EXCLUSIVE Woe de parfum! Harrods perfume seller accuses rival of hurling card reader at her in squabble By JAMES TOZER and MARY O CONNOR Published: 22:02, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 22:48, 8 December 2024 e-mail View comments Harrods bills its marble-lined, sixth floor 'salon de perfums' – famed for selling the most exclusive scents – as a 'secluded scented nirvana' aimed at the most discerning customer. But when it came to staff selling the 'hand-selected brands', things were not as fragrant, it has been alleged. Tempers flared between staff at rival concessions at the West End department store, according to a tribunal claim. Natalia Pytel, who was employed by Luxe Associates, alleged that a worker at competitor brand Edeniste made 'spiteful' comments about the products she was selling from an adjacent desk. Their dispute culminated when the employee – referred to only as Evie – was said to have thrown a card reader machine at Ms Pytel. Ms Pytel complained both to Luxe Associates and Harrods – but CCTV footage was said to have shown 'nothing untoward'. She was then sacked by Luxe Associates after being accused of being rude to a customer. Ms Pytel, who is Polish, brought an employment tribunal case against Harrods. She alleged unfair dismissal, detriment for making a whistleblowing public interest disclosure, and harassment under the Equality Act. Natalia Pytel (pictured) who was employed by Luxe Associates, alleged that a worker at competitor brand Edeniste made 'spiteful' comments about the products she was selling from an adjacent desk Their dispute culminated when the employee – referred to only as Evie – was said to have thrown a card reader machine at Ms Pytel who is pictured here Ms Pytel, who is Polish, brought an employment tribunal case against Harrods. She alleged unfair dismissal, detriment for making a whistleblowing public interest disclosure, and harassment under the Equality Act But at a preliminary hearing in London the case was struck out because a judge said her complaints had no reasonable prospect of success. Ms Pytel accepted that Harrods hadn't employed her, and she only had five months service with Luxe Associates– the minimum service for making an unfair dismissal claim is currently two years. In a statement in support of her claim, Ms Pytel – who began work at the concession in February last year - said: 'I struggled to work with one of the girls from a neighbour brand. 'Every day she was making spiteful comments about my brands and was aggressively behaving towards me.'On June 13 she threw a PDQ card reader machine at me. 'I felt unsafe working around her so I decided I would ask for help.' After Ms Pytel spoke out, counter-claims were made against her, according to tribunal documents.She was sacked on July 24 last year. In her claim, Ms Pytel said a manager subsequently informed her that 'I did not fit into perfumery and was rude to a customer, therefore he decided to terminate my contract'. She claimed that she asked a colleague to assist, but the colleague was 'extremely rude' to the customer and refused to process the refund he initially requested. Ms Pytel complained both to Luxe Associates and Harrods – but CCTV footage was said to have shown 'nothing untoward' (Stock image of Harrods) Ms Pytel – who represented herself - also alleged that she experienced 'harassment and bullying' by two shop floor managers. However Employment Judge Jonathan Gidney threw out all her claims, pointing out that she was never directly employed by Harrods. Her job was with the Luxe Associates concession, he stressed – but having only worked there for just over five months, she wasn't entitled to claim unfair dismissal. Ms Pytel's detriment claim also fell as she had not specified what disclosure she claimed to have made in the public interest. Finally her harassment claim was invalid as she did not specify any 'protected characteristic' – for example race, sex or religion – which allegedly led to her being singled out. 'There is, simply put, no reasonable prospect of [Ms Pytel] establishing her complaints against [Harrods], and accordingly, I strike [Ms Pytel's] claims out,' he concluded. Harrods and Luxe Associates were approached for comment. According to her social media profile, Ms Pytel now sells make-up at a different West End department store. Under Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's controversial overhaul of workers' rights, employees will be able to launch unfair dismissal claim from their first day in a job. However companies would be able to keep new recruits on probation for up to nine months after business groups claimed the move would disincentive hiring. London Share or comment on this article: Woe de parfum! Harrods perfume seller accuses rival of hurling card reader at her in squabble e-mail Add comment
President Jimmy Carter recognized there was political value for a young congressman to be seen in proximity to the president. President Jimmy Carter, with U.S. Rep. John Cavanaugh right behind him as Carter suggested, is greeted on the tarmac by Gen. Richard H. Ellis after exiting Air Force One at SAC on Oct 22, 1977. So as Air Force One landed at Offutt Air Force Base in 1977 during Carter’s first presidential visit to the state, he offered Omaha congressman John Cavanaugh a little advice just before they exited the plane. “Stay close, John,” he said. Sure enough, the hundreds who had gathered on the tarmac to greet the president also saw Cavanaugh right in Carter’s shadow, which got Cavanaugh featured in news photos from the day. President Jimmy Carter never enjoyed much electoral success in Nebraska. The Democrat lost to Omaha native Gerald Ford in 1976 and conservative icon Ronald Reagan in 1980. But both during his four years as president and his many years after as an international champion of peace, the modest peanut farmer from Georgia gained a lot of admirers. Cavanaugh and other Nebraskans who met Carter described the former president — who died Sunday, according to his son and multiple news reports — as a kind and genuine man with a personality that sparkled as much as his signature wide-toothed grin. “What a wonderful person,” recalled Cavanaugh, a Democrat whose two terms in the House of Representatives coincided with Carter’s 1977-1981 term as president. Preston Love Jr. of Omaha also mourned Carter’s death at age 100. The North Omaha civic leader and recent Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate had the chance to meet the former president at Carter's home in 1983 as a then-staffer for Rev. Jesse Jackson. “I mourn the fact that he, to this date, has not received his due — as president, and for his post presidential exploits, which have been enormous,” Love said in 2023. Amanda Brewer, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha CEO, met Carter while volunteering to help build a Habitat home in Georgia in 1998 — an encounter that helped to inspire her to a career with the charity. "I think his legacy, and inspiration to me, is that everyone has the ability to make a difference," she said. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon offered prayers Sunday for Carter's family. "From his time as a naval officer, then as a state senator and Governor of Georgia, and finally as President, Jimmy Carter gave a lifetime of service. After serving our country, he set the standard of post-political life with his service to Habitat for Humanity. Carter first came to Nebraska during campaign trips in 1975 and 1976. He had been doing a lot of campaigning across the Missouri River for the Iowa caucuses, the first test of the presidential election cycle. In fact, Carter ultimately wrote the book on how to use early success in Iowa and New Hampshire to propel a bid for a presidential party nomination. Carter was elected in November 1976, though in Nebraska incumbent Ford pulled in 59% of the vote and prevailed in 89 of the state’s 93 counties. Carter that spring also narrowly finished second to Frank Church of Idaho in the Nebraska Democratic primary. Carter’s first visit to the state as president came on Oct. 22, 1977, when he flew into Omaha to tour the Strategic Air Command headquarters at Offutt. At the time, tensions with the Soviet Union were high. The chance that a nuclear war could be waged one day from SAC’s bunker south of Omaha was very real. Carter received a tour of both the underground command post and the doomsday plane that could launch the nation’s nuclear arsenal in a time of emergency. He also picked up the “red phone” and spoke a message of thanks to SAC servicemen around the globe for their work to prevent “the possible destruction of our nation.” At the time, there was a little internal tension within SAC, too. Carter had recently canceled the B-1 bomber program, which was strongly supported by Gen. Richard H. Ellis, the SAC Commander. Carter didn’t back off the decision. He was focused on reducing the deficit at a time of high inflation. He felt the B-1 had been made obsolete by the development of accurate cruise missiles that could fly the same speed and distance and a new generation of B-2 stealth bombers that was on the drawing table. A display at SAC headquarters had included a model of the B-1. Before the president’s visit, it was replaced with a model of a B-52. Carter also toured a B-52 on the Offutt runway. (Reagan as president revived the B-1.) Cavanaugh was given the opportunity to fly into Omaha with Carter. The two talked about depressed farm prices, a chief concern in Nebraska, and the president’s energy bill during the flight. Carter stopped in Nebraska again during a cross-country flight on June 10, 1980, to tour tornado-ravaged Grand Island. A week earlier, a freakish storm sent at least seven tornadoes descending on the city, killing five, injuring 200 and destroying or damaging nearly a third of the city. Touring the devastation with then-Gov. Charles Thone, Carter’s motorcade stopped in front of what had once been the home of Del Kosmicki. The Grand Island man told the president everyone was working together in the recovery. Carter then crossed the street and stood atop the foundation of another former home to speak. Against a backdrop of shattered houses and stripped-bare trees, he told those gathered that God had blessed them by minimizing the damage. He encouraged them to keep their selfless attitudes during the rebuilding to come. "He was very genuine and sincere," Kosmicki told the Grand Island Independent. "I thought he did a really good job." Reagan’s Nebraska campaign chair called Carter’s visit an election-year political stunt. But Thone, a Republican, defended it as a sincere effort by the president to buoy spirits in the city. Later that year, Reagan swept Nebraska with 65% of the vote. Reagan’s landslide victory nationally sent Carter back to his farm in Plains, Georgia. But the loss certainly didn't send Carter into retirement. Carter worked for decades as an international ambassador for peace and human rights, creating an all-new model for post-presidential life. Love had the chance to meet Carter in Plains in 1983. At the time, Love was the lone staffer to Rev. Jesse Jackson as he registered voters in the South and laid the groundwork for Jackson's bid for president in 1988. Carter and his wife Rosalynn were gracious hosts, Love said, providing insight into the presidency and its history and even giving the visitors a tour of the peanut operation. “While President Carter encouraged Rev. Jackson to pursue a run for president, he was very clear and forthright about the pitfalls and the realities of doing such,” Love said. “I felt after meeting him in that situation, a tremendous like and respect for the man.” Amanda Brewer, left, with Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter and Brewer's mother, Kathy Jedlicka. Brewer recalled Carter as a down-to-earth and compassionate man when she met him in 1998 while she and her mom volunteered at a Habitat home in Americus, Georgia, near Plains. Carter and his wife, who died in November 2023, had fully embraced the charity. They became among its biggest advocates and fundraisers, and even picked up hammers and saws themselves. That day, the Carters were going around thanking all the volunteers. "He used his influence, rolled up his sleeves and was willing to do the work," Brewer said. "His values aligned with Habitat's values of putting your faith in action and doing something to make the world a better place." As president, Carter will likely be best known for brokering the peace deal between Egypt and Israel. It was a prelude to his work once out of office. Cavanaugh was present on the White House lawn when the parties signed the Camp David Accords. Carter won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." But Cavanaugh said Carter actually accomplished a lot domestically, much of it overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis and continued economic problems that largely doomed his re-election bid. With his high ethics, Carter was also the right man to lead the nation into the post-Watergate era, Cavanaugh said. “He was always kind, hard-working and thoughtful,” Cavanaugh said. “He was just a sweetheart.” President Jimmy Carter shakes hands during a visit at Offutt Air Force base on Oct. 22, 1977. Capt. David L. Young gives a tour of a B-52 to President Jimmy Carter at Offutt Air Force Base on Oct. 22, 1977. President Jimmy Carter visits Strategic Air Command on Oct 22, 1977. 1977: SAC Commander-in-Chief Gen. Richard H. Ellis leads President Jimmy Carter past experts who man the command post console at Offutt Air Force Base. President Jimmy Carter speaks at the Grand Island airport on June 10, 1980. From left are Nebraska Gov. Charles Thone, Maj. Gen. Edward Binder of the Nebraska National Guard and Grand Island Mayor Bob Kriz. Carter's visit came after seven tornadoes touched down in or near the city, killing five people and injuring 200 on the night of June 3. President Jimmy Carter gives a speech near the destroyed home of Dennis Williams home at 707 Joehnck Road in Grand Island on June 10, 1980. Seven tornadoes touched down in or near the city that, killing five people and injuring 200. President Jimmy Carter gives a speech near the destroyed home of Dennis Williams home at 707 Joehnck Road in Grand Island on June 10, 1980. Seven tornadoes touched down in or near the city that, killing five people and injuring 200. Grand Island Mayor Bob Kriz, Nebraska Gov. Charles Thone and Jimmy Carter at the Grand Generation Center on June 10, 1980. Seven tornadoes touched down in or near the city that, killing five people and injuring 200. Former President Jimmy Carter receives an honorary degree from Creighton University in September 1987. Jimmy Carter speaks in Omaha on June 6th, 1975 during his run for president. President Jimmy Carter, with U.S. Rep. John Cavanaugh right behind him as Carter suggested, is greeted on the tarmac after exiting Air Force One at SAC on Oct 22, 1977. cordes@owh.com , 402-444-1130, twitter.com/henrycordes Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.How co-writing a book threatened the Carters' marriage
Canucks announce injured Filip Hronek out for 8 weeksDayle Haddon, an actor, activist and trailblazing former “Sports Illustrated” model who pushed back against age discrimination by reentering the industry as a widow, has died in a Pennsylvania home from what authorities believe was carbon monoxide poisoning. Authorities in Bucks County found Haddon, 76, dead in a second-floor bedroom Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were notified about a person unconscious at the Solebury Township home. A 76-year-old man police later identified as Walter J. Blucas of Erie was hospitalized in critical condition. Responders detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property and township police said Saturday that investigators determined that “a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak.” Two medics were taken to a hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene. As a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Esquire in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1973 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She also appeared in about two dozen films from the 1970s to 1990s, according to IMDb.com, including 1994’s “Bullets Over Broadway,” starring John Cusack. Haddon left modeling after giving birth to her daughter, Ryan, in the mid-1970s, but then had to reenter the workforce after her husband’s 1991 death. This time she found the modeling industry far less friendly: “They said to me, ‘At 38, you’re not viable,’” in 2003. Working a menial job at an advertising agency, Haddon began reaching out to cosmetic companies, telling them there was a growing market to sell beauty products to aging baby boomers. She eventually landed a contract with Clairol, followed by Estée Lauder and then L’Oreal, for which she promoted the company’s anti-aging products for more than a decade. She also hosted beauty segments for CBS’s “The Early Show.” “I kept modeling, but in a different way,” she told The Times, “I became a spokesperson for my age.” In 2008, Haddon founded WomenOne, an organization aimed at advancing educational opportunities for girls and women in marginalized communities, including Rwanda, Haiti and Jordan.’ Haddon was born in Toronto and began modeling as a teenager to pay for ballet classes — she began her career with the Canadian ballet company Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, . Haddon’s daughter, Ryan, said in a social media post that her mother was “everyone’s greatest champion. An inspiration to many.” “A pure heart. A rich inner life. Touching so many lives. A life well lived. Rest in Light, Mom,” she said. The Associated Press
The Giants probably won’t land the No. 1 pick anymore. According to ESPN’s live tracker , the Giants’ chances of drafting first overall in 2025 plunged to a measly 5% after their 45-33 over the Colts on Sunday. Naturally, fans across social media were upset. They wanted the ticket to draft Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward — which the Giants would have gotten if they had lost out. The players, meanwhile, couldn’t care less about where they stand in the draft order. BUY GIANTS TICKETS: STUBHUB , VIVID SEATS , TICKETMASTER “We don’t care,” said cornerback Dru Phillips. “We’re trying to win a football game, man. It don’t matter. At the end of the day, you don’t go out there to lose. You’re trying to win, so forget about it. You live with what you live with. The Giants won today, so I’m in a good mood.” They sure played like they weren’t a tanking team. The Giants totaled 309 passing yards on 389 yards from scrimmage in large part thanks to a dominant performance from rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (171 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions). Nabers, who was spotted throwing a football with Sanders in the streets of Manhattan earlier this month, was mum when asked about the draft implications of the win. “I ain’t really got nothing to say about that,” said Nabers. The draft’s going to be the draft.” Veterans Jermaine Eluemunor and Darius Slayton offered a bit more wisdom. Sure, the better draft position is nice, but losing 13 straight games (which is what it would have required) might have been detrimental to the “culture” the Giants are trying to build. “You’d rather your team go out there and fight for every inch than lay down and just take an a**-whooping,” Eluemunor said. “Yeah, you get your pick that you wanted, but what is that player coming into? You’ve got to establish some sort of culture. “We’re trying to establish a culture that can lead into next year...I’m sure everything will still work out how this franchise needs it to work out.” “This isn’t basketball, it’s not golf, it’s not tennis,” said Slayton. “Football, you get hit. I’m not finna go out there and just let people tee off on me to tank. I’m not about to let people dive at my knees for free. At the end of the day, we’re trying to win and today showed that fight.” According to TankAThon, the Giants have the best strength of schedule among three-win teams (they face the Eagles in their final game next week), so it’s highly unlikely they’ll leapfrog teams like the Browns, Titans or Patriots, who now own the No. 1 pick, next week. Sunday’s win opens up countless questions about what the Giants now might do in the offseason. Will they trade up to No. 1? Or perhaps pivot to a bridge quarterback instead of reaching in a weaker class? Either way, the players are focused on one thing: Beating the Eagles in Week 18 — even if it means taking another nosedive down the draft board. “That’s more of an upstairs thing,” Brian Burns said. “They’ll figure out however they want to play those cards.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at rnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com . You can follow him on X @ryannovo62.
Puma Ball Street Kings: LaLiga intensifies fight against racismRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver's license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin's attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. "Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans' 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers. Gary D. Robertson, The Associated Press
Bladed weapon sales restrictions take effect at end of month
Dominant defense leads UConn to 27-14 win over North Carolina in Fenway BowlBy Rasaq Oboiren The PUMA BALL STREET KINGS tournament returned at the football pitch of Pinnock Beach Estate in Lagos with more emphasis on the LALIGA VS Racism campaign. The third edition of the competition in Lagos in three years – was at the heart of the event, featuring matches between community-based teams such as Pinnock Estate, Royal Garden Estate, Emerald Estate, Real Madrid Fan Club, Chevron Estate and Femi Okunu Housing Estate. Desmond Chiji, LALIGA Delegate in Nigeria, said: “The PUMA BALL STREET KINGS tournament is the ideal showcase for the sense of community and tolerance that the LALIGA VS platform is all about. Racism has no place in football or society. Through LALIGA VS Racism, we are reaffirming our commitment to transparency, unity, and diversity, which truly make the game beautiful.” LALIGA VS Racism, which is part of the wider LALIGA VS platform, is a comprehensive campaign dedicated to eradicating racism and hate both inside and outside football stadiums. It combines educational and preventative initiatives, including increasing the visibility of reporting channels, the use of personalized captain’s armbands and fixed informative signs inside LALIGA grounds, together with firm action such as working closely with governmental and judicial authorities to hold perpetrators accountable. LALIGA has recently collaborated with Nigerian media platforms to amplify this anti-racism messaging, emphasizing the importance of addressing the issue head-on. Tresor Penku, Managing Director for LALIGA Africa, added: “Football is a unifying force that transcends borders and cultures. The efforts globally are a testament to our determination to use the sport as a vehicle for meaningful change, ensuring that football remains a safe and inclusive space for all.” As LALIGA continues its work across Africa and the globe, its commitment to making football a sport for all reinforces the unifying power of the beautiful game.