Leonardo DiCaprio stopped by police who dont recognise him
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
5 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Labubu vs Lafufu: How to spot the fake dolls? Pop Mart warns collectors
Synopsis Labubu is a plush toy character designed by Hong Kong–born Belgian artist Kasing Lung, recognised for its oversized eyes, tall rabbit-like ears, and signature serrated grin. To verify if your Labubu toy is original, carefully examine the features, quality, and packaging of the box and the doll. Look out for the Pop Mart logo stamp, which will be present on the left foot, and a QR code will also be present on the box. Also, check for consistent colours, crisp printing, and seamless stitching. (Image Credits: Pinterest) With the popularity of Labubu collectibles soaring globally, Chinese lifestyle toy company Pop Mart has issued fresh guidance to help fans distinguish genuine merchandise from counterfeit imitations known as 'Lafufu'. The company's advisory comes amid rising reports of fakes being sold both online and in physical markets, often at prices close to the real product. Labubu is a plush toy character originally created by Hong Kong-born Belgian artist Kasing Lung, known for its oversized eyes, tall rabbit-like ears and a serrated grin. First adapted into collectibles by Pop Mart in 2019, Labubus are typically sold as keychains with fur-covered bodies and bare hands and feet. In contrast, Lafufu is the term collectors have adopted for counterfeit versions. These knock-offs often mimic the Labubu design but fall short on material quality, detailing and branding, as per a report by ABC. Counterfeit sellers range from street hawkers to unverified online vendors, some openly marketing the toys as replicas and others attempting to pass them off as Mart attributes Labubu's enduring appeal to 'sustained fan engagement and global expansion' rather than celebrity endorsements alone. A company spokesperson told PTI that strong collector communities, organic creator content and demand for a range of intellectual properties — from SKULLPANDA to Molly — have fuelled say exclusivity and social influence add to the toy's appeal. 'When [Blackpink's] Lisa wore one on her purse, everyone noticed,' said collector Ensito, adding that owning a Labubu can feel as thrilling as acquiring high-end fashion accessories. As with many sought-after collectibles, the success of Labubu has drawn imitators. Lafufus have proliferated in markets worldwide, with some nearly identical to the authentic toys. In certain cases, counterfeiters reuse genuine Labubu boxes but swap out the toy inside, resealing it to mislead buyers. The company emphasises that the most reliable way to secure an authentic Labubu is to purchase through official channels, including: Pop Mart retail stores and the Pop Mart app Robo Shops and the official TikTok Shop Amazon's official Pop Mart storefront Pop Mart booths at sanctioned events such as San Diego Comic-Con Shopping from these outlets ensures quality, safety and authenticity, the spokesperson said. For those buying from other sources, Pop Mart offers several tips to spot a counterfeit: Paint Quality – Authentic Labubus feature precise sculpting and clean paint application, particularly around eyes, teeth and nose. Sloppy or chipped paint is a warning sign. Branding and Packaging – Originals include official Pop Mart tags, artist attribution and correct spelling on labels. The Lafufu examined by PTI contained glaring spelling errors. Stitching and Details – Inferior stitching, uneven seams and incorrect proportions — such as having more or fewer than the standard nine teeth — indicate a fake. Security Features (Post-2024) – Genuine figures now include an engraved Pop Mart tag, the artist's name on the foot, and a QR code on the tag that links to Pop Mart's website for verification. Counterfeits rarely include these. Interestingly, some dedicated Labubu enthusiasts collect standout Lafufus for their humour value, citing warped faces, odd body shapes and obvious errors as 'charming quirks'. However, Pop Mart warns that most fakes are designed to deceive and may lack durability or safe materials.'Fans should shop directly from Pop Mart and authorised partners to guarantee authenticity,' the company reiterated. The firm says it is continuing to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures to protect both collectors and the brand's for Pop Mart branding, the artist's name on the foot (for 2024 and later releases), a QR code linking to the official Pop Mart site, and flawless paintwork. Buying from official channels is the safest laws vary by jurisdiction, Lafufus are unauthorised copies and violate intellectual property rights. Pop Mart discourages purchasing them, particularly from sellers attempting to pass them off as genuine.
New Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Embracing coding and culture: The humanities find a home in IITs
These shifts raise more fundamental questions. What do we mean by 'valuable' knowledge? Who has the privilege to decide what counts as literature, or art, or insight? For instance, take the Nobel Prize in Literature. When Dario Fo, the Italian playwright, won in 1997, and Bob Dylan in 2016, many critics baulked. They were not 'real' writers, some argued. While others saw it differently. After all, Fo and Dylan were both storytellers in a more encompassing way. Their stories were never supposed to just be read; they were meant to be heard, felt, and performed, like the epics of Homer and Kalidasa, the plays of Shakespeare. Maybe this was a return to the roots of literature. This very rethinking is happening in the humanities classrooms of IITs. Scholars are not only analysing printed texts; they are exploring how Instagram captions and hashtags shape public discourse; how digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook become the repository of language, art, and practice, indigenous or otherwise; or how algorithms control what we read, and how digital archives are reshaping our cultural memory. Discussing interdisciplinarity is much easier than doing it. Conventionally, research funding happened horizontally, but now momentum is building towards the diagonal, raising the question: what role should academics (and academic institutions) play in an evolving world characterised by technological acceleration and cultural upheaval? For decades, STEM disciplines were measured by quantifiable outputs: patents, products, and market impact. But that feels increasingly small in the wake of climate change, AI ethics, and social disconnection. Hence, the questions we face today are not only scientific; they are also social, cultural, and moral. What is emerging within these IITs is a conscious reframing for seeing code and computation in the larger context of history, ethics, language, and social practice. As India endeavours to establish itself as a globally relevant knowledge hub, this interdisciplinary current that is developing within the IITs is likely to be one of its greatest assets beyond metadata and computation. These institutions are not only edifying engineers and scientists but also training the next wave of thinkers who will grapple with the ethical, social, and political implications of their work. The growth of interdisciplinary research in the IITs will not simply depend on institutional changes, but is contingent upon the gradual shift in academic outlook and engagement. Moving in this direction will require institutional and intellectual courage to move beyond the comforts and legacy of established models, and seek a more inclusive, responsive way of 'knowing.' However, should the preliminary signs be considered, the journey has already begun. References Frodeman, Robert, Julie Thompson Klein, and Roberto C. S. Pacheco, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. Kaur, Ravinder. 'Locating the Humanities and the Social Sciences in Institutes of Technology.' Sociological Bulletin 54, no. 3 (2005): 412–27. (The author is an Associate Professor of English and Gender Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna)
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
'My husband and his...': Real reason behind Joe Biden's daughter Ashley's divorce revealed
Ashley Biden reportedly posted a video on her Instagram of her husband and his girlfriend. But she took it down immediately. A day later, she filed for divorce. Ashley Biden, the daughter of former president Joe Biden, ended her marriage of 13 years and filed for divorce from her husband Dr Howard Krein. Signaling a new beginning in her life, Ashley posted Monday a photo on her Instagram stories of her walking through a park, giving a thumbs up, while Beyoncé's 'Freedom' played. She also reposted a quote, 'New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won't look or sound like they did before,' set to Lauryn Hill's 'Freedom Time.' Ashley and Krein met in 2010 through her older half-brother Beau Biden. They got engaged in October 2011 and then married in June 2012 in Greenville, Delaware. Krein is a plastic surgeon. The announcement did not come with any explanation and was thought to be a mutual decision to part ways after years of being together. But now reports claimed that a day before the announcement, Ashley posted a video for a very brief time and took it down. According to Daily Mail, Ashley uploaded a pixelated video of what she called if her husband and his girlfriend. The woman was seen in a strapless black dress. Set to The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Another,' the caption read: 'My husband and his girlfriend holding hands.' The revelation indicates that Ashley caught her husband cheating on her and filed for divorce. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Update: The Strategy Uses By Successful Intraday Trader TradeWise Learn More Undo In the divorce filings, Ashley is seeking spousal support and to remain on Krein's health and life insurance during the proceedings. Ashley's filing signals she'd prefer to avoid a messy court fight, stating that while she is requesting an equal split of all property acquired during their marriage, she is 'willing to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement of all matters. ' Ashley and Krein were last seen publicly together in the Oval Office in June 2024, when Biden told the nation he was withdrawing from the presidential race after a disastrous debate with President Donald Trump. Ashley Biden is the only child Joe Biden and Jill Biden share.
