Latest news with #Ede
Scottish Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Meghan Markle couldn't get Beyonce so settled for her mum… but even a global star couldn't save As Ever, expert slams
MEGHAN Markle couldn't bag Beyonce for her podcast so she settled for her mum instead, an expert claimed. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, sat down with Tina Knowles for the latest episode of Confessions of a Female Founder this week. 6 Meghan Markle couldn't bag Beyonce for her podcast so she settled for her mum instead, an expert claimed. Credit: Getty 6 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meeting Beyonce and Jay-Z at the European Premiere of Disney's The Lion King at the Odeon Leicester Square, London Credit: PA 6 Meghan spoke to Tina Knowles on this week's episode of her podcast Credit: PA But marketing expert Nick Ede told The Sun how chats with famous celebs won't be enough to save her brand. This comes as the Duchess decided to "just pause" restocking As Ever - after previously selling out in under an hour. Meg said she wants to wait until it is "completely stable and we have everything we need" as to not annoy customers. Mr Ede said: "Meghan obviously is trying really hard to establish herself in a big way, and associating herself with other female founders, was kind of a good idea, because it went well with the As Ever brand, and how that was developing. "But the issue is that actually the As Ever brand hasn't really gone particularly far, so she can't really say that she's a particularly great female founder. "And so when she's been interviewing some of these brilliant people like Sarah Blakely, for instance, who who came up with Spanx and was one of the first youngest billionaires in the world, that's somebody who's actually aspirational, somebody who's worked really hard and created a product which is sold around the world and recognized around the world. "And unfortunately, as ever isn't." Mr Ede dubbed it more of a "PR spin" than a proper brand. He also compared it to Tina Knowles' success as a bestselling author in America and a popular fashion designer. "Meghan is great at piggybacking off other people's success," the expert added. But, despite chatting to popular celebs on the podcast, Mr Ede didn't think it would be of much benefit. "I think one of the biggest problems with this is that unfortunately, Meghan hasn't had the people who are going to get the bums on seats who are going to get the listeners who are going to get the downloaders," he said. "And also the conversations aren't particularly interesting. "They're only interesting to people who want to be female founders, and if they're not, then it doesn't really give them much to talk about." Mr Ede also highlighted how the Duchess "isn't particularly relatable". He said there's a "massive disconnect" as "really she's not a female founder". The expert suggested the mum-of-two's best bet would be venturing into the fashion world. "I don't think she'll do another podcast. I just don't think it's working," he continued. "I would really sit back and go, 'how front facing do I need to be? Do I actually need to be right at the forefront of it? Or can I just use my name to influence and drive sales, make money and feel much more protected?' "I think that would be the best strategy for her in the long run." Meghan has previously told of the difficulties of building her firm and "how many tears" she has shed behind the scenes. She chatted about As Ever on a bonus episode of her podcast featuring Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles. The Duchess has suffered a myriad of problems with the business, from branding rows to claims she is "out of touch" with reality with her pricey jams. The 43-year-old has previously admitted As Ever "overwhelms" her and she stays up stressing about it until 3am. On the podcast, she also expressed her dream of launching a future business with daughter Princess Lilibet, after talking to Tina about the Cecred haircare line she started with Beyoncé. "I wonder if one day I'll be in business with Lily and we'll be building something," the Duchess said, with Tina adding: "That's the best." Meghan spoke about the April launch of her As Ever products including jam and herbal tea. She said that the "scarcity mentality at the beginning might be a hook for people", comparing it to "a sneaker drop". But she feared it might be "annoying" for customers, adding: "I don't want you to eat that jam once every six months. I want that to be on your shelf all the time." Meghan said: "So for me at the moment, with As Ever, it was great. We planned for a year we get and then everything sells out in 45 minutes. "Yes, amazing, great news. Then what do you do? And then you say 'Ok, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer? "I'm looking at it saying 'Just pause. That happened. Let's wait until we are completely stable and we have everything we need'." She added how people "see all the flashy stuff and they see the product. But that end game... those behind the scenes moments, how many tears I've shed". But experts claimed she used a sneaky "ploy" to make sure her pricey food brand sold out in minutes. When Meghan, 43, finally launched her highly anticipated As Ever items, from £11 jars of jam to £22 limited edition honey, it was swiftly out of stock. But a source said: "This is simply a marketing ploy. "You make a relatively small amount available so it all gets bought and then you can say it's so popular it sold out." Meg's chat with Tina comes she shared snaps with Prince Harry as the couple enjoyed watching a Beyonce concert last month. The pair were seen dancing in a luxury suite worth thousands of dollars at the singer's Cowboy Carter tour in LA. Harry, 40, was standing and bopping his head awkwardly while the Duchess repeatedly threw her hands in the air as Beyonce belted out Texas Hold'Em. A separate official photo posted onto Beyonce's official tour website showed the couple smiling with their arms around each other. 6 An expert claimed chats with celebrities won't save Meg's brand Credit: Getty 6 Meghan and Harry pictured together at a Beyonce concert last month Credit: instagram
The Irish Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Meghan Markle couldn't get Beyonce so settled for her mum… but even a global star couldn't save As Ever, expert slams
MEGHAN Markle couldn't bag Beyonce for her podcast so she settled for her mum instead, an expert claimed. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, sat down with Tina Knowles for the latest episode of Confessions of a Female Founder this week. 6 Meghan Markle couldn't bag Beyonce for her podcast so she settled for her mum instead, an expert claimed. Credit: Getty 6 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meeting Beyonce and Jay-Z at the European Premiere of Disney's The Lion King at the Odeon Leicester Square, London Credit: PA 6 Meghan spoke to Tina Knowles on this week's episode of her podcast Credit: PA But marketing expert Nick Ede told The Sun how chats with famous celebs won't be enough to save her brand. This comes as the Duchess decided to Meg said she wants to wait until it is "completely stable and we have everything we need" as to not annoy customers. Mr Ede said: "Meghan obviously is trying really hard to establish herself in a big way, and associating herself with other female founders, was kind of a good idea, because it went well with the As Ever brand, and how that was developing. Read More "But the issue is that actually the "And so when she's been interviewing some of these brilliant people like Sarah Blakely, for instance, who who came up with "And unfortunately, as ever isn't." Mr Ede dubbed it more of a "PR spin" than a proper brand. Most read in Royals He also compared it to "Meghan is great at piggybacking off other people's success," the expert added. But, despite chatting to popular celebs on the podcast, Mr Ede didn't think it would be of much benefit. "I think one of the biggest problems with this is that unfortunately, Meghan hasn't had the people who are going to get the bums on seats who are going to get the listeners who are going to get the downloaders," he said. "And also the conversations aren't particularly interesting. "They're only interesting to people who want to be female founders, and if they're not, then it doesn't really give them much to talk about." Mr Ede also highlighted how the Duchess "isn't particularly relatable". He said there's a "massive disconnect" as "really she's not a female founder". The expert suggested the mum-of-two's best bet would be venturing into the fashion world. "I don't think she'll do another podcast. I just don't think it's working," he continued. "I would really sit back and go, 'how front facing do I need to be? Do I actually need to be right at the forefront of it? Or can I just use my name to influence and drive sales, make money and feel much more protected?' "I think that would be the best strategy for her in the long run." Meghan has previously told of the She chatted about The Duchess has suffered a myriad of problems with the business, from branding rows to claims she is "out of touch" with reality with her pricey jams. The 43-year-old has previously admitted As Ever "overwhelms" her and she stays up stressing about it until 3am. On the podcast, she also expressed her dream of launching a future business with daughter "I wonder if one day I'll be in Meghan spoke about the April launch of her She said that the "scarcity mentality at the beginning might be a hook for people", comparing it to "a sneaker drop". But she feared it might be "annoying" for customers, adding: "I don't want you to eat that jam once every six months. I want that to be on your shelf all the time." Meghan said: "So for me at the moment, with As Ever, it was great. We planned for a year we get and then everything sells out in 45 minutes. "Yes, amazing, great news. Then what do you do? And then you say 'Ok, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer? "I'm looking at it saying 'Just pause. That happened. Let's wait until we are completely stable and we have everything we need'." She added how people "see all the flashy stuff and they see the product. But that end game... those behind the scenes moments, how many tears I've shed". But experts claimed she used a When Meghan, 43, finally launched her highly anticipated As Ever items, from £11 jars of jam to £22 limited edition honey, it was swiftly out of stock. But a source said: "This is simply a marketing ploy. "You make a relatively small amount available so it all gets bought and then you can say it's so popular it sold out." Meg's chat with Tina comes she shared snaps with Prince Harry as the couple enjoyed watching The pair were seen dancing in a luxury suite worth thousands of dollars at the singer's Harry, 40, was standing and bopping his head awkwardly while the Duchess repeatedly threw her hands in the air as Beyonce belted out Texas Hold'Em. A separate official photo posted onto Beyonce's official tour website showed the couple smiling with their arms around each other. 6 An expert claimed chats with celebrities won't save Meg's brand Credit: Getty 6 Meghan and Harry pictured together at a Beyonce concert last month Credit: instagram 6 The mum-of-two shared a collection of loved-up snaps
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Vietnam social media users hit by 'expanding crackdown' on dissent: Human Rights Watch
Vietnam is targeting ordinary social media users for posts criticising the state in an expanding crackdown on dissent, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday (April 22, 2025). Vietnam, a one-party state, has long sentenced bloggers and human rights activists to hefty jail terms, but now even those with no appreciable public profiles risk arrest if they voice a grievance against communist party officials, HRW said in a report. Members of the public are being targeted through an expansion of the scope of article 331 of the penal code, which centres on the "infringement of state interests", the report says. Between 2018 and February 2025, Vietnamese courts convicted and sentenced at least 124 people to harsh prison terms under article 331, according to HRW. In the six years to 2017, only 28 were sentenced under equivalent laws, the report said. Vietnamese authorities "abuse the... law not only to silence prominent activists and whistleblowers, but to retaliate against ordinary people who complain about poor services or police abuse," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Article 331 is the government's handy tool to infringe upon the basic rights of Vietnamese citizens." Harassment, intimidation Among those imprisoned under the article is Vu Thi Kim Hoang, a seamstress who allowed her partner to use her laptop at her home, where he discussed political issues on social media. For hosting him, she was jailed for two and half years. Another is Dao Ba Cuong, who livestreamed a protest he staged inside his house after his son died in police custody in 2022. He was handed a two-year jail term a year later. Others thrown in jail include Nay Y Blang, who reportedly hosted prayer gatherings at his home for members of the Evangelical Church of Christ, a religious group that the Vietnamese government does not recognise. He is serving a prison term of four and a half years for organising meetings to "gather forces... incite secession, self-rule, and establish a separate state for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands", state media said after his trial in January last year. Prior to his jailing, Nay Y Blang, from the ethnic minority Ede group, advocated for religious freedom and met foreign diplomats to discuss the issue, HRW said. The US-based Vietnamese founder of the Evangelical Church of Christ, who goes by the name Pastor Aga, told AFP that Nay Y Blang set up the group "in service of God and his personal religious beliefs". "Blang is a very nice person and loyal to God. He is not against the Vietnamese communist administration. He did not want to set up a separate state," he said. Unrecognised independent religious groups face constant surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, and their followers are subject to forced renunciation of faith, detention, interrogation, torture and prosecution, HRW said. "The Vietnamese government should immediately revoke article 331, release all those detained and imprisoned for exercising their basic human rights," the HRW report concluded. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.
The Star
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
HRW: Vietnam social media users hit by 'expanding crackdown' on dissent
Now even ordinary Vietnamese social media users with no appreciable public profiles risk arrest if they voice a grievance against communist party officials, HRW said. — Photo by Linh Pham on Unsplash BANGKOK: Vietnam is targeting ordinary social media users for posts criticising the state in an expanding crackdown on dissent, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on April 22. Vietnam, a one-party state, has long sentenced bloggers and human rights activists to hefty jail terms, but now even those with no appreciable public profiles risk arrest if they voice a grievance against communist party officials, HRW said in a report. Members of the public are being targeted through an expansion of the scope of article 331 of the penal code, which centres on the "infringement of state interests", the report says. Between 2018 and February 2025, Vietnamese courts convicted and sentenced at least 124 people to harsh prison terms under article 331, according to HRW. In the six years to 2017, only 28 were sentenced under equivalent laws, the report said. Vietnamese authorities "abuse the... law not only to silence prominent activists and whistleblowers, but to retaliate against ordinary people who complain about poor services or police abuse," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Article 331 is the government's handy tool to infringe upon the basic rights of Vietnamese citizens." Harassment, intimidation Among those imprisoned under the article is Vu Thi Kim Hoang, a seamstress who allowed her partner to use her laptop at her home, where he discussed political issues on social media. For hosting him, she was jailed for two and half years. Another is Dao Ba Cuong, who livestreamed a protest he staged inside his house after his son died in police custody in 2022. He was handed a two-year jail term a year later. Others thrown in jail include Nay Y Blang, who reportedly hosted prayer gatherings at his home for members of the Evangelical Church of Christ, a religious group that the Vietnamese government does not recognise. He is serving a prison term of four and a half years for organising meetings to "gather forces... incite secession, self-rule, and establish a separate state for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands", state media said after his trial in January last year. Prior to his jailing, Nay Y Blang, from the ethnic minority Ede group, advocated for religious freedom and met foreign diplomats to discuss the issue, HRW said. The US-based Vietnamese founder of the Evangelical Church of Christ, who goes by the name Pastor Aga, told AFP that Nay Y Blang set up the group "in service of God and his personal religious beliefs". "Blang is a very nice person and loyal to God. He is not against the Vietnamese communist administration. He did not want to set up a separate state," he said. Unrecognised independent religious groups face constant surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, and their followers are subject to forced renunciation of faith, detention, interrogation, torture and prosecution, HRW said. "The Vietnamese government should immediately revoke article 331, release all those detained and imprisoned for exercising their basic human rights," the HRW report concluded. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment from AFP. – AFP
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Vietnam social media users hit by 'expanding crackdown' on dissent: HRW
Representative Image (AI-generated) BANGKOK: Vietnam is targeting ordinary social media users for posts criticising the state in an expanding crackdown on dissent, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday. Vietnam, a one-party state, has long sentenced bloggers and human rights activists to hefty jail terms, but now even those with no appreciable public profiles risk arrest if they voice a grievance against communist party officials, HRW said in a report. Members of the public are being targeted through an expansion of the scope of article 331 of the penal code, which centres on the "infringement of state interests", the report says. Between 2018 and February 2025, Vietnamese courts convicted and sentenced at least 124 people to harsh prison terms under article 331, according to HRW. In the six years to 2017, only 28 were sentenced under equivalent laws, the report said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Vietnamese authorities "abuse the... law not only to silence prominent activists and whistleblowers, but to retaliate against ordinary people who complain about poor services or police abuse," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Article 331 is the government's handy tool to infringe upon the basic rights of Vietnamese citizens." Harassment, intimidation: Among those imprisoned under the article is Vu Thi Kim Hoang, a seamstress who allowed her partner to use her laptop at her home, where he discussed political issues on social media. For hosting him, she was jailed for two and half years. Another is Dao Ba Cuong, who livestreamed a protest he staged inside his house after his son died in police custody in 2022. He was handed a two-year jail term a year later. Others thrown in jail include Nay Y Blang, who reportedly hosted prayer gatherings at his home for members of the Evangelical Church of Christ, a religious group that the Vietnamese government does not recognise. He is serving a prison term of four and a half years for organising meetings to "gather forces... incite secession, self-rule, and establish a separate state for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands", state media said after his trial in January last year. Prior to his jailing, Nay Y Blang, from the ethnic minority Ede group, advocated for religious freedom and met foreign diplomats to discuss the issue, HRW said. The US-based Vietnamese founder of the Evangelical Church of Christ, who goes by the name Pastor Aga, told AFP that Nay Y Blang set up the group "in service of God and his personal religious beliefs". "Blang is a very nice person and loyal to God. He is not against the Vietnamese communist administration. He did not want to set up a separate state," he said. Unrecognised independent religious groups face constant surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, and their followers are subject to forced renunciation of faith, detention, interrogation, torture and prosecution, HRW said. "The Vietnamese government should immediately revoke article 331, release all those detained and imprisoned for exercising their basic human rights," the HRW report concluded. Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.
