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Hello,

Once upon a time, millennials and Gen X crowded Facebook. Today, it’s the playground for baby boomers. And, Facebook knows it too. 

To stay relevant, especially with the Gen Z crowd, Facebook announced a series of changes to the older social network, putting a greater emphasis on local community information, videos, and Facebook Groups, among other things. 

Move aside Instagram, Facebook is rizzing up Gen Z! 

ICYMI: Dumbphones that support WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft has found potential buyers in Chinese conglomerate, Tencent, and the firm’s original founders, the Guillemot family.

These minority shareholders of Ubisoft are considering a buyout among other options after the company lost more than half its market value this year. And according to CNBC, they may take the Assassin’s Creed franchise maker private. 

Meanwhile, it’s the end of an era for France’s last accordéon à bretelles (strap accordion) manufacturer, Maugein, after 105 years of making the instrument.

Lastly, Antarctica is turning green, and it’s not good news at all!

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• When history meets Nawabi hospitality
• A woman’s journey through art and fashion
• Inside The Wicker Story

Here’s your trivia for today: What is the fear of long words known as?

Travel

When history meets Nawabi hospitality

The Jehan Numa Palace built by General Obaidullah Khan in 1890, the second son of Nawab Sultan Jehan Begum, is perched on Shyamla Hills, with a view of the entire city. It was converted into a heritage hotel and opened to guests in 1983 by the General’s grandsons, Nadir and Yawar Rashid. 

A visit to the Jehan Numa Palace and the Jehan Numa Retreat in Bhopal lets one not only indulge in Nawabi hospitality and cuisine but also find historical sites along the way.

Royal vibes:

• The Jehan Numa Palace’s architecture is a mix of British Colonial, Italian Renaissance, and Classical Greek. Bougainvillaea vines and Champa trees are distinct in the lush green that envelops the property.
• True to its aristocratic heritage, the rooms are huge and the balconies open to beautiful views of trees or the riding track. The hotel has 100 rooms which includes six suites.
• The Jehan Numa Retreat is a beautiful getaway located on the outskirts of Bhopal and a stone’s throw from the Van Vihar National Park and Zoo. If you want to escape away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is the place to be. 

Fashion

A woman’s journey through art and fashion

Designer Payal Jain started her career in the Indian fashion design space at a time when most people looked at designers as ‘glorified tailors’. There were only a handful of big names, such as Neeta Lulla, Ashish Soni, and Tarun Tahiliani. However, Jain was confident that she could create a niche for herself.  

Through her journey spanning over three decades, Jain has melded art, fashion, and sustainability in equal measures. And, her retrospective exhibition ‘Soul of a Woman’, being displayed at New Delhi’s Innovation Gallery within the National Crafts Museum and Hastkala Academy is no different. 

Behind the scenes:

• Jain’s commitment to sustainability can be attributed to her father, Prem Jain, who initiated the green building movement in India. 
• The 30 pieces which are a part of the exhibition, on till November 1, involve repurposing and reusing discarded scraps of fabric and marrying them with materials like wood, metal, paper, shell buttons, ghungroos and beads.
• Jain will showcase a collection, titled ‘Rising Sun’ at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week in Delhi, inspired by her cultural exploration of Uzbekistan. 

Art and Culture

Inside The Wicker Story

Designer Priyanka Narula is the brain behind Hyderabad-based The Wicker Story (TWS), which creates expansive installations, inventive fabrications, and furniture, using cane and rattan craft. Her creations adorn the homes of Bollywood stars, including Sonam Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor.  

Handmade:

• Narula founded TWS in 2019 as an offshoot of the architecture and design practice, Prelab Design Studio. She practised architecture for 5-6 years, including at the architecture firm Morphogenesis, before starting up. 
• Earlier this year, she finished a 90-foot-long jointless installation created in handwoven or basketry technique. She also follows a zero-waste approach by working on sustainable and environmentally conscious pieces. 
• Recently, TWS exhibited the Dawn to Dusk collection, which has a generous use of colour. Narula points out that until last year, her work was largely monochromatic. 

News & updates

• Policy: The US Federal Reserve’s monetary-easing campaign for 2024 may already be over, as the strong US labour report underscores the stubborn resilience of the world’s largest economy, Wall Street veteran Ed Yardeni said. Further policy easing would risk sparking inflation just as oil prices rebound and China seeks to jumpstart its economy.
• Surge: Oil prices could shoot up to $20 per barrel if Iranian production sees a hit, according to Goldman Sachs. Should key OPEC+ members such as Saudi Arabia and UAE offset some of the production losses, oil markets could see a smaller boost of slightly less than $10 per barrel.
• Plans: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has asked ministers to formulate an economic relief package to ease the bite of inflation. He also plans to compile a supplementary budget, which will fund the relief package after the lower house elections set for October 27. 

What is the fear of long words known as?

Answer: Hippopotomostrosesquippedaliophobia.

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