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Hermès Birkins may be costly — but they aren’t expensive. Or so says the luxury brand’s artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas. “The cost is the actual price of making an object properly with the required level of attention so that you have an object of quality,” Dumas said in a recent segment of CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “Expensive is a product, which is not delivering what it’s supposed to deliver, but you’ve paid quite a large amount of money for it, and then it betrays you. That’s expensive.” A large sum of cash isn’t the only thing eager customers have to have to get their hands on a Birkin , which costs at least $9,000 off the shelf or tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on auction or resale . They need unlimited time, too. The brand’s boutiques are usually out of stock of the enviable Birkin bags , which are available in limited quantities due to the high level of craftsmanship necessary to stitch them by hand. When asked how exactly the world’s most fashionable can purchase a Birkin , Dumas told CBS that they “have to be patient.” “You go to a store. You get an appointment. You meet a salesperson. You talk about what you want. It’s not available. You’ll have to wait. They’ll come back to you. It takes a long time,” he explained. “Eventually, it’s gonna happen.” Dumas debunked the age-old myth that the Hermès handbags are an exclusive club. For years, rumors have swirled that claimed the luxe label only offers its highly coveted bags to devout customers who spend a certain dollar amount , or that the brand has created an illusion of scarcity. Dumas insists this is not the case. “It makes me smile that this is — a diabolical — marketing idea that can only come out of people obsessed with marketing,” he said. “But we don’t have a marketing department at Hermès.” He added: “Whatever we have, we put on the shelf, and it goes.” The reality is much less sexy than an intricate marketing ploy: The supply doesn’t keep up with the demand. Dumas likened the business to “an old lady with startup issues,” saying that the only way to match the brand’s rapid growth in such a short period of time is to train more people. In the brand’s nearly two dozen workshops across France, there is no assembly line nor factory machinery, rather, Hermès handbags are made by hand by a single artisan who has mastered the art of the saddle stitch and memorized how to make a bag without written instruction. Becoming a bag maker for Hermès is “a life profession,” explained Dumas. “They will finish their career at Hermès,” he added. CBS spoke with one artisan named Amandine, who was completing a Kelly, one of the most difficult Hermès handbags to make with four hours dedicated just to the handle, the outlet reported. The entire bag takes around 20 hours to make — and won’t be speeding up anytime soon. “We’re about craft. We’re not machines,” said Dumas, encouraging prospective customers to practice patience. “And we are not compromising on the quality of the way we make the bags.” He added: “You cannot compress time, at one point, without compromising on quality.”

The huge country where barely anybody lives that's the world's largest landlocked nationDuke rallies from 14 down, beats Wake Forest 23-17 on final-play pass

OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada's next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump's latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn't clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump's 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump's team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc's spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words "some information about Canada for Americans." Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian PressA pair of teams with minimal rest will face off in Nassau, Bahamas, on Sunday when No. 22 St. John takes on Georgia. St. John's (5-1), which will play its third game in four days, began the stretch in the Bahamas Championship on Thursday, dropping a heartbreaker to No. 13 Baylor. The Red Storm led by 18 in the first half before Baylor forced overtime. From there, St. John's rallied from five down with 1:47 left to send the game to a second overtime, where it saw Baylor knock down a pair of 3-pointers in the final seven seconds -- including Jeremy Roach's buzzer-beater -- to knock off the Red Storm 99-98. In the third-place game on Friday, St. John's breezed past Virginia 80-55. RJ Luis Jr. led the way with 18 points and four steals, followed by Kadary Richmond's 12 points, as the Red Storm took a one-point lead with 15:21 left in the first half and didn't trail again. "I'm really impressed with our guys, coming off a double-overtime, extremely emotional loss," St. John's head coach Rick Pitino said. "To respond that way was extremely impressive, both offensively and defensively." Pitino, in his second year with the Red Storm, was moved by something off the court on Friday, involving captain Zuby Ejiofor, who chipped in eight points, nine boards, two steals and two blocks. Ejiofor was serenaded by St. John's fans during the win, following his two missed free throws at the end of double overtime against Baylor. "When you've only been in a job for a year, you search for things you love about a place," Pitino said. "Tonight I found out what I love about St. John's. Our fans chanted Zuby's name the whole game, which doesn't happen anywhere else in America. I was really impressed with our fans and I thank them for making Zuby feel good, because he gives you all the energy." Luis leads the Red Storm with 17.3 points per game, followed by Ejiofor (10.7), Aaron Scott (10.5), Deivon Smith (10.3) and Richmond (10.2). Georgia enters Sunday's matchup looking to rebound from its first loss after falling to No. 15 Marquette 80-69 on Saturday. Georgia (5-1) battled back from a 15-point, second-half deficit, but was held to just three points over the final 4:57 in Saturday's loss. Blue Cain led the Bulldogs with a season-high 17 points, including five 3-pointers. "It's a process. It's a journey with this team," Bulldogs head coach Mike White said. "It's about continuing to make strides, continuing to protect our culture. ... At the end of the day, wins and losses are going to take care of themselves. We just have to embrace the process and enjoy it." Five-star freshman recruit Asa Newell was held to a season-low nine points but leads the team with 15.5 points per game. Silas Demary Jr. is second with 13.8. --Field Level Media

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved the appointment of 160 new Supervisory Councilors and Special Assistants across all 33 local government areas in the state. The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Otunba Ademola Ojo, disclosed this to newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, December 24. The Commissioner, who also disclosed that the list, which comprised 93 Supervisory Councilors and 67 Special Assistants, includes persons living with disabilities (PLWD), marked a significant step towards social inclusion in governance. Otunba Ojo, otherwise called ‘Ijaya,’ stated that the 33 Local Government Executive Chairmen have also been directed to immediately swear in the new appointees. He added that the decision aligns with the governor’s promise to ensure that all segments of society have a voice in decision-making processes under the present administration in the state. According to the Commissioner, the new appointees were selected based on merit, competence, and their capacity to contribute to the Makinde administration’s agenda of sustainable development, especially at the grassroots. He explained that the appointments aim to strengthen the governance framework at the local government level to ensure effective service delivery to the people of Oyo State. “This administration is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their physical abilities or background, is represented in governance, and this is so because the present administration believes in the talents and potential of all individuals, including persons living with disabilities,” he said. The Commissioner also emphasised the need for the newly appointed officials to prioritise the welfare of their local communities while urging them to work closely with local stakeholders to address pressing issues and deliver impactful projects. READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE- Leading efficient care management for the elderly with unimpeded smartcar e h ttps://img.hankyung.com/pdsdata/pr.hankyung.com/uploads/2024/11/image01-1.png SEOUL, South Korea , Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JCF Technology is a startup that independently developed 'MecKare', a radar sensor that measures biological signals in a non-contact manner, and provides a platform service that automatically connects users and guardians in two-way emergency situations through an artificial intelligence analysis system. Since its establishment in 2016, it has developed a highly accurate non-contact multi-biological radar sensor through many years of technology accumulation, and succeeded in commercializing the product for the first time in 2021. MecKare uses microwave radar and micro-Doppler signal processing technology to measure the user's heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin temperature within 16.4 ft in real time. The sensor can measure human body movement patterns using precise and highly responsive thermal infrared rays and can detect falls through pattern analysis based on changes in human movement. In particular, the movement and change of thermal infrared rays within the measurement range are detected in real time, and the trend of biomarkers that appear as advance signs before a person falls can be checked through differential motion detection that measures the user's movement pattern. It provides an alarm in advance by predicting before a person falls, enabling accuracy and quick response to accidents. As a result, it is possible to prevent safety accidents in the elderly by detecting emergency situations such as lonely death, cardiac arrest, breathing difficulties, and falls. Additionally, unlike other existing wearable devices such as smart watches or bands, MecKare does not need to be worn or attached to the body, so it can be used remotely via Wi-Fi without causing stress to the user. https://img.hankyung.com/pdsdata/pr.hankyung.com/uploads/2024/11/image02.png MecKare can be installed in the bedroom, bathroom, living room, or entrance of a home or facilities(Assisted Living, Nursing Home, etc) to provide 24-hour monitoring without a camera and detect abnormal signs in advance using a biometric information analysis algorithm and deliver them to the guardian. MecKare's radar biometric sensor is recognized in the global market for its technology as a device that obtains precisely customized biometric information while overcoming spatial constraints and without risk of privacy infringement. MecKare is being supplied to senior care facilities in Australia , Germany , Poland , Saudi Arabia , and China . In 2025, MecKare plans to conduct verification of vital signs such as attendance, fall prevention, and asthma of elderly people living in hospitals or assisted living in conjunction with local PPOs/HMOs in the United States . In summary, MecKare is a system that reduces user inconvenience and enables management of multiple patients. By being able to provide personalized health data analysis results, it will serve as an opportunity to change the market paradigm towards preventive smart care. We expect MecKare's A.I to play a role as an innovator that complements, rather than replaces, humans in care settings. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hankyungcom-introduces-meckare-leading-the-ai-powered-innovation-in-health-monitoring-solution-302310743.html SOURCE Hankyung.com

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Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has announced a career break for the rest of 2024 as he signed off from social media with a ‘difficult’ message. The founder of the money saving website took to X to send a Christmas message to his millions of followers in which he told them that he’s stepping away for a period of time for a festive career break set to last until at least the beginning of the New Year. Martin told his 3.1M followers: “I'm signing off social media and work for the festive break now. I would like to wish all who celebrate a joyous, peaceful, and warm-hearted Christmas and a very happy New Year. Thank you all for your continued support.” He added: “I’ll see you back in 2025 fit and raring to go, and hopefully I’ll save you some money next year too.” But Martin had a message for those who might not be having a great Christmas, too, adding: “For those who find this time of year difficult, or grief filled or lonely, may your passage through it be easy with more smiles than you're expecting.” For those alone or struggling at Christmas, there are numbers you can call which are open 24/7, 365 days a year including on Christmas Day: Age UK (England) 0800 678 1602. ageuk.org.uk. Age Cymru (Wales) 0300 303 44 98 Beat. 0808 801 0677 (England) Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) 0800 58 58 58 Combat Stress. 0800 1381 619 The Compassionate Friends. 0345 123 2304. Cruse Bereavement Support. 0808 808 1677. Samaritans: 116 123. The Samaritans says: “No matter how or if you celebrate, it is normal that this time of year can affect your mental health. You may be feeling like you aren’t enjoying the things you usually do this time of year. You may be worried about friends and family or other things happening in the world. You are not alone. There are all sorts of reasons you might find this time of year difficult and that’s OK. “At Samaritans, we’re committed to helping you, however we can. If you don’t feel like there’s anyone you can talk to, our volunteers are here for you. Call free, day or night, on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.”SUNLU Formnext 2024 Event Highlights: From Functional Filaments to FilaDryer E2WASHINGTON — The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defense officials acknowledged that that the Defense Department may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Many U.S. and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he won't provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about $4.35 billion. Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Zelenskyy decide it’s time to negotiate. One senior defense official said that while the U.S. will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until Jan. 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about $1.2 billion remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the U.S. has provided more than $64 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Anyone can get a Birkin — if they follow these steps, Hermès exec reveals: ‘Eventually’

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Tahj Brooks ran for a season-high 188 yards and three touchdowns in the final home game for Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher, and the Red Raiders rolled to a 52-15 victory over West Virginia on Saturday. Texas Tech (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) kept alive faint hopes for a bid in the Big 12 championship game by winning at least eight games in the regular season for the first time since 2009 under the late Mike Leach. The Red Raiders scored at 50 points for the second week in a row and had a resounding response to consecutive home losses. “It was a big deal for us to play well at home,” coach Joey McGuire said. “Our last two home games, we’ve had incredible crowds that had great energy, that had our backs and we played really, really bad. We were embarrassed.” Garrett Greene threw an interception and lost a fumble on Terrell Tilmon's strip sack in the final three minutes of the first half as the Mountaineers (6-6, 5-4) raised more questions about the future of coach Neal Brown by falling behind 35-3 before the break. Behren Morton threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, including a 31-yarder to Caleb Douglas to put Texas Tech in front 42-3 early in the second half. Josh Kelly had 150 yards receiving. “I don’t think the first half of football defines who they are, who they are as individuals, who we are as a team,” Brown said of the Mountaineers. “Not pleased with that.” McGuire, who will have his third winning record in three seasons, called timeout with 5:57 remaining and his team leading 45-15 to take Brooks out of the game. Brooks was mobbed by teammates as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Brooks ran for at least 100 yards in all 11 regular-season games he played, breaking the single-season school record of 10 he shared with Byron Hanspard and Bam Morris. Brooks pushed his career total to 4,557 yards in his first home game since breaking Hanspard's 1996 school record of 4,219 yards two weeks ago at Jones AT&T Stadium. Two of Brooks' TDs came on 2-yard runs from direct snaps, and the other was a 37-yarder when he stumbled on a cut but stayed on his feet and bounced off defensive back Ty French. Brooks has 17 TDs rushing this season and 45 for his career. Brooks set up one of his short TDs with a 30-yard catch. Jahiem White ran for 124 yards with a spinning 21-yard touchdown for West Virginia, and Greene had a 15-yard scoring toss to Rodney Gallagher III. Greene threw two picks. The takeaway West Virginia: A perfect season on the road in the Big 12 ended with a thud. The Mountaineers were 3-0 away from home in conference before allowing 29 second-quarter points followed by another TD just 2:12 into the third. Texas Tech: Tight end Jalin Conyers, one of Brooks' fellow seniors playing his final home game, made up a for a dropped pass in the end zone with a juggling, diving catch for 18 yards to set up Morton's 1-yard scoring toss to Mason Tharp. Conyers, an Arizona State transfer, also had a 2-point conversion run on a swinging gate play from the PAT unit. Up next Both teams are eligible for bowl games. At game's end, Texas Tech's fate for a spot in the Big 12 title game was still up in the air. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Police warn locals not to have 'that one extra' drink this New Year's Eve