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Bond is Back

Over the weekend you could barely move for coverage of the 25th James Bond film “No Time To Die” in the UK. Bond films, which date back to the 1962 release of “Dr No”, have always been viewed both as a key moneymaking part of Hollywood and perhaps more interesting a cultural metaphor to the state of the British nation.
The early Bond chronicled Britain’s place in the Cold War, no longer an Empire who ruled much of the world but instead a strategically vital actor. Bond, with all his savvy, charm, brute skill and worldly knowledge was the scalpel to the American hammer. Felix Lighter and the CIA would always be on hand to provide the logistics to help Bond win the day, but it was British ingenuity, not the American superpower that was essentially for saving the world.
The easing of Cold War tensions see subsequent Bonds focus their energies on the secret global outfit, SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion). The franchise’s ability to bring in the big bucks varied according to the lead actor and its ability to seize a global narrative. The Timothy Dalton films of the 1980s featured Bond supporting the anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan, an unwitting reference to how Bond would have to define himself in the 9/11 era.
Pierce Brosnan reinvented Bond once more and saw him take on media moguls and renegade South Koreans, but the consensus was his final outings focus on technology – featuring an invisible car – didn’t take the ticket buying masses with him. Enter Daniel Craig in 2005 who would feature in five films running up to this month’s effort which was pushed back by Covid twice. This particular release is crucial as a test of cinema’s ability to bounce back following the virus and sustained closures. Will people be happy to sit in packed cinemas to watch films that are central reminders of what normal looked like?
The latest film was estimated to have cost some $900m so will need huge numbers of confidence filmgoers to even break even. Critics have widely plauded the film which at nearly 3 hours long is the longest Bond ever made. Craig was a controversial initial selection, for the most ludicrous reason that he had blond hair, yet he quickly filled the role and brought it far closer to the modern age.
How close exactly will be a matter of continual debate but perhaps that’s a healthy sign of how central the series has become in British culture in particular. Craig’s Bond showed emotion and was repeatedly shown being hurt and even tortured, something that was rare was his predecessors who lived under threat not actual harm. Likewise, his enemies were international terrorists who trafficked in arms, fossil fuels or extortion.
Ian Fleming, Bond’s original author, intended the character to be a boring blunt instrument who found himself in incredible circumstances. For the Bond of the 1960s international travel, easting exotic food and meeting foreign women was considered so exceptional to be worthy of a fictional series. Today’s modern Bond has to show both physical and emotional vulnerability. In “Casino Royal” he falls in love and leaves MI6, an organisation he has a strained and distant relationship with throughout his five films as opposed to his far loyally predecessors. His enemies still choose elaborate torture over killing Bond on capture, which is especially jarring considering their nominal backgrounds as biological weapons specialists or hackers who can escape from the most secure prisons.
Debate has already moved on to who the next Bond will be after Craig confirmed was his last. Those pushing for a more progressive Bond have put out a marker for a black or minority ethnic star or even a female Bond. However, the producers have essentially ruled out anything particularly radical not wanting to slay the golden goose. For those ardent enough to stay to the final credits they were rewarded with a caption reassuring them that “James Bond will be back”.
From a geopolitical sense it will be fascinating to see if the new Bond will take on the context of tensions with China or even reframe the character in light of the UK’s exit from the European Union. Either way you can guarantee that glamorous locations and prolonged action sequences will take central stage regardless.
by: James Denselow

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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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