It’s been a tough year in retail: Every week, there seems to be a new store closure; Trump’s tariffs have jacked up prices; inflation has led to a decline in consumer spending and a recession seems imminent. And yet, despite these troubling signs of economic strain, things are looking up as we turn …
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This week, George Clooney has been promoting Jay Kelly, his latest film. It’s directed by Noah Baumbach and I read one scathing review of it at the Daily Beast. The review notes that the film is “saccharine, toothless, and cheesily meta” and it’s “straining to thread a needle so that it bittersweetly laments its A-lister’s shortcomings while nonetheless forgiving him for them.” And on top of all that, Laura Dern plays Jay Kelly’s publicist. HARD PASS. Anyway, I wanted to note something I was thinking about as Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s marriage suddenly crashed and burned this week: one week ago, I definitely would have said that the Clooneys are much more likely to split than Keith and Nicole. Especially given the vibe around George and Amal for the past year. But according to George, everything is going swimmingly in his marriage and his family. From some of his assorted interviews:
His routines: “I have normalcy. You know, I drive my kids to school every morning. I have normalcy — except for this [premiere]!”
He isn’t suffering from a “what does it all mean” crisis like Jay Kelly: “There wasn’t that many similarities, in a weird way. Because he’s a guy who’s just so sad about his career and his life because he didn’t have friends and family, and he surrounds himself with people that just, he paid. I’ve been very lucky to have great family and great friends, and my kids actually like me still. They’re young.”
His big life lesson: “The greatest lesson I learned is to marry the right person, which I did. And so, it has been nothing but an honor and a pleasure to be married to my wife.” George, 64, also shared that he and Amal, 47, marked their latest anniversary by going out to dinner together.
The bloody school run! Did I miss a memo or something? When did “the school run” become the sole barometer for “a humbling experience and an equalizer among men?” The way Prince William goes on and on about the school run, you’d think it was the most important aspect of parenthood. As for his marriage… well, who knows. I certainly wouldn’t want to be married to a ratf-cking drama queen, but Amal certainly appears to be in it for the long haul.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
Pictured: George Clooney, Amal Clooney
BACKGRID USA 29 SEPTEMBER 2025
USA: +1 310 798 9111 / [email protected]
UK: +44 208 344 2007 / [email protected]
*UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children
Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Pictured: George Clooney, Amal Clooney
BACKGRID USA 29 SEPTEMBER 2025
USA: +1 310 798 9111 / [email protected]
UK: +44 208 344 2007 / [email protected]
*UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children
Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Featuring: Amal Clooney, George Clooney
Where: New York, United States
When: 29 Sep 2025
Credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com
Featuring: Amal Clooney, George Clooney
Where: New York, New York, United States
When: 29 Sep 2025
Credit: DAMEBK/BauerGriffin/INSTARimages
Featuring: Amal Clooney, George Clooney
Where: New York, New York, United States
When: 29 Sep 2025
Credit: DAMEBK/BauerGriffin/INSTARimages
Featuring: George Clooney and Amal Clooney
Where: New York, United States
When: 29 Sep 2025
Credit: Darla Khazei/INSTARimages
New umbrella group unites emc3, BEG, and From Now, marking the beginning of a values-driven, global growth platform for experience-led agencies.
Global event agency emc3 has announced the formation of the emc3 Collective, a newly established umbrella group that brings together specialist agencies united by shared values, creative excellence, and commercial ambition. The launch of the Collective coincides with the strategic acquisition of BEG (Boston Experiential Group), a full-service B2C experiential agency based in the United States.
The emc3 Collective now includes:
“The emc3 Collective represents the next chapter of our journey, bringing together bold, creative, and values-led agencies that can scale with intention,” said Alistair Graham, CEO of the emc3 Collective. “With BEG coming on board, we’re expanding our reach, diversifying our offering, and laying the foundations for future growth.”
Founded by Sophia D’Angelo, BEG delivers standout consumer campaigns for leading global brands including P&G, Meta, Fever-Tree, Samuel Adams, and Welch’s. The agency will continue to operate independently under its existing brand and leadership. Sophia remains the Managing Director of BEG, joining the emc3 Collective’s senior leadership team and reporting to Lee-Anne Caldwell, Global Managing Director of the Collective.
“From the outset, it was clear that we shared the same energy, ambition, and people-first approach,” said Sophia D’Angelo. “The emc3 Collective gives us the platform to keep doing what we do best, with the added benefit of scale, support, and a shared vision for what’s next.”
The formation of the Collective builds on a period of transformational growth for emc3, which has:
The emc3 Collective has been built as a platform to scale talent, technology, and capability across values-led agencies. The acquisition of BEG marks the first in a planned series of strategic additions, as the Collective expands its global footprint with intention.
Each agency retains its own identity while benefiting from shared infrastructure, operational support, and a connected global network. For clients, the model offers a single, trusted partner delivering aligned, purpose-led experiences across B2B, B2C, and sustainability.
The acquisition of BEG and the formation of the Collective were officially announced at a recent Pulse event, emc3’s community-led event series, during its Austin debut.
“This is just the beginning,” added Daniel Curtis, Chief Strategy Officer, emc3 Collective. “With the acquisition of BEG, we’re excited to operate in the B2C space. The emc3 Collective brings bold, values-led agencies together, and we’re actively exploring further acquisitions to expand our capabilities for our clients around the world.”
With the formation of the Collective, emc3 is raising the bar, blending international scale with creative excellence and cross-disciplinary expertise to deliver unified, high-impact, sustainable experiences across B2B and B2C.
To learn more about the emc3 Collective and its growing group of agencies, visit emc3collective.com.
Last month, I drove the MG Cyberster at the Buddh International Circuit, which has quietly become the de facto venue for manufacturer test drives that need a controlled environment. EV brands love it — not because a racetrack flatters their cars, but because it makes logistics easy. You can limit the experience to a handful of laps, keep the running minimal, and top up the battery from the on-site charger. No worrying about range anxiety here.
But here’s the thing: The Buddh Circuit also has a way of exposing a car’s weaknesses. And in the Cyberster’s case, it did so in a couple of laps. EVs and racetracks have never been a happy pairing. Like most electric sportscars, the Cyberster is too heavy and too softly sprung to truly shine on a race track.
Sure, the 0–100kph time of 3.2 seconds makes for a great headline, but after that, the power tails off. The top speed is just over 200kph, which, on Buddh’s kilometre-long stretch, feels pedestrian.
The Cyberster’s appeal doesn’t live on the racetrack. It lives in your driveway, in traffic, at a five-star hotel porch, and in the heads it turns on every street. This is easily the best-looking sports car you can buy for ₹74 lakh, roof up or down. Speaking of the roof, it folds neatly away in about 15 seconds.
But the real party trick? Those doors. Scissor doors, the kind Lamborghini immortalised with its iconic Countach in the 1970s. In the world of exotic cars, door-design is part of the peacock display. Butterfly doors, for example, are the signature of the Pagani, Koenigsegg and McLaren P1. The Mercedes 300SL’s gullwing doors carry such mystique that makes this model one of the most sought after classics.
The Cyberster has not only democratised scissor doors but arguably improved them. In a Lambo, you need long arms and a bit of a heave to pull them down manually. The MG? Just press a button on the centre console and both doors power open or close. In one stroke, MG has brought the sort of driveway theatre previously reserved for ₹5-crore-plus hypercars to a wider audience.
The Cyberster also has none of the daily-driving histrionics of traditional sports cars. No temperamental clutch, no overheating in traffic. Just smooth, silent progress. It’s comfortable enough to use every day — provided you watch out for speed breakers.
At ₹74 lakh, the response to the Cyberster has been healthy, especially for something that’s a full import. Originally, MG had considered producing the car locally to bypass India’s punishing import duties, but the roof mechanism was too complex to assemble locally. Had they managed it, the price could have dropped to around ₹60 lakh ex-showroom — a figure that would have made scissor doors genuinely within reach.
In the end, the MG Cyberster isn’t the kind of sports car you take to a track day. It’s the kind you take everywhere else. It’s about drama, presence, and the smugness of getting Lamborghini-style doors at less than a tenth of the cost.
From HT Brunch, September 27, 2025
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Actor Dhruv Vikram welcomed his 28th birthday on Tuesday in a way that reflected more heart than hype. Instead of a lavish party, he chose to spread joy among children from underprivileged communities. Through the All India Chiyaan Vikram Fans Club, his team distributed food packets to kids, creating smiles all around. A touching moment from the day featured a cake-cutting ceremony for a four-year-old whose birthday coincided with Dhruv’s, a gesture that quickly won fans’ praise online.
While social media was flooded with celebratory posts for Dhruv, it was this thoughtful outreach that stood out, showing that the young actor is keen on pairing his rising career with meaningful acts of kindness.
எங்கள் அன்பின் இளவரசர் #DhruvVikram அவர்களின் பிறந்தநாளை முன்னிட்டு @chiyaan_AICVF சார்பில் சிறிய அன்பளிப்பு 💐குழந்தைகளுடன் உணவு பகிர்ந்து கொண்டோம், மேலும் இன்று 4 வயது சிறுமியின் பிறந்தநாளையும் புதிய உடை மற்றும் கேக் கொடுத்து மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் கொண்டாடினோம் 🎂🖤@Chiyaan 🫂🖤 pic.twitter.com/AkqlM2WmMU
— All India Chiyaan Vikram Fans Club (@Chiyaan_AICVF) September 23, 2025
From Adithya Varma to Bison: an evolving journey
Dhruv’s entry into cinema came in 2019 with Adithya Varma, the Tamil adaptation of Arjun Reddy. A different version of the same story, titled Varmaa and helmed by Bala, followed a year later. In 2022, Dhruv shared screen space with his father, Chiyaan Vikram, in Karthik Subbaraj’s Mahaan. The father-son duo headlined the action drama, which premiered directly on Prime Video.
Next up for Dhruv is what many are calling his biggest project yet, Bison: Kaalamaadan, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mari Selvaraj. Slated for release on October 17, 2025, to coincide with Diwali, the film is set in the world of kabaddi and is touted as a sports drama with a strong social undercurrent.
The cast boasts a mix of powerhouse performers, including Anupama Parameswaran, Lal, Pasupathy, Rajisha Vijayan, Hari Krishnan, Azhagam Perumal, and Kalaiyarasan. The movie is backed by Applause Entertainment and Neelam Studios, with production led by Sameer Nair, Deepak Seigal, Pa. Ranjith, and Aditi Anand.
Building buzz for a festive release
Bison has already started drumming up excitement thanks to its music and Dhruv’s transformation for the role. The film’s first single, Theekkoluthi, won attention for its striking visuals and poetic depth. A third track, Cheeni Kallu, is lined up for release this month, further adding to the pre-Diwali anticipation.
Behind the scenes, the technical team includes Nivas K Prasanna on music, Ezhil Arasu K handling cinematography, and Sakthi Thiru on editing, a combination expected to give the film both visual flair and emotional weight.
With Mari Selvaraj’s track record of telling socially resonant stories (Pariyerum Perumal, Karnan), and Dhruv’s evident dedication to his craft, expectations are running high. Industry watchers believe Bison could be a turning point in Dhruv’s career, positioning him as more than just a star son, but as an actor carving out his own space.
ALso Read: Dhruv Vikram’s Bison: Kaalamaadan Charges Into Cinemas This October
The national Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) has been updated to provide a clear, robust, and nationally consistent framework for event organisers, local authorities, and the supply chain. The revised code reflects current best practices and aligns with national policy, aiming to help the UK live events sector achieve ambitious environmental targets.
The GECoP is published by Vision for Sustainable Events, with the review chaired by LIVE Green. It was supported by a working group that included event sustainability experts—specifically A Greener Future, Creative Zero, and Hope Solutions—as well as event promoters Festival Republic and AEG.
Following a successful 2024 pilot with 10 local authorities focused on integrating the code into their processes, the updated GECoP will be adopted by more than 20 UK cities in 2025. This expansion is the next step toward a national roll-out, ultimately aiming to provide an off-the-shelf framework and baseline for nationally consistent event assessment.
Chris Johnson, Chair of the Vision for Sustainable Events Forum, comments:
“Fundamentally, the Green Code aims to answer the question, ‘What does good look like?’ This refresh brings the code up to date, providing clarity for the sector on best practice and on the action we need to take to achieve meaningful reductions in the environmental impacts of events.”
GECoP is intended to establish a common understanding of best practice, offering clear and robust minimum standards that can be assessed to achieve national consistency. The updated code articulates the sector’s continued commitment to achieving a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030. It also emphasises the industry’s role as a driver of wider societal change.
Targets for energy have been strengthened in this second version, now including a 100% reduction in onsite fossil fuel consumption at live events by 2030. This aligns with wider creative, TV, and film industry commitments. HVO fuel is acknowledged as a transitional bridge where electric or green hydrogen solutions cannot yet meet power needs.
Read the updated code at https://visionsustainableevents.org/green-events-code/