Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.
The newly approved draft Cyber Protection Ordinance retains many of the clauses of its predecessors that drew flak from across the world for stifling freedom of expression. The ordinance, approved by the interim government's advisory council on December 24, replaces the Cyber Security Act (CSA), and its more draconian precursor, the Digital Security Act (DSA). The DSA had gained notoriety for having been used as a tool by the Awami League government to muzzle dissent and journalists by arresting and incarcerating them. The DSA's watered-down version, the CSA, kept clauses that criminalised free speech and just removed stringent and non-bailable jail terms. Much like its antecedents, the newly drafted ordinance limits free speech online and disregards the right to freedom of expression as a universal right. The draft penalises "hurting religious sentiment" with a jail term of two years and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. Both CSA and DSA had this provision. The Daily Star obtained data from Centre for Governance Studies' DSA Tracker and found that 44 percent of the cases filed under the DSA for "hurting religious sentiment" were against the religious minorities, particularly the Hindus. Last year, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Irene Khan wrote to the then Awami League government, criticising this clause. "International human rights law protects individuals from intolerance, violence and discriminations based on their religion or belief, but it does not allow restriction of criticism of religious belief or sentiment," she wrote. A clause criminalising defamation, which was heavily used for incarcerating journalists and politicians, has been removed in the draft and replaced with a "cyber-bullying" clause. The section states that it is a criminal offence to use any website or any electronic medium to insult, harass, blackmail or humiliate a person. The offence carries jail terms of up to two years and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. Use of slurs and offensive words is deemed a violation under this section. It states that the content that defames someone or causes mental trauma would be under the purview of this law. The data from Centre for Governance Studies shows that of the over 5,000 accused under the DSA, nearly half were prosecuted for social media posts deemed critical of the government, officeholders, or elected representatives. One in three accused under the DSA and one in four sued under the CSA were journalists, the data shows. Saimum Reza Talukder, a prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal who specialises in digital rights and cyber laws, said, "The vague wording of 'cyberbullying' and the broad scope of the definition might also be abused in future, because the notion of defamation is also there. Therefore, this needs to be elaborated. "... Journalistic freedom might be hampered or affected in this draft." He added, "I understand the importance of curbing hate speech or harmful speech against religion. Hate speech must be well-defined in the law so that it does not get combined with any other issues, and it does not get abused." The draft also enables a supervisory body, National Security Agency, to block any content that poses a threat to national solidarity, the nation's economic activities, national security, defence, religious values, public order, or incites racial hatred or animosity. Law enforcers can also request the agency to block such information. Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at Robi Axiata Ltd, said, "It is unfortunate to observe that several recommendations from the industry stakeholders have not been accommodated in the draft. Expanding the capacity of content blocking through organisations under the ICT division will create the scope for misuse of power." Under the proposed law, a National Cyber Security Council led by the chief of the government is to be formed. The council will include relevant ministers and law enforcement agency heads as its members. The council can directly issue instructions to the agency to take action. Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the policy adviser of the Information Communication Technology Division, and one of the authors of the ordinance, said, "The risk of such clauses being misused or abused remains. "It is very important for the political settlement to be such that the implementation of the law happens based on civility and human rights." Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, executive director of Tech Global Institute, said, "... These provisions legitimise surveillance and transnational repression, both of which were disproportionately abused by the Awami League government for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. "The ordinance fails to address any structural issues around censorship, surveillance, consolidation of state powers, and discretionary powers given to law enforcement and intelligence agencies." Taiyeb argues that the draft includes checks and balances to ensure that overreaches are challenged. "The ordinance allows search and arrests without warrants, but they [accused] have to be produced before a court within 24 hours. This is to protect against enforced disappearance." As per the draft, the accused can go to court and declare their lack of trust or confidence in an investigating officer. In addition, the draft mandates that it is up to a magistrate to decide if a case has the merit for a judicial process. This is a departure from the previous two laws under which cases could be filed against individuals and arrests made without the involvement of a magistrate, and all cases would end up at court. The draft recognises that women and children are particularly vulnerable in cyberspace and proposes harsh penalties for those perpetrating crimes against them. Sexual harassment in cyberspace now carries a jail term of three years and a fine of Tk 20 lakh. Taiyeb said, "We have also included a provision allowing aggrieved persons to seek compensation from the person who has harmed them. There is no upper ceiling on the compensation that can be sought, and the cyber tribunal can decide on the amount depending on the severity of the harm caused." The draft includes a section that penalises e-commerce websites for extorting money from customers and defrauding them. This offence is non-bailable. Bail would be denied in cases filed in connection with hacking, data theft, or destroying critical infrastructure. The draft ordinance defines "cyber-terrorism" as illegal access to any system that threatens the country's diplomatic relations with another state, acts intended for espionage or for serving the interests of any particular group or individual. This offence is non-bailable. Cryptocurrencies remain outlawed. Critics pointed out that no real stakeholder engagement happened before this draft was approved. Sabhanaz said that allowing only three days to comment on the draft, not holding any meaningful dialogue with stakeholders, and not ensuring transparency on decision-making reflect poorly on the government the mandate of which is to make critical reforms. The newly approved draft Cyber Protection Ordinance retains many of the clauses of its predecessors that drew flak from across the world for stifling freedom of expression. The ordinance, approved by the interim government's advisory council on December 24, replaces the Cyber Security Act (CSA), and its more draconian precursor, the Digital Security Act (DSA). The DSA had gained notoriety for having been used as a tool by the Awami League government to muzzle dissent and journalists by arresting and incarcerating them. The DSA's watered-down version, the CSA, kept clauses that criminalised free speech and just removed stringent and non-bailable jail terms. Much like its antecedents, the newly drafted ordinance limits free speech online and disregards the right to freedom of expression as a universal right. The draft penalises "hurting religious sentiment" with a jail term of two years and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. Both CSA and DSA had this provision. The Daily Star obtained data from Centre for Governance Studies' DSA Tracker and found that 44 percent of the cases filed under the DSA for "hurting religious sentiment" were against the religious minorities, particularly the Hindus. Last year, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Irene Khan wrote to the then Awami League government, criticising this clause. "International human rights law protects individuals from intolerance, violence and discriminations based on their religion or belief, but it does not allow restriction of criticism of religious belief or sentiment," she wrote. A clause criminalising defamation, which was heavily used for incarcerating journalists and politicians, has been removed in the draft and replaced with a "cyber-bullying" clause. The section states that it is a criminal offence to use any website or any electronic medium to insult, harass, blackmail or humiliate a person. The offence carries jail terms of up to two years and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. Use of slurs and offensive words is deemed a violation under this section. It states that the content that defames someone or causes mental trauma would be under the purview of this law. The data from Centre for Governance Studies shows that of the over 5,000 accused under the DSA, nearly half were prosecuted for social media posts deemed critical of the government, officeholders, or elected representatives. One in three accused under the DSA and one in four sued under the CSA were journalists, the data shows. Saimum Reza Talukder, a prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal who specialises in digital rights and cyber laws, said, "The vague wording of 'cyberbullying' and the broad scope of the definition might also be abused in future, because the notion of defamation is also there. Therefore, this needs to be elaborated. "... Journalistic freedom might be hampered or affected in this draft." He added, "I understand the importance of curbing hate speech or harmful speech against religion. Hate speech must be well-defined in the law so that it does not get combined with any other issues, and it does not get abused." The draft also enables a supervisory body, National Security Agency, to block any content that poses a threat to national solidarity, the nation's economic activities, national security, defence, religious values, public order, or incites racial hatred or animosity. Law enforcers can also request the agency to block such information. Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at Robi Axiata Ltd, said, "It is unfortunate to observe that several recommendations from the industry stakeholders have not been accommodated in the draft. Expanding the capacity of content blocking through organisations under the ICT division will create the scope for misuse of power." Under the proposed law, a National Cyber Security Council led by the chief of the government is to be formed. The council will include relevant ministers and law enforcement agency heads as its members. The council can directly issue instructions to the agency to take action. Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the policy adviser of the Information Communication Technology Division, and one of the authors of the ordinance, said, "The risk of such clauses being misused or abused remains. "It is very important for the political settlement to be such that the implementation of the law happens based on civility and human rights." Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, executive director of Tech Global Institute, said, "... These provisions legitimise surveillance and transnational repression, both of which were disproportionately abused by the Awami League government for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. "The ordinance fails to address any structural issues around censorship, surveillance, consolidation of state powers, and discretionary powers given to law enforcement and intelligence agencies." Taiyeb argues that the draft includes checks and balances to ensure that overreaches are challenged. "The ordinance allows search and arrests without warrants, but they [accused] have to be produced before a court within 24 hours. This is to protect against enforced disappearance." As per the draft, the accused can go to court and declare their lack of trust or confidence in an investigating officer. In addition, the draft mandates that it is up to a magistrate to decide if a case has the merit for a judicial process. This is a departure from the previous two laws under which cases could be filed against individuals and arrests made without the involvement of a magistrate, and all cases would end up at court. The draft recognises that women and children are particularly vulnerable in cyberspace and proposes harsh penalties for those perpetrating crimes against them. Sexual harassment in cyberspace now carries a jail term of three years and a fine of Tk 20 lakh. Taiyeb said, "We have also included a provision allowing aggrieved persons to seek compensation from the person who has harmed them. There is no upper ceiling on the compensation that can be sought, and the cyber tribunal can decide on the amount depending on the severity of the harm caused." The draft includes a section that penalises e-commerce websites for extorting money from customers and defrauding them. This offence is non-bailable. Bail would be denied in cases filed in connection with hacking, data theft, or destroying critical infrastructure. The draft ordinance defines "cyber-terrorism" as illegal access to any system that threatens the country's diplomatic relations with another state, acts intended for espionage or for serving the interests of any particular group or individual. This offence is non-bailable. Cryptocurrencies remain outlawed. Critics pointed out that no real stakeholder engagement happened before this draft was approved. Sabhanaz said that allowing only three days to comment on the draft, not holding any meaningful dialogue with stakeholders, and not ensuring transparency on decision-making reflect poorly on the government the mandate of which is to make critical reforms.
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ChatGPT down again for millions of users, OpenAI respondsThe slump in the number of people heading to the shops during Boxing Day sales signals a return to declining pre-pandemic levels, an analyst has said. Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.
VANCOUVER — A confidence agreement between British Columbia's New Democrats and the provincial Green Party stabilizes David Eby’s bare-majority government, while putting Green election promises on the legislative agenda. The agreement announced Friday outlines the basis on which the Greens' two-member caucus will provide confidence to Eby's party, which won election with 47 seats in B.C.'s 93-seat legislature in October's provincial election. The deal features key elements of the Greens' election platform, including a commitment to growing a community health centre model for primary care and expanding public coverage of psychology services at a cost of $50 million. Deputy premier Niki Sharma said the framework focuses on areas of agreement between the two parties, while recognizing their positions won't always align. The balance struck is "a way to keep government stable for four years ... without erasing the distinct identity that we both have as political parties," she said Friday. The seven-page agreement says the house leaders of the NDP and the Greens "agree to establish a relationship of trust based on good faith and no surprises." While set to last four years, it is subject to annual agreement at each parties discretion. It was important to the Greens throughout the negotiations to be able to disagree with government positions, Sharma told a news conference. "I know that we'll have differences of opinions moving forward, but the fact that we can show a pathway where two political parties in a time of great polarization can come together for British Columbians, I think is a profound thing." The October election saw two new Green members win seats, lawyer Rob Botterell, representing Saanich North and the Islands, and geological engineer Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, while the B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said after the election that he would work to bring the NDP government down if it continues with its "destructive policies." When he was asked about the agreement on Friday, Rustad said he has always assumed the Greens would back the NDP. Eby is "fooling himself" if he thinks having the support of the Green Party is going to make it easier to pass legislation, Rustad said in an interview. "We are going to make it very difficult for him to move anything through the legislature that is continuing the destruction of British Columbia," he said. "A week can be a long time in politics, so we'll see what January brings. I don't want to say anything further at this point." The stability of Eby's government had appeared shakier earlier this month when New Democrat Grace Lore announced she was temporarily stepping away due to a cancer diagnosis, though she said she intended to participate in important votes. Eby said in a statement Friday that the agreement with the Greens will "strengthen the stability of government and help deliver on the priorities of British Columbians." While his party and the Greens are distinct and won't always agree, the premier said they have "many shared values." He said the deal sets out specific areas of action they will work together on, including health care, affordable housing, creating livable communities and growing a strong, sustainable economy. "We will continue to work with all MLAs who want to make the legislature work for people," Eby said. Additional policy commitments outlined in the deal that reflect the Green platform include expanding access to housing aid for elderly renters and building 30,000 more units of non-market housing than the government had pledged. The agreement also commits to a review of B.C.'s forests to "address concerns around sustainability, jobs, environmental protection an the future of the industry." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90
Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90Big Australian names David Warner and Steve Smith may have gone unsold on the second day of the Indian Premier League auction, but there were no such concerns for 13-year-old left-handed batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The youngster, who made his debut in India’s domestic Ranji Trophy at 12, was sold for $200,000 to Rajasthan Royals after a bidding war with the Delhi Capitals at the auction in Saudi Arabia. Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Suryavanshi hit a 58-ball hundred in the youth Test against Australia under-19s in October, but made one and three in his other innings in the two-match series. He is the youngest player to be selected at the auction. The previous youngest was Prayas Ray Barman, signed five years ago by Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was groundhog day for Warner as he again went unsold at the auction, likely ending a lucrative, run-laden connection with the blockbuster Twenty20 competition. The explosive opener has scored 6565 runs at a strike rate of 140 and has an average above 40 in the IPL, but as on the first day, none of the 10 franchises were prepared to invest in the 38-year-old left-hander. Smith also went unsold having set his stall out at the same base price of two crore ($365,000). Despite pairing with Ricky Ponting as Washington Freedom’s captain and coach to win Major League Cricket in the US, Ponting wasn’t keen on taking another punt on Smith. Instead he packed his new Punjab Kings team with other Aussies, signing Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie and Xavier Bartlett to join Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who were acquired on day one. Nor was there any interest in English bowling veteran James Anderson. Seeking to make an IPL debut at the age of 42, he did not even come up in the bidding. The biggest-earning Australian on day two was Tim David, the big-hitting all-rounder joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $550,000. Close behind was Spencer Johnson. He was a Ponting target but Kings were outbid by Kolkata Knight Riders who offered $510,000. However, Ponting did then land Hardie for $225,000 and, after missing out on Nathan Ellis (who went to Super Kings for $365,000), signed Bartlett, the top wicket-taker in BBL last summer, for $145,000. Ponting had begun by signing the only one of the three Aussie keepers on the market to be sold. Alex Carey may be Australia’s Test wicketkeeper but Inglis has the gloves in the white-ball game and it showed as he went for $475,000. Carey and another gloveman, Josh Philippe, would later go unsold. There were also no bids for Jason Behrendorff, Matt Short and Lance Morris while other Australians who had put themselves forward did not even make the bidding stage. There is hope, though, for them and for the likes of Warner and Smith as between now and March players will inevitably be injured or, for personal reasons, pull out, creating late vacancies. The biggest signing of the day was Bhuvneshwar Kumar who joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $2 million. AAP News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .
ATLANTA (AP) — Ethan Vasko threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth as Coastal Carolina became bowl eligible by beating Georgia State 48-27 for its sixth win of the season in the regular season finale on Saturday. The Chanticleers evened their season record at 6-6 with the win and finished 3-5 in the Sun Belt East. The loss leaves Georgia State (3-9) with just one win in eight conference games. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Toronto Blue Jays officially sign reliever Garcia to two-year, US$15M dealThe Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the annual general meeting (AGM) of Religare Enterprises until further notice following a writ petition filed by an investor. ET Year-end Special Reads Corporate Kalesh: Top family disputes of India Inc in 2024 The world of business lost these eminent people in 2024 Fast, faster, fastest: How 2024 put more speed into your shopping In a stock exchange filing, the New Delhi-based financial company said it had received an email from the lawyers of the writ petitioner filed before the court in Jabalpur. Religare's annual general meeting to get the shareholders' nod for three resolutions including the reappointment of chairperson Rashmi Saluja was scheduled for December 31. The order dated December 18 said, "Till further orders, the notice dated 09.12.2024 and the Annual General Body Meeting of Respondent No. 7 (REL), which is scheduled to be held on 31.12.2024, shall remain stayed." The petition by the investor alleged that if the AGM took place as scheduled, it would enable the acquirers (the Burmans) to exploit their dominant shareholding and change Religare's management. 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View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Religare's management led by Saluja and the Burman family, the biggest shareholders of the firm with a stake of around 25%, are at loggerheads over the control of the company. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) approved the Burman family's proposed open offer to acquire an additional 26% stake in Religare. Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also gave its approval to the offer by the promoter family of Dabur . "It is verily believed they would ensure that a more pliant management is put in place which would not interfere with their open offer since much opposition has been made by the present management, who have, inter alia, raised issues of undervaluation of the offer price," said the writ petition. Proxy advisory firm InGovern Research Services, which advised shareholders of Religare to vote against the reappointment of Saluja as a director, termed the court order "bizarre". "It's bizarre that the HC is intervening in an issue based on an RBI order, given RBI is an independent regulator," said Shriram Subramanian, founder and MD of InGovern Research. "The decision to block the AGM is illogical, as it makes the company non-compliant with the Companies Act." In August, Religare deferred its AGM from September to December. Following this, the Burman family filed a petition with the Delhi High Court against the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and Religare for delaying the AGM. The Religare management led by Saluja has been opposed to the open offer by Burmans, owner of consumer firm Dabur, citing concerns over a low offer price and "fit and proper" allegations. The open offer, announced at ₹235 per share, amounts to ₹2,116 crore in all for the additional stake. If successful, it would raise the Burman family's total stake in the New Delhi-based NBFC to well above 50%, effectively granting it majority control. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
A SURPRISING Strictly Come Dancing feud has been revealed with just hours before the celebs reunite at the show's grand final. One star has dealt a brutal blow to four of her co-stars in an unexpected move. Toyah Wilcox, 66, has seemingly scrubbed four of this year's Strictly celebs, including two finalists, from her social media. The singer appears to have dramatically unfollowed the select celebs from her Instagram account. Final stars Tasha Ghouri and Chris McCausland are among those who Toyah has opted fall out of touch with as well as last week's evictee Pete Wicks and EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. The reasoning behind Toyah's decision is unclear but with all of this year's cast set to be back together for Saturday's final, the timing is very telling. Toyah has not addressed any feuds but her subtle move appears to have made her feelings clear ahead of the last episode of the series. At the start of the series, Toyah came under fire as she appeared to take a pop at Chris on It Takes Two. She took a savage swipe at Chris in a rather awkward moment on the BBC Two spin-off show back in October. Host Fleur East asked her: "You are such a tightknit group as well this year, do you have any advice or tips for the other celebs?" Toyah laughed and started clapping, before pointing at the camera and shouting: "If you don't want to do a dance off, get rid of Chris!" She then cackled and fell into Neil's lap while Neil and Fleur looked on and laughed awkwardly. Toyah's surprising comment did not going unnoticed by viewers watching at home, who took to social media to react. One wrote on X: "Was Toyah trying to throw Chris under the bus!!" A second chipped in: Was it panic I saw on their faces when Toyah said ‘get rid of Chris if you don’t want to do a dance off ‘ ...little does she realise Chris is a 100x better dancer than she [was] and he is there on merit." She l ater clarified that she meant no ill will by her commen t just a day later and insisted that Chris was her winner, saying: "Just to clarify and to clear up any confusion that’s flying around. "My good friend @chrismccausland, is my favourite to win this year, I think he is inspiring and brilliant, he has worked so hard and I wish him nothing but love! Toyah x" But it now appears that her stance has changed after she chose to dissociate with him online. It will leave Strictly fans keeping a very close eye on Toyah and her fellow celebs as they all take to the dancefloor one final time. Strictly first kicked off back in 2004, and over the years has crowned 21 winners. Here is a full list of who has been lucky enough to win the famous Glitterball Trophy :