'Forever Present' campaign revives the iconic A Diamond is Forever tagline and celebrates the diamond dream NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- De Beers Group today launched a new marketing campaign, 'Forever Present', to reinforce desirability for natural diamonds over the key holiday gifting season in the U.S. The campaign sees the return of the iconic 'A Diamond is Forever' tagline following its reintroduction to De Beers' category marketing activities last year. Highlighting a diverse array of gifting opportunities for natural diamonds this holiday season, the campaign celebrates familial, friendship and romantic relationships under the premise that 'natural connections deserve natural diamonds', making them the ideal choice for celebrating special moments with special people. The campaign reinforces the notion that natural diamonds are a store of emotional value that enable precious memories to remain 'forever present'. The campaign features diverse real-life couples, illustrating unforgettable moments and key milestones worth celebrating with the most special people in our lives, bringing the true essence of their relationships to life on screen. Showcasing classic jewellery designs including studs, tennis bracelets, anniversary bands, three-stone rings and solitaire pendants, the campaign speaks to a broad audience of U.S. gift-givers. The campaign will run nationally throughout the U.S. across digital platforms, social media including Instagram and TikTok, and out-of-home including major airports. To enhance its reach and impact and support U.S. independent jewellery retailers, the campaign assets will also be made available free-of-charge to retailers planning to invest in natural diamond marketing this holiday season. Sandrine Conseiller , CEO of De Beers Brands, said: "De Beers' iconic natural diamond category campaigns have shaped desire for natural diamonds over many decades. We're proud to build on this tradition by reviving and refreshing one of our most legendary taglines "A Diamond Is Forever" this holiday season. With a modern sensibility and playful colloquial language, this latest campaign encapsulates the unique qualities of natural diamonds, positioning them as the perfect choice for celebrating life's most cherished milestones." The Forever Present campaign follows the recently launched Worth the Wait campaign, a collaboration between De Beers Group and Signet Jewelers. While Worth the Wait is focused on soon-to-be-engaged Millennial and Gen Z audiences, Forever Present appeals to gift-givers of all ages by showcasing the connection between natural diamonds and creating precious memories with loved ones this holiday season. Retailers interested in learning more about the Forever Present campaign and how they can participate can visit: adiamondisforevermarketing.com . The campaign is featured on @Adiamondisforever on Instagram and TikTok. The Forever Present campaign assets are available to download here . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/de-beers-group-launches-holiday-campaign-for-natural-diamonds-302314554.html SOURCE De Beers Group
From Bond-style cars with secret hidey holes to hollow gas cylinders, drug smugglers’ most cunning tricks revealedEntrepreneurs starting up businesses or looking toward expansions attended the Northwestern Ontario (NWO) Innovation Centre’s Meet the Funders event to learn about attainable funding sources. Funders have been vital to the survival of local businesses, both large and small. Jeff Coull, executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, says it can be intimidating for organizations looking for funding. “When you start searching to find who does what, what do I need or what are the specific eligibility requirements, it can be quite complicated,” Coull said. “Our goal is to introduce people to the different funding organizations and connect them to have a one-on-one conversation.” The Meet the Funders event, which took place at the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre last month, provided a three-minute profile from each funder and an opportunity to speak with them privately. Each of the funding representatives described their organization and how they provide funding for businesses. Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre offers several funding programs, including the Next-Level program that provides a grant of up to $5,000 reimbursed at a 50-per cent cost share. Eligible activities must focus on scaling or accelerating the organization and eligible expenses include equipment and software, trade show and travel costs, and late-stage product development. Youth Effect is a summer youth subsidy program for any employer with an innovative new project over 15 weeks. The Executive in Residence program helps to find a senior external resource to support a specific initiative temporarily. The Co-Starter program provides $18,000 over an intense 12-week accelerator course for new businesses with an opportunity at the end to pitch for a $250,000 investment. The centre is the local representative for the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products and Productivity (SNAPP) program for Northern Ontario agriculture and food producers and businesses. The program provides up to $10,000 at a 50-per cent cost-share towards the purchase of equipment and materials that result in creating new food products, enhancing productivity or resource use, and reducing ecological impact. Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) supports community enhancement, infrastructure, and community events through funding and internship programs. The main criteria for organizations to apply is for them to bring jobs to Northern Ontario. Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) FedNor is one of seven regional development agencies established by the Government of Canada to service various regions across the country. Their Northern Ontario Development Program is primarily focused on the private or public sectors and the Regional Economic Growth and Innovation program has funding for both not-for-profits and for the private sector. Thunder Bay Ventures Thunder Bay Ventures offers financial assistance programs for new business starts, maintenance and expansion. The micro-loan program lends up to $25,000, term loans lend a maximum of $150,000 and the Northwestern Ontario investment pool lends larger loan amounts of up to $600,000. Initiatives include the student Enter the Den competitions, the Thunder Bay Area business competence index and a virtual tourism map. Paro Centre for Women’s Enterprise Paro Centre for Women’s Enterprise features peer circles comprised of four to seven women that provide opportunities for peer support and access to peer lending via grants and loans. Paro is also the provider for the Woman’s Entrepreneur Loan Fund with up to $50,000 for startup or expansion. A third grant fund is specific to women entrepreneurs already established in business and looking to expand and scale up into new regions. Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) Entrepreneur Centre Within the CEDC, the Entrepreneur Centre offers programs such as the Starter Company Plus program with a $5,000 grant available for businesses looking to either start up, expand or purchase an existing business or become full-time businesses. The Summer Company Program provides support mentorship and $3,000 in funding for anybody looking to launch a business during the summer. The Miinikaanan-Bakakidoon program is an Indigenous business branch of the Starter Company Plus program with a $5,000 grant for businesses looking to either start, expand or purchase. Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) BDC is a crown corporation that provides funding through financing opportunities. BDC offers loans and advisory services for businesses at a cost or a very good rate of return. Northern Ontario Angels Mary Long-Irwin with Northern Ontario Angels said they are a non-profit group that supports businesses by finding or helping to source an angel investor for your business. They work with you to help launch or grow your business or build your networks. Ontario Centre for Innovation (OCI) The Ontario Centre for Innovation helps to connect Ontario innovators with researchers, industry partners and funding for the next generation of made-in-Ontario academic intellectual property and solutions. eCampus Ontario eCampus Ontario offers funding programs to support the evolution of online and technology-enabled teaching at Ontario colleges and universities. The Ontario Collaborative Innovation Platform is a new matchmaking program that connects Ontario companies with expert researchers at Ontario’s post-secondary institutions to help businesses innovate and get to market more quickly and confidently. It creates opportunities for institutions to bring their vast research capabilities to bear on real-world challenges. Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) NADF services an area from Timmins to the Manitoba border to finance and support individual or community First Nation-owned businesses through loans and grants. Individuals can tap into $100,000 in grants and the First Nation communities have the opportunity to tap into $250,000 in grants. These grants help to jumpstart startups, help out with expansions or purchase different companies. NADF’s Web program provides loans or grants of up to $20,000 to help women in business build up credit. The E-commerce grant of up to $8,000 is for small businesses that want a jumpstart in website design or to upgrade technology in their business and is a nonrepayable grant that doesn’t require equity. Emergency loans for businesses in the north and winter road access to help with inventory are also available. Futurepreneur Futurepreneur has four main financing mentorship and resource programs. They are the only national non-profit organization specializing in business support, financing and mentorship to young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39. Confederation College Although Confederation College is not a direct funder, they have access to funding to support economic, social or environmental projects that provide benefits to small and medium enterprises.
House passes bill limiting energy efficiency mandates on home laundry machines‘My Makeup is Wrong,’ the latest exhibition by talented artist Fabienne Francotte, offers a deeply personal exploration of grief, providing an intimate glimpse into her psyche as she navigates the complex themes of loss, trauma, and acceptance. Through the meticulous application of ink, Francotte’s brushwork reveals a fascinating interplay between restraint and release, reflecting her background in calligraphy and ballet. These influences manifest in her precise movements, allowing her to engage in a profound dialogue with her materials. This relationship between artist and medium is critical to her process, as she contemplates the societal discourse surrounding invisible wounds and hidden traumas that shape our lives. The exhibition features the eponymous series ‘My Makeup is Wrong’, which presents ethereal portraits—ghostly, half-formed expressions that evoke a haunting ambiguity. Through shades of blue and soft white, Francotte skillfully embodies the scars left by absence, delineating emotional wounds across her figures with bold lines of red and black. With closed eyes and tense expressions, these portrayals reflect the deep, lingering sentiments associated with loss. In her series ‘Roots’, Francotte explores the fragility of existence through black, thread-like streaks that flow vertically down the canvas. These roots appear detached from their source, symbolizing the ongoing struggle for grounding as we navigate life’s challenges. Beyond ink and paint, Fabienne Francotte expands her artistry to include fabric, metal, and clay, engaging with the aftermath of trauma, abuse, and migratory displacement. Drawing from her observations and personal experiences, she transcends cultural and socioeconomic boundaries, offering a perspective that reflects the complexities and shared humanity encountered across diverse divides. Since moving to Sri Lanka in 2016, Francotte has been keenly aware of various social issues impacting the island. Her artistic journey is interwoven with personal narratives, as she has spent years documenting her experiences in diaries. This written language has organically transformed into a visual dialogue, allowing her to channel the intense emotions that underpin her work. Fabienne Francotte’s artistic credentials are impressive. She studied calligraphy at Maison du Livre in Brussels in 2000 and has participated in the KIAR Art Residency in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2022. Her work has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, and South Asia. The exhibition ‘My Makeup is Wrong’ at Saskia Fernando Gallery concludes on December 17. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the powerful narratives and striking visuals that Fabienne Francotte has to offer in this compelling exhibition.
Memphis beats No. 2 UConn 99-97 in overtime to tip off Maui Invitational LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Tyrese Hunter scored 17 of his 26 points after halftime to lead Memphis to a 99-97 overtime win against two-time defending national champion and second-ranked UConn in the first round of the Maui Invitational. Hunter shot 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Tigers, who were 12 of 22 from beyond at the arc as a team. PJ Haggerty had 22 points and five assists, Colby Rogers had 19 points and Dain Dainja scored 14. Tarris Reed Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Huskies. Alex Karaban had 19 points and six assists, and Jaylin Stewart scored 16. Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender A judge has rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she’s transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship in Las Vegas this week. His order also upholds the seedings and pairings in the tournament. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and Los Angeles Angels agree to a $63 million, 3-year contract, AP source says A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $63 million, three-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. An All-Star with Seattle in 2021, Kikuchi was 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA this year for Toronto and Houston, which acquired him on July 30. Kikuchi was 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts with the Astros. He is 41-47 with a 4.57 ERA in six seasons. Conference title games a chance at a banner, bragging rights and, for some, a season-wrecking loss Indiana should be able to breathe easy. The Hoosiers have very little chance of making it to the Big Ten championship game. In the Southeastern Conference, Georgia has a spot in the league title game but with that comes a lot of worry. Conference title games give teams a chance to hang a banner, but for national title contenders it is an additional chance for a season-wrecking loss — even with an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Monday that quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. Pierce said Aidan O’Connell is on injured reserve with a broken thumb. He could be available to start when the Raiders visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. The Raiders also could turn to Desmond Ridder. He replaced Minshew when he was injured late in Sunday’s 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. UCLA moves up to No. 1 in AP Top 25 women's basketball poll for first time in history UCLA has earned the school's first No. 1 ranking in in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll. The Bruins knocked off the previous top team, South Carolina, which had held the No. 1 spot for the previous 23 polls. UCLA moved up four spots. UConn remained No. 2. Notre Dame pulled off its own upset, beating then-No. 3 USC and moving up to third. South Carolina dropped to fourth, Texas is fifth and USC fell to sixth. Iowa is in the poll for the first time in the post-Caitlin Clark era, coming in at No. 22. Kansas stays at No. 1 ahead of showdown vs. No. 11 Duke; Ole Miss, Mississippi St back in AP Top 25 Kansas remained solidly entrenched at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll ahead of its showdown with Duke in Las Vegas. The Jayhawks received 51 of 62 first-place votes from the national panel of media, putting them well ahead of two-time reigning national champion UConn, which was second with six first-place votes. Gonzaga was third with two first-place votes, Auburn was next with three, and Iowa State rounded out a top five that was unchanged from the previous week. Xavier, Ole Miss and Mississippi State entered the poll at the expense of Illinois, St. John's and Rutgers. Wake up the ghosts! Texas, Texas A&M rivalry that dates to 1894 is reborn AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player who grew up in the state has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade it has been only ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football’s great rivalries is reborn after a 12-year hiatus. Third-ranked Texas plays at No. 20 Texas A&M with a berth in the conference championship game on the line.The World Has Legal and Moral Duty To Stop Genocide in Gaza | Opinion
Portage Biotech Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Noncompliance Letter
Watch horrified Maura Higgins slam dirty I’m A Celeb camp as she can’t stop swearingIf You’re A Parent, Here's What You'll Want To Buy During Walmart’s Black Friday Sale
An end to the COVID-19-era government subsidies that some Americans have used to purchase health insurance. Limits to food stamps, including for women and children, and other safety net programs. Rollbacks to Biden-era green energy programs. Mass deportations . Government job cuts to "drain the swamp." Having won the election and sweeping to power, Republicans are planning an ambitious 100-day agenda with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House and GOP lawmakers in a congressional majority to accomplish their policy goals . Atop the list is the plan to renew some $4 trillion in expiring GOP tax cuts, a signature domestic achievement of Trump's first term and an issue that may define his return to the White House. "What we're focused on right now is being ready, Day 1," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., after meeting recently with GOP colleagues to map out the road ahead. The policies emerging will revive long-running debates about America's priorities, its gaping income inequities and the proper size and scope of its government, especially in the face of mounting federal deficits now approaching $2 trillion a year. The discussions will test whether Trump and his Republican allies can achieve the kinds of real-world outcomes wanted, needed or supported when voters gave the party control of Congress and the White House. "The past is really prologue here," said Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, recalling the 2017 tax debate. Trump's first term became defined by those tax cuts, which were approved by Republicans in Congress and signed into law only after their initial campaign promise to "repeal and replace" Democratic President Barack Obama's health care law sputtered, failing with the famous thumbs-down vote by then-Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The GOP majority in Congress quickly pivoted to tax cuts, assembling and approving the multitrillion-dollar package by year's end. In the time since Trump signed those cuts into law, the big benefits have accrued to higher-income households. The top 1 percent — those making nearly $1 million and above — received about a $60,000 income tax cut, while those with lower incomes got as little as a few hundred dollars, according to the Tax Policy Center and other groups. Some people ended up paying about the same. "The big economic story in the U.S. is soaring income inequality," said Owens. "And that is actually, interestingly, a tax story." In preparation for Trump's return, Republicans in Congress have been meeting privately for months and with the president-elect to go over proposals to extend and enhance those tax breaks, some of which would otherwise expire in 2025. That means keeping in place various tax brackets and a standardized deduction for individual earners, along with the existing rates for so-called pass-through entities such as law firms, doctors' offices or businesses that take their earnings as individual income. Typically, the price tag for the tax cuts would be prohibitive . The Congressional Budget Office estimates that keeping the expiring provisions in place would add some $4 trillion to deficits over a decade. Adding to that, Trump wants to include his own priorities in the tax package, including lowering the corporate rate, now at 21% from the 2017 law, to 15%, and doing away with individual taxes on tips and overtime pay. But Avik Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, said blaming the tax cuts for the nation's income inequality is "just nonsense" because tax filers up and down the income ladder benefited. He instead points to other factors, including the Federal Reserve's historically low interest rates that enable borrowing, including for the wealthy, on the cheap. "Americans don't care if Elon Musk is rich," Roy said. "What they care about is, what are you doing to make their lives better?" Typically, lawmakers want the cost of a policy change to be offset by budget revenue or reductions elsewhere. But in this case, there's almost no agreed-upon revenue raisers or spending cuts in the annual $6 trillion budget that could cover such a whopping price tag. Instead, some Republicans have argued that the tax breaks will pay for themselves, with the trickle-down revenue from potential economic growth. Trump's tariffs floated this past week could provide another source of offsetting revenue. Some Republicans argue there's precedent for simply extending the tax cuts without offsetting the costs because they are not new changes but existing federal policy. "If you're just extending current law, we're not raising taxes or lowering taxes," said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on Fox News. He said the criticism that tax cuts would add to the deficit is "ridiculous." There is a difference between taxes and spending, he said, "and we just have to get that message out to America." At the same time, the new Congress will also be considering spending reductions, particularly to food stamps and health care programs, goals long sought by conservatives as part of the annual appropriations process. One cut is almost certain to fall on the COVID-19-era subsidy that helps defray the cost of health insurance for people who buy their own policies via the Affordable Care Act exchange. The extra health care subsidies were extended through 2025 in Democratic President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which also includes various green energy tax breaks that Republicans want to roll back. The House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, scoffed at the Republican claim that they've won "some big, massive mandate" — when in fact, the House Democrats and Republicans essentially fought to a draw in the November election, with the GOP eking out a narrow majority. "This notion about some mandate to make massive, far-right extreme policy changes, it doesn't exist — it doesn't exist," Jeffries said. Republicans are planning to use a budgetary process, called reconciliation, that allows majority passage in Congress, essentially along party lines, without the threat of a filibuster in the Senate that can stall out a bill's advance unless 60 of the 100 senators agree. It's the same process Democrats have used when they had the power in Washington to approve the Inflation Reduction Act and Obama's health care law over GOP objections. Republicans have been here before with Trump and control of Congress, which is no guarantee they will be able to accomplish their goals, particularly in the face of resistance from Democrats. Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been working closely with Trump on the agenda, has promised a "breakneck" pace in the first 100 days "because we have a lot to fix."SALT LAKE CITY — The Dallas Mavericks take on the Utah Jazz at 8:30 p.m. CT Saturday on KFAA! Not sure how to watch? Here's a breakdown on how to tune in – and guarantee you get the clearest signal possible of the broadcast. The Dallas Mavericks (11-8) are looking to extend their winning streak when they take on the Utah Jazz (4-14) in Salt Lake City Saturday night. The Mavs will likely be without Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson, impacting their offensive production. However, this isn't the first time the Mavs have been forced to play without a couple of stars, and the good news is they get to do it against a struggling team. These next two games on the Mavs schedule will provide them with some opportunities to gear up for Tuesday night's NBA Cup matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. If the Mavs can win, they will sneak into the bracket in the wildcard spot. Dallas Mavericks injury report Luka Doncic: Doubtful (right wrist sprain) Dante Exum: Out (right wrist surgery) Klay Thompson: Out (left foot plantar fascia) Brandon Williams: Out (G-League two-way) Utah Jazz injury report Jordan Clarkson: Out (left plantar fasciitis) Kyle Filipowski: Out (lower left leg injury maintenance) Taylor Hendricks: Out (right fibula fracture) David Jones Garcia: Out (G-League two-way) Collin Sexton: Available (left fourth finger avulsion fracture) Oscar Tshiebwe: Out (G-League two-way) Cody Williams: Out (G-League on assignment) What's next Following tonight's matchup with the Jazz, the Mavericks will head to Portland to take on the Trailblazers. Sunday, Dec. 1: at Portland Trailblazers on KFAA at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday, Dec. 3: vs. Memphis Grizzlies on WFAA/KFAA at 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday, Dec. 5: at Washington Wizards on KFAA at 6 p.m. CT