A shrewd British holidaymaker and Youtuber, Ed Chapman, decided to put his all-inclusive holiday in Turkey to the test, aiming to find out if it’s really worth the cash. Chapman compared the “pay as you go option” with the popular wristband system where all food and drink are included. At his Turkish resort, he meticulously…
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Entrepreneurs, small business see value of investing in Mexico; Automotive supplier plans third plant in Mexico; Cargo vessel makes first call at Port Houston; and $31M worth of meth found hidden in hot peppers shipment.
Entrepreneurs, small business see value of investing in Mexico
Business owners continue to see Mexico as a positive place to invest in manufacturing opportunities, according to Tatiana Skumatenko, branch manager for Wise PanAmerican Solutions (WPS).
Austin, Texas-based WPS offers services aimed at assisting firms looking to expand or establish cross-border operations in Mexico.
“American entrepreneurs maintain a strong interest in Mexico’s nearshoring potential for 2025, carefully weighing the country’s strategic advantages against both ongoing challenges and emerging political uncertainties,” Skumatenko, who oversees WPS’ business development between the U.S. and Mexico, told FreightWaves.
Skumatenko recently attended the Austin Small Business Expo, an event bringing together entrepreneurs and small business owners from across the Lone Star State.
“During my recent participation at the Small Business Expo in Austin, I noticed that small business owners are interested in working with Mexico, especially in sourcing ingredients, raw materials, and products,” Skumatenko said.
“I think the general sentiment regarding nearshoring in Mexico remains optimistic, albeit with caution. While recent U.S. election outcomes, Trump’s threats to impose tariffs, and the upcoming review in 2026 of the United States-Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) pose concerns, Mexico has faced challenges even before the elections, including water shortages, energy supply limitations, and infrastructure issues.”
U.S.-Mexico trade totaled $72.5 billion in September, an increase of 8% year over year compared to the same month last year, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau.
It was the ninth consecutive month and 19th of the past 20 months that Mexico has been No. 1 in trade with the U.S.
Canada ranked No. 2 for trade with the U.S. at $63.8 billion in September, while China was third at $54.3 billion.
Through the first eight months of the year, trade between the U.S. and Mexico totaled $632 billion. Trade with Canada totaled $632 billion, while China trade came to $437 billion.
The Port of Los Angeles overtook Laredo, Texas, as the No. 1 U.S. trade gateway in September among the nation’s 450 airports, seaports and border crossings, according to Census Bureau data analyzed by WorldCity.
The top three exports from Mexico to the U.S. through Laredo during the month were auto parts ($2.3 billion), computers ($1.9 billion) and passenger vehicles ($1.58 million).
Top imports from the U.S. to Mexico in September were auto parts ($1.1 billion), electric storage batteries ($449 million) and passenger ($317 million).
As of Nov. 21, outbound truck volumes out of Laredo are up significantly compared to the same periods in 2023 and 2022, according to the SONAR Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI.LRD).
SONAR’s Outbound Tender Volume Index for Laredo, Texas, (OTVI.LRD), shows 2024 trucking volumes (blue line) have been trending higher compared to the past two years. To learn more about SONAR, click here.
Skumatenko said the momentum that nearshoring has gained in 2024 is unlikely to drop dramatically next year.
“Those who recognize and value the benefits of Mexico as a nearshoring destination are willing to take on these risks and establish operations south of the border. Notably, the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks expects around 450 new companies to arrive in Mexico by 2025,” Skumatenko said.
Automotive supplier plans third plant in Mexico
Germany-based automotive supplier Mubea plans to open its third plant in the Mexican city of Ramos Arizpe.
The $60 million factory will create 200 direct jobs and produce components for automotive chassis for the North American market. The 2.2 million-square-feet facility is scheduled to open by the end of 2025.
“This new location represents an exciting expansion for Mubea and reinforces our commitment to innovation and excellence in automotive components,” James Sheehan, CEO of Mubea North America, said according to Pro Mexico Industry.
Mubea is a global producer of automotive components. The company employs more than 17,000 people at 54 locations in 18 countries.
Cargo vessel makes first call at Port Houston
The Saudi Arabia-flagged Bahri Diriyah, a multipurpose dry cargo vessel, recently arrived at Port Houston’s Turning Basin Terminal.
The ship traveled to Houston from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
The 31,241-ton vessel can hold up to 1.3 million cubic feet of general cargo. Operating as a tramp vessel, the Bahri Diriyah will call Port Houston on an as-needed basis to offer cargo solutions for the trade community in Texas, Bahri officials said.
“Houston is one of our largest markets, and this milestone underscores our strong partnership with Port Houston,” Rajith Aykkara, vice president of Bahri Line, said in a news release.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Bahri is the national shipping carrier of Saudi Arabia. Bahri is the largest owner and operator of very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and chemical tankers in the world, according to its website. The carrier operates 40 VLCCs.
$31M worth of meth found hidden in hot peppers shipment
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in South Texas recently intercepted $31.2 million worth of methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of serrano peppers arriving from Mexico.
The incident occurred Nov. 10 at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in Pharr, Texas. CBP officers found 1,859 packages of alleged methamphetamine concealed in the shipment of peppers on a tractor-trailer.
CBP seized the drugs and the tractor-trailer. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
I’ve been in the financial advisory business for roughly 28 years—and for 28 of those years, I’ve had a challenging relationship with the notion of “business development”—or the shadier moniker by which it is also known, “sales.”
This has been such a tenuous relationship because many of us in the industry—and all of the advisors at my firm—consider themselves high-level professionals, not salespeople. Yes, without business development, there is no business, but many, if not most, professional advisors would much prefer to do great work, have that work recognized, and have prospects lining up to request being clients.
Even most professional advisors with a great record in business development don’t love—and some hate—the act of sales, but recognize it as a necessity. This relegated the sales part of our work to a disconnected tangent—a necessary evil—rather than a fully integrated part of who we are and what we do. And that’s not because we consider ourselves above it. It’s because we are trusted fiduciaries by trade and struggle to reconcile a practice that feels inherently selfish with the seemingly loftier pursuit of helping people translate their hopes and dreams into goals and plans. And this is not just a challenge for professional financial advisors, but also for skilled professionals in many fields—accounting, consulting, law, and even medicine. Maybe you, too, have struggled with this.
BUT—what I’ve found in Mo Bunnell’s work is something truly different. He turns the gem and flips the notion of selfish sales on its head, providing an approach to “winning the work” that is no less virtuous than “doing the work,” and he does so through a lens that is just as professional as the professions that we serve, especially in his new book, Give To Grow.
One of the primary reasons Mo’s work hit me differently is certainly related to his background. He’s not a “sales guy” by trade, but instead, he was an actuary turned consultant who left that world as a senior partner to start the Bunnell Idea Group 20 years ago. Perhaps Mo is so compelling and convincing in sharing his business development expertise precisely because he doesn’t come across as a salesman.
And there are three other central reasons why Mo’s insight, shared liberally in Give To Grow, resonated with me on a deeper level:
It’s evidence based. While much, if not most, of the sales training out there is anecdotal schtick, Mo grounds his counsel with more than 140 studies from behavioral science, finance, and economics.
It uses genuine generosity as its key feature (with an emphasis on the word genuine). One of the many bases of research Mo draws from is Adam Grant’s work, most notably his book, Give And Take, which asserts that giving isn’t just a good act, it’s also good business.
It prioritizes relationships over sales. In Bunnell’s world, business development is simply the professional fruit of highly personalized relationship management.
So, are you curious to know some specifics about how financial advisors can ditch the notion of sales as a have-to and transform it into a fully integrated relationship-management practice that aligns with a fiduciary ethic? I spoke with Mo Bunnell recently about his new book and how we can apply its wisdom for just that purpose. Here are three of my biggest takeaways, followed by three steps we can take to activate this approach:
3 Biggest Takeaways For Financial Advisors
First, we must fall in love with our clients’ problems.
We tend to fall in love with our financial planning solutions when we should be falling in love with our clients’ problems. “I think every vector or force within a firm is causing us to fall in love with our own solutions,” Bunnell told me. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it hopefully leads us to perpetually evolve our client experience and offering, but it can lead us to adopt more of an inward, rather than an outward, focus.
Worse yet, this inward focus can become “earned dogmatism,” referencing Dr. Victor Ottati’s work, where the more expertise we gain, the more close-minded we become. In advisory work, this can manifest in prematurely assuming we understand a client’s needs based on similar past cases and rushing to solutions without truly understanding the nuance of a client’s problem.
But when we fall in love with our clients’ problems, we’ll ask more questions, leave more space for our interaction to breathe, and use the clients’ language, rather than our internal or industry jargon. And none of this is to spite our great solutions, but to more adeptly connect them with our clearer understanding of the clients’ problems.
Second, we must differentiate between “doing the work” and “winning the work.”
This is one of the biggest challenges we have as advisors. It takes so much dedication to get the education and experience needed to do the work of wealth management at a high level that we tend to presume that the same skillset used to do the work is the same required to win the work—but Bunnell suggests it’s imperative to separate the two, and to develop a skillset unique to effective business development.
For example, let’s look at how effective communication differs between the two: Once someone is a client and they are invested in the relationship, the response rate to our communication is relatively high—whereas prospective clients are much less likely to respond quickly, if at all. Detail-oriented, longer communications make sense with clients, as we summarize meetings, goals, and solutions—but Bunnell recommends limiting our email correspondence with prospects to no more than 50 words, so they don’t have to scroll in the quick glance they give our email on their phone. Similarly, with clients, we can expect to find ourselves in answer mode often, while our work with prospects is frequently driven by improving our questions.
(For more information, you can find a chart contrasting “Doing the Work” and “Winning the Work” on pages 32 and 33 of Give To Grow, or download a copy of the chart for free on givetogrow.info.”)
Third, we must be strategic with our generosity.
While Bunnell insists on genuine giving without an expectation of reciprocity, he acknowledged that we can’t give it all away and we can’t give to all. We need to be strategic with our giving, adapting our giving based on the context and the scale of the opportunity.
So, what are a few traits that make up a good gift from Bunnell’s perspective?
Personalized and tailored – Good gifts should be relevant to the clients’ specific needs and demonstrate our understanding thereof.
Valuable to the recipient – The gift should not be boilerplate, but instead non-trivial, practical, and useful.
Demonstrates expertise – Our gifts should showcase our skillset and solutions (in the clients’ language) and create momentum in our growing relationship.
Examples of strategic gifts for advisors could be a touch of insightful analysis, tailored to the client’s needs; a connection to an expert who can help them solve a pressing issue; or access to resources like a relevant book, report, or guide that aligns with their current goals or challenges.
Then, armed with these novel whys and hows, what practical steps can advisors take to put this wisdom to work?
Three Steps To Activate This Wisdom
1) Develop two key lists: Relationships and Opportunities.
Relationships – Identify 10 to 15 key individuals (who may be clients, prospects, strategic partners, or simply interesting people) who could impact your future success that you will invest in. Then, for each person, determine one specific action you can take to strengthen the relationship or provide value.
Opportunities – Outline potential opportunities where you’d like to get a “yes.” These could be new client engagements, partnerships, speaking engagements or other opportunities where you will define a concrete next step to move closer to realizing something special and mutually beneficial.
2) Implement a weekly 15-minute business development process.
Dedicate 15 minutes at the same time every week to review your relationship and opportunity lists.
Choose three specific actions from your lists to focus on in the upcoming week.
Schedule execution time to complete these actions, ensuring accountability and follow-through.
3) Actually do it.
Another a-ha moment might feel great, but what we really need is to translate your insight into an a-ha movement—action! So, don’t skip the execution time you set aside on your calendar.
Like most of the best stuff I’ve learned through nearly three decades in financial planning and wealth management, one of the things I value the most about Give To Grow and Mo Bunnell’s wisdom is that it doesn’t just apply to our work. These are universal principles of relationship management that can make us better spouses, parents, friends, and co-workers, just as they make us better advisors.
That is a fully integrated approach to work, life, and business development that stands in stark contrast to the disconnected, uncomfortable version of transactional sales that is hard to reconcile with our roles as fiduciary financial advisors.
The study, published in Nanoscale Advances, states that the new brand of pasta smashed the previous record for the thinnest pasta lunga by approximately a thousand times. Since each individual strand was too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, the researchers used a “scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected”.The ‘near-invisible’ pasta is not intended to be a new food as it will overcook in under a second. It has been created because extremely fine strands in it, called nanofibers, could have significant medical uses.The team achieved the desired result by using a technique called ‘electrospinning’ to create the nanofibers, with diameters of 372 nanometers (billionths of a meter), from a flour mixture. They used flour and formic acid rather than water as the formic acid breaks up the helices (giant stacks of spirals) that make up starch.Additionally, they had to warm up the mixture for several hours before slowly cooling it back down to make sure it was the right consistency.”To make spaghetti, you push a mixture of water and flour through metal holes. In our study, we did the same except we pulled our flour mixture through with an electrical charge. It’s literally spaghetti but much smaller,” said co-author Dr. Adam Clancy.The formed nanofibers are hydrophilic, and can be used as a cheaper, greener replacement for starch in biodegradable, biosourced nanofiber applications, such as next-generation bandaging, or carbonized super capacitor electrodes.”Nanofibers, such as those made of starch, show potential for use in wound dressings as they are very porous. In addition, nanofibers are being explored for use as a scaffold to regrow tissue, as they mimic the extra-cellular matrix – a network of proteins and other molecules that cells build to support themselves,” said co-author Professor Gareth Williams.
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Trump’s Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It’s a shift seen in his labor pickWASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members. It’s a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members. They’re a key part of the Democratic base but are gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests.Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident.Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for LaborWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent, 62, is founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management. He previously had worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. Trump also said he would nominate Russell Vought, 48, to lead the Office of Management and Budget, a position he held during Trump’s first term. And Trump chose Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, as his labor secretary, and Scott Turner, a former football player who worked in Trump’s first administration, as his housing secretary.Afraid of losing the US-Canada trade pact, Mexico alters its laws and removes Chinese partsMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has been taking a bashing for allegedly serving as a conduit for Chinese parts and products into North America. Officials here are terrified that a re-elected Donald Trump or politically struggling Justin Trudeau could simply expel their country from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. Mexico’s ruling Morena party is so afraid its has gone on a campaign to get companies to replace Chinese parts with locally made ones. And its legislators are consciously tweaking the wording of major laws to try to make them compatible with the trade pact’s language. Mexico hopes the rules of the trade pact would prevent the U.S. or Canada from simply walking away.Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorshipCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government has withdrawn a bill that would give a media watchdog power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Sunday that the government was unable to drum up the support needed to pass the legislation. The opposition spokesman, David Coleman, said the bill “betrayed our democracy” and amounted to “censorship laws in Australia.” The bill would have granted the Australian Communications and Media Authority power over digital platforms by approving an enforceable code of conduct or standards for social media companies if self-regulation fell short.
Panaji (Goa) [India], November 24 (ANI): Renowned filmmaker Prakash Jha opened up about his latest film, ‘Amar Aaj Marega’, at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).In a conversation with ANI, he talked about the film and how the story is relatable, “The story of ‘Amar’ is a forever story. We all go through that at some point of time in our life when we feel that enough is enough and we have lived our life and we take a call on that.”Also Read | Sonakshi Sinha Goes ‘Vibe Hai’ As She Celebrates 5 Month Anniversary With Hubby Zaheer Iqbal in Italy (See Pic).On talking about Rajat K’s quirky story, Jha added, “So the way he had written it, the way he had treated it, there are layers of it, like how the others feel. So in a very dark, humorous way it was written and I felt that in a film it’s a good opportunity to try and find that character.”The Rajat K directorial venture premiered at the IFFI Goa here on November 24. Also Read | ‘Stop Tarnishing His Name’: Saira Banu Breaks Silence on Her Separation From AR Rahman in New Statement.”I felt that he has made a very valid film and It will connect with people. People will understand it. And also, it’s a very competent film,” said the ace filmmaker about the film. The multiple National Award-winning director has acclaimed films like ‘Damul’, ‘Mrityudand’, ‘Gangaajal’, ‘Apaharan’, and ‘Raajneeti’ among others. Prakash Jha has revealed his plans to develop the third installment of the ‘Gangaajal’ franchise. Jha is also working on a sequel to the political drama ‘Raajneeti’.”Work is going on. There are political changes. What changes have occurred in past ten years. Political changes have been made, improvements have been made, new stories have been made. So, work is going on but right now I am consumed with ‘Janadesh’.”Meanwhile, IFFI 2024, which began on November 20, is showcasing over 180 international films from 81 countries, including 16 world premieres, 3 international premieres, 43 Asian premieres, and 109 Indian premieres.Notably, the organisers have also included a tribute programme to honour the 100th birth anniversaries of four Indian cinema legends: actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, director Tapan Sinha, Telugu cinema star Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), and singer Mohammed Rafi, as per Variety.The 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will run until November 28. (ANI)(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The world premiere of Laurie Anderson’s new three-hour multimedia extravaganza begins with a sparkling globe spinning on a big screen like a Christmas tree bauble. Its surroundings are less jolly: a mushroom cloud, a raincloud soon surrounded by thunder, and a low, disturbing drone.Weaving together music, storytelling, film, animation, a local choir and more, Ark: United States V explores, says its press bumf, “what has brought us here and how much time do we have left”. Its scheduling, just after Donald Trump’s potential election victory, one assumes, was not a coincidence.It’s also a follow-up. United States I-IV debuted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in February 1983, where Anderson, then 35, explored life in Ronald Reagan’s America. In two parts split over consecutive nights, it was a similar mix of forms and styles, when climate change was a new-ish kid on the block and the cold war was frosty. Things are arguably chillier now. That production included her eerie, eight-minute-plus masterpiece O Superman – a surprise No 2 hit in the UK in late 1981 after the support of Radio 1 DJ John Peel, which led to an eight-album deal with Warner Bros. Meshing together the familiarity of a phone call from mother with the failed attempt to rescue US hostages in Tehran in early 1980, she told 60 Minutes presenter Anderson Cooper in 2022, it was a song about how “technology cannot save you”. Recently, funnily enough, it’s had a revival on TikTok.O Superman doesn’t feature tonight, although other songs and elements of Anderson’s past do, including her arresting 1982 track Walking and Falling. She also begins the show wearing headlamp-lit glasses, just as she ended Part IV more than four decades ago.Anderson perkily tells us about her show’s whirligig concept. In brief: Parts I-IV were about a religious sect recharting the Old Testament flood, which meant the garden of Eden was around New York City. Part V is about the flood being here, and the need to build an ark. The water comes from clouds made by extreme weather, nuclear fission and the banks of data from our lives that could so easily break down. Oh yes, and Ai Weiwei will play Yahweh (Anderson jokes about the artist ruining her show’s continuity by shaving his head while she was trying to film him), Elon Musk the devil (rendered in supervillain-style cartoons) and Anohni a “Buddhist angel”. Aside from Ai, who occasionally wanders across the backdrop, we barely see or hear them after their introduction.Anderson’s personality compels throughout, but lots of her show sags. The songs, a mixture of avant-garde jazz and dub reggae pulses, fall flat and are muddily mixed, although musician Doug Wieselman and percussionist Kenny Wollesen are fun to watch, nimbly swapping between instruments as they wander into sets created by projected films. Anderson’s spoken words are also better heard solo. Her penchant for processing her voice into a deep, sinister brogue, a common effect over her decades-long career, retains its strange power.Exhilaration comes when we’re asked to scream for 10 seconds in tribute to Yoko Ono’s response to Trump’s election in 2016 – an odd joy – and emotion arrives when Anderson reflects on her life. This is when the show properly breathes. The tale of her uncle returning shellshocked from war and screaming in the attic is a perfectly sharpened American short story. Her grandfather’s tall tales about his life, masking a much more upsetting childhood, are delivered through a photo album made by AI. The effect is unsettling but also strangely moving, reframing the relationship between reminiscence and fiction.View image in fullscreenCloseup black-and-white footage of Anderson’s late husband, Lou Reed, ends the show’s first half. He disappears as she approaches his image up the stage steps, then the Manchester Sacred Harpsinging group join her and Reed reappears in the rising volume of their voices. Anderson also shares the couple’s tips for life as the show comes to a close: “Don’t be afraid of anyone… get a really good bullshit detector… be really tender.”The show gels when Anderson, 77, explores approaching the end of her life, in a world where catastrophe and collapse feel ever present. At these points it plays a little like an odd cousin of David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar.Ark ends with us being directed by Anderson to do awkward tai chi – impossible in theatre seats – which feels somewhat hopeful but also half-arsed. Yet United States V fits its brief in many ways: a show trying to piece together a country and a planet, while also trying to piece together itself.
Laurie Anderson: Ark: United States V is at Aviva Studios, Manchester until 24 November
Korean cinema revels in its thriller genre. Song Joong Ki’s The Battleship Island, Hyun Bin’s The Point Men and Ji Chang Wook’s Hard Hit are just some must-watch examples of gripping Korean thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video that guarantee an action-packed cinematic experience…7 enthralling Korean thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video that you can start your Korean cinema journey with — starring Song Joong Ki, Hyun Bin, Ji Chang Wook & more:1. The Battleship Island[embedded content]The Battleship Island is a period action thriller movie set during Japan’s occupation of Korea. A group of 400 Koreans, who have been subjected to harsh forced labour on Hashima Island, attempt a daring escape while their lives are at stake. The Battleship Island stars Hwang Jung Min, So Ji Sub, Song Joong Ki and Lee Jung Hyun.2. Exhuma[embedded content]Exhuma is an occult thriller film that follows a feng shui master, a mortician and two shamans, who relocate ominous graves in exchange for a large sum of money. Bizarre events start to unravel and eventually, dreadful consequences buried six feet under are unleashed. Exhuma stars Choi Min Sik, Kim Go Eun, Yoo Hae Jin and Lee Do Hyun.3. Hard HitHard Hit is a crime action thriller movie centred on a bank manager and his family, whose lives are at risk after a haunting phone call by a mysterious man seeking revenge. Hard Hit stars Jo Woo Jin, Lee Jae In and Ji Chang Wook.4. Train to BusanEven if you’re not a Korean cinema aficionado, it’s impossible that you haven’t heard of Train to Busan. The cult zombie thriller movie takes place inside a KTX train from Seoul to Busan and revolves around its passengers, who fight to survive a zombie apocalypse, which has taken over South Korea. Train to Busan stars Gong Yoo, Jung Yu Mi, Ma Dong Seok, Kim Su An, Choi Woo Shik, Ahn So Hee and Kim Eui Sung.5. The Point Men[embedded content]The Point Men is an action thriller film based on the 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan. A diplomat and an NIS agent are obliged to band together to rescue the South Korean tourists, who have been held captives by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Point Men stars Hwang Jung Min, Hyun Bin and Kang Ki Young.6. The Childe[embedded content]The Childe is a neo-noir action thriller movie centred on an aspiring boxer of Korean-Filipino descent, who travels to South Korea in search of his estranged father. However, the wrestler’s life is immediately at risk as he’s being chased down by several bad guys — including a mysterious and dangerous man, who goes by the moniker ‘Nobleman’ — for a hidden reason. The Childe stars Kim Seon Ho, Kang Tae Joo, Kim Kang Woo and Go Ara.7. The Divine FuryThe Divine Fury is an occult thriller film that follows a successful MMA fighter, who hates God as he blames the Almighty for his parents’ tragic death. However, he’s forced to partner up with a priest-exorcist after he develops a stigmata. The priest sees true potential in the wrestler because his wound enables them to defeat a demon. The spiritual duo ultimately take on Korea’s demonic activities, while fighting an evil disciple. The Divine Fury stars Park Seo Joon, Ahn Sung Ki and Woo Do Hwan.
On Nayanthara’s 40th birthday, Netflix rolled out Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale — a documentary that chronicles her early struggle, personal battles, relationship with husband-filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, and rise to stardom. One of the wealthiest actresses in the South film industry, Nayanthara continues to impress everyone with her versatile performances. From marking her Bollywood debut last year, with Jawan, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, to emerging as the highest-paid actress with Iraivan (2023), Nayanthara continues to take massive strides. In a career spanning over two decades, the Lady Superstar has delivered several blockbusters. Below, we take a look at Nayanthara’s highest-rated movies, according to IMDb.7 best, highly-rated movies of Nayanthara, according to IMDb, with the most entertaining storylines; on Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and more1. Thani Oruvan – Sun NXTStarring Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swamy, and Nayanthara in lead roles, this Tamil action thriller follows an honest police officer who embarks on a mission to expose a powerful scientist, who has been performing medical malpractices for money. The movie was remade in Telugu and Bengali. A sequel, titled Thani Oruvan 2, announced by filmmaker Mohan Raja is currently in the pipeline.IMDb rating: 8.42. Super (2010 – Kannada movie) – Disney+ HotstarHere’s another binge-worthy and highly rated movie of Nayanthara that deserves a spot on your watchlist. Titled Super, the 2010 Kannada movie tells the story of Subhash, a London-based businessman, who falls in love with Indira. The two get married, but the plot takes an unexpected twist when her intention behind marrying him is revealed. The movie stars actor Upendra in a prominent role.IMDb rating: 83. Ghajini – Sun NXTWritten and directed by AR Murugadoss, this psychological thriller packed with intense action sequences, noteworthy performances, and shocking plot twists, stars Suriya, Asin, and Nayanthara in pivotal roles. The movie centres around a middle-aged man, named Sanjay Ramaswamy, suffering from short-term memory loss, who sets out on a mission to track down the murderers who killed Kalpana, the love of his life.IMDb rating: 7.64. Raja Rani – Disney+ HotstarThis is a romantic comedy that delves into the lives of two individuals, John and Regina (essayed by Arya and Nayanthara), who dislike each other, but due to unforeseen circumstances decide to get married. Soon, a tragic event alters their lives forever.IMDb rating: 7.65. Aramm – Amazon Prime VideoAramm is an intense political drama written and directed by Gopi Nainar. It features Nayanthara as a district collector, named Madhivadhani, who tries to solve the problem of water shortage in the village. However, the situation takes a shocking turn when a girl falls into a borewell, and the incident becomes a huge talking point in the media.IMDb rating: 7.66. Maya – ZEE5Written and directed by Ashwin Saravanan, Maya is a neo-noir horror thriller that follows a single mother struggling to make ends meet by working in advertisements. Her life turns upside down when she decides to participate in a contest that requires her to watch a horror film without showing signs of fright. What follows next forms the main plot of the movie. IMDb rating: 7.57. Manassinakkare – Amazon Prime VideoNayanthara’s debut movie Manassinakkare tells the story of a rich widow whose family members are irked by her childlike behaviour and demands. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with a young, sympathetic, and understanding farmer, who helps her fulfil her wishes.IMDb rating: 7.5
Graham Rooney and family.Pictures: Callum Mackay. A REMARKABLE coincidence that echoes down the generations for an Easter Ross chef has been immortalised in the restaurant he created from scratch. Platform 1864 was opened in Tain back in 2015 by businessman Graham Rooney who saw potential in the derelict shell of what had been a former…