Latest news with #Alby
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
What does Lionesses' Euros win mean to you? Fans react to England's victory parade
Some 65,000 fans turned out in London to support the victorious England women's football team in celebrating their Euro 2025 win with an open-bus tour on Tuesday, 29 July. ' My reaction was just shock, excitement. For them to bring it home – back-to-back – is incredible,' said Miriam, 26, a Lionesses supporter attending the central London parade. The team, decked in England flags and Union Jacks, travelled along The Mall on two open-top buses towards Buckingham Palace as the crowd chanted 'It's coming home.' The crowd was filled with people of all ages and genders, gathered together to show their support for the Lionesses. 'They're the first ever English team to retain a title, and that means that we're creating history here,' said Alby, 11.
ABC News
14-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Hobart father finds specimens from daughter's body may have been kept in museum without consent
It is a night Hobart father Alby* will never forget. "My daughter passed away at the Royal Hobart Hospital on boxing day 40 years and five months ago at around 7.50pm." He said he had been hit by a second wave of grief after finding out his daughter, who was two years old when she died, may have had specimens taken from her body during a coronial autopsy without the family's knowledge and stored in a pathology museum. Alby regularly visits his daughter's grave in southern Tasmania. The Tasmanian Coroner's Office announced in April last year that specimens had potentially been given to the R. A. Rodda Pathology Museum at the University of Tasmania without consent for 30 years. The museum first raised concerns with the Coroner's Office in 2016. The Coroner's Office said initial records indicated the collection of specimens started in 1953, stopped in 1985, and related to 147 people. The office was able to identify some next of kin, but in January published a list of 126 names in newspaper advertisements and asked anyone related to any of the people named to contact the Coroner's Office. The advertisement did not include any information about how affected family members could access support. At the time, independent MLC Meg Webb criticised the office for its "blunt" handling of sensitive information. After Ms Webb's concerns were raised, the webpage was updated to include the form families are asked to submit to provide information, details of support services, and information sheets to help people cope with grief and loss. Alby has been in contact with the Coroner's Office about his daughter, but is yet to find out what specimens may have been retained from her body. He has been offered a phone call and has been advised to have a friend or family member with him when he receives that call. "I'm going to go through it all again." Alby described the communication from the Coroner's Office to him as "heartless", and said a phone call was not enough. "If they could just sit down and just feel the pain that we're feeling," he said. "Then they'd probably understand what it's like, just to see the faces and see the health effects it's going to have on people for many years." Ms Webb said it had been sad to see how the situation had affected many Tasmanian families. "It's come as a real shock … and it's really brought up a lot of trauma for many families," she said. "This is a highly unusual situation and it's come out of the blue. "It really required incredibly sensitive communication with the families involved, and what we've seen is that some families have not felt that that communication has been as sensitive as it needed to be, and I think there's a lot to learn from this circumstance so we don't see this repeated." Ms Webb said while the Coroner's Office was investigating how the remains came to be in the R. A. Rodda Museum's collection, further questions needed to be answered. She also said there should be some form of public reporting with clear recommendations. "We need to have some questions answered about how this happened, who was responsible and who should have had oversight over these circumstances. Investigating coroner, Simon Cooper, said there was no known precedent in Tasmania of a notification to the Coroner's Office of this size. "It has been and remains a significant task for the Coronial Division, whose staff have worked diligently and efficiently to progress the matter," Mr Cooper said. "I wish to emphasise that, until they were reported, the existence of the remains were not known by present or previous coroners or staff of the Coroner's Office. "Their removal at autopsy to be used as medical museum specimens were not at any direction or order of a coroner." Mr Cooper said he recognised "that the discovery of these specimens has been a difficult and painful experience for many". "The coroners and the staff of the Coronial Division work extremely hard to ensure coronial processes are properly, patiently and sensitively applied to this historical situation, whilst performing the required functions under the Coroners Act 1995. "I anticipate publishing further information, in the form of a finding under the Coroners Act 1995 within the next few months, when all investigations are complete." A spokesperson for the Coroner's Office said the office continued to manage "a number of inquiries" as the investigation continues, and that counselling support was being offered to family members who have come forward. Health ethics and professionalism professor at Deakin School of Medicine Dominique Martin said ethical principals, standards and expectations in clinical medical practice — including the importance of consent — had evolved over the past century. "But that's taken us several decades to get to, and if we look then at the removal of body parts … during life or after death, I think that's probably been a few decades behind that," Dr Martin said. She said that until "very recently", and not just in Australia, there had been examples of body parts either being removed with permission or knowledge but retained and used for purposes without there having been any consultation with the patient, or, in the case of a death, the patient's family. "That's, I think, been for a very long time considered normal in medicine and in scientific research." Dr Martin said while there had been a "big change", it had been relatively recent. "I suspect we're not done with finding out things that have happened in the recent past that we nowadays would be quite concerned about," she said. "What matters is that they [patients or their families] have a choice in it, that they have control over that, and usually they have some knowledge of how things will be treated. *Name has been changed
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TrusTrace's New, AI-Powered Data Hub Gives Insights on Supply Chain Compliance
TrusTrace wants clients to put their trust in its data quality. The supply chain traceability provider announced Tuesday it had launched an upgraded platform which leverages artificial intelligence to conglomerate and analyze data, in turn offering up recommendations and monitoring supply chain risks to flag to the client. More from Sourcing Journal Tech Tactics: Bluecore Brings AI Shopping Assistant Alby to Shopify Retailers Deda Stealth CEO Explains Why Tariffs Made This Year the Right Time for U.S. Expansion Amazon's Latest AI Feature Allows Sellers to Upgrade Old Listings Shameek Ghosh, CEO of TrusTrace, said he believes the update will help clients take charge of their supply chains in a new way, particularly in a time of economic uncertainty. 'In today's high-stakes regulatory and business environment, access to accurate, real-time sustainability data shouldn't be a privilege—it should be a given,' Ghosh said in a statement. 'We've built a powerful, AI-assisted supply chain data hub that allows companies to quickly and easily collect and analyze data at any scale, empowering them to move from reactive crisis management to proactive impact-driven strategies. This is the future of responsible, resilient business.' The system can now gather supply chain data from multiple sources, including suppliers, compliance documents and internal records; flag risks for proactive management; find holes in information necessary for compliance processes; help clients make decisions with a more holistic view of supply chain and more. It does so by leveraging AI to parse through the data, which it contends betters the data sets and allows for data to be used for many purposes, rather than being siloed. TrusTrace noted that the technology is applicable to small-to-medium businesses and large enterprises alike. It said brands and manufacturers are already using the upgraded platform, but did not disclose who the earliest clients testing the new system included. The announcement comes on the heels of the Swedish company's partnership with Avery Dennison, aimed at providing stronger transparency into raw materials' origins and uses throughout the supply chain, so that clients can discern a clear chain of custody. The collaboration saw Avery Dennison integrating TrusTrace's technology into its end-to-end supply chain solution, Optica. Kenny Liu, vice president and general manager S. Asia, EMEA and Optica at Avery Dennison, said the business relationship enriched the company's ability to provide meaningful information and insights to its clients. 'Navigating today's complex global supply chains requires reliable, streamlined access to comprehensive data,' Liu said in a statement. 'By integrating TrusTrace into our Optica portfolio of supply chain solutions, we're equipping brands with the tools they need to map their supply chains, verify raw material origins, and confidently meet evolving regulatory demands. This level of transparency empowers smarter sourcing decisions and ultimately drives meaningful impact across the entire supply chain.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tech Tactics: Bluecore Brings AI Shopping Assistant Alby to Shopify Retailers
Tech Tactics is Sourcing Journal's series with brands and technology companies to discuss their latest innovations. Bluecore is making its artificial intelligence-powered shopping assistant more accessible to retailers. More from Sourcing Journal 85% of Retailers Say The Store Is Primary Target for Company Growth Deda Stealth CEO Explains Why Tariffs Made This Year the Right Time for U.S. Expansion Amazon's Latest AI Feature Allows Sellers to Upgrade Old Listings On Thursday, the New York-headquartered retail technology company announced the expansion of Alby—which it acquired in 2024— its generative AI agent designed to answer shopper questions both in real time and preemptively. Via a new integration, retailers can now access Alby directly through global e-commerce enabler Shopify. Bluecore noted that this will enable any retailer—from small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to global enterprises like Tapestry, Express and Lenovo—to 'seamlessly power conversational AI shopping experiences that are unique to their brand and customers.' This expansion comes as the global AI chatbot market experiences rapid growth, with projections estimating it will reach $46.64 billion by 2029, according to Research and Markets. As part of this trend, 76 percent of online retailers have either implemented chatbots or plan to do so as part of their customer experience strategies. 'We have been addressing the unique needs of enterprise retailers for over 10 years with our technology—and we're now expanding our expertise to the thousands of SMB retailers on Shopify,' said Fayez Mohamood, CEO and co-founder of Bluecore. 'As all retailers navigate this new AI-powered landscape, we're offering them the tools to not only understand how AI is evolving consumer behavior but take action on it with Alby. We want every retailer to be able to openly experiment with AI and start to unlock a vast trove of new data that leads to higher engagement and conversion.' Shoppers can interact with Alby directly on a brand's website to ask questions about any product. Once activated, the AI agent will learn, make decisions and act on a brand's behalf—pulling from product data, brand assets and the company's tone of voice to ensure accurate responses. Instead of relying on lengthy natural language queries, the technology anticipates the kinds of questions consumers are likely to ask. For apparel, that might include inquiries like, 'What is this sweater made of?' or 'What's the warranty on this jacket?' 'People don't shop the way they use ChatGPT. When you go to ChatGPT, you have a long-form query in your head that you're trying to get help on, some complex task you're trying to accomplish,' Max Bennett, CEO and co-founder of Alby—also co-founded Bluecore—previously told Sourcing Journal. 'That's not how people shop. People shop in between things. People shop on the go. People shop when they're on the train, scrolling. The needs for the human being engaging in that activity are very different.' Alby also supports global, multilingual customer service and provides around-the-clock assistance, ensuring shoppers receive 'timely answers no matter where or when they're browsing.' One retailer already seeing success with Alby's new expansion is mattress company PlushBeds. 'Adding an AI shopping agent to our website to help guide shoppers from discovery to purchase was a priority for us, but it wasn't until Alby that it was actually possible,' said Michael Hughes, CEO of PlushBeds. 'We integrated Alby on Shopify to guide our shoppers to their perfect mattress based on their sleeping preferences. Now, Alby answers 6,000 product questions a month, engages 15 percent of website traffic and achieves a five-time higher conversion rate.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SNL Isn't Really Hot for Your Mom
You know that moment when a man who wants something thinks he sees an opportunity to charm an easy mark? A common version is specific to mothers, and it goes like this: A mom and her kid are out somewhere together, and they meet a guy. It doesn't really matter who. He may be a service worker looking for tips, an acquaintance of the child looking to get in good with the mom, or a garden-variety slimeball. What matters is that he's meeting this woman for the first time. And when she is introduced as the child's mother, that's his cue. He licks his lips. This is what he's been rehearsing for. He delivers his line with relish: 'This is your mother? I thought she was your sister!' The mom is supposed to titter and blush, thoroughly disarmed by being thought young and worthy of anyone's flirtation. Maybe this has happened to you, or to your mom. Certainly you've seen it on TV. It's wildly patronizing, which is not to say it never works. Last night's episode of Saturday Night Live offered up a sketch that doubled down on that interaction, then tripled down, then quadrupled down. Sarah Sherman and Heidi Gardner played two moms being taken out for a Mother's Day brunch by their sons (Mikey Day and Andrew Dismukes). The scene began wholesomely, with talk of a post-brunch trip to the botanical gardens, then got fully derailed when their server, Alby—played by the host, Walton Goggins—arrived at their table and started hard-core flirting with the moms. He began with a variation on the classic line, of course: 'I'd say 'Happy Mother's Day,' but all I see are two young men out with their much-younger sisters.' Sherman and Gardner reacted with an aw-shucks vibe, embarrassed but pleased. 'You're getting a big tip, mister,' Sherman said. To which Alby replied: 'No need, I already have one.' They had entered uncharted waters. But still, Sherman's character tried to play it off. 'You do not want to flirt with a couple of old moms,' she said. This is when the sketch turned. 'Oh yes, I do,' Alby said. He'd 'always been attracted to mothers,' he announced, perhaps because he so admired his own, or perhaps because 'once I came of age, I slept with every single one of her friends.' This was the sketch's big joke: Although other servers might facetiously flirt with mothers for tips, Alby meant it. He genuinely wanted to have sex with these moms. As the sketch went on, Alby delivered menus and mimosas alongside increasingly lewd double entendres and come-ons, all Southern charm and jutting hips. Goggins played him with an infectious, naughty glee. [Read: The White Lotus Doesn't Stick the Landing] But Alby supplied all the sexual energy in this sketch. The moms were at turns delighted and shocked by his antics but mostly did not return flirty fire. Only briefly did one of them display any libido at all: After Alby announced he'd soon have a 'hat rack' under his apron, Sherman's character took off her reading glasses and said, in a sultry tone, 'Prove it.' But don't worry: Before the audience could be subjected to too much lustful-mom energy, her son immediately scolded her, and she snapped back into sexless-mom mode. The show had an opportunity to push back against the stereotype that middle-aged women, and mothers in particular, are both undesirable and empty of desire themselves. That seems perhaps to have been the writers' intention. A couple of minutes into the sketch, Alby scolded one of the sons for being skeeved out by the proceedings: 'Just 'cause your mama baked you doesn't mean other men don't want to see the oven.' Crass this might have been, but it was also a good point. Women's sex lives don't end after giving birth, however much our culture might like to pretend otherwise. Unfortunately, most of the sketch undermined this idea—because the joke was not only that Alby would take things so far. The sketch went for laughs by implying how ridiculous it was that a guy like him could truly be hot for these silly, frumpy old moms, these 'mature goddesses dripping in Talbot's,' as he called them. One couldn't escape the sense that the women were the real butt of the joke. Goggins, it's worth noting, is 53, and—as he mentioned in his monologue—a newly anointed sex symbol. But older men have often been allowed a sexuality denied to older women. What could have been a refreshingly expansive view of motherhood instead ended up feeling retrograde. In a segment of 'Weekend Update,' SNL reinforced the view that motherhood is antithetical to sexuality. Gardner appeared again as a different but still-frumpy mother: 'Dianne, the mom who's only read about New York on Facebook.' She spewed a bunch of urban legends that she'd seen on social media. One was about a mom who visited New York City and bought a pair of sunglasses from a street vendor. 'She puts 'em on, what does she see?' Dianne asked. 'Porn! Everywhere!' The sunglasses somehow 'erased all of her memories, and now all she remembers is porn!' Her children? Forgotten. 'Sorry, kids—mommy just knows porn now. She can't come to your recital 'cause she's on the bang bus.' These sketches might have seemed to take aim at overly flirty waiters and Facebook conspiracy theories. But the undeniable undercurrent was: Watch out for moms who think about sex—and be sure to shut them down. Article originally published at The Atlantic
