Rawan Issa

Birkenstock: Once-uncool
sandal maker now worth
billions

German sandal maker Birkenstock, known for its comfortable and sturdy shoes, is
set to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company has come a long
way from being considered unfashionable in the past. It gained popularity among
hippies in the 1960s and later won over fashionistas like supermodel Kate Moss. In
recent years, collaborations with designers and celebrity endorsements have
contributed to its growth.

Last year alone, Birkenstock sold around 30 million pairs of shoes. Its appearance in
this year's Barbie movie led to a surge in demand for its products. Now that it is
going public, investors are questioning whether the company can maintain its
momentum.

The share sale allowed L Catterton, a private equity firm backed by luxury brand
LVMH that acquired majority ownership of Birkenstock last year, to bring in nearly
$1.5 billion while retaining an 80% stake.

Some customers worry that going public could lead to compromises on quality as
financial pressures increase.
However, T homai Serdari at NYU believes so far they've done well building desire
through fashion partnerships & new designs

Birkenstock's transition from family-owned business into apublicly traded company.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66999078

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 Rawan Issa
Inside the deadly instant
loan app scam that
blackmails with nudes

The article discusses a scam in which people are being blackmailed and harassed
by instant loan apps. The scam operates in multiple countries, including India and
China. Victims of the scam have experienced psychological torture, abuse, and
threats from recovery agents working for these loan apps.

One victim mentioned is Bhoomi Sinhaa, a widowed property lawyer who borrowed
money from several loan apps to cover her expenses. However, when she couldn't
repay on time or even after repaying the debt completely, recovery agents began
harassing her with insults and abusive calls. They even sent pictures of dead bodies
as warnings.

Another victim named Kirni Mounika tragically took her own life after borrowing
money from 55 different loan apps. She had paid back more than triple what she
initially borrowed but was relentlessly harassed through phone calls and vulgar
messages.

An undercover investigation conducted by the BBC exposed some call centers

involved in this deadly scam where young agents were trained to harass customers
into repayment using obscene language and threats. Managers at these call centers
supervised their actions instead of stopping them.
One recovered agent called Hari revealed that managers instructed staff members to
abuse customers verbally if they didn't pay back their loans on time or threatened
suicideas a means of manipulation and coercion

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66964510

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 Rawan Issa
Warning AI industry could
use as much energy as the
Netherlands

The AI industry could use as much energy as a whole country by 2027, according to a new
study. Companies like Google and OpenAI have been using more power for their AI services,
making the internet more energy-intensive. However, if the growth of AI slows down, its
environmental impact may not be as bad as expected. The study was done by Alex De Vries at
VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics and is based on certain factors staying the
same. He estimates that Nvidia supplies about 95% of the necessary AI processing equipment
and predicts that by 2027, it could consume between 85-134 terrawatt-hours (TWh) each year -
similar to what a small country uses annually.

It's important for us only to use AI where it's really needed because it requires powerful hardware
compared to traditional computing tasks. Large language models used in chatbots need
specialized computers called data centers which require lots of electricity and water for cooling
systems.

Unfortunately, many tech companies don't disclose their specific energy consumption or water
usage related to these systems.
Danny Quinn from DataVita has seen an increase in demand for data center space due

to this growing trend but noted howimportant it is for companies to be transparent about their
environmental impact.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67053139

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 Rawan Issa
Smoke's no joke for Tom
and Jerry

The channel Boomerang is going to change some parts of the old Tom and Jerry
cartoons. They want to remove scenes where characters are shown smoking
because someone complained that it's not suitable for kids. The people in charge
understand that these cartoons were made a long time ago when more people
smoked, but they still think it's better without those scenes. Two specific episodes
will be changed - one where Tom rolls and smokes a cigarette to impress another
cat, and another one where his tennis opponent smokes a big cigar.

Another thing I found out is that Channel 4 didn't get in trouble even though Sir Elton
John used bad language on live TV during Paul O'Grady's show. Some viewers
complained about it being inappropriate for the time when children might be
watching, but Ofcom (a group who watches over media) said while the use of bad
words was unfortunate, they believe Channel 4 has taken steps so this won't happen
again.
Overall, the incident served as a reminder for broadcasters to be more cautious and
mindful of their content during family-friendly viewing hours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5271470.stm

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 Rawan Issa
Government to announce
mobile phone ban in
schools

The government in England wants to ban students from using mobile phones at
school. They want the ban to happen all day, even during break times. The
Department for Education will give new guidance about this soon, but they haven't
said when schools should start following the ban yet. Right now, some schools
already have rules that limit phone use. The Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will
announce these plans at a party conference and say that phones are distracting and
can be used for bullying.

The new guidelines will allow students to bring their phones with them on their way
to and from school, but they won't be allowed to use them while they're actually in
school.
Different schools across England have different rules about phone use - some make
students hand in their phones first thing in the morning, while others let them keep it
or only use it between classes.

In Wales, the rules regarding phone use in schools are similar to those in England.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/66309808

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How beauty can influence
our mental health

Selena Gomez, a singer and actress, recently talked about the importance of mental health
awareness. She shared that growing up in the public eye was tough because people judged her
every move. Despite facing difficulties herself, she decided to be open about her struggles with
mental health so that others would feel less alone.

Selena believes there are unrealistic expectations for women in society due to social media's
influence on our idea of "perfect." To combat this pressure, Selena advocates taking breaks from
scrolling through social media and focusing on real connections instead.

She also emphasizes the benefits of therapy and how it helped her overcome obstacles. At first,
she felt pressured to appear perfect since many looked up to her but realized being honest about
not being perfect actually benefited those who admired her.

In addition to advocating for mental health awareness, Selena launched Rare Beauty—a brand
focused on changing beauty conversations by celebrating individuality rather than conforming to
societal standards. The goal is for everyone—regardless of gender—to feel comfortable wearing
as much or as little makeup as they want without feeling like they have something imperfections
need hiding or covering up. Through Rare Beauty's community-building efforts such as Zoom
calls called "Rare Chats" duringthe COVID-19 pandemic, Selena aims to create a safe space
where individuals can openly discuss their experiences with mental health and share personal
stories of self-acceptance.

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/selena-gomez-mental-
health-beauty-wellness/index.html

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 Rawan Issa
TikToker Mahek Bukhari
and mum jailed for life for
crash murders

A social media influencer named Mahek Bukhari and her mother, Ansreen Bukhari, have been
sentenced to life in prison for the murder of two men. The victims were killed when their car was
rammed off the road by a masked gang recruited by Mahek and Ansreen. This happened after
one of the victims threatened to reveal an affair he had with Ansreen.

The court heard that this was a plot driven by love, obsession, and extortion. Mahek was
described as "entirely self-obsessed" by the judge. She has amassed thousands of followers on
TikTok and Instagram for posting beauty advice.

Ansreen's head had been turned towards her daughter's perceived glamourous lifestyle as an
influencer. Both defendants were found guilty of cold-blooded murder.

They lured one victim into meeting them at a Tesco car park under false pretenses before
ambushing him along with his friend while driving on A46 highway in Leicestershire at high
speeds - causing them to crash into a tree where they burned alive.

The judge mentioned how platforms like TikTok played a significant role in this case due to
Mahek's fame through being an influencer butalso highlighted the responsibility of social media
platforms to address and prevent such harmful activities.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-
66686382

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