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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaraguan police said Friday they want to arrest the director of the Miss Nicaragua pageant, accusing her of intentionally rigging contests so that anti-government beauty queens would win the pageants as part of a plot to overthrow the government. It all started Nov. 18, when Miss Nicaragua, Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios won the Miss Universe competition. Ortega claimed the protests were an attempted coup with foreign backing, aiming for his overthrow. It didn't help that many ordinary Nicaraguans — who are largely forbidden to protest or carry the national flag in marches — took advantage of the Miss Universe win as a rare opportunity to celebrate in the streets. Palacios, who became the first Nicaraguan to win Miss Universe, has not commented on the situation.

Persons: Karen Celebertti, James Bond, Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios, Daniel Ortega, Palacios, Ortega, Nicaraguans, Celebertti “, Celebertti, ”, —, “, Palacio's, Lady Rosario Murillo, Palacios ’, ” Murillo Organizations: MEXICO CITY, —, Miss, Facebook, National Police, Sandinista, Jesuit University of Central, Nicaraguan Locations: MEXICO, Miss Nicaragua, Jesuit University of Central America, Nicaragua

☆ Amazon announces Q, an AI chatbot for businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon on Tuesday announced a new chatbot called Q for people to use at work. The Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Duet AI for Google Workspace for business workers both cost $30 per person per month. As a result, with Q, people can discuss information that's stored in Microsoft 365, Dropbox, Salesforce and Zendesk, along with AWS' S3 data-storage service. Administrators will be able to determine whether Q can answer people's questions about general topics, said Deepak Singh, an AWS vice president. WATCH: The market now sees Amazon as more of a cloud and generative AI company, says Needham's Laura Martin

Persons: James Bond, Salesforce's Slack, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, Steven Dickens, Q, Deepak Singh, Needham's Laura Martin Organizations: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Star Trek, Futurum, AWS Locations: Las Vegas

☆ How Disney can save the Marvel Cinematic Universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

CEO Bob Iger suggested as early as March that the company should decrease the number of sequel films Marvel releases in favor of bringing newer characters and stories into the mix. Box office analysts aren't ready to wave the white flag on the MCU, which has left rival DC, owned by Warner Bros. The promise was that the events of the shows would come full circle and influence the content of Marvel's films. Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel in Disney and Marvel's "The Marvels." It is expected that this Deadpool film will follow carry an R rating, which would be a first for a Marvel Cinematic Universe feature.

Persons: Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, Jesse Grant, Captain America, It's, Marvel, Disney, Bob Iger, aren't, Kevin Feige, Paul Dergarabedian, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Wanda Maximoff, Sam Wilson, Loki, Knight, they've, Robert Thompson, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Robbins, Paul Rudd, Scott Lang, Johnathan Majors, Kang the, Kang, Jonathan Majors, Shawn Robbins, Josh Brolin, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Strange, Hugh Jackman, Brie Larson, Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, James Bond, Marvel hasn't, hasn't, it's, America Chavez, Kate Bishop, Kamala Kahn, Cassie Lang, Riri Williams, Ryan Reynolds, Maya Lopez, Wilson Fisk, Lopez, Agatha Organizations: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Disney, Getty, Marvel, DC, Warner Bros, Captain, Syracuse University, Guardians, Rotten, CNBC, Disney Marvel, Sony, Hollywood, Star Wars, Star, Young Avengers, Fox, Hulu Locations: ANAHEIM , CALIFORNIA, Anaheim , Calif, California, Shanghai, Quantumania

☆ The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Wherever they run, night trains are complicated, labor intensive and expensive to operate – one of the major reasons they went into decline in the first place. The $770 million contract could eventually see up to 370 new overnight carriages introduced to update Italy’s entire overnight train fleet. “Politicians must be clear: the night train market will be effectively closed for a very long time,” he says. So, what does all this mean for the much-vaunted night train revolution? With the honorable exception of government-subsidized Nightjet, which plans to expand rapidly over the next five years, European night train services have yet to match the hype.

Persons: Love, James Brown, David Bowie, Ray Charles, –, they’ve, Charisius, Agatha Christie, James Bond, Mark Smith, ”, “, ÖBB, “ Superliner, Kuleshova, Smith, it’s, Alex Halada, Nick Brooks Organizations: CNN, Orient Express, Austrian Federal Railways, Swiss Federal Railways, Deutsche Bahn, Italian State Railways, Amtrak, California Zephyr, European, Bloomberg, Getty, Regiojet, Compagnie Internationale des, VIA Rail, European Union, Frankfurt, Eurostar, EU Rail, EU Locations: Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, Vienna, Hamburg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, France, Sweden, Milan, Sicily, Messina, Europe’s, United States, Berlin, Stockholm, Denmark, Czech, Prague, Croatia’s, London, Dresden, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Spain, Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid, Porto, Portugal, Edinburgh, Zurich, AFP, EU

☆ Take a look inside the new Raffles hotel in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Fiona Harris Communications director, Raffles London"It's the magic combination: the building, the location and the name, Raffles," Fiona Harris, Raffles London's communications director, told CNBC Travel. All in, the hotel houses 120 suites and rooms, including five heritage suites in the former offices of political and military leaders, and eight corner suites named after notable women and female spies. Raffles London is home to 120 rooms and suites, including eight corner suites named after notable women and female spies. Saison, run by Argentine Michelin star chef Mauro Colagreco, is one of nine restaurants and three bars at Raffles London. London's new luxury waveA stay at Raffles London is not without a significant price tag.

Persons: Winston Churchill's, Fiona Harris, Sir Stamford, Henry VIII, Ian Fleming's James Bond, Churchill, David Lloyd George, Lord Kitchener, Harris, Winston Churchill, Thierry Despont, Raffles, Argentina's Mauro Colagreco, sipping, Mauro Colagreco, James Bond, Ian Fleming, It's, Christine Granville, Gopichand Hinduja —, —, Hinduja Organizations: Raffles, Downing, Fiona Harris Communications, CNBC Travel, Sir Stamford Raffles, Hinduja, Ministry of Defense, British Army, Architects, British Secret Service, CNBC, Suite, Liberty, Michelin, Raffles London, Guards, London Sling, Argentine Michelin, Ministry, Hyde Park, Royal British Legion, British Armed Forces Locations: Whitehall, London, Raffles London, British, Singapore, India, Argentine, U.S, China, Granville, Hyde, Rosewood, Claridge's, The Emory

☆ Elon Musk's plan to implant chips into people's brains is eerily similar to a 2015 British spy movie featuring an eccentric billionaire played by Samuel L. Jackson
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk's brain chips are eerily similar to the plot of 2015 movie "Kingsman: The Secret Service." In it, Samuel L. Jackson plays an eccentric billionaire who tries to control the world using neural implants. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisement"Kingsman: The Secret Service," which stars Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, and Taron Egerton, features a similar neural implant as a key plot point.

Persons: Elon, Samuel L, Jackson, —, That's, Elon Musk's, it's, Neuralink, Musk, Ashlee Vance, Vance, Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, James Bond, Richmond Valentine, Eggsy, Egerton —, It's, Valentine, Vance — Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Elon Musk's Neuralink, SpaceX

☆ LVMH buys eyewear brand Barton Perreira as it looks to rebound from luxury slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Barton Perreira sunglasses are displayed during 'A Good Time At Goodman's' held at Goodman's Men's Store in New York City. LVMH is buying luxury eyewear brand Barton Perreira, famed for making James Bond's shades, as it taps into the fast-growing designer sunglass market. LVMH's Thelios eyewear division agreed to acquire the Irvine, Calif.-based Barton Perreira for an undisclosed sum. Barton Perreira was founded in 2007 by Bill Barton and Patty Perreira, after they left Oliver Peoples when it was acquired by Oakley. LVMH is buying luxury eyewear brand Barton Perreira, famed for making James Bond's shades, as it taps into the fast-growing designer sunglass market.

Persons: Barton, James, Barton Perreira, Alessandro Zanardo, LVMH, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Loewe, Berluti, Zanardo, Thelios, Daniel Craig, Joe, Demi Lovato, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Barton Perriera, Bill Barton, Patty Perreira, Oliver Peoples Organizations: Irvine, French, maisons, Hollywood, Oakley Locations: New York City, Calif, Asia, maisons, U.S, Europe, Italy

☆ 17 Best Dress Shoes for Men, According to Style Experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Leah Melclinton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

The laces and classic body shape are characteristic of traditional men’s dress shoes, while the rugged rubber soles still make a statement with any formal outfit. “Good leather shoes are not an arena in which it pays to cut costs,” he says, recommending investing in “the pair of a decade” from this made-in-England favorite. (Crockett & Jones has regal and Hollywood credentials: the brand received a Royal Warrant of Appointment in 2017, and this is the style of dress shoes worn by Daniel Craig’s James Bond). Sleek sneakersThe key to dressed-up sneakers is finding a leather pair free of busy accents or logos. The style is “acceptable to wear with dress clothes,” confirms Los Angeles-based personal stylist Rayne Parvis, who advises people to wear these sneakers in place of brown lace-up dress shoes.

Persons: Leah Melby Clinton You’ve, Magnanni Marco, Jim O’Brien, O’Brien, Wes Sharpton, Cole Myers, ”, Jones, Daniel Craig’s James Bond, Nolan Beck, Rivera, suede Myers, Myers, cushioned, ’, ” Beck, Johnny Cash, Saint Laurent, “ They’re, Beck, Rayne Parvis Organizations: Huntington, Cleobella, Kansas, Monroe, Crockett, Chelsea Boots Locations: Huntington Beach, Calif, Catskill, N.Y, New York City, Paris, Kansas City, Mo, England, Polish, Richmond, Va, Montreal, French, Alsace, ”, Mexico, Nisolo, Los Angeles

☆ Welcome to Ed Park’s Many-Layered World
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Hamilton Cain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

SAME BED DIFFERENT DREAMS, by Ed ParkJust after I’d registered for my first semester of college courses, I was meandering among a concourse of clubs and teams, fending off their grinning ambassadors, when a newspaper headline caught my eye: “U.S. Late in his lush, labyrinthine “Same Bed Different Dreams,” Ed Park recreates that moment, twisting the doomed flight’s number into a James Bond motif that resonates throughout the novel. Soon Sheen is an erstwhile Korean American writer turned lackey for GLOAT, a technology conglomerate. “Same Bed, Different Dreams” maps the arc of the mysterious Korean Provisional Government (or K.P.G. (Park’s novel and Echo’s nonfiction novel share a title, based on a Korean proverb and helpfully demarcated by Echo’s comma, the punctuation a possible allusion to the 38th parallel.)

Persons: Ed Park, Ronald Reagan’s, sabers, Ed, James Bond, Sheen, lackey, ’, ”, Drudge, swipes Organizations: Says Soviet, Korean, Jet, Korean Provisional Government Locations: Korean, GLOAT, NCD, Manhattan, Dogskill

☆ New TV show '007: Road To A Million' brings Bond-like tasks to screens
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - From scaling mountains and cranes to coming face-to-face with crocodiles and snakes, contestants travel the world tackling James Bond-inspired challenges in new TV adventure series "007: Road To A Million" in the hope of winning 1 million pounds ($1.2 million). "The idea is really to put ordinary people into a James Bond adventure and we didn't quite know how that would work out," executive producer David Glover told Reuters. "It's thrilling because... they're really not James Bond but they have heart and they're lovely and... they're heroic in their own way." [1/3]An assistant poses with the James Bond 007 Special Issue 2020 UK Seven-Kilo Gold Proof Coin, the largest coin ever made by The Royal Mint, in London, Britain, March 2, 2020. I thought 'well maybe if I do this, it's probably the nearest I'll ever get to (being a Bond villain),'" Cox said.

Persons: James Bond, Brian Cox, David Glover, they're, Cox, haven't, Henry Nicholls, it's, James, Joey Bone, James Bone, Bond, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G, Wilson, Daniel Craig, Broccoli, Hanna Rantala, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, The Royal Mint, REUTERS, Scottish Highlands, Thomson Locations: Scottish, London, Britain

☆ My startup's AI tool is helping Ukraine on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He explains how Ukraine is using the company's AI tool to streamline intelligence gathering. The world before February 24, 2022 was a difficult place for defense tech startups. But since Russia's invasion of Ukraine there's been a paradigm shift. Now, my company, SensusQ, is applying the AI revolution to the defense sector and helping Ukraine on the battlefield. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe SensusQ AI system collates intelligence from multiple sources.

Persons: Erik Kannike, Kannike, —, Ukraine there's, James Bond, There's, they're, Europe There's Organizations: Service, NATO, intel, Spotify, Anadolu Agency Locations: Estonian, Ukraine, Estonia, Russia, Europe, Ukrainian

☆ I drove the Aston Martin DBX707 and saw what you get in an SUV that costs $276,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I drove the 2023 Aston Martin DBX707, a 697-horsepower, $276,000 SUV. But if you need the latest tech and gadgets in your car, it probably isn't for you. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementIf James Bond ever decided to settle down, he'd probably cruise the English countryside in an Aston Martin DBX707. The DBX707 is the high-octane version of Aston Martin's first-ever SUV, the DBX.

Persons: Aston Martin DBX707, —, James Bond, he'd, Aston Martin's Organizations: Service, Aston

☆ C-3PO ‘Star Wars’ head goes on sale in huge movie memorabilia auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —In a galaxy not-so far away, “Star Wars” fans will soon have the chance to buy the head of C-3PO when it goes under the hammer next month as part of a huge movie memorabilia auction. The item, complete with light-up eyes, comes from the personal collection of C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels, who played the droid the “Star Wars” movies. Other items from Daniels’ collection that are up for sale include C-3PO’s hands and feet, hand-annotated scripts and an unopened cereal box used as a prop by C-3PO. “I hope this can bring pleasure to Star Wars fans and collectors all around the world and give them a chance to own a piece of the real thing.”C-3PO is one of "Star Wars'" most iconic characters. Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/ShutterstockWith costumes and props from other movies also available, the auction as a whole is expected to fetch more than £12 million ($14.6 million).

Persons: Anthony Daniels, Daniels, ” Daniels, Don Vito Corleone’s, Marlon Brando, There’s, Freddy Krueger, Indiana Jones, James Bond’s, Daniel Craig, ” Leonardo DiCaprio’s, Michael Keaton’s Organizations: CNN, “, Propstore, Star Wars, Lucasfilm, Fox Locations: London, Indiana, “

☆ '[My] children don't need $500 million': Mick Jagger says Rolling Stones have no plans to sell music catalog
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Jagger said the reason is simple: he doesn't need the money, and his eight children don't either. "The children don't need $500 million to live well. Come on," he told the Journal, conceding that if he did sell he would likely give his share of the proceeds to charity. Jagger's approach towards leaving massive sums of money to his children is similar to that of other wealthy stars. ET to learn how to level up your interview and negotiating skills, build your ideal career, boost your income and grow your wealth.

Persons: Mick Jagger, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Jagger, James Bond, Daniel Craig, you've, Craig, Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffett Organizations: Wall, CNBC

☆ D.B. Cooper case: Eric Ulis is trying to solve the mystery behind the 1971 hijacking
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Cooper expert, Ulis says he was a professional blackjack player, a skill he says helps him focus on facts and avoid conspiracy theories. FBIThe tie and the found ransom money are the key pieces of physical evidence in the case, Ulis says. Larry Carr, a former FBI agent who worked on Cooper’s case, tells CNN he doesn’t believe the FBI took the spindle apart to process it. Cooper manhunt (2011) 01:44 - Source: KARECarr, the former FBI agent, lists several reasons why he believes Cooper didn’t survive the jump. Carr said the Cooper case is one of the most popular cases he worked on and he still thinks about it today.

Persons: Eric Ulis, Cooper, he’s, James Bond, ” Ulis, “, ”, Ulis, Dan Cooper, –, Dan, everybody’s, D.B, He’s, familiarized, It’s, “ It’s, ” He’s, minutia, let’s, CNN’s, Larry Carr, doesn’t, Carr, “ That’s, criminologists, Richard McCoy, Duane Weber, KARE Carr, Cooper didn’t Organizations: CNN, Northwest Orient, FBI, Netflix Locations: Portland , Oregon, Seattle, Mexico, Pacific Northwest, Phoenix , Arizona, Canadian, Tena, Washington, CooperCon, Washington , DC, Provo , Utah

☆ Hawkins becomes first woman in five years to test an F1 car
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Aston Martin driver ambassador and former W Series racer Jessica Hawkins has become the first woman in nearly five years to test a Formula One car, the Silverstone-based team announced on Tuesday. She alternated in the car with Brazilian test and reserve Felipe Drugovich. She joined Aston Martin as a driver ambassador in 2021. Formula One has not had a woman driver start a grand prix since Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976 but a number have tested the machinery. The last female driver to test before Hawkins was Colombia's Tatiana Calderon with Sauber, now Alfa Romeo, at Mexico City's Hermanos Rodriguez track in October 2018.

Persons: Aston Martin, Jessica Hawkins, Hawkins, James Bond, Felipe Drugovich, I’m, Mike Krack, Jessica, Lella Lombardi, Colombia's Tatiana Calderon, Mexico City's Hermanos Rodriguez, Alan Baldwin, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Silverstone, Aston Martin, Sauber, Mexico City's, Thomson Locations: British, Budapest, Mexico

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor David McCallum, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." McCallum died Monday of natural causes surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS said in a statement. His parents were musicians; his father, also named David, played violin, his mother played cello. When David was 3, the family moved to London, where David Sr. played with the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic. In 2007, when he was working on “NCIS,” McCallum told a reporter: “I’ve always felt the harder I work, the luckier I get.

Persons: David McCallum, McCallum, “ David, ”, James Bond, Ian Fleming, Jon Heitland's “, Robert Vaughn, Napoleon Solo, Illya, “ I’d, ’, Vaughn, Donald “ Ducky, Mark Harmon, Ducky, “, Lauren Holly, Steven D, Binder, David North, Sapphire, “ Amadeus ”, Michael Sheen, David Suchet, ” David Keith McCallum, David, David Sr, Young David, Jill Ireland, Charles Bronson, Bronson, ” McCallum, Katherine, Carpenter, we’ve, Paul, Jason, Valentine, Peter, Sophie, ” Peter McCallum, “ I’ve, ” ___ Bob Thomas Organizations: ANGELES, New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS, Scottish, United Network Command, Law, Naval Criminal Investigation Service, Navy, Hallmark, of Fame, City, Associated Press, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Academy of Dramatic, Los Angeles Times Locations: New, Russian, Los Angeles, New York, Santa Monica, U.S, American, Glasgow, London, Australia, Ireland, “

☆ Michelle Yeoh: Oscar winner set to become International Olympic Committee member
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Michelle Yeoh could soon become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the Oscar winner was among eight candidates nominated by the organization’s executive board. Her proposed membership is set to be ratified at an IOC session in Mumbai, India, next month. In March, Yeoh won best actress at the 95th Academy Awards for her acclaimed performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win the award. She was also the first Malaysian-born performer to be honored with a best actress Oscar. She made her name in Hong Kong action movies of the 1980s and 90s, before her breakthrough international role in 1997 opposite Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies.”

Persons: CNN — Michelle Yeoh, Yeoh, ”, Oscar . Yeoh, Yael Arad, Balázs Furjes, Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta, Michael Mronz, Thomas Bach, Marvel, Rich Asians ”, Pierce Brosnan, James Bond Organizations: CNN, International Olympic Committee, IOC, Rich Asians Locations: Mumbai, India, Malaysian, Hungarian, Peruvian, Hong Kong

☆ AI for cars: An excerpt from Walter Isaacson's new biography of Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Walter Isaacson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The "neural network planner" that Shroff and others were working on took a different approach. Faced with a situation, the neural network chooses a path based on what humans have done in thousands of similar situations. By early 2023, the neural network planner project had analyzed 10 million clips of video collected from the cars of Tesla customers. By mid-April 2023, it was time for Musk to try the new neural network planner. "Oh, wow," he said, "even my human neural network failed here, but the car did the right thing."

Persons: Elon Musk, Mozart, Mark Zuckerberg, Dhaval Shroff, OpenAI, Musk, Shroff, Alan Turing, Uber, James Bond, Ashok Elluswamy Organizations: Tesla, Computing Machinery, Intelligence, Palo Locations: Palo Alto, Buffalo , New York

☆ Where to stay in India? Here are 8 former palaces that are now hotels
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Poonam Binayak | Lisa Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Source: Heritage DharampuraIt's now a 14-room boutique hotel, which received an honorable mention in 2017's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. It was transformed into a heritage hotel in the 1960s and is now impeccably managed by the Taj Group. Taj Lake Palace Source: Taj Lake PalaceStraight out of a fairy tale, the Taj Lake Palace boasts domed pavilions, ornamental turrets, crystal chandeliers, and 83 antique-filled rooms and suites, some which overlook a gleaming courtyard that hosts nightly folk dances. Source: Taj Usha Kiran PalaceToday, it's a lavish Taj hotel that balances old-world vibes with contemporary style. It is now a heritage hotel managed by the Taj Group.

Persons: Jehan Numa, Jehan, Palace, General Obaidullah Khan, Vijay Goel, James Bond, Taj Falaknuma, —, Taj Usha Kiran, it's, King Charles , Louis Mountbatten, Jacqueline Kennedy, Bhanj Deo, There's Organizations: UNESCO, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Taj, Taj Group, Royal, Rambagh, Jaipur, Cochin — Locations: India, Odisha, Rajasthan, Bhopal, Dharampura, Delhi, UNESCO Asia, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, Udaipur, Pichola, Mewar, Taj Lake, Lake, lavishness, Falaknuma, Nizam, Hyderabad, Windsor, Gwalior, Rambagh, Jaipur, Baripada, Chittoor Kottaram, Kochi, Chittoor, —, Cochin

☆ Opinion | A Progressive James Bond Is Proof of American Cultural Imperialism
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

(The cruelty and neglect at these schools was real but the specific claims about graves at the B.C. school have outrun the so-far scanty evidence.) The first is a general tendency of provincial leaders to go overboard in establishing their solidarity and identification with the elites of the imperial core. The second point is the role of secularization and de-Christianization, which are further advanced in the British Isles and Canada than in the United States. Then the third point is that smaller countries with smaller elites can find it easier to enforce ideological conformity than countries that are more sprawling and diverse.

Persons: Ed West, it’s, tastemakers, Aris Roussinos, ” Organizations: Canadian, “, British Isles, Christianity’s, Republican, Laurentian Locations: Canada, British Columbia, British, Ottawa, London, Rome, Europe, United States, Britain, America, Westminster

☆ Venice Film Festival: Why David Fincher Wanted Michael Fassbender to Look ‘Dorky’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | More About Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Fincher found no complaints from his leading man, who wasn’t in Venice because of the SAG-AFTRA strike: “Michael’s cool. “At one point, we even debated the Razor scooter,” he said, nixing that only because it wouldn’t perform well during a stair stunt. “I was like, ‘I want James Bond by way of Home Depot,’” Fincher said. “I love the idea of a Charles Bronson character who’s maybe misdiagnosed adult autistic,” he said. “And before 2023, I’m not sure anybody would have gone, ‘Oh, that makes sense.’”

Persons: Fincher, ”, John Wick, it’s, ” Fincher, Pitt, James Bond, ’ ” Fincher, Charles Bronson, I’m Organizations: SAG Locations: Venice, “

☆ Historic war office used by Winston Churchill is transformed into luxury Raffles London hotel
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But in a few weeks time, the former Old War Office in London, Whitehall will finally open its doors after a multi-million-dollar transformation. Previously home to the operations of military leaders like Winston Churchill, the property has been reinvented as the UK’s first Raffles hotel, with luxurious rooms starting at £1,100 (around $1,392) per night. Monumental buildingA rendering of luxury hotel Raffles London at The OWO, located at the former home to the war offices of military leaders such as Winston Churchill. And according to Jill O’Hare, director of sales and marketing for Raffles London, there was as much restoration as there was construction during the extensive process of transforming the historic building into a luxury hotel. Steeped in historyThis grand staircase is one of the standout features at Raffles London at The OWO, which is scheduled to open in late September.

Persons: London CNN — It’s, Winston Churchill, London’s, Thierry Despont, Ian Fleming, James Bond, Armenian hoteliers, Sir Stamford Raffles, ” Philippe Leboeuf, Jill O’Hare, ”, Churchill, Granville, Christine Granville, Krystyna Skarbek, Raffles, “, Mauro Colagreco, Endo Kazutoshi, Leboeuf Organizations: London CNN, Raffles, British Naval Intelligence, CNN Travel, Raffles London, Army, Horse Locations: London, Whitehall, Raffles London, French, Armenian, Singapore, Polish, Argentine, Mayfair, Buckingham

☆ Limited-edition 2025 Mustang GTD: 800+ horsepower and a $300,000 sticker
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The new 2025 Ford Mustang GTD, a $300,000 limited-edition performance car, is shown in this undated company handout photo released to Reuters on August 17, 2023. Ford Motor Company/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - Ford Motor (F.N) is joining rival General Motors in the U.S. supercar ranks with the launch of the 2025 Mustang GTD, a limited-edition, high-performance hot rod priced from $300,000. The Mustang GTD is loosely based on the 2024 Mustang coupe that is priced from around $31,000. But the Mustang GTD really has more in common with the new Mustang GT3 racecar that is expected to compete next year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the world's premier endurance races. A spokesperson would say only that GTD production will be "more than 50 cars."

Persons: Jim Farley, Aston Martin, James Bond, Farley, Ford's, Paul Lienert, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, Ford Motor Company, REUTERS Acquire, Ford, General Motors, U.S, Porsche, Benz, Aston Martin, British, Cadillac, Thomson Locations: Ontario, Warren , Michigan, Detroit

☆ Aston Martin flips from cash-guzzler to carmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Aston Martin Lagonda (AML.L) is making a painful transition from cash-guzzler to viable carmaker. A 216 million pound cash call on Monday brings its total capital raised since 2018 to just under 1.8 billion pounds. By this year, Aston Martin will have grown revenue by 13% per annum since 2019, according to Refinitiv data, thanks to new models like the DB12 and higher prices. Aston’s current enterprise value is just under 2 times forecast 2024 sales, a discount to Porsche, and far below Ferrari’s (RACE.MI) more than 8 times multiple. Yet Aston still needs to show it can make an electric vehicle, with the first due in 2025.

Persons: Aston Martin Lagonda, James Bond, Lawrence Stroll’s, Aston Martin, Aston, Neil Unmack, Steve Cohen, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Public Investment Fund, Porsche AG, Porsche, Twitter, Sequoia, Thomson Locations: Japan, India

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