Warpaint, a cosmetics rival, acquired Barry M, one of Britain's last family-run make-up brands, following its collapse earlier this month, according to BBC Business. The takeover, valued at 1.4 million, will result in the closure of Barry M's factory in London and put 100 jobs at risk. In other news, former French Culture Minister Jack Lang resigned from his position as president of the Arab World Institute due to alleged financial ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by Euronews. Meanwhile, OpenAI began testing ads in the U.S. for users of its Free and Go subscription tiers, as announced by TechCrunch. Additionally, lidar-maker Ouster acquired StereoLabs, a vision-based perception systems company, in a move towards sensor consolidation, also according to TechCrunch. Finally, police reportedly used tear gas and pepper spray on protesters in Sydney, Australia, who were demonstrating against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as reported by Sky News.
Barry M, established in north London in 1982 by Barry Mero, had struggled to innovate and keep up with competitors, according to analysts cited by BBC Business. The brand, known for its eye-catching colors, was a favorite among make-up enthusiasts and drag queens and was stocked in approximately 1,300 shops across the UK. Dean Mero had been running the company since his father's death in 2014.
The resignation of Jack Lang from the Arab World Institute came after France's financial prosecutor opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter on suspicion of "aggravated tax fraud laundering," according to Euronews. The investigation is related to Lang's alleged financial links to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier.
OpenAI's decision to introduce ads in ChatGPT aims to support broader access to more powerful features while maintaining user trust, according to TechCrunch. The company stated that ads would not influence the answers ChatGPT provides and that user conversations would remain private from advertisers. Subscribers to paid plans will not see ads.
The acquisition of StereoLabs by Ouster, for a combination of 35 million and 1.8 million shares, is part of a trend of consolidation among perception sensor suppliers, as reported by TechCrunch. Ouster had previously merged with Velodyne in 2022 and acquired Sense Photonics in 2021.
In Australia, the protests against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit occurred after an invitation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, following a shooting at a Hanukkah event in Sydney in December that killed at least 15 people, according to Sky News.
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