Author: Onu Akter

Shepherds Friendly, a U.K.-based financial mutual, has launched the second stage of its first major brand campaign, featuring a nationwide rollout of billboards. The campaign aims to strengthen awareness of the mutual and highlight its commitment to members’ financial milestones. Billboards are appearing in major cities, including Greater Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Cardiff. The campaign also includes digital advertising through platforms like Meta and programmatic placements on third-party websites. The marketing effort centers on the theme “milestone moments,” emphasizing Shepherds Friendly’s dedication to supporting members through key life events. The campaign is designed to reinforce the mutual’s ethos…

The UK’s third-largest steelworks has been taken over by the government after a court ordered its compulsory winding up, raising fears for nearly 1,500 workers in Rotherham and Sheffield. The ruling against Speciality Steels UK (SSUK), part of Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Steel group, followed mounting debts worth hundreds of millions of pounds. The decision means the steel business, which uses scrap metal to manufacture new products, is now under the control of an official receiver, a government-appointed liquidator, alongside special managers from a consultancy firm. The government confirmed it would cover wages and plant costs during the search for a…

Before dawn on Thursday, two Russian cruise missiles struck an American-owned electronics factory in Mukachevo, a town in far western Ukraine near the Hungarian border, leaving widespread destruction and more than a dozen people injured. The attack marked one of the most serious incidents in the region, which had previously been considered safer than much of Ukraine’s war-torn east and south. Ukrainian authorities reported that the strike hit a facility owned by Flex, a U.S.-founded multinational electronics manufacturer. The Mukachevo plant, in operation since 2012, produces consumer household goods such as coffee machines and small appliances. Officials stressed that the…

The German government announced on Friday that it has no current plans to recognize a Palestinian state, stressing that any such step would be counterproductive without a negotiated peace settlement. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, a government spokesperson underscored that Germany continues to support a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians but believes recognition should only follow, not precede, an agreement. “A negotiated two-state solution remains our goal, even if it seems a long way off today,” the spokesperson said. “The recognition of Palestine is more likely to come at the end of such a process and such…

Kirsten Dunst has opened up about her young son’s serious health scare earlier this year while she was working overseas. The actress shared details about the challenging experience in a recent interview. Dunst, 41, revealed that her four-year-old son James, whom she shares with actor Jesse Plemons, faced a frightening health issue while she was filming in Budapest for her latest project, The Entertainment System Is Down. The moment, she described, was “every parent’s nightmare.” During her time abroad, Plemons and their two children joined her in Budapest. While the family settled into the city, they enrolled their older son,…

Google has launched its 10th-generation smartphones: the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL. These new devices are powered by the latest Google Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano model. The new Pixel phones focus on personalization, AI features, and smarter performance. They also come with a refreshed design and multiple hardware upgrades. The Pixel 10 series improves on the classic camera bar design. All models feature Pixelsnap for Qi2 wireless charging and support a range of magnetic accessories. Google says these are made with the most recycled materials in a Pixel phone so far. The phones…

Brands and agencies are rapidly adopting emerging technologies to improve marketing, streamline operations, and enhance customer experiences. Key trends this year show how artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and new ad tech tools are changing the way companies connect with audiences. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to lead innovation. Agencies are using AI to generate creative content, predict consumer behavior, and optimize campaigns. AI-driven tools help teams save time and reduce costs while producing highly targeted marketing strategies. Some brands are even experimenting with AI-generated advertisements to see what resonates with audiences before launching full campaigns. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality…

Three U.S. Navy Aegis guided-missile destroyers are set to arrive off the coast of Venezuela within the next 36 hours as part of a new operation aimed at confronting Latin American drug cartels, according to two sources briefed on the matter. The ships involved are the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson. Their deployment is part of a broader U.S. strategy ordered by President Donald Trump, who has long advocated using military power to combat organized crime groups in the region. A separate U.S. official confirmed that about 4,000 sailors and Marines will take part in the initiative,…

Tennessee continues to shine on the national stage when it comes to public education. U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025-26 list of the best public high schools in the country, and several Tennessee schools earned standout recognition. Among them, three ranked within the top 50 nationwide, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for academic excellence. The publication evaluated nearly 24,000 public high schools across the United States, ultimately ranking about 18,000. To create the rankings, U.S. News partnered with RTI International, a nonprofit research group specializing in education and social sciences. They assessed schools using a range of…

Gold prices moved higher on Tuesday, lifted by a softer U.S. dollar and falling treasury yields, as traders positioned themselves ahead of a closely watched speech from the Federal Reserve chair later this week. The gains highlighted renewed optimism in the gold market, which has been volatile in recent months as investors weighed the direction of U.S. monetary policy. Spot gold rose 0.3 percent to $3,340.62 per ounce in afternoon trading, while U.S. gold futures for December delivery added 0.2 percent to $3,385.30. The move came as the dollar index slipped 0.1 percent against a basket of major currencies and…