Latest news with #MarkSmith
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix mystery thriller hailed as 'the best show of 2025' as viewers compare it to True Detective and rave over 'intense performances and spectacular scenery'
A Netflix mystery thriller has been hailed as 'the best show of 2025' after viewers raved about the programme's 'intense performances and spectacular scenery'. Untamed, written and created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, hit the streaming service on July 15 and many have already binged all six episodes. The murder mystery follows National Park Service investigative services branch special agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana) try and figure out who killed a woman in Yosemite National Park. Untamed also features Sam Neil as chief park ranger Paul Souter, Rosemarie DeWitt as Kyle's ex-wife, Lily Santiago as a National Park Service ranger called Naya Vasquez and Wilson Bethel as wildlife management officer Shane Maguire. 'In the vast expanse of Yosemite National Park, a woman's death draws a federal agent into lawless terrain — where nature obeys no rules but its own,' the streaming service's synopsis reads. Many have rushed online to share their positive reviews about the show - and some have even compared it to the HBO drama True Detective. 'Phenomenal work and gorgeously shot. Selfishly I hope Kyle's journey continues in another series. He's like a broken Atticus Finch of a hero', 'Untamed 10/10 [tick box emoji]'. 'Untamed was good! #Netflix'. Meanwhile others have taken to IMDB to share their thoughts. 'The best detective series since the first True Detective. Could not stop watching from the first minute of the series. This is excellent show with great setting and actors and plot.' 'I was hooked right away and binge watched the 6 episodes without a single break, literally! I didn't realize I'd barely moved until I was done! My knees made me acutely aware though upon standing up!.' 'This was a wild ride, and I was immediately drawn into it from episode one to an unexpected streaming binge that I am so glad I decided to dive in and go with flow on. This is a fantastic series with great actors and a compelling storyline paired with breathtaking scenery, and shockingly unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time!', 'Loved this series', 'Netflix usually fails to produce the type of dramas that keep me interested. However, they outdid themselves with UNTAMED.' 'Thank you for creating a show that feels natural and unforced. The mystery keeps us guessing without giving too much away, and each episode adds depth to the characters while introducing something fresh. It is all done with such care and taste. This is easily my favorite show in the past decade. I have been hoping for something truly worth watching, and this delivers on every level.' The show also stars the likes of William Smilie, Raoul Max Trujillo, Josh Randall, Ezra Franky, Nicola Correia-Damude and Trevor Carroll. After binging the series, many fans have been scratching their heads over if there will be another to follow. The cast has kept very tight-lipped over if there will be. However it hasn't been a straight no. Speaking with Variety, Eric Bana told the publication: 'We spoke about what would happen to Kyle after this, in theory. So you never know.' But saying that, Lily Santiago did share her ideas on what she wanted to happen with TV Insider. She said: 'In a season 2, I want more solving of murders. Honestly, I would love for her to get called up to go to a different place, like bring me to a mountain in Hawaii. 'I'm hoping that it's new murder, new location, wilderness challenges, and new things to learn. Because I really love Naya's mind. 'I love watching how she figures out new terrain.'
The Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
London-Berlin by direct train: minister says ‘yes', expert says ‘no'
'Working with Germany, we're building bridges between our people and paving the way for a more sustainable, connected future,' said the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. She was announcing a plan for a direct train between London and Berlin. 'A new task force will bring our nations closer together and create new opportunities for tourism, business and cultural exchange,' the minister said. A laudable aim – but how feasible is it? Over to Mark Smith, the international rail guru who founded The Man in Seat 61 website. After years of experience as a front-line railwayman, he has devoted the past 24 years to encouraging and empowering people to switch from planes to trains. He (like me) desperately wants rail to succeed. You might expect Mr Smith to welcome the government's vision. But, he says bluntly: 'I don't think we'll see a direct London-Berlin train.' Thousands of people fly between the English and German capitals each day. From the 6.40am departure from Gatwick on easyJet to Ryanair 's 10.10pm arrival at Stansted, there are 17 flights each way, each day. That represents 5,400 passengers – the equivalent of three round-trips by rail. History shows that when capacity is added to an intercity link, the number of travellers increases. And Mark Smith is convinced 'the demand is there' for a London-Berlin link. He cites the new direct daytime express between Paris and the German capital. 'This eight-hour journey leaves heavily booked,' he says. 'Up to 75 per cent of tickets are for the whole eight-hour journey.' London to Berlin would take around nine hours, routed via Brussels and Cologne. With a journey only 60 minutes longer than the trip from Paris, and London being a much bigger travel hub than the French capital, it is fair to assume that much the same would apply. But the problem, says the Seat 61 founder, isn't demand – it's financial viability. The Paris-Berlin train stops in Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt, and is allowed to convey passengers between all those cities. Under present security and immigration rules, that would not be possible for international trains to and from London. In addition, a EU-UK border would be needed in Berlin – together with a serious, semi-airline security check. 'That French train doesn't need to pay all the UK border and security costs, and can happily carry passengers between intermediate stations as well as end to end,' says Mark Smith. 'With staff costs, track access costs, and rolling stock costs for London-Berlin being effectively double that for London-Cologne-Frankfurt, I can't see it being viable.' He estimates the proportion of high-spending business travellers on a London-Berlin run as close to zero – compared with perhaps 15 per cent on 'an airline-competitive four- or five-hour trip from London to Cologne or Frankfurt'. Eurostar says it aims to start running Anglo-German trains to Cologne and Frankfurt by 'the early 2030s'. Even among budget-focused travellers it is difficult to see London-Berlin succeeding – because the airline industry is so effective at offering cheap deals. Looking ahead to Monday 1 September, the first day back at work for lots of people, Ryanair wants £25 for its 1h45m flight from Stansted to Berlin. The lowest one-way rail fare (involving multiple changes) is £350. That's 14 times as much. The air fare looks too cheap, the train ticket way too expensive. But even in the course of a decade, I can't see that gap narrowing to the point where those London-Berlin trains become competitive. I hope I am proved wrong.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (SWBI) Is Down 23% In One Month. Here Is Why
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) is among the 10 Best Small Cap Defense Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. The company is a leading maker of long guns, handguns, rifles, and other shooting equipment. An overhead aerial shot of a gunsmiths workshop, surrounded by tools of the trade. SWBI's shares are down 23% over the past month, with a major dip following the announcement of fourth quarter 2025 results on June 18. Net sales were reported at $140.8 million, down 11.6% year-over-year, while non-GAAP net income declined from $22.1 million in the prior year to $9 million this year. Gross margin stood at 28.8%, compared to 35.5% last year. Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI)'s President and CEO, Mark Smith, cited industry trends and macroeconomic challenges as the reasons behind a difficult quarter. However, the company was able to offset the bottom-line impact by leveraging its flexible manufacturing model and by ensuring disciplined cost management. While the current market conditions suggest the headwinds are likely to persist in the near term, the management remains optimistic about Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI) being well-positioned to succeed. New products continue to perform well, which has enabled the company to maintain its dominant position in the firearms market. Following the results, analysts at Lake Street lowered Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI)'s price target to $11 from $12.5, but maintained a Buy rating for its shares. While we acknowledge the potential of SWBI as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts issue warning over worsening crisis threatening food security around the globe: 'A threat to humanity'
Experts issue warning over worsening crisis threatening food security around the globe: 'A threat to humanity' One of the biggest consequences of rising global temperatures is the impact they have on food security. Across the globe, rising temperatures are threatening agricultural production, causing experts to sound the alarm, as was the case at a recent gathering held in Kathmandu, Nepal. What's happening? Key stakeholders at the Sagarmatha Sambaad forum in May discussed the challenges of Earth's overheating, underscoring the reality of food and water insecurity. According to reporting by Republica, one of the topics discussed was the current water crisis, which Dr. Mark Smith, executive director of the International Water Management Institute, said poses a "serious threat to the long-term sustainability for future generations but also to equality." "Scientists have considered this a threat to humanity," Smith added. With extreme weather — such as intense droughts and increasingly powerful storms — destroying crops and driving food prices up, vulnerable areas are grappling with climate-driven poverty and starvation. Leaders from around the world emphasized the need to take action and develop solutions to address all aspects of the current crisis. Why is global food insecurity important? Rising global temperatures are taking a serious toll on farmers trying to make a living and yield successful harvests. With intense droughts and more powerful storms ruining crops, farmers have increased their prices, which in turn makes everyday necessities less affordable and accessible. Global food insecurity not only threatens public health but also human rights. As vulnerable communities suffer from the consequences of extreme weather, they lose access to safe and nutritious food and water supplies. What's being done about climate-driven food insecurity? World leaders and organizations are advocating for climate-driven solutions to combat food insecurity and water shortages. However, these conversations are just the beginning. Experts have indicated that more steps need to be taken to practically tackle these global challenges on a larger scale. As Republica reported, Dr. Usha Jha, a former member of Nepal's National Planning Commission, warned at the forum that hunger and poverty could rise if precautions aren't taken. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Ken Shimizu, the Food and Agriculture Organization Country Representative for Nepal and Bhutan, raised another important point of discussion, noting how the climate crisis has brought on numerous socioeconomic challenges. "It is a further challenge to ease access to necessary financing, technology, and support," Shimizu said, per Republica. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
RNZ News
20-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Inflation predicted to hit 12-month high for June quarter
High food, power and housing coasts are offset by cheaper fuel. Photo: RNZ Inflation is expected to hit a 12-month high, as surging food prices and power costs put the squeeze on household budgets. Consumer prices for the three months ended June are expected to have risen 0.6 percent, pushing the annual rate to 2.8 percent from 2.5 percent in March. ANZ senior economist Miles Workman said there would be familiar domestic drivers of the latest numbers. "The main drivers of quarterly inflation are expected to come from the food and housing-related groups - accelerating electricity inflation, but slowing rents and construction." High export prices for meat and dairy products have driven local food prices, and thus stoked inflation, but at the same time, they are delivering strong export returns that have supported the economy. ASB senior economist Mark Smith said the spike in inflation was expected to push the annual rate above three percent in the September quarter, but should prove to be temporary. "We expect the period of three percent-plus inflation to be short-lived. Forthcoming inflation expectations surveys will be critical for ascertaining whether team transitory or team persistence will win the inflation tug-o-war. "Our core judgement is that the deteriorating global outlook and the large margin of spare capacity will dampen the medium-term outlook for inflation." Workman said the higher inflation numbers would be uncomfortable reading for the Reserve Bank (RBNZ), which would have to balance between controlling inflation and helping the economy. "The RBNZ will need to balance any upside surprise in the CPI against the signal from the high-frequency data, which is currently pointing to a stalling recovery and therefore downside risks to the medium-term inflation outlook." In its most recent monetary review, the RBNZ acknowledged the speed-up in inflation, but also gave a strong hint of a further rate cut at the end of August. "If medium-term inflation pressures continue to ease as projected, the committee expects to lower the official cash rate further ," the RBNZ statement said. Kiwibank economists said the issue for the RBNZ and interest rate policy was underlying inflation trends. "Encouragingly, core inflation has been trending south since hitting the 6.7 percent peak at the end of 2022. In the year to March 2025, core inflation fell to 2.6 percent." They said the economy needed lower rates and they expected another 25 basis-point cut in August. At this stage, Workman picked the cuts in August, November and early next year would take the cash rate to a low of 2.5 percent. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
