Category Archives: technology

awards, business, entertainment, social media, technology

Instagram introduces ‘Ring’ award to honor top creators globally

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**Instagram Introduces ‘Ring’ Award to Honor Top Creators Globally**
*By Mudit Dube | Oct 07, 2025, 10:57 AM*

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Instagram has announced a new awards program called the **’Ring’**, aimed at honoring top creators on its platform. The first batch of 25 winners will be awarded next week. This initiative reflects Instagram’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating individuals who drive cultural change and push boundaries through their creative work.

### Judging Panel

The judging panel for the ‘Ring’ award features several notable personalities, including:
– Instagram Head **Adam Mosseri**
– Director **Spike Lee**
– Designer **Marc Jacobs**
– YouTuber **Marques Brownlee**
– Actress **Yara Shahidi**
– Makeup Artist **Pat McGrath**

Each winner will receive a custom-designed gold ring created by English fashion designer **Grace Wales Bonner**, along with a digital golden ring displayed on their Instagram profile. Winners will also have the opportunity to customize a unique “Like” button for their feed posts.

### Strategic Shift in Creator Programs

The launch of the ‘Ring’ award comes amid Meta’s recent scaling back of creator payout programs. Earlier this year, Meta discontinued a program that compensated creators for ads on their profiles. Additionally, in 2023, Meta stopped paying bonuses to Reels creators on Instagram and Facebook and shut down its affiliate marketing bonuses in 2022.

### Challenges Facing Creators

Creators have experienced a 52% drop in brand deals in 2024, reflecting a challenging landscape for monetization. Bank of America noted last year that alongside the decline in sponsored partnerships, competition is intensifying, with more paid partnerships concentrated among top creators.

Despite these challenges and shifts, Instagram remains committed to celebrating its most creative users through this symbolic new awards program.

### Vision Behind the ‘Ring’ Award

Instagram describes the ‘Ring’ award as a way to celebrate those who are unafraid to take creative risks and forge their own paths. In a company blog post, the award is said to be “all about celebrating those who bring people together over their creativity, and deserve recognition.”

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With the introduction of the ‘Ring’ award, Instagram continues to highlight the importance of creativity and innovation within its creator community, even as monetization models evolve.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/instagram-s-new-ring-award-will-honor-top-creators/story

business, internet, judiciary, law, technology

Supreme Court denies Google’s appeal, upholds Play Store reform order

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**Supreme Court Denies Google’s Appeal, Upholds Play Store Reform Order**

*By Mudit Dube | Oct 07, 2025, 10:30 AM*

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**Overview**

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined Google’s request to stay a lower court’s order that mandates significant changes to its Play Store. This decision comes as Google prepares to appeal a ruling in a lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the developer behind the popular game Fortnite. The injunction, originally issued in July and upheld by a federal appeals court, aims to address alleged antitrust violations by Google.

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**Details of the Injunction**

The injunction was issued last year by U.S. District Judge James Donato. Under the order, Google is required to allow users to download rival app stores within its own Play Store. Additionally, Google must make its Play Store app catalog available to competitors.

However, these provisions are not set to take effect until July 2026. Judge Donato also ruled that Google must permit developers to include external links within apps, enabling users to bypass Google’s billing system.

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**Background of the Legal Battle**

Epic Games filed the lawsuit against Google in 2020, accusing the tech giant of violating antitrust laws through its restrictive app store policies. Epic succeeded in a jury trial held in San Francisco in 2023.

Google, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing. The company described Judge Donato’s order as unprecedented and warned that it could cause reputational harm, pose safety and security risks, and place Google at a competitive disadvantage if enforced.

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**Google’s Appeal Strategy**

In its Supreme Court filing, Google emphasized that the mandated changes would impact over 100 million U.S. Android users and 500,000 developers. The company plans to submit a full appeal to the Supreme Court by October 27. This could prompt the justices to consider taking up the case during their nine-month term, which began recently.

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**Epic Games’ Response and Industry Impact**

Epic Games has accused Google of using “flawed security claims” as a pretext for maintaining strict control over Android devices. The company urges the Supreme Court to allow Judge Donato’s injunction to take effect, arguing that it would foster competition, increase consumer choice, and lower prices.

In July, a three-judge panel from the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction. The panel highlighted that Epic’s lawsuit presented substantial evidence that Google’s anticompetitive conduct has entrenched its dominance in the market.

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**Conclusion**

The Supreme Court’s refusal to block Judge Donato’s order marks a significant development in the ongoing antitrust battle against Google. As the legal proceedings continue, the case could reshape the landscape of app distribution and billing on Android devices, potentially benefiting both developers and consumers through increased competition and choice.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/supreme-court-rules-against-google-forcing-play-store-policy-overhauls/story

awards, business, entertainment, social media, technology

Instagram introduces ‘Ring’ award to honor top creators globally

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**Instagram Introduces ‘Ring’ Award to Honor Top Creators Globally**
*By Mudit Dube | Oct 07, 2025, 10:57 AM*

Instagram has announced a new awards program called the **’Ring’**, designed to honor the top creators on its platform. The first batch of 25 winners will be announced next week. This initiative is part of Instagram’s ongoing effort to recognize and celebrate individuals who drive cultural change and push creative boundaries.

### Judging Panel

The judging panel for the ‘Ring’ award features a diverse group of notable personalities, including Instagram head **Adam Mosseri**, director **Spike Lee**, designer **Marc Jacobs**, YouTuber **Marques Brownlee**, actress **Yara Shahidi**, and makeup artist **Pat McGrath**.

Each winner will receive a custom-designed gold ring crafted by English fashion designer **Grace Wales Bonner**. In addition, winners will have a digital golden ring displayed on their Instagram profile and the opportunity to customize a unique “Like” button for their feed posts.

### A Strategic Shift Amid Changing Creator Programs

The launch of the ‘Ring’ award coincides with Meta’s recent scaling back of creator payout programs. Earlier this year, Meta discontinued compensation for creators via ads on their profiles. In 2023, it also ended bonuses for Reels creators on both Instagram and Facebook, and affiliate marketing bonuses were shut down in 2022.

### Challenges for Creators

Creator earnings have been challenged recently, with a significant 52% drop in brand deals reported in 2024. Bank of America highlighted last year that, alongside a decline in sponsored partnerships, competition has intensified as more paid collaborations become concentrated among top-tier creators.

Despite these challenges, Instagram remains committed to celebrating its most creative users through this symbolic new award.

### Celebrating Creativity and Risk-Taking

Instagram describes the ‘Ring’ award as a celebration of those who are unafraid to take creative risks and forge their own paths. According to a company blog post, the award is “all about celebrating those who bring people together over their creativity, and deserve recognition.”

As Instagram continues to evolve, the ‘Ring’ award represents a fresh, meaningful way to acknowledge the platform’s cultural pioneers and their impact on the creative landscape.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/instagram-s-new-ring-award-will-honor-top-creators/story

business, development, science, technology

OpenAI enhances developer tools with GPT-5 Pro and Sora models

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**OpenAI Enhances Developer Tools with GPT-5 Pro and Sora Models**

*By Mudit Dube | October 7, 2025, 10:50 AM*

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**What’s the Story?**

At its recent Dev Day event, OpenAI unveiled a series of exciting API updates aimed at enriching its developer ecosystem. The major highlights include the launch of GPT-5 Pro, the company’s latest advanced language model, and Sora 2, an innovative video and audio generation model. Alongside these, OpenAI introduced an agent-building tool and the ability to integrate third-party applications directly within ChatGPT.

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**GPT-5 Pro: Targeting Finance, Legal, and Healthcare**

GPT-5 Pro is designed with high accuracy and deep reasoning capabilities, making it particularly suited for industries such as finance, legal, and healthcare. These sectors demand precision and complex problem-solving, attributes OpenAI emphasized during the announcement. CEO Sam Altman highlighted that voice interaction is quickly becoming a primary mode of AI communication, underlining the significance of enhancing voice capabilities within these new models.

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**Introducing ‘gpt-realtime mini’: Low-Latency Streaming for Voice**

To meet the increasing demand for responsive voice AI, OpenAI launched “gpt-realtime mini,” a smaller and more cost-effective version of its advanced voice model. This model offers low-latency streaming interactions for audio and speech at 70% less cost, while maintaining the same voice quality and expressiveness. This makes it ideal for applications requiring real-time, natural voice responses.

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**Sora 2: Next-Level AI-Generated Audio and Video**

OpenAI also rolled out Sora 2, the latest iteration of its audio and video generation model. Released alongside the Sora app—a TikTok-like platform featuring short AI-generated videos—Sora 2 delivers more realistic and physically consistent scenes with synchronized sound. It enhances creative control, allowing developers to craft rich audio-visual experiences with ambient sounds, soundscapes, and synchronized effects tightly integrated with visuals.

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**Empowering Developers with Sora 2 API Access**

One of the key advancements is that developers can now access Sora 2’s powerful capabilities directly through the API. This means the same technology powering stunning video outputs on the Sora app is available for use in third-party applications. According to Altman, the model excels at pairing sound with visuals, going beyond speech to encompass immersive audio environments perfectly aligned with on-screen action.

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With these updates, OpenAI continues to strengthen its developer offerings, pushing the boundaries of AI-driven communication, creativity, and interactivity across multiple industries.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/openai-introduces-gpt-5-pro-and-sora-2-in-api/story

aging, culture, education, society, technology

Japan’s Seniors Rediscover the Joy of Learning

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A recent survey revealed that more than 70 percent of people aged 50 and over are interested in reskilling after retirement. This reflects a strong desire among seniors to stay active and engaged in society even after leaving the workforce.

To explore this trend, a reporter visited Takatsuki City, where a local initiative known as the Takatsuki Civic College offers learning opportunities specifically for seniors. The atmosphere in the classroom was lively and focused, with most participants being retirees intently listening to lectures.

Established five years ago, the program aims to help seniors form friendships and participate in their communities. Enrollment has been increasing annually, and today around 300 students are taking part in its 38 courses, all at an affordable cost.

One student explained, “I have two reasons for coming here. First, to prevent dementia, and second, to make new friends — although that part is not always easy.” Formerly a nurse, she said joining the classes allows her to rediscover herself and learn new things.

“There’s still so much I don’t know. Being among other people helps me see myself from a different perspective, and that’s interesting,” she added with a smile.

The story of 76-year-old Hiyo Okada in Takarazuka City offers another inspiring example of lifelong learning. Okada is now a second-year student in the Faculty of Psychology at Koshien University, a private four-year institution typically filled with younger students.

“When I’m at school, I feel so young,” she laughed. “But when I get home and see myself in the mirror, I’m surprised.”

Okada, who had spent over 50 years working as a hairdresser in Saitama, left her job at 70 and moved to Kansai, where her daughter lives. Feeling a long-held regret about not finishing high school, she enrolled in a correspondence high school before deciding to pursue higher education.

“Through my work, I realized how much I enjoy interacting with people,” she said. “When I told my teacher that, they suggested I study psychology, and I thought, why not?”

Although Koshien University offers full tuition and admission fee exemptions for adult learners over 35, Okada did not qualify because she entered through a high school recommendation program, meaning she pays all fees herself.

“Yes, I pay everything out of my own pocket,” she said cheerfully, describing the cost as an investment in herself.

At lunchtime, she often eats in the student cafeteria with classmates decades younger than her. “They call me A-chan,” she said. “That’s what my grandchildren call me at home, so it makes me feel comfortable here too.”

Her younger peers said they were initially surprised to see an older student but quickly grew close.

“When I first saw her, I thought she might be a staff member,” one classmate laughed. “But now, she’s like a bridge connecting everyone. Without her, I wouldn’t have made so many friends.”

Far from being isolated, Okada has become an indispensable presence in her department, organizing study sessions and helping younger students prepare for exams.

“She taught us every day for a week before finals,” said another student. “I wouldn’t have passed without her.”

After classes, Okada returns to her apartment, where her desk is covered with psychology textbooks and English materials.

“English is difficult,” she said, “but I keep trying.”

Her grandson often visits, and the two share warm moments together.

“She’s incredible,” he said proudly. “She’s living life to the fullest and enjoying every moment.”

Okada’s next goal is to become a certified psychological counselor.

“I want to be the kind of grandmother who sits quietly in the corner of an elementary or junior high school, someone children can talk to about anything,” she said. “That’s my dream.”

Experts note that the rise of such learning initiatives highlights a changing role for seniors in Japanese society.

“In the past, grandparents held important positions within extended families and communities,” one commentator said. “Now, as families become more nuclear, these new forms of community involvement give seniors a renewed sense of purpose and belonging.”

As Japan’s population continues to age, stories like Okada’s suggest that reskilling and lifelong learning may become key not only to personal fulfillment but also to strengthening the fabric of local communities.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147173.php

business, india, manufacturing, technology, transportation

Production milestone! Ather Energy rolls out its 5,00,000th electric scooter

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**Production Milestone! Ather Energy Rolls Out Its 500,000th Electric Scooter**

*By Akash Pandey | Oct 06, 2025, 04:37 PM*

Bengaluru-based electric vehicle manufacturer Ather Energy has reached a significant milestone by rolling out its 500,000th electric scooter from its manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The landmark unit is the company’s latest family-focused model, the Rizta, which has rapidly become one of Ather’s strongest growth drivers since its launch last year.

### Journey from Niche to Full-Range EV Manufacturer

Over the years, Ather has evolved from a niche performance EV brand into a full-range manufacturer catering to both family riders and enthusiasts. The company has aggressively expanded across middle and northern India, entering several tier-2 and tier-3 cities. This expansion aligns with Ather’s goal of making its growing product lineup and charging infrastructure more accessible to a wider audience.

### Expansion of Manufacturing Capabilities

Currently, Ather operates two facilities in Hosur: one dedicated to vehicle assembly and another focused on battery production. Together, these facilities have a combined capacity of 420,000 scooters per year. To meet the rising demand for its electric scooters, Ather is establishing a third facility, Factory 3.0, located in Bidkin, Maharashtra.

The new facility will be developed in two phases implementing Industry 4.0 principles. Once fully operational, Ather’s total manufacturing capacity will increase to 1.42 million (14.2 lakh) electric two-wheelers per year.

### Commitment to Quality and Reliability

Commenting on this milestone, Swapnil Jain, Co-founder and CTO of Ather Energy, described crossing the half-million mark as a major achievement. He highlighted that the company’s journey has been focused not only on building vehicles but also on establishing a scalable and reliable manufacturing ecosystem.

Jain credited years of dedicated engineering, rigorous testing, and meticulous attention to quality at every stage of production as key factors underpinning Ather’s continued success.

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Ather Energy’s recent milestone underscores its growing influence in India’s electric mobility space and its commitment to innovation, quality, and accessibility. The company is poised for further growth as it expands its product portfolio and manufacturing footprint.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/auto/ather-reaches-half-million-mark-prepares-to-triple-production-capacity/story

business, economy, international, science, technology

AMD shares surge 25% on chip supply deal with OpenAI

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**AMD Shares Soar 25% Following Major AI Chip Supply Deal with OpenAI**

*By Mudit Dube | October 6, 2025*

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has entered into a multi-year agreement to supply artificial intelligence (AI) chips to OpenAI, marking a significant milestone for both companies. This landmark deal is expected to generate tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue for AMD and offers OpenAI an option to acquire up to a 10% stake in the chipmaker.

The partnership serves as a strong endorsement of AMD’s AI chips and software capabilities and aligns with the company’s strategic efforts to deepen its presence in the fast-expanding AI market.

**Market Reaction: Shares Surge 25%**

Following the announcement, AMD shares jumped 25% in premarket trading. Forrest Norrod, AMD’s Executive Vice President, described the deal as “certainly transformative, not just for AMD, but for the dynamics of the industry,” highlighting its potential to reshape the AI chip landscape.

The agreement involves deploying hundreds of thousands of AMD AI chips and graphics processing units (GPUs), representing a capacity of six gigawatts over several years beginning in the second half of 2026.

**OpenAI to Establish 1-Gigawatt Facility Using AMD Chips**

A key component of the deal includes OpenAI’s plan to establish a one-gigawatt facility powered by AMD’s next-generation MI450 series chips starting next year. This facility is expected to kickstart revenue generation for AMD shortly thereafter.

AMD anticipates that this partnership, combined with ripple effects from other customers, could bring in more than $100 billion in new revenue over the next four years.

**Context and Industry Impact**

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed confidence that the collaboration with AMD will help the organization build sufficient AI infrastructure to support its ambitious projects.

This development follows NVIDIA’s announcement to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply at least 10 gigawatts of its systems. Meanwhile, OpenAI continues to work on developing its own AI-specific silicon in partnership with Broadcom, underscoring its multi-faceted approach to building robust AI hardware capabilities.

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This deal marks a pivotal moment in the AI hardware sector, emphasizing AMD’s growing influence and OpenAI’s commitment to scaling its AI infrastructure through diverse strategic partnerships.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/amd-inks-multi-year-ai-chip-deal-with-openai/story

bugs, gaming, software, technology, troubleshooting

Borderlands 4 “cannot change resolution” bug: Possible reasons and how to fix

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How to Fix the “Cannot Change Resolution” Bug in Borderlands 4

While most of Borderlands 4’s bugs hinder the gameplay experience, some are technical snags. One such issue affects PC players who cannot change their resolution to the desired output. Considering that PC gaming is all about scalability and personalization to achieve the perfect blend of visuals and performance, this can be quite frustrating.

This guide explains everything you need to know about the resolution-changing bug in Borderlands 4 and how to fix it.

Understanding the Resolution Change Issue

As the name suggests, this bug relates to changing the game’s resolution on your PC. Sometimes, when trying to lower the resolution in “Fullscreen” mode—for example, going from 1080p to 900p—you may notice that the higher resolutions like 1080p disappear from the “Resolution” menu.

This means that after selecting a lower resolution, the upper bounds are no longer listed, making it impossible to switch back without restarting or reinstalling the game.

How to Fix the Resolution Bug

Fortunately, the solution is straightforward. Follow these steps to regain all resolution options under Fullscreen mode:

  1. Go to Visuals (Basic) settings.
  2. Select “Windowed” under Display Mode.
  3. Choose any resolution and click “Apply Settings.” The game will now render in a window on your desktop.
  4. Change the Display Mode back to “Fullscreen.”
  5. Now, all resolution options—including previously missing ones—should be available.
  6. Apply your desired resolution and exit to the main menu.

What Causes This Bug?

The exact cause of this malfunction remains unclear. However, judging by its behavior, it appears that Borderlands 4 struggles to properly recognize resolution changes when switching display modes.

It’s worth noting that Borderlands 4 has faced technical issues across all platforms since its launch. The problems have been so significant that Gearbox Software delayed the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, originally planned for release in October 2025.

Summary

If you encounter issues changing the resolution while playing Borderlands 4 on PC, switching to Windowed mode and applying a resolution before returning to Fullscreen mode will restore all resolution options. This simple workaround should help you regain control over your display settings and enhance your gameplay experience.

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Related Articles on Borderlands 4

https://www.sportskeeda.com/mmo/borderlands-4-cannot-change-resolution-bug-possible-reasons-fix

culture, economy, finance, lifestyle, technology

MAGGIE PAGANO: Cash is still king, right? Wrong

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If you have heard reports of a rather sweaty woman in gym gear running around the streets of Saffron Walden brandishing a crisp £50 note and cursing under her breath, that was me.

After the gym, I had stopped off at the health food shop to stock up on a few things, handing the assistant the £50 tucked into my leggings. The assistant refused my money. “But surely it’s legal tender,” I cried, “you can’t refuse it.” She didn’t budge, explaining that head office had told them not to accept £50 notes because of counterfeit concerns.

Determined, I went to the butcher’s shop opposite, where I know the staff, asking if they could break the note. Same story—no £50 notes accepted. They suggested I go to a bank. Not such a bad idea, I thought.

However, my bank, Barclays, closed long ago and only two banks remain in town. I ran to Nationwide, where there was a long queue. Explaining my problem, I asked the waiting customers if I could ask the cashier to change the note. They all said yes, of course.

One gentleman took one look at my Queen’s-head note and confidently said it wasn’t fake. That felt like a small victory. The chatter in the queue caught the cashier’s attention, and he stepped out to examine the note himself. He agreed—it was genuine. Another victory!

“But are you a Nationwide customer?” he asked. It felt like a trick question—and it was. Nationwide does not change money if you are not a customer.

By then, I was ready to raise an Essex peasants’ revolt against shops that don’t take money and banks that don’t change banknotes. As luck would have it, one of the kind ladies in the queue opened her wallet, checked her cash, and offered to change my £50.

My first call was to the Bank of England.

**Can vendors refuse to take cash?**

Yes, says the press officer—they can. Even though cash is legal tender, the concept has a narrow, technical legal definition related to contracts. No one is obliged to accept cash in exchange for goods.

**So why is cash usage shrinking so fast?**

Is it because vendors find cash messy to deal with? Are business owners being pushed by payment giants to go digital so they can be charged more? Or do most people simply prefer using cards or, increasingly, mobile payment apps? It’s probably a chicken-and-egg situation.

Whatever the reason, cash is under the kibosh. It made up just 9% of payments last year, compared to nearly half of all transactions a decade ago. It’s predicted to fall to 4% over the next ten years.

**But what happens in emergencies?**

Imagine a cyber hack or cyber warfare brings down banks. Or there are blackouts, like those recently experienced in Spain and Portugal. Or other crises such as another lockdown or war.

Being resilient is why countries such as Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands have warned their citizens to always keep cash in reserve. They’re also introducing legislation ensuring vendors must accept cash.

The European Central Bank is alert to these dangers as well. All households have been advised to store cash at home in case digital systems fail—as they inevitably will.

In contrast, the Bank of England does not have the mandate to issue such warnings; that responsibility lies with the Government. Interestingly, its Governor, Andrew Bailey, told a recent Citizens’ Panel in Wolverhampton that he always carries cash with him in case of emergencies.

Does that include any £50 notes, I wonder?
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/comment/article-15164391/MAGGIE-PAGANO-Cash-king-right-Wrong.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

business, economy, finance, international, technology

These IPOs will be launched in India this week

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The primary market is gearing up for a major wave of initial public offerings (IPOs) with some high-profile launches on the horizon.

Among the most anticipated offerings are those from Tata Capital and LG Electronics. These upcoming IPOs are expected to attract significant investor interest and could set the tone for the market in the coming months.

Stay tuned for more updates as these launch dates approach, bringing new opportunities for investors and companies alike.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/prepare-for-ipo-bonanza-tata-capital-lg-electronics-to-launch/story