Several Caribbean destinations are highlighted in an article aimed at enticing UK-based holidaymakers to the attractions of the region. Soufriere in St Lucia is cited as an ideal base for exploring the Twin Peaks of the Pitons, two Unesco World Heritage sites; as the location of the Diamond Falls botanical gardens, a source of natural pain relief; and as a hotbed of local cuisine, including green figs and salt fish. Other destinations highlighted in the report include Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique; Nassau, the Bahamas; Bequia, St Vincent and Grenadines; and Speyside, Tobago.
The debate about whether to pick a specialist wicketkeeper or a wicketkeeper-batsman in England's Test side has been ongoing for generations. In Test cricket's early years, keeping wicket was the preserve of specialists. Jack Blackham, Australia's keeper in the inaugural Test match in 1877, advised would-be keepers to “Give it up and take on bowling” because of the mental and physical arduousness required to keep wicket. Picking keepers for their batting was seen as a risk that could jeopardize their primary skill, and sides were advised to pick the best wicketkeeper and then worry about where they batted. This led to George Duckworth being preferred in all five Ashes Tests in 1928/29, with Les Ames only making his debut in the following year. Ames became a reliable keeper and made England a more balanced side, while also opening up new possibilities in front of the stumps. By the time Ames retired, however, he had scored 8 of the 11 centuries by Test keepers.
In the 1950s, Godfrey Evans replaced Ames as England’s wicketkeeper. Evans is considered by some to be the finest keeper of all time, but he also wanted to emulate Ames’ batting, although he knew he would not be able to match Ames’ returns. As a result, Evans developed his keeping and stood right up to the stumps to make catches. England once conceded 1,054 runs in the field without Evans allowing a single bye and the bowlers had unlimited confidence in him behind the stumps. The 1950s saw wicketkeepers’ batting averages increase marginally from the previous decade, and some, like Johnny Waite and Imtiaz Ahmed, had averages just over 30 while keeping. When keepers could bat with a panache matching – or even exceeding – Ames, however, they tended not to remain keepers. Ultimately, leading batsmen should not be burdened by the gloves because they need to concentrate on their primary role in the side of as run-makers.
WestJet’s CEO has admitted that there is a “massive gap” between the airline’s offer to pilots and the counter-proposal from the Air Line Pilots Association. As round-the-clock negotiations continued ahead of a Friday strike deadline, WestJet was forced to issue a lockout notice to maintain “control” over its planes after pilots announced their intention to hold a walkout. Bernard Lewall, who leads the WestJet pilots’ union, said pay, scheduling and job security were the sticking points, while the airport maintains a third of Canada’s domestic market, with Air Canada having half. The move has already affected bookings for the May long weekend and beyond.
The Albanian Riviera has been described by some as the Caribbean of Europe, featuring palm trees, white beaches, azure seas and parasols similar to the Caribbean. The region can be reached for less time and money than the Caribbean by flying to the closest Greek island of Corfu before taking a 40-minute ferry to Sarandë. Ksamil is a small coastal town to the south of Sarandë which was established by Enver Hoxha's communist regime in the 1960s. In early summer, the towns' hotels, restaurants and bars line the beach which is partitioned for their private use and the prices are expected to be slightly cheaper than the Mediterranean.
Johnny Depp has made his comeback at the Cannes Film Festival, showing his French-language movie, Jeanne du Barry. Despite accusations of domestic violence against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, the 59-year-old actor had a seven-minute standing ovation following the premiere. Depp has denied the allegations made against him, but has not appeared in any movies since being dropped from The Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchises three years ago. However, his return has raised the question as to whether Cannes has a problem of tolerance towards men accused of inappropriate behaviour.
Actor Johnny Depp has claimed that "the majority" of what is written about him is fictional, during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. Depp said he felt "boycotted" by the Hollywood film industry after he was asked to resign from a film over allegations from his ex-wife Amber Heard that he was abusive towards her. Depp won a defamation case against Heard, while she won a countersuit in which she claimed one of Depp’s lawyers had defamed her. Depp was recently asked to leave the Harry Potter spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts, following a libel case against The Sun, the UK paper that called him a "wife beater".
Actor Johnny Depp turned up at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival 42 minutes late. The actor, promoting his film Jeanne du Barry, was questioned about whether Hollywood had boycotted him over the past few years and whether publicity generated by last year's court case with his former wife Amber Heard had affected the movie. Jeanne du Barry marks Depp's return to screen performances after the court case in which he successfully sued Heard for defamation.
Royal Caribbean Group has announced plans to resume cruise services in China in April 2022 after over three years of suspended service due to the pandemic. The company has completed its international cruise itineraries for 2024 in China, with its Quantum-Ultra-class cruise ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, set to return to Shanghai.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi photographers. Kensington Palace has issued a statement condemning the "relentless pursuit”, which lasted over two hours and resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. The trio were forced to seek refuge in multiple police stations as they tried to lose the photographers. The couple had been attending an event in New York.
The tenth and final installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X, is "monstrously silly and stupidly entertaining", according to a review in The New York Times. The film centres on the character of Dom Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, seeking vengeance after discovering that a villain he and his team destroyed in the fifth installment had a son who survived. The reviewer said Jason Momoa in the role of the villain's son made the film, which boasted a cast of more than 20 stars, including Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, and Alan Ritchson.
New York's Eastern District Court has gained a reputation for its extraterritorial reach, indicting an array of high-profile defendants over the years, including R&B singer R Kelly and Mexican cartel boss Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera. Despite covering a district that includes Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island, and serving a diverse demographic of 8 million residents and an international airport, the court has few qualms about exercising its jurisdiction to prosecute defendants based in other areas of the US, or even in foreign countries.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi photographers. Kensington Palace has issued a statement condemning the "relentless pursuit”, which lasted over two hours and resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. The trio were forced to seek refuge in multiple police stations as they tried to lose the photographers. The couple had been attending an event in New York.
WestJet CEO, pilots' union head clash over compensation as strike looms
CBC
23-05-17 22:13
Talks between WestJet and its pilots failed to make progress over issues such as pay and work conditions with the clock ticking towards a possible strike. The Air Line Pilots Association slammed the company over its “publicly villainising” tactics. More than 1,800 pilots at WestJet and subsidiary Swoop will be free to strike from 3am on Friday, which could cause uncertainty for travellers. In recognition of the potential travel chaos, WestJet is offering refunds to people cancelling flights scheduled until May 21 and fee-free booking changes within the same period.
Haitians are arming themselves with rocks and machetes and setting up groups to defend their neighborhoods as armed gangs terrorize the country, deepening the Caribbean country’s security crisis. The vigilante groups, known as “Bwa Kale” in Haitian Creole, are taking matters into their own hands and coordinating checkpoint systems, killing suspected gang members and erecting roadblocks to stop drivers and question them about their travel. This comes as 230 people have been killed in mob attacks and lynchings this year alone, with 164 of these in April. Further, since the still-unsolved assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, gangs have taken control of much of the capital city Port-au-Prince, shooting indiscriminately at people, burning them alive and raping women and children. In the first quarter of 2023 alone, more than 1,600 people were wounded, kidnapped or killed in gang violence, a figure up 28% from the previous quarter.
Poet and spoken-word performer Anthony Joseph has discussed the parallels between poetry and music ahead of his upcoming appearances at literary events in Melbourne and Sydney. Born in Trinidad, where he developed the rhythms and cadences that characterise his poetry, as a frontman of a rock band in London he learned to adopt a "melodic" way of speaking verse to compensate for a lack of singing ability. His work has its roots in politics, history and Caribbean culture, and he is an advocate of violence as a means of revolution, as expressed on his latest album, The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives.
Dame Helen Mirren’s blue hairstyle, revealed at the Cannes film festival, is inspiring a trend. Mirren’s hair colour came courtesy of an aquamarine Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask. A creative colourist will then have added a variety of tones to give the final result. However, numerous shades of blue are already frequently appearing on catwalks and at awards events. This summer’s Met Gala saw Cara Delevingne and Phoebe Bridgers with blue bobs. Other celebrities have also gone blue, including Marge Simpson, Lady Gaga and Mrs Slocombe from TV series Are You Being Served?
Presenter Ulrika Jonsson has criticised Johnny Depp and his Cannes Film Festival supporters, arguing that “men behaving badly are not only attractive but they are so easily forgiven”. Jonsson criticised the actor in her latest newspaper column, criticising the nearly seven-minute ovation he received at a premiere to promote his first lead role since his legal victory in a defamation case brought by his ex-wife, actor Amber Heard, in 2019. Jonsson pointed out that Heard had provided evidence of “his atrocious conduct and made allegations of violent behaviour”.
A documentary about the legal battles between the US actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is set to be shown on UK television this weekend. Bafta-nominated director Emma Cooper’s three-part Depp vs Heard film will investigate the defamation case in which Depp sued his former wife for libel last year. The case – which Depp won in June 2022 – was dubbed the “Tik Tok trial” after it was broadcast live and featured allegations of domestic violence. Depp and Heard began a relationship in 2012, married in 2015, divorced in 2017, and have been locked in litigation ever since.
Dame Helen Mirren’s blue hairstyle, revealed at the Cannes film festival, is inspiring a trend. Mirren’s hair colour came courtesy of an aquamarine Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask. A creative colourist will then have added a variety of tones to give the final result. However, numerous shades of blue are already frequently appearing on catwalks and at awards events. This summer’s Met Gala saw Cara Delevingne and Phoebe Bridgers with blue bobs. Other celebrities have also gone blue, including Marge Simpson, Lady Gaga and Mrs Slocombe from TV series Are You Being Served?
Despite a court finding Johnny Depp guilty of libel, the actor's first film in three years, "Jeanne du Barry", in which he stars as King Louis XV, opened the Cannes Film Festival to great fanfare, with fans shouting "Viva Johnny!". At the time, Depp was approaching the lowest point of his career, as his trial against his then-wife Amber Heard made headlines. While public opinion on Depp may be mixed, his popularity in France reportedly remains high. Depp says he has no regrets about his recent experience in court and remains eager to pursue film projects outside the studio system.
