September 2021

How Daniel Craig’s body became his James Bond signature

The year was 2006. Up on the cinema screen, Daniel Craig rose from the azure sea somewhere in the Bahamas, water clinging to abs and trunks alike. In the theater this writer was in, a woman, laboring over each word, let out what many others were thinking: “Oh. My. God.” “Casino Royale” was 29 minutes into its run time, but in that moment a new James Bond was born. For that moment audiences have Craig to thank, but also someone else: his conditioning coach, Simon Waterson. In the 15 years since the actor was cast as 007, he has turned…


Mauro Morandi: What Italy’s famous hermit did next

(CNN) — For nearly 33 years he lived a hermit life on a beautiful island in the Mediterranean, where he was the sole inhabitant. Mauro Morandi, known as Italy’s Robinson Crusoe after developing a loyal online following, was caretaker of the Sardinian island of Budelli, embracing silence, solitude, and the peacefulness of nature while living in an old beach stone hut. There was no social buzz, no fancy food, no friends — his only companions were birds and cats. He slept on a cot and had few clothes. Forsaking all comforts, he preached a monastic existence of self-reflection and meditation…


China celebrates Meng Wanzhou’s return as a victory — even at the cost of its global image

From the moment a government-chartered plane lifted Meng out of Canada — where the CFO spent nearly three years living under house arrest in her multimillion-dollar mansion — her journey home has become an all-out nationalist propaganda blitz. A red carpet and crowds waving Chinese flags awaited her on the tarmac in the southern city of Shenzhen, where the tech giant Huawei is headquartered. Patriotic slogans and songs resounded in the arrival hall of the airport. Downtown skyscrapers lit up with messages welcoming her home. The event was broadcast live by state media, and the internet was abuzz with excitement….


Three Polish regions repeal ‘LGBT-free’ declarations

Numerous local authorities in Poland declared themselves free of “LGBT ideology” in 2019, part of a conflict in the predominantly Catholic country between liberals and religious conservatives, who see the struggle for gay rights as a threat to traditional values. This set Poland on a collision course with the European Commission, which says the zones may violate EU law regarding non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Councilors in the southeasterly Podkarpackie and Lubelskie provinces and in the southerly Malopolskie province, three of nearly a hundred municipalities and provinces that adopted motions declaring themselves free of “LGBT ideology,” all voted to…


Haitian migrants: Ariel Henry says he understands US deportations and says elections will be pushed back

In an exclusive interview with CNN from the prime minister’s residence in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, Henry — who took over as leader two weeks after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July — also said elections originally planned for September will be delayed until next year, after a review of the country’s constitution is conducted. About 4,000 migrants apprehended by US Customs and Border Protection in Del Rio, Texas, in recent weeks have been expelled, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. An investigation was launched by the Department of Homeland Security after video of Border Patrol agents on…


Oil prices: Get ready for $90 a barrel, Goldman Sachs says

Goldman Sachs ramped up its already optimistic forecast on Sunday, calling for Brent crude to hit $90 a barrel by the end of the year. That’s up from its previous call for $80. The Wall Street bank expects US crude to hit $87 a barrel, up from $77 previously. “While we have long held a bullish oil view,” Goldman Sachs strategists wrote in a note to clients, “the current global oil supply-demand deficit is larger than we expected.” The firm said the recovery in worldwide demand from the Delta variant has been “even faster than our above consensus forecast” and…


Rivian is no Tesla. That’s exactly what these EV buyers want

But there’s a portion of the market that wants an electric car and is specifically turned off by Tesla’s lineup, its CEO, and in some cases, both. That could prove to be a boon for one of its rivals. The vehicles are a better fit for an outdoorsy lifestyle, and they look more conventional, with squared-off styling and a rugged appearance, they say. Many Rivian enthusiasts said they soured on Musk, especially his tweets, and found themselves identifying more with Rivian’s low-profile CEO, RJ Scaringe. Some said Rivian’s environmental focus seemed more sincere, and its mission more focused on people…


India’s Rajasthan shuts down or resticts internet for 25 million people to stop students cheating in REET exams

Hundreds of thousands of candidates sat the Rajasthan Teacher Eligibility Test (REET), an exam that paves the way to employment as a primary or secondary school teacher at government-run schools. It’s a coveted position that comes with generous benefits — and the exam hasn’t been held in Rajasthan since 2018, which could be one reason there were so many candidates on Sunday. Thousands of test centers were set up across the state, with people traveling from their hometowns on free buses arranged by the government. But, wary of potential cheating on the written exam — which has been rampant in…


This hamster’s cryptocurrency portfolio is beating the market

Since June, a hamster named Mr. Goxx has been running an independent portfolio that trades cryptocurrency from a high-tech cage called the Goxx Box. His portfolio has a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including TRON, Ethereum and Bitcoin. Mr. Goxx’s trading sessions are livestreamed on Twitch. First, the hamster runs on an “intention wheel,” which spins around and chooses a cryptocurrency. Then, it scampers through either a “buy” tunnel or a “sell” tunnel, triggering purchases or sales of roughly 20 euros worth of the cryptocurrency. Mr. Goxx’s human business partner, who presumably executes the trades, prefers to remain anonymous but posts…