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7 million dollars in philippine peso The recent revelation that only a small percentage of the 39 rescue dogs passed the test has led to speculation about the reasons behind such a low success rate. Some have pointed to the rigorous nature of the testing process, which includes assessments of the dogs' agility, obedience, and ability to work in challenging environments. Others have raised concerns about the adequacy of the training provided to the dogs prior to the test, suggesting that more resources and attention should be dedicated to preparing them for the demands of search and rescue operations.TALLINN, Estonia — Industry @ Tallinn & Baltic Event, one of the leading industry events in Northern Europe, closed Nov. 22 with an awards ceremony where the focus country Germany dominated the list of 15 winning projects at various stages of development or post-production, on top of two accolades to promising producers. For the first time, the public was invited to cast their vote for each category, which gave more chances of a larger number of projects standing out at the market. Among the most coveted accolades, the €20,000 ($20,800) Eurimages Co-Production Development Award from the Baltic Event Co-Production Market was handed out to the German-Bulgarian project “The Worker” helmed by Bulgarian-born Eliza Petkova, whose debut feature “Zhaleika” earned a special mention at the 66 th Berlinale. The drama about Roma Bulgarian Gorgi, pushed into a life of lies and deceit in Berlin to try to make ends meet and maintain his family in a Bulgarian village, was praised by the jury for its portrait of displacement in Europe, which “takes us and the protagonist on an unexpected journey. A journey during which the director invites us to rethink the meaning of community and masculinity.” The film is being produced by Nicolas Konauer for Germany’s ROW Pictures and Fourmat Film. For the first time, films for kids and youth joined the market pitches, an inclusion that benefitted the Ukrainian helmer Sveta Solovyova (“Oxygen Station”) and writer Ivan Tymchenko who scooped the €20,000 Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award for their heart-warming animation/documentary hybrid “English Lesson.” The pic consists of six-seven stories told by Ukrainian children during an online lesson, who confide about their life experience of war. Ukrainian producer Svitlana Soloviova of SvitlorforFilm is co-producing with Estonia, Sweden and the Czech Republic. The pic also grabbed a €1,000 ($1,040) grant from Many More Films. In the Works in Progress session, the €7,000 ($7,280) best international project pitch went to Greek debut helmer Stefanos Tsivopoulos for “Late Shift” (“a.k.a Kindness”). The story of a Romanian single mum with a history of activism who struggles to fit in in Greek society is being produced by Nikos Smpiliris for Boo Production. “This film deals with a timely topic regarding migration and assimilation through the unique lens of the Greece process, featuring captivating acting by the lead actress,” said the jury. Among other accolades, the Special Mention nod went to Switzerland’s “Wolves” by Jonas Ulrich set in the underground music scene, with Bartosz Bielenia (from the Oscar-nominated “Corpus Christi”) as lead vocalist. Dynamic Frame is producing. Seasoned Latvian producer Uljana Kim (Studio Uljana Kim), recipient of last year’s Eurimages International Co-production Award, scooped the Best Baltic Project Prize with “Renovation” helmed by Columbia U graduate Gabrielė Urbonaitė, multi-prized for her shorts “The Swimmer” and “Back.” “Capturing the anxious nature of young adults in their thirties, this piece brings forth rich elements of self-discovery and the burgeoning yet complex emotions of love and companionship,” said the jury. Kim is co-producing with Lithuania’s Alise Rogule of Mima Films. Another debut filmmaker trained in the U.S. – the Finn Risto Tuominen, a former graduate from L.A.’s American Film Institute – scooped the top award at the popular European Genre Forum for his thriller “The Dark Architect,” about a young student who moves into a decaying apartment building and is given a gruesome task by its residents. Established Finnish producer Ilkka Matila of MRP Matila Röhr Productions (“Mother of Mine,” “The Eternal Road”) is producing with Estonia’s Taska Film. Meanwhile, two projects from Latin America – “Emi” by Argentinian-born Ezequiel Erriquez Mena and “The River,” by emerging Chilean writer-director Cristóbal García, won respectively the Best Just Film Project from the kids and youth section and the public award. Reflecting on the 23 rd Industry@Tallinn& Baltic Event which also included the Short Film Industry Days and series-focused TV Beats, industry honcho Marge Liiske said she was extremely happy about the 800+ delegates from 47 countries who “showed a strong interest in our activities and films and series from the Baltics. We had closed our accreditation 10 days before kick off as we couldn’t accommodate more participants at the Nordic Hotel Forum hub. We might make slight adjustments next year, but we will stick to our central headquarters which allows for easy networking for festival and industry guests,” she said. Among the international sales agents on hand, Paris-based Arnaud Chevallier of B-Rated International, sales rep of the festival Competition entry “The Exalted,” praised Tallinn’s “dynamic and friendly industry showcase. This was a perfect platform to screen projects before the end of the year, confirm our lineup before Berlin and sit down with buyers in a relaxed market. “The works in progress in particular were of high quality,” said the former Mediawan sales executive who was chasing quirky auteur-driven and genre features, whatever the nationality. TV Beats Forum’ co-heads Petri Kemppinen and Roosa Toivoven were equally satisfied with the human-size industry event in Tallinn which gave a chance to the smaller industry ecosystems in the Baltics to build networks and relationships with top international partners. “We had two full days focused on the current times where companies have to understand what content to produce, sell and buy, how we’re managing to serve the audience in the changing landscape of financing and viewing habits,” Toivoven summarised. “I think we had a well-balanced series program with masterclasses, case studies, with storytelling always at the heart of it,” added Kemppinen who underscored the presence of key players such as Keshet International, Media Musketeers, WildBunch, Baltic platforms Elisa and Go3. He hopes to attract a larger number of TV commissioners for 2025. Looking ahead, Toivonen said she will discuss with Industry @ Tallinn & Baltic Event organisers the possibility of setting up a think tank in Tallinn to address collaborations in Europe to make sure content creators stay at the top of their game in a highly competitive market. “We need to empower the producers to be as good as possible in finding financing, retaining IP and enriching our culture in Europe”, she said. Here are some five takeaways and the full list of award winners: Democracy under threat With Russian – or Soviet – rule still vivid in the memories of the Baltic nations, solidarity with Ukraine, indie Georgian cinema and Belarusian filmmakers in exile were natural rallying cries in Tallinn. At the panel The Edge of Democracy, Belarusian filmmakers Tanya Haurylchyk, Yuliya Pogrebnyak and Volia Chajskouslakay (founder of the Belarusian festival in exile Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival) voiced their difficulties to live and work in exile and of the vital need for their dispatched community “to stick together and keep fighting.” “When everything is so dark, let’s try to tell our stories with playfulness to reach wider audiences,” said Haurylchyk, whose take was shared by her counterpart Andrei Kashperski, currently working from Poland on the comedy slasher “Judgement of the Dead.” David Vashadze, head of the independent Georgian Film Institute, reminded all attendees of the double-edged value of film as an empowering tool of protest for filmmakers, but also of propaganda for authoritarian regimes to crush democratic voices. Meanwhile seasoned documentary specialist Uldis Cekulis of VFS Film, currently co-producing two Ukrainian documentaries, urged dissident filmmakers and producers to make their voices and stories travel fast. Short films could be the way to reach audiences as fast as possible, he suggested. “People who live comfortably in Western Europe should be reminded what is at stake [with today’s rise of populism]. Democracy is not a given, and freedom is not a given,” insisted Liiske. Co-productions: All Eyes on Germany For the smaller production nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a shared history with Germany, the Tallinn Focus on Germany was an opportunity to let German funding reps explain the upcoming reform of their film funding landscape, and to hopefully reboot collaborations that had declined in recent years. Bérénice Honold, advisor to the CEO for international and European affairs at the German Federal Film Board (FFA), said the industry-backed reform, due to be effective from January 1 – once approved by the Bundestag – will be two-fold. The selective support will move towards an automatic support which make producers freer to take their own decisions, although a point system will still be in place. Secondly, a new tax incentive model due to replace the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) and the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF), will provide 30% non-repayable grant on German spend to producers of major features and high-end series, as well as service providers. “I hope these changes will be positive for the international community. Within Europe, we need a strong Germany, and a stronger German film industry will benefit everyone,” said Honold. “We hope the German film reform will expand our co-productions, as we are natural co-producers with Germany,” said Edith Sepp, head of the Estonian Film Institute “Our own support system and 30% tax rebates are very fast [around 30 days for support decisions and for reporting on costs audition] and hopefully with the new German automatic scheme, things will speed up as well with Germany,” she said. Buzzy film projects Reflecting today’s troubled times, projects at the co-financing markets dealt with harsh human stories about migration, war, bullying, climate crisis and screen addiction but most were told with a playfulness and even humor in order to reach a wide audience. Standout projects included the winning projects “The Worker,” “English Lesson,” “Push the Button” and “The Flood”,but also Estonian-Norwegian thriller “Container” by Arun Tamm starring Danish star Dar Salim (“The Covenant,” “Darkland”), as well as Latvian-Slovenian dramedy “The Last Meal” by Elza Gauja. Latvia’s seasoned Uldis Cekulis (“The Rossellinis,” “Immortal”) is producing. Among the international works in progress, the ambitious thriller “Papers” by two times Oscar contender Arturo Montenegro was a buzzy market title alongside the winning titles “Late Shift”, “Wolves” and “Interior.” AI For All “Let’s not be eaten up by technology but let’s try to master it,” said Liiske, a self-proclaimed tech geek, who sprinkled AI training sessions and talks in her industry program. One of the most entertaining AI sessions was delivered by Banijay’s Content Partnerships Executive Steve Matthews at his third round of ‘Steve vs the Machine’ game, where he had to guess which of a series pitch was AI initiated. He ended up guessing wrong. “The truth is that the ‘human’ idea was better; I overestimated the machine and underestimated the writer,” he acknowledged. On the use of AI in screenwriting, Matthews said. “I have no problem with the idea of AI in a story room generating idea after idea, until the team finds one that resonates. I can see how the sheer practical brain-crunching hard work of complex storytelling can be helped. Research, drafting pitch decks or synopses, that’s all good. But what AI isn’t going to do is delve into the deep depths of Tony Soprano’s or Walter White’s or Logan Roy’s souls. Real writing engages bravely, painfully, with the human condition and only a human can do that.” At Tallinn, AI also scored with the launch of Susi, the first ever recommender for festival audiences. “It’s not just a search tool, but an interactive companion that communicates in multiple languages and offers insightful suggestions, making the festival more accessible to international audiences. And today we can already see that Susi has brought new people to the festival,” said Mikk Granström, Tallinn head of administration. Training and Upskilling With training and education as one of the key strands of I@T & BE, this year’s edition broadened the existing schemes of film circulation training for emerging industry executives through the inaugural Tallinn Industry Academy, co-organised with LocarnoPro. 15 participants from the Baltics, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Finland, France, U.K., and Germany were selected out of 50 applicants to improve their skills in sales, distribution and festival programming. “We don’t have sales companies in the Baltics, so we were glad to invite up-and-coming sales agents and festival coordinators from other countries,” said organiser Eda Koppel, who underlined the need as well to train emerging professionals in leadership and human behaviour. “Our working environment has changed. We need to be more caring towards each other.” French major Gaumont’s festivals manager Eva Duriez said the program “provided her with a valuable insight into the complexities of film distribution, and also fostered connections with an inspiring group of young professionals from across Europe.” Rokas Jonas, festival programmer at the Vilnius Short Film Festival, said the “Tallinn Industry Academy exceeded my expectations. Both the lecturers and fellow participants shared invaluable tips, tricks and especially sore spots of the industry.” Full List of Awards: Baltic Event Co-Production Market Best Project: “The Worker” (Germany, Bulgaria) Directed by Eliza Petkova, produced by Nicolas Kronauer (ROW Pictures, Fourmat Film) Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award: “English Lesson” (Ukraine, Estonia, Sweden, Czech Republic) Directed by Ivan Tymchenko, produced by Svitlana Soloviova (SvitloforFilm) Public Favourite Award: “Push The Button” (Norway,Sweden, Denmark) Directed by Anton Källrot, produced by Ylva Olaison, Jonathan SIlen, Madeleine Ekman, (Ögat Film) Producers Network Prize to Yann Sochaczewski, Miriam Kunde for “Amy, Great Adventures on Little Paws!”, and Rūta Petronyté, Justinas Pocius for “The Flood” Works in Progress Best International Project: “Late Shift” (“a.k.a. Kindness”) (Greece) Directed by Stefanos Tsivopoulos, produced by Nikos Smpiliris (Boo Production) Special Mention winner: “Wolves (Switzerland) Directed by Jonas Ulrich, produced by Nicole Ulrich (Dynamic Frame) Public Favourite Award: “Interior” (Germany) Directed by Pascal Schuh, produced by Timo Ackermann, Katrin Haase, Olivier Arnold (U5 Filmproduction & Co) Best Baltic Project: “Renovation” (Latvia-Lithuania) Directed by Gabriele Urbonaite, produced by Uljana Kim, Alise Rogule (Studio Uljana Kim, Mima Films) Audience Favorite Award: “Sand In Your Hair” (Lithuania) Directed by Mantas Verbiejus, produced by Živilė Gallego (Fralita Films) Best Just Film Project: “Emi” (Argentina, Uruguay) Directed by Ezequiel Erriquez Mena, produced by Laura Mara Tablón (Rite Cine) Audience Favorite Award: “The River” (Chile, Argentina) Directed by Cristóbal García, produced by Francisco Bisanez, Santiago Ortuzar (Vórtice Films) European Genre Forum Most Promising Project: “The Dark Architect” (Finland) Directed by Risto Tuominen, produced by Ilkka Matila (MRP Matila Röhr Productions) Special Mention: “Vrykola” (Greece) Directed by Achilleas Gatsopoulos, produced by Minos Nikolakakis, Vassilis Economou (Apshalt) Audience Favourite Award: “Neighbour” (Estonia) Directed by Oskar Lehemaa, produced by Evelin Penttilä (Stellar Film) Script Pool Most Promising Project: “Kingpins” (Latvia) Directed by Kristians Riekstins, produced by Alise Rogule (Mima Films) Audience Favorite Award: “Fabula Rasa” (Germany-Luxembourg-Canada) Directed by Miriam Suad Bühler, Maurice Sinner, produced by Steffen Gerdes (Red Balloon Film, Maze Pictures) Enterprise Estonia Film Award: “The Code of Thule” (Estonia) Directed by Liliana Torres, produced by Helen Lohmus, Rene Ezra (Oree Films)One of the key drivers of Alibaba Games' success is its commitment to innovation. The company has consistently pushed the boundaries of technology and creativity to deliver cutting-edge gaming experiences to its users. From virtual reality games to interactive storytelling experiences, Alibaba Games is at the forefront of exploring new and exciting possibilities in the gaming world.

In the midst of busy schedules and demanding careers, Zhang Men and Xiaowu's story is a reminder to all of us to cherish the moments that truly matter. Whether it's a simple prenatal check-up or a milestone event, having loved ones by our side can make all the difference in turning ordinary moments into extraordinary memories.CS Northridge 89, Denver 60

We all know that the Black Friday season is the best time of the year to invest in a big-ticket tech item. Whether you're after the latest Black Friday TV deals or Black Friday smartphone deals , major UK retailers are quick off the bat to offer deals on more expensive technology items once November rolls around. However, one retailer who doesn't typically join in the Black Friday festivities is Apple, as the technology giant prefers to keep items at full price on its website. But don't fear! While Apple itself doesn't tend to offer Black Friday deals, you can still find plenty of deals on Apple products at other UK retailers. One of the most in-demand Apple items is the iPhone, especially the flagship iPhone 16 model. The iPhone 16 family also includes the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We've scoured the internet for the best deals on all the models in the iPhone 16 family to help you save more this Black Friday. Happy shopping! For more Black Friday savings on Apple products, take a look at Black Friday AirPods deals , Black Friday Macbook deals and Black Friday Apple AirTag deals . Jump to: Which UK retailer has the best iPhone 16 Black Friday deal? Which UK network has the best iPhone 16 Black Friday deal? Should you buy an iPhone 14 or 15 instead this Black Friday? Best iPhone 16 Black Friday deals at a glance Best iPhone 16 Black Friday deals we’ve found so far in the UK sales Which UK retailer has the best iPhone 16 Black Friday deal? If you want to buy your new phone outright, there are plenty of UK retailers offering huge savings on the iPhone 16 this Black Friday season. What you pay for your iPhone 16 will depend on a range of factors, like how much storage you need and what colour model you'd like. So far, we've seen excellent deals from the following UK retailers: Amazon John Lewis Very Currys Which UK network has the best iPhone 16 Black Friday deal? If you'd rather pay for your phone in monthly instalments, then there are plenty of Black Friday deals from UK networks to help you do just that. In order to find the perfect iPhone 16 network plan for you, you have to determine what is important to you when it comes to a monthly plan. Do you tend to use a lot of mobile data? That being said, we've found great Black Friday deals that take these factors into account at the following UK networks: EE O2 Sky Vodafone Carphone Warehouse Giffgaff Should you buy an iPhone 14 or 15 instead this Black Friday? If you're shopping for a new phone on a budget and having the very latest iPhone model isn't something that's that important to you, then it's worth taking a look at Black Friday deals on some of the older iPhones. What's the deal: You can now get the iPhone 15 for £639 at Amazon, which is a reduction of £40 on the original price. Why we chose it: This is the best deal we've seen so far on the iPhone 15 128GB, with a saving of 9%. Buy iPhone 15 128GB for £699 £639 (save £40 or 9%) at Amazon What's the deal: Laptops Direct is offering the iPhone 15 Pro for just £879 this Black Friday, which is a saving of £120. Why we chose it: This model is unlocked and sim-free, meaning that you can select a SIM from the carrier of your choice, or even use an international SIM when abroad. Buy iPhone 15 Pro for £999 £879 (save £120 or 12%) at Laptops Direct What's the deal: giffgaff's refurbished iPhone 15 Pros start at just £569 for models in good condition, which is a huge saving off the RRP of a new model. Why we chose it: Buying a refurbished phone is a great way to save money. All giffgaff refurbished phone are professionally data-wiped, go through a 30-point phone health check and have a minimum 12-month warranty. Buy a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro from £569 at giffgaff What's the deal: This Black Friday, the iPhone 14 128GB model is down to just £549 at Very. Why we chose it: The iPhone 14 came out in 2022, meaning that while it isn't the latest Apple model, it's still an excellent choice for anyone looking for a high-powered and effective device while shopping on a budget. Buy iPhone 14 128GB for 599 £549 (save £50 or 8%) at Very What's the deal: At EE, you can pay just £30 upfront and £15.76 for 36 months afterwards for a new iPhone 14. Why we chose it: Splitting the cost of a phone over 36 months is a great way to help with your budgeting. There's also a range of excellent monthly plans you can purchase with this phone. Buy iPhone 14 128GB for £30 upfront and £15.76 at EE Best iPhone 16 Black Friday deals at a glance: iPhone 16 128GB | £30 upfront and £23.24 monthly iPhone 16 | £829 £779 (save £50 or 6%) iPhone 16 | £30 upfront and £53.87 monthly iPhone 16 with 500GB of data | £29.99 per month and £249 upfront, plus free AirPods iPhone 16 Pro 500GB | £129 upfront and £38.99 a month iPhone 16 256GB | £899 £879 (save £20 or 2%) iPhone 16 512GB | £1,999 £1,799 (save £20 or 1%) iPhone 16 Pro | £999 £969 (save £30 or 3%) iPhone 16 Pro Max | £1,199 £1,160 (save £30 or 3%) Best iPhone 16 Black Friday deals we’ve found so far in the UK sales What's the deal: Save £50 on the iPhone 16 128GB this Black Friday, taking the price from £829 to £779. Why we chose it: You can access this deal across a range of colours and a range of giffgaff contracts helping you save more each month. Buy iPhone 16 for £829 £779 (save £50 or 6%) at giffgaff What's the deal: You can save £20 on the iPhone 16 256GB, as well as get four months of free Apple TV+ and up to three months of free Apple music, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade. Why we chose it: £20 isn't a huge price reduction for the iPhone 16 256GB, but this is the cheapest we've found so far. The free Apple subscriptions will certainly help you save a lot more. Buy iPhone 16 256GB for £899 £879 (save £20 or 2%) at Currys What's the deal: Just like the Currys deal on the iPhone 16 256GB model, you can save £20 on the phone itself plus get four months of free Apple TV+ and up to three months of free Apple music, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade. Why we chose it: If having more storage space on your phone is something that's important to you, then it's well worth investing in a phone with additional space, especially when you can save £20. Buy iPhone 16 512GB for £1,999 £1,799 (save £20 or 1%) at Currys What's the deal: With EE, you can pay just £30 upfront for your iPhone 16 and then pay £23.24 monthly for the next 36 months. Why we chose it: This deal makes it easier to budget the important purchase of a new phone by splitting the cost over three years. You can also choose a range of cost-effective EE monthly plans to go with it. Buy iPhone 16 128GB for £30 upfront and £23.24 monthly at EE What's the deal: The O2 Unlimited plan gives the user unlimited UK minutes and texts, roaming in over 70 destinations and the chance to change your phone every 90 days. You'll also only pay £30 upfront for your phone. Why we chose it: If you spend a lot of time on the phone and also spend a lot of time abroad, then this is a great plan for you. Buy iPhone 16 for £30 upfront and £53.87 monthly on the Unlimited Plan at O2 What's the deal: This e2save plan means you'll get 500GB of data and a free pair of AirPods when you pay £249 upfront and £29.99 each month thereafter. Why we chose it: While this plan costs more upfront than others, you're also getting a pair of AirPods and a well-priced monthly cost. Buy iPhone 16 with 500GB of data for £29.99 per month and £249 upfront at e2save What's the deal: You can now get £30 off the iPhone 16 Pro at John Lewis, and you'll also get free next day delivery on selected colours. Why we chose it: The iPhone 16 Pro boasts a faster processing chip and better battery life than the iPhone 16, as well as up to 5x zoom. Buy iPhone 16 Pro for £999 £969 (save £30 or 3%) at John Lewis What's the deal: Pay £129 upfront and £38.99 a month for the iPhone 16 Pro at Carphone Warehouse and you'll also get 500GB of data a month, as well as unlimited texts and minutes. Why we chose it: Whether you're a budding photographer with thousands of photographs or you simply have to have all your streaming apps on your phone, it's worth investing in the extra storage space. Buy iPhone 16 Pro 500GB for £129 upfront and £38.99 a month at Carphone Warehouse What's the deal: You can get £30 off the new iPhone 16 Pro Max when you buy outright at Very. Why we chose it: The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the most up-to-date iPhone model on the market, with a longer battery life, larger size, ultrawide camera and new main camera sensor. Buy iPhone 16 Pro Max for £1,199 £1,160 (save £30 or 3%) at Very Black Friday is also a great time to save on gaming consoles. Here are our roundups of the best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals , Black Friday Meta Quest 3 deals and Black Friday PS5 deals to help you do just that.At the heart of the virtual live streaming industry lies the use of green screens, a technology that allows creators to seamlessly integrate themselves into virtual environments. These green screens serve as the canvas on which elaborate sets and backgrounds are digitally superimposed, creating the illusion of a realistic and dynamic space. While this technology has revolutionized the way content is created and consumed, it has also given rise to a shadowy industry built on deception and manipulation.

A Connecticut couple is accused of running an elaborate theft ring at Lululemon stores in multiple states, stealing nearly a million dollars from the company. Jadion Anthony Richards and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards are both charged with organized retail theft under a Minnesota law signed by Gov. Tim Walz only last year. The case comes as retailers say the tide is gradually turning on what had been described as an epidemic of shoplifting . Richards, Lawes-Richards and a third unidentified person worked together at Lululemon stores in Roseville and Woodbury, Minnesota, to walk away with thousands of dollars in merchandise, according to the criminal complaint. Police say more than $50,000 in Lululemon goods were found in suitcases left behind in the suspects’ hotel room in Bloomington. “The total loss to Lululemon with Richards, Lawes-Richards and their group (the company) identified so far is closer to $1,000,000,” court documents say. Investigators say Richards would make a small purchase, get a receipt, and then return to the sales floor, meeting up with Lawes-Richards and the other accomplice, who entered separately. Richards and Lawes-Richards would then remove a sensor from an item on the sales floor and put it onto an item Richards had just purchased. They would then allegedly stuff thousands of dollars in Lululemon merchandise into Lawes-Richards’ clothing, then all leave together. When the store’s theft alarm would beep, the complaint says, Richards pretended to believe he had set off the alarm: While staff inspected his purchased item and removed the sensor the alleged thieves placed on it, the two accomplices walked out of the store with the stolen goods. Lululemon employees didn’t stop them, believing Richards’ purchased items had set the sensors off. Richards was released last week on $100,000 bond. Lawes-Richards is free on $30,000 bond. Both were ordered to appear in court on December 16. Both suspects face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $35,000 fine, or both, if convicted, according to the charging documents. Richards and Lawes-Richards were both assigned public defenders. Requests for comment from CNN to their attorneys were not immediately returned Monday. The criminal complaint says both denied committing any theft when first confronted by police. They have not entered pleas. Suspects monitored by company for months The police were assisted by “an organized retail crime investigator for Lululemon,” court documents say, indicating the company had been following the couple for months across stores in Minnesota, Colorado and Utah. The company told investigators they would cash in after returning to Connecticut and New York, allegedly using a series of complicated exchanges at Lululemon stores to get cash for stolen merchandise. “We are deeply committed to creating a safe and secure environment for our people and guests,” Lululemon asset protection vice president Tristen Shields said in a statement. “This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable.” High-profile cases of retail theft in recent years have prompted both lawmakers to crack down with tougher penalties and retailers to ramp up their efforts to investigate thefts on their own. In May, CNN reported a Home Depot theft ring was discovered with the help of a monthslong investigation by the corporation’s internal security force, ending in a SWAT raid on a home where $150,000 in stolen goods were found. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office says this is the first case they are prosecuting under Minnesota’s new organized retail theft law, according to a statement provided to CNN affiliate KARE . “We will do everything in our power to hold these defendants accountable and continue to work with our law enforcement partners and retail merchants to put a stop to retail theft in our community,” the county attorney’s office said.Replica enables Fortune 100 financial, business and healthcare institutions and Federal agencies such as the US Army and Defense Innovation Unit to securely engage in high risk cyber activities without compromising productivity. FALLS CHURCH, Va. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grey Market Labs (dba Replica Cyber ), a pioneering leader in cybersecurity solutions, proudly announces it has secured $8M in Series A funding led by Capri Ventures, with participation from Blu Ventures and AFG to accelerate adoption of its groundbreaking platform - Replica. This strategic investment will enable the company to advance its mission of delivering Secure Environments-as-a-Service, bringing unparalleled privacy and security in an increasingly vulnerable digital landscape. With this round, Andy Brown , CEO of SandHill East , former CTO of UBS, and current board member of ZScaler and PureStorage, will be joining the Board of Directors as will Dennis Shaya , Partner at Capri Ventures. In addition, Don Duet , Former Head of Technology at Goldman Sachs, and Tim Estes , founder of Angel Kids AI and former CEO at Digital Reasoning, will be joining the advisory board, complementing an already strong team including: Christopher Caine (CEO – Mercator XXI), Gary Cubbage (fmr. EVP – Booz Allen Hamilton ), Nick Donofrio (fmr. EVP Innovation – IBM), Todd Helfrich (VP Federal – Censys). The Replica platform offers Secure Environments-as-a-Service, revolutionizing how organizations protect and enable high risk activities. This includes targeting Russian misinformation campaigns in Ukraine , safe testing of new tech with proprietary data, disrupting financial scams and fraud aimed at seniors, and identifying and mitigating insider threats within organizations, among other scenarios. By integrating patented technology, intelligence tradecraft, and Zero Trust architecture, Replica quickly creates realistic IT environments that encompass hardware, operating systems, applications, networks, and data layers. This innovative solution not only protects user and organizational privacy but also delivers the data, tools and workflows needed for users to be productive in their most sensitive work. Kristopher Schroeder , CEO of Grey Market Labs, emphasized the significance of this funding round: "Replica is the culmination of over 20 years of experience in embedded tradecraft, intelligence operations, and cutting edge software. Our engineering team, with extensive backgrounds in offensive and defensive cyber warfare, has developed a product that is comprehensive with the protection and efficiency needed for today's enterprises and their users." Schroeder goes on to say, "This funding will allow Grey Marketing Labs to accelerate our vision to deliver even more impactful solutions for our customers." Capri Ventures, the lead investor in this funding round, expressed their excitement about partnering with Replica. "We are thrilled to support Grey Market Labs in their mission to redefine cybersecurity with the Replica platform," said Dennis Shaya , Partner with Capri Ventures. "Their innovative approach and deep expertise position them as a frontrunner in the industry, especially financial services, and we believe this partnership will drive significant advancements in digital privacy and security." Available as both a SaaS product and a hosted service, Replica enables secure work even in a global ecosystem, while reducing burden on the IT organization. The platform's flexible architecture supports rapid deployments (noted as some of the fastest in Financial Services), continuous updates, and seamless integration with existing enterprise services, including single-sign-on, proxies, and data governance. Additionally, Replica offers rich audit and reporting functionalities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and provide the critical observability needed for leadership. Replica has solved critical problems for major Banks, Health Systems, Global Consulting, and Governments with use cases like: Protected Research (deep/dark web, social, automated collects, OSINT), Isolating Acquired (M&A) tech and activities, Advanced Sandboxing for Malware/ Unknown Files , Complex Training Environments, Enabling Fraud /Cyber Investigations, Secure DevOps with Data Controls, Intellectual Property Sharing and Protection, and more. With this new round of funding, Replica is poised to expand its value to customers, enhance its offerings, and further solidify its position as a leader redefining how to protect and enable high-risk activities. For more information about Replica, please visit ReplicaCyber.com . About Grey Market Labs Founded as Grey Market Labs® (dba Replica Cyber ), a Certified B-Corp with the mission to protect life online. Our work protecting the United States from foreign intelligence evolved to the creation of ReplicaTM, the world's first Secure Environments-as-a-Service platform. This patented SaaS platform simplifies creation of comprehensive hybrid-computing systems, delivering privacy and security while giving control to business users and reducing the burden on IT by 99.73%. We have solved critical problems for major Banks, Health Systems, Global Consulting, and Governments with use cases like: Protected Research (deep/dark web, social, automated collects, OSINT), Isolating Acquired (M&A) tech and activities, Advanced Sandboxing for Malware/ Unknown Files , Complex Training Environments, Enabling Fraud /Cyber Investigations, Secure DevOps with Data Controls, and more. For anyone that has tried to build complex, secure systems and platforms - Replica replaces this expensive work with the automation of secure environments. About Capri Ventures Capri Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm focused on Enterprise Technology. The team is composed of former software executives and leaders from Fortune 500 enterprises, bringing significant resources early in a company's lifecycle to help drive commercialization and market adoption. About AFG Partners AFG Partners < https://www.afgvc.com/ > is an Asian-based VC fund investing in B2B fintech and enabling tech startups addressing the critical needs of financial institutions and corporates globally, particularly in Asia . A core part of the strategy is to invest and help companies in Europe and the US who are interested in expanding across Asia via our network of LPs and ecosystem partners. Previous investments of the principals include N26, Unit, Blockdaemon, Airbnb, Transferwise, Gocardless and Wefox amongst others. About Blu Ventures Blu Ventures, a venture capital firmed based in Washington, DC , provides strategic funding and expert guidance in Seed to Series A companies in cybersecurity, healthtech, and B2B software startups. Blu leverages the deep domain expertise of its partners—all former operators with extensive industry experience—to empower visionary entrepreneurs. Learn more at www.bluventureinvestors.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grey-market-labs-announces-8m-series-a-funding-led-by-capri-ventures-to-accelerate-growth-of-its-replica-platform---first-of-its-kind-secure-environment-as-a-service-302313584.html SOURCE Grey Market Labs