of coca crops over the next four years, an official told Reuters recently. The government wants to reduce cultivation areas to 150,000 hectares and production capacity to 900 metric tonnes by 2026, Osuna said. Some 13% of Colombia's annual deforestation is linked to illicit crops, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad told a drugs conference last week.

Persons: Candice Welsch, Welsch, Gustavo Petro, Colombia's, Nestor Osuna, Osuna, Susana Muhamad, oversupply, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Richard Chang Organizations: United Nations Office, Drugs, Reuters, UN, Food Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia, Putumayo province, Ecuador

☆ The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Returns. But Not as You Knew It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“The Victoria’s Secret World Tour,” which will stream on Amazon Prime on Sept. 26, is a putting-their-platform-where-their-mouth-is movie conceived to showcase the work of “a new generation of creatives” (all female, of course) from four major cities — Lagos, Nigeria; London; Bogotá; and Tokyo — the better to convince the world that this really is a new Victoria’s Secret. “To finally say, ‘This is it, this is who we are,’” said Raul Martinez, the brand’s chief creative director. “We haven’t forgotten our past, but we’re also speaking to the present. To take our platform, understand the power of that, but show up with a different narrative.”Which is what, exactly? “Hot” is an association the new Victoria’s Secret would rather stay far away from.

Persons: Hadid, “, ’ ”, Raul Martinez, we’re, Akech, Lila Moss Hack, Honey Dijon, Julia Fox, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel Organizations: Prime Locations: — Lagos, Nigeria, London, Tokyo, Spain, Barcelona

☆ Graphic video shows orcas hunting and eating dolphins near San Diego. Orca scientist says they just like playing with their food.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Orcas were spotted hunting dolphins off the coast of San Diego, in a graphic new drone video. This behavior is normal, especially since this pod of killer whales specializes in eating dolphins. Killer whales eat a meat-based diet, but the prey they choose depends on what part of the world they live in. So, for the orcas that cruise the area, eating dolphins is about a combination of opportunity and interest, Marino explained. The orcas are playing and teaching their youngA female killer whale and her newborn calf in Grays Harbor near Westport, Washington.

Persons: they've, Domenic Biagini, Lori Marino, Marino, Biagini, Candice Emmons, they're Organizations: Service, The, Sanctuary, San, NOAA Fisheries, Reuters Locations: San Diego, New Zealand, Southern California, Grays Harbor, Westport , Washington

☆ Romance Novels That Celebrate the Hard Work of Love
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Olivia Waite | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the start, Miriam is estranged from her absent husband, worried about the rent and sweating from the work of excavating her neighbor Ms. Candice’s hidden cash box. Romance loves a house as a metaphor, and here Miri uses her winnings to renovate the run-down family property her husband, Leo, inherited. In return, Leo promises to sign divorce papers as soon as the repair work is complete. Secretly, he’s hoping to use the time to win Miri back. So he makes every decision about the house with Miri’s tastes in mind: faucets, countertops, a shed for her alone.

Persons: Jodie Slaughter’s, Griffin, Miriam, Leo, he’s Organizations: WIN, Miri Locations: Miri

☆ Victoria's Secret is getting slammed by Skims fans online. They're accusing the brand of ripping off Kim Kardashian's campaign.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Victoria's Secret launched a new campaign with supermodels Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel. Their photos in Victoria's Secret catalogs made them household names — the brand even dubbed them "Angels" to further cement their place as modeling royalty. Critics on social media pointed out that the new Victoria's Secret campaign looks eerily similar, even down to the name: It's called "The Icon" while Kardashian's was "Icons." Swanepoel posted about her return to modeling for Victoria's Secret in an Instagram post. "What a wonderful sense of belonging to come home to my VS family for this Iconic campaign!"

Persons: supermodels Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Secret, Kim Kardashian, Gisele Bündchen, Kim Kardashian's, Kardashian, Skims, Swanepoel, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio —, Kardashian's, Mikael Jansson, SKIMS, —, Blakely Thornton, Ryan Reynolds, Pelton, Justin Long, Ed Razek, Naomi Campbell, Adut Akech, Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser, Sui, Emily Ratajkowski Organizations: Service, Victoria, New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Victoria’s Secret recruits Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima and Gisele Bündchen for a new campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Victoria’s Secret is reuniting some of the most classic supermodels from its heyday, bringing Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel together in a new campaign. Bündchen, Lima and Swanepoel were part of the long-running “Angels” brand, which the company retired in 2021 as part of its rebrand. (All three worked as “Angels” for years in campaigns and in the brand’s famed Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show — and all wore the show’s signature “Fantasy Bra” on occasions.) It later launched campaigns featuring ambassadors called the VS Collective, including celebrity reps including soccer star Megan Rapinoe and actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The campaign images, a mix of classic black-and-white and color portraits, were taken by Swedish fashion photographer Mikael Jansson.

Persons: Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Megan Rapinoe, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser, Sui, Emily Ratajkowski, Mikael Jansson, Adut Akech, “, Ed Razek, ”, Stuart Burgdoerfer, We’re, Amy Hauk, Jeffrey Epstein Organizations: CNN, Brands Locations: Lima, Swanepoel

☆ China was once a women’s soccer superpower. This year’s World Cup is a first step in reclaiming that status
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Simone Mccarthy Andrew Mcnicol Candice Zhu Cnn | Simone Mccarthy | Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The rapid development of women’s soccer programs across Europe and the Americas has fielded a new generation of powerful teams-to-beat. I hope through these matches, we can form a clearer picture of the current position of Chinese women’s soccer,” she told state media earlier this month. China scores against New Zealand during a group match at the 1991 Women's World Cup in Guangzhou. That’s even as more than thirty years ago, when China hosted the first ever-women’s World Cup in its southeastern Guangdong province. But as norms change, seeing China’s women’s team competing on the world stage at events like the World Cup would also “inspire girls” to play, Peng added.

Persons: Shui, ”, Xiao Yuyi, Rajanish, Xi, –, China's Zhang Ouying, Carla Overbeck, Vincent Laforet, Wang Shuang, Germain, Zhang Linyan, Chan Yuen Ting, Chen guo, Chan, Denmark’s Amalie Vangsgaard, Zhang, they’d, China's, Gary Day, William Bi, “, it’s, Qi Peng, China’s, Peng Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, AFC Asian, womens, FIFA, Americas, Roses, Denmark, Haiti, AFC, Asian, America, Rose Bowl, Veterans, Paris Saint, Swiss, Grasshopper Club, League, Jiangsu, CNN, New Zealand, Sports, AP Soccer, Xi, Sport Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Europe, China, England, South Korea, Mumbai, India, Pasadena , California, France, “, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Beijing

“I don’t necessarily need a higher paid job or a better life,” she added. College graduates looking for jobs at a fair in central China's Hubei province on July 20. A growing trendOn Douban, about 4,000 members of a group called “full-time children’s work communication center” discuss topics related to their daily “working” lives. By contrast, today’s “professional” children spend time with parents and do housework in exchange for financial support. In addition to her family duties, she’s busy applying for government jobs and taking exams for graduate school.

Persons: Litsky Li, Li, ”, “, headwinds, Zhang Dandan, ” hashtag, somethings, today’s, ’, Fang Xu, Nancy Chen, she’s, Chen, hasn’t, It’s, George Magnus, Magnus Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, College, CNN, Peking University, University of California, China News Service, Harvard University, China Centre, Oxford University, SOAS University of London Locations: Hong Kong, Luoyang, China's Hubei, Beijing, ”, China, University of California Berkeley, Jiangxi, Wanshou, China's Jiangxi

☆ Optimism in the economy is misplaced, portfolio manager says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOptimism in the economy is misplaced, portfolio manager saysCandice Bangsund, vice president and portfolio manager at Fiera Capital, discusses how earnings projections are "overly buoyant" and predicts three further rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Persons: Candice Bangsund Organizations: Fiera, Federal Reserve

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese officials on Wednesday unveiled new details about their plans for a manned lunar mission, as China attempts to become only the second nation to put citizens on the moon. Zhang Hailian, deputy chief engineer with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), revealed the preliminary plan at an aerospace summit in the city of Wuhan on Wednesday, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. To prepare for the mission, Chinese researchers are busy developing all the necessary equipment including moon suits, manned lunar rovers, manned spaceships and moon landers, Xinhua reported. The state media reports did not say how many astronauts China plans to send to the moon. China has also spent the past few years building its own Tiangong space station, which was completed in November.

Persons: Zhang Hailian, Zhang, landers, Xi Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Wednesday, China Manned Space Agency, Xinhua, Times, Global Times, Xi’s, International Space Locations: Hong Kong, China, Wuhan, Xinhua, United States, Beijing

☆ How the Fed’s new instant money program could lead to another regional banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Sure, you can currently Venmo or Zelle your friends instantly, but the banking system hasn’t kept up. Most transfers currently run on old systems that take hours, or even days, to process the money. Kevin Jacques: It’s a network that lets banks transfer money between themselves and between the account holders at the different banks in a near-instant way. The increase in average hourly earnings remained at 0.4% month on month, unchanged from May; and is up about 4.4% from last year. Instagram has more than two billion users, far more than the 238 million users Twitter reported having in the months before Musk took over.

Persons: New York CNN — FedNow, hasn’t, Bell, Kevin Jacques, It’s, You’ve, heartened, Payrolls, Job, Rucha Vankudre, Alicia Wallace, “, We’re, ”, Joseph Davis, Jerome Powell, Candice Tse, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Musk, Brian Fung, Instagram Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Cota Capital, Fed, There’s UPI, Silicon Valley Bank, ”, Vanguard, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Meta, Twitter Locations: New York, India, Brazil, Silicon

☆ Why the Fed is still likely to raise rates after cooler June jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But beneath the surface, the jobs market remains hot. What’s next: The June Consumer Price Index report, a key inflation reading, is due on Wednesday. The Producer Price Index report for June is due on Thursday. Wednesday: Consumer Price Index report and housing starts for June. Thursday: Producer Price Index report for June.

Persons: ”, Joseph Davis, What’s, That’s, James Ragan, DA Davidson, Candice Tse, Price, Chris Isidore, Biden, Julie Su Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Vanguard, Traders, DA, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, UPS, Teamsters, NY, Reserve’s Survey, University of Michigan

The STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.1% by 1615 GMT, turning positive midway through the session after data showed the U.S. economy added the fewest jobs in 2-1/2 years in June. However, persistently strong U.S. wage growth pointed to still tight labour market conditions that cemented bets the Fed will resume raising interest rates, later this month. Traders stuck to bets the Fed will raise its benchmark interest rate this month to a 5.25%-5.5% range, but were sceptical of further hikes beyond that. The STOXX 600 fell 3.1% for the week, its worst performance since mid-March. Comments from European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will be monitored later in the day.

Persons: Candice Tse, Christine Lagarde, Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Shreyashi Sanyal, Ankika Biswas, Janane Venkatraman, Shinjini Ganguli, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Federal, Traders, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Reuters, Coca Cola HBC AG, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Gdansk, Bangalore

☆ Reaction: June US jobs growth cools, but wages won't comfort Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 209,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday. "Today's numbers confirm the job market is still strong... and this report gives the green light to the Fed to raise rates. "If anything, it probably confirms this idea that the Fed has had that they are making progress in the right direction." "It's not like this is a sudden vast improvement in the labor market." The hours worked numbers are rising slower than the payrolls numbers.

Persons: Nonfarm, payrolls, CANDICE, GOLDMAN, BEN JEFFERY, “, PETER CARDILLO, we're, STUART COLE, JASON PRIDE, MICHAEL BROWN, ”, ” BRIAN JACOBSEN, MENOMONEE Organizations: YORK, Labor Department, Reuters, Treasury, BMO, NFP, Fed, Global Finance, Markets, Thomson Locations: GOLDMAN SACHS, PHILADELPHIA, WISCONSIN

☆ ‘And Just Like That …’ Style Recap: Dressing Your Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article contains spoilers for Episode 4 of the second season of “And Just Like That …”“Women our age are grossly underrepresented in the media,” says Enid Frick (Candice Bergen), a former Vogue editor recently given the boot by Condé Nast, in the latest episode of “And Just Like That …” She’s explaining the need for a new online magazine that’s “focused on women our age.”For Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), the pitch’s wincing recipient, being demographically lumped in with her onetime editor touches off a minor identity crisis — one that raises interesting questions about aging, maturity, confidence and how we present ourselves to the world. (As Gloria Steinem muses from a staircase: “Maybe the new frontier is aging.”)Of course, this being the “Sex and the City” cinematic universe, the clothes tell the story. Ahead of Episode 4, members of The New York Times’s Styles desk got together to dissect the fashion on display, and its significance. Vanessa Friedman I actually thought this was a relatively toned-down episode, as far as fashion statements went, though I still can’t get Lisa Todd Wexley dropping off her children for camp in a Louis Vuitton-branded bomber jacket and scarf out of my mind.

Persons: ”, Enid Frick, Candice Bergen, Condé Nast, “, Carrie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gloria Steinem, Times’s Styles, Vanessa Friedman, Lisa Todd Wexley, Louis Organizations: Vogue, The, Louis Vuitton

Hong Kong CNN —Police in China have detained a college graduate suspected of stealing university data to create a website rating the attractiveness of his fellow students. The 25-year-old, identified by police by his surname Ma, is a graduate of the prestigious Renmin University in Beijing, according to a police statement on Monday. Multiple online posts over the weekend accused him of stealing the personal information of students from the university’s database while he was studying there. The posts alleged that Ma used the data to create a website that rates the physical appearance of both undergraduate and graduate students. On Sunday, Renmin University said in a statement it had contacted the police and was cooperating with them to look into the incident.

Persons: Ma, Renmin, China’s, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Police, Renmin University, China’s Twitter, Facebook, Harvard, Police, China, Weekly Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Weibo, Harvard, Beijing’s Haidian

Liang took the grueling two-day exam, known as the “gaokao,” in early June alongside nearly 13 million students nationwide. Students’ exam results are their only criteria for college admission – and most candidates only get one shot, with the test happening once a year. “It may be a little difficult if I want to go to a good university this year,” he said in the video. He’d even accepted that Sichuan University might be out of reach, deciding to attend any “key university” that would accept him. Ahead of this year’s test, many students visited temples to light incense and pray for good results.

Persons: Liang Shi, Liang, ”, he’s, “ I’m, livestream, “, He’d, master’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sichuan University, China Daily Locations: Hong Kong, ”, Sichuan, China, Nanjing

Hong Kong CNN —Hundreds of mourners attended a funeral on Sunday for a Hong Kong model whose grisly death earlier this year shocked the city, with floral tributes flowing in from loved ones, friends and celebrities alike. Abby Choi, a 28-year-old mother of four, went missing in late February until parts of her dismembered body were found by police in a rural village house. Hundreds of people dressed in black lined up outside the Po Fook Memorial Hall in a quiet suburb of Hong Kong just a dozen miles south of where her remains were found. Among those present at the funeral was her late husband Chris Tam, whose family founded a popular noodle chain in the city. Two others have been charged with assisting the ex-husband’s effort to escape, though they have been released on bail.

Persons: Abby Choi, Tok, Choi, Choi –, Chris Tam, Tam, Marie, Paola Bertrand, Hillion, Aaron Kwok, Hong, Alex Kwong, Anthony, Kwong Kau, Alex Kwong’s, Jenny Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN Locations: Hong Kong, Paris, Choi’s

Videos posted on the young influencer’s account showing her running and weight-lifting were shared heavily on Chinese social media and also appeared in various state media outlets following her death late last month. State media outlets said that the influencer’s family had received “compensation” from the weight loss camp in Shaanxi, but did not say how much. In China, as in much of Asia and the rest of the world, social media is awash with unhealthy and unrealistic trends promoting extreme weight loss. One notorious recent social media trend in China involved women posing behind vertical sheets of printer paper to prove their waists were so thin they could not be seen either side. Zhou’s death has also increased scrutiny of the social media influencer industry more generally.

Persons: Cuihua, Zhou –, ”, Zhou’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China National Radio, CNN, China News Service, Television Administration, Ministry of Culture, Global, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, Asia, Tourism

☆ Goldman's Candice Tse says investors need to rethink their portfolio construction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGoldman's Candice Tse says investors need to rethink their portfolio constructionCandice Tse, Goldman Sachs Asset Management managing director, speaks with CNBC from the Financial Advisor Summit.

Persons: Candice Tse, Goldman Organizations: Asset Management, CNBC, Financial, Summit

“Messi” soon became the top trending topic on Chinese social media platform Weibo, while video footage showed hundreds of fans swarming the team’s hotel entrance in the hope of catching a glimpse of their idol. Argentina’s pre-match training session was delayed for safety reasons Sunday after “outrageously passionate” fans made it impossible for the team to leave their hotel, Global Times reported, citing game organizers. One fan was so eager to meet Messi that he spent 10,000 yuan ($1,400) on rooms at multiple Beijing luxury hotels in the hope of seeing the star, Global TImes said. AFA/Handout/ReutersSeveral unofficial Weibo accounts also claimed to offer VIP stadium passes, front-row seats for the game and autographed Argentina jerseys at inflated prices. Argentina will next travel to Jakarta for a friendly against Indonesia on June 19, though it is unclear if Messi will join the squad for that game.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Lionel Messi, scammers, “ Messi, ” Messi, “ Messi ”, Argentina’s, “, Messi, ” Argentina's Lionel Messi, d’Or, Germain Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Australia, Weibo, Global Times, Workers, Beijing, AFA, Reuters, Messi, Barcelona, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Paris Saint, Indonesia Locations: Hong Kong, Argentina, Beijing, China, United States, Jakarta

CNN —For nearly 13 million high school students across China, Wednesday marks a day that could make or break their plans for college and the increasingly competitive job market beyond. A high score in the two-day “gaokao” college entrance exam is the only way to get into the country’s top universities, and most Chinese students only get one shot at the grueling test, unlike US students who can take the SAT several times. A user on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, recalled taking the gaokao in 2000 when there were only about 3.75 million other test takers. The urban unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds hit a record high of 20.4% in April, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. And the rate could increase further, as a record 11.6 million college students are set to graduate this year.

Persons: gaokao, ”, TikTok, Fu Linghui, Xi Jinping’s Organizations: CNN, Getty, Authorities, Times, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS Locations: China, Shenyang, honking

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —“The Little Mermaid” has bombed with moviegoers in China and South Korea amid racist critiques in some quarters over the casting of Black actress Halle Bailey as main character Ariel. Disney’s live-action remake has made only $3.6 million in mainland China since opening there on May 26, according to Box Office Mojo. In South Korea, “The Little Mermaid” has grossed $4.4 million since May 24. Halle Bailey in 'The Little Mermaid.' Ariel and Prince Eric in a scene from 'The Little Mermaid.'

Persons: Halle Bailey, Ariel, Disney’s, Bailey, “, ”, Rob Marshall, ‘ Let’s, ’, Fans, Prince Eric, Maleficent ’, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Seoul CNN —, Office, Korean Film Council, Global Times, Disney, Hollywood, Halle, United, Comscore Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, China, South Korea, United States, Comscore, ”, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Finland, United Arab Emirates

☆ Jane Fonda says director asked to sleep with her before filming sex scene
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Was it a sloppy pass?” asked Andy Cohen, host of the show. “It was a beautiful moonlit night,” said Fonda, who described him as having been “skinny.”Garbo had dived into freezing cold water, Fonda recalled. As his first question, Cohen asked which of those nominations she felt was “most deserving” of the title. She chose the 1982 movie “On Golden Pond,” in which she starred alongside her father, Henry Fonda. Finally, Cohen asked: “After your decades working in the entertainment industry, who do you think is the biggest misogynist in Hollywood?”“Oh my God,” Fonda replied in mock horror.

☆ ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ Review: Cinema Pinot Grigio
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Amy Nicholson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The 2018 comedy “Book Club” had a simple, sturdy spine of a plot: Four longtime friends (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) power up their sexual prowess while panting over — and mocking — the best seller “Fifty Shades of Grey.” At some point during the brainstorming of “Book Club‌: The Next Chapter,” the returning director Bill Holderman and his co-screenwriter Erin Simms must have decided they could ditch the book gimmick. With a cast this beloved, who cares what they’re reading? This sequel opens with a formal quote from “The Alchemist” and, when pressed, mutters about how its author Paulo Coelho embraces fate. But that’s just a spaghetti-thin excuse to send the pals on a frenetic adventure through Italy with no time to crack open a paperback. Our close familiarity with the cast is the sole thing giving this fluff a sheen of emotional weight.

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