NEW YORK, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Unlimited, an asset management firm and ETF sponsor that uses proprietary technology to provide low-cost, alternative strategies to a variety of investors, today published its Q1 2025 Hedge Fund Barometer, which showed a significant reversal of pro-growth positions in both U.S. equities and corporate bonds over the quarter as well as an increase in bets on gold.
According to Unlimited’s proprietary technology, hedge fund managers came into the year with relatively low conviction and modest views but subsequently ramped up pro-growth positions including long the U.S. dollar, and credit spread and equity bets in line with increased expectations of U.S. growth from the new administration. The majority of those positions were reversed starting in February with the exception of extending bullish positions on gold.
“Hedge fund positioning shows some of the lowest conviction in the direction of asset prices that we have seen in decades,” said Bob Elliott, CEO and CIO of Unlimited and portfolio manager of actively-managed ETFs. “Those positions were a dramatic transition from the beginning of the quarter when hedge funds were ramping up their bullish bets on the U.S. economy. The prominence of policy volatility likely triggered managers’ reluctance to hold significant directional positions.”
Hedge funds eked out modestly positive performance in the first quarter with the mix of sub-strategy returns largely reversing the moves of the previous quarter. Emerging Market funds outperformed meaningfully as Chinese stocks surged meanwhile Equity Long/Short and Event Driven strategies came in weak.
1Q25 Hedge Fund Strategy Performance, Gross of Fees
Industry Return: 1.7%
Best Performing Fund Style: Emerging Markets 6.3%
Worst Performing Fund Style: Event Driven -0.8%
Unlimited’s Hedge Fund Barometer showed other notable moves during the quarter included:
Bearish outlook on oil shifted towards neutral bullish positioning in Chinese and Japanese equities
Notable underweight in U.S. biotech
Equity Long/Short managers remain bearish on U.S. small and mid-cap companies
Click here to view a video on how Unlimited’s technology works.
About Unlimited Founded in 2022 by Bob Elliott, Bruce McNevin and Matt Salzberg, Unlimited is an investment firm using proprietary technology to create strategies that offer lower-cost access to 2 & 20-style alternative investment strategies, such as hedge funds, to a wide variety of investors. Mr. Elliott has built innovative hedge fund strategies for more than two decades, including at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. Mr. McNevin is a Professor of Economics at New York University and has held various data science positions at hedge funds Clinton Group and Midway Group, along with positions at Bank of America and BlackRock. Mr. Salzberg serves as a Managing Partner at Material and Board Director of Unlimited. Learn more at unlimitedfunds.com.
For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. The data shown herein represents past performance and should not be construed as providing any assurance or guarantee as to returns that may be realized in the future. No representation is being made that any investment will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown herein. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee return or eliminate risk in any market environment.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Morten Bøås, Research Professor, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
Mali’s interim president, Colonel d’Armée Assimi Goïta, who came to power in a coup on 18 August 2020, enjoys remarkably strong public support. Survey data from pan-African research network Afrobarometer and the Mali-Métre survey, run by Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung since 2012, indicate high levels of satisfaction with junta rule. In the 2024 Mali-Métre, nine out of ten respondents considered the country to be moving in the right direction.
Yet economic conditions are worsening for Malians. In a recent analysis the World Bank pointed out that the junta was finding it difficult to deliver services amid sluggish growth, high inflation and extreme poverty.
That Malians still seem to be very satisfied with their leader needs some explanation.
In a recent paper, we draw on our extensive fieldwork experience in Mali. We argue that Goïta has crafted a new social contract based on a strongman narrative, portraying himself as Mali’s defender. The regime has used dissatisfaction with international interventions to frame Goïta as an “exceptional man” in “exceptional times”, in ways that resonate with Malian myths and traditions.
We show how the regime’s new social contract is based not on public services but on the idea of Goïta as Mali’s defender and liberator. In this way, the regime has established a social bond with the population that places dignity above all.
A new social bond
In 2012, Mali experienced a severe crisis triggered by a separatist rebellion in the northern regions of the country. Jihadist insurgent groups took over the rebellion, leading to a military coup. International interventions followed. The regional grouping Ecowas, the UN and France made efforts to restore security, stability and peace.
But the deployment of 5,000 French troops and 15,000 UN peacekeepers failed to prevent a deterioration in security.
At the same time, Mali’s democratic institutions failed to restore territorial control and address corruption and poverty, despite regular elections being held.
Mass protests calling for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta paved the way for the 2020 military takeover.
These failures offered the junta a rich repertoire to draw on for its own legitimacy. With Goïta came a new narrative, not about liberal state-building and development, but about restoring Malian sovereignty and dignity.
Public debates about fighting the forces of neocolonialism and reclaiming sovereignty predate the junta. The regime has harnessed these sentiments. It contrasts decades of indignity, weakness, and dependence on France with a glorified vision of Mali’s ancient past.
Now, so the narrative goes, Goïta has emerged as a hero capable of leading his people towards a new age in which Mali is treated with respect.
This framing has rekindled the legacy of Thomas Sankara, the late military leader of Burkina Faso (1983–1987). Often dubbed Africa’s Che Guevara, Sankara was a charismatic revolutionary known for his passionate speeches, bold stance against corruption, and efforts to challenge former colonial powers. He was assassinated in a coup in 1987, but his legacy continues to inspire young Africans.
Regime figures, particularly foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop, often refer to legends and historical narratives as part of this myth-making:
According to recent survey data from the Mali-Mètre, 70% of Malians identified combating insecurity as their highest priority. This indicates how many Malians feel they face a threat similar to the one that existed when the Malinke people pleaded with Sunjata to be their saviour.
Thus, in an environment of chaos, war, confusion and despair, a hunter-warrior hero is needed. This agent can not only save society, but re-set it in an orderly and just manner, bringing dignity to his people if they undergo the necessary sacrifices.
This story requires a villain. Finding culprits in Mali was not difficult. All it required was harnessing of social frustrations already directed against France and other external forces failing to combat insurgents and restore security.
A unifying enemy
As shown by Afrobarometer and Mali-Mètre, many Malians, as poor and destitute as they may be, take comfort from the regime’s confrontations with and – as it is presented to them – victories over such formidable adversaries as France and the UN.
With nearly 60% of its population under the age of 25, Mali is one of the youngest countries in the world. The Malian case shows a youthful African population that is desperate for social change and willing to endure hardship to reach their promised land.
The current political landscape in Mali, and in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger where conditions are similar, is an invitation to reconsider local agency. Citizens actively and rationally respond to their political contexts. Writing off people as ignorant or stupid will not advance understanding of the new political terrain.
– Winning hearts and power: how Mali’s military regime gained popular support – https://theconversation.com/winning-hearts-and-power-how-malis-military-regime-gained-popular-support-254518
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Senators request oversight hearing to investigate Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine DOJ
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, led Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Subcommittee on the Constitution colleagues Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in demanding answers from the Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Senators separately called for Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, to immediately hold an oversight hearing with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on the politicization of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
In the Senators’ letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the lawmakers expressed deep concerns about several directives issued by the Trump Administration that could jeopardize the Division’s work to enforce and protect the Constitutional and statutory civil rights of the American people. The Senators also requested an immediate briefing for the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution regarding changes to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division since January 20, 2025.
“According to public reporting, at least five of the Division’s sections have received directives via email to employees which change long-standing Division enforcement objectives. The five sections are meant to protect voting rights, prevent discrimination by federal funding recipients, investigate illegal bias in housing, prohibit discrimination in education, and defend the rights of those with disabilities. The directives have not been shared publicly,” wrote the Senators. “Based on the reporting, these directives may well be inconsistent with Congress’s intent in enacting the landmark civil rights legislation that is enforced by the Division.”
The Senators continued: “We have also heard alarming reports that no career officials remain in the Division’s leadership. Our understanding is that the enforcement oversight responsibilities normally handled by career Deputy Assistant Attorneys General will instead be transferred to political appointees. Reportedly, career supervisors in various sections have also been reassigned, while others have left. These losses mirror a similar pattern across the Department of Justice, including the removal of career officials from the Office of Professional Responsibility and the firing of the Pardon Attorney. The Division relies on the abilities and knowledge of its career staff to carry out the great responsibility of enforcing the nation’s civil rights laws without regard to politics.”
“Finally, we have also heard alarming reports that you authorized a second voluntary buyout for Division employees immediately before issuing the previously mentioned directives. Taken together, these measures appear to be an attempt to cajole career officials at the Division to leave voluntarily in order to fundamentally transform its work,” the Senators concluded.
Read and download the full letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
Read and download the full letter to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Chairman Schmitt.
Mali’s interim president, Colonel d’Armée Assimi Goïta, who came to power in a coup on 18 August 2020, enjoys remarkably strong public support. Survey data from pan-African research network Afrobarometer and the Mali-Métre survey, run by Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung since 2012, indicate high levels of satisfaction with junta rule. In the 2024 Mali-Métre, nine out of ten respondents considered the country to be moving in the right direction.
Yet economic conditions are worsening for Malians. In a recent analysis the World Bank pointed out that the junta was finding it difficult to deliver services amid sluggish growth, high inflation and extreme poverty.
That Malians still seem to be very satisfied with their leader needs some explanation.
In a recent paper, we draw on our extensive fieldwork experience in Mali. We argue that Goïta has crafted a new social contract based on a strongman narrative, portraying himself as Mali’s defender. The regime has used dissatisfaction with international interventions to frame Goïta as an “exceptional man” in “exceptional times”, in ways that resonate with Malian myths and traditions.
We show how the regime’s new social contract is based not on public services but on the idea of Goïta as Mali’s defender and liberator. In this way, the regime has established a social bond with the population that places dignity above all.
A new social bond
In 2012, Mali experienced a severe crisis triggered by a separatist rebellion in the northern regions of the country. Jihadist insurgent groups took over the rebellion, leading to a military coup. International interventions followed. The regional grouping Ecowas, the UN and France made efforts to restore security, stability and peace.
But the deployment of 5,000 French troops and 15,000 UN peacekeepers failed to prevent a deterioration in security.
At the same time, Mali’s democratic institutions failed to restore territorial control and address corruption and poverty, despite regular elections being held.
Mass protests calling for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta paved the way for the 2020 military takeover.
These failures offered the junta a rich repertoire to draw on for its own legitimacy. With Goïta came a new narrative, not about liberal state-building and development, but about restoring Malian sovereignty and dignity.
Public debates about fighting the forces of neocolonialism and reclaiming sovereignty predate the junta. The regime has harnessed these sentiments. It contrasts decades of indignity, weakness, and dependence on France with a glorified vision of Mali’s ancient past.
Now, so the narrative goes, Goïta has emerged as a hero capable of leading his people towards a new age in which Mali is treated with respect.
This framing has rekindled the legacy of Thomas Sankara, the late military leader of Burkina Faso (1983–1987). Often dubbed Africa’s Che Guevara, Sankara was a charismatic revolutionary known for his passionate speeches, bold stance against corruption, and efforts to challenge former colonial powers. He was assassinated in a coup in 1987, but his legacy continues to inspire young Africans.
Regime figures, particularly foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop, often refer to legends and historical narratives as part of this myth-making:
references to the ancient cities of Gao and Timbuktu with their libraries, mosques and places of worship
legends like Sunjata Keita, the hero and founder of the Mali Empire.
According to recent survey data from the Mali-Mètre, 70% of Malians identified combating insecurity as their highest priority. This indicates how many Malians feel they face a threat similar to the one that existed when the Malinke people pleaded with Sunjata to be their saviour.
Thus, in an environment of chaos, war, confusion and despair, a hunter-warrior hero is needed. This agent can not only save society, but re-set it in an orderly and just manner, bringing dignity to his people if they undergo the necessary sacrifices.
This story requires a villain. Finding culprits in Mali was not difficult. All it required was harnessing of social frustrations already directed against France and other external forces failing to combat insurgents and restore security.
A unifying enemy
As shown by Afrobarometer and Mali-Mètre, many Malians, as poor and destitute as they may be, take comfort from the regime’s confrontations with and – as it is presented to them – victories over such formidable adversaries as France and the UN.
With nearly 60% of its population under the age of 25, Mali is one of the youngest countries in the world. The Malian case shows a youthful African population that is desperate for social change and willing to endure hardship to reach their promised land.
The current political landscape in Mali, and in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger where conditions are similar, is an invitation to reconsider local agency. Citizens actively and rationally respond to their political contexts. Writing off people as ignorant or stupid will not advance understanding of the new political terrain.
NEW YORK, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, HYPR, the Identity Assurance Company, announced a significant acceleration of its global growth strategy with the opening of a new European Center of Excellence in Belgrade, Serbia. This strategic second physical office will amplify the company’s capacity to serve its rapidly expanding worldwide customer base while leveraging the region’s deep reservoir of technical talent. Further fueling this global momentum, HYPR also announced the promotion of Douglas McLaughlin to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, a strategic appointment that underscores the company’s response to the surging demand for its passwordless authentication and identity verification solutions across key sectors like financial services and healthcare, where cyber threats are reaching critical levels.
Identity Renaissance Drives Market Demand
HYPR’s recently released 2025 State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report, conducted in partnership with S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research, reveals a critical inflection point in authentication security driven by a concerning reality. In 2024, nearly half (49%) of organizations suffered a breach, with an overwhelming 87% attributed to identity vulnerabilities. These breaches resulted in substantial financial losses averaging $2.5 million per incident, alongside legal ramifications forcing many organizations to reduce headcount and implement executive changes. Adding to this challenging landscape, the report also uncovers one of the most alarming findings: nearly 40% of organizations experienced a GenAI-related security incident in the past year, with a staggering 95% encountering some form of deepfake attack—including altered static imagery (50%) and manipulated live (44%) and recorded (41%) audio/video. However, amidst these escalating threats, the report highlights a historic shift in the authentication landscape. For the first time in its five-year history, FIDO passkeys and hardware keys are on track to become the dominant authentication method by 2027, offering a potential pathway to a more secure future.
Global Expansion and Hiring Initiatives
To better equip organizations for the escalating battle against identity-based attacks and to fuel its ambitious growth trajectory, HYPR has strategically expanded its operational footprint with a new European Center of Excellence in Belgrade, Serbia. This critical addition will significantly enhance the company’s ability to serve its increasing global customer base with localized expertise while tapping into the region’s robust technical talent market.
“Our new Belgrade office represents a strategic investment in HYPR’s future,” added Simic. “As threats like sophisticated phishing campaigns and the alarming trend of North Korean hackers infiltrating IT departments continue to make headlines, organizations worldwide are recognizing that robust identity assurance is non-negotiable. We’re actively hiring across multiple functions in both the US and internationally to meet this surging demand.”
The company’s HYPR Affirm identity verification solution has seen strong adoption across organizations of all sizes, from nimble SMBs to large enterprises, as identity fraud and verification challenges affect businesses regardless of scale. Organizations are leveraging HYPR Affirm to address critical identity challenges including employee onboarding fraud prevention, detection of fake workers, secure account recovery for helpdesks, and verification during high-risk transactions. This growth aligns with the report’s finding that identity verification tools are now the most widely deployed IAM tool (63%) and a top choice for post-breach implementation (68%).
When combined with HYPR’s passwordless authentication capabilities, customers create a comprehensive identity assurance framework that significantly reduces risk across the identity lifecycle.
Leadership for Hypergrowth
Douglas McLaughlin has been named SVP of Worldwide Sales. Over the last six years, McLaughlin has been instrumental in HYPR’s growth trajectory, personally cultivating strategic partnerships with one of the top four US banks, a top five healthcare organization, and one of the nation’s largest credit unions, among other marquee accounts. His leadership has been pivotal in establishing HYPR as the trusted identity assurance partner for enterprises seeking to eliminate credential-based attacks. Additionally, Doug has played a crucial role in building and enhancing HYPR’s channel partner program, significantly expanding the company’s market reach and creating mutually beneficial relationships with strategic technology and service providers.
“Doug has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and an unwavering commitment to our customers’ success,” said Bojan Simic, co-founder, CEO and CTO of HYPR. “His deep understanding of the evolving threat landscape and ability to translate our technical innovations into tangible business value for customers makes them the ideal leader to scale our global sales operations. This promotion reflects not only Doug’s individual achievements but also our company’s commitment to recognizing and elevating top talent.”
Customers consistently cite McLaughlin’s ability to guide them through complex digital transformations, providing the confidence needed to undertake significant authentication modernization initiatives that deliver both enhanced security and improved user experiences.
About HYPR
HYPR, the Identity Assurance Company, helps organizations create trust in the identity lifecycle. The HYPR solution provides the strongest end-to-end identity security, combining modern passwordless authentication with adaptive risk mitigation, automated identity verification and a simple, intuitive user experience. With a third-party validated ROI of 324%, HYPR easily integrates with existing identity and security tools and can be rapidly deployed at scale in the most complex environments.
The Chairman / Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer All Banks
Madam / Dear Sir,
Dispensation of ₹100 and ₹200 denomination banknotes through ATMs
As part of an endeavour towards enhancing public access to frequently used denominations of banknotes, it has been decided that all banks and White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs) shall ensure that their ATMs dispense ₹100 and ₹200 denomination banknotes on a regular basis as per following milestones:
By September 30, 2025: 75% of all ATMs shall dispense either ₹100 or ₹200 denomination banknotes from at least one cassette.
By March 31, 2026: 90% of all ATMs shall dispense either ₹100 or ₹200 denomination banknotes from at least one cassette.
The following is a guest post by Sayuri Umeda, a foreign law specialist who covers Japan and other countries in East and Southeast Asia in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. Sayuri has previously authored numerous posts for In Custodia Legis, including, The History of the Elimination of Leaded Gasoline; The Law Library’s New Report on Public Prosecution Reform in South Korea; Law Library’s New Report Reviews Foreign Ownership of Land Restriction in Major Economies; FALQs: The Conscription System of South Korea; and many more!
In criminal law, an act combined with intent constitutes a crime. Corporations are legal persons who cannot act and do not have a mind, independent of their officers, managers, and employees. In most jurisdictions, corporations can be held responsible for the criminal actions of their officers and employees, particularly when those actions are committed within the scope of their employment and benefit the corporation. However, jurisdictional approaches vary.
The Global Legal Research Directorate (GLRD) of the Law Library of Congress surveyed the law governing corporate criminal liability in selected jurisdictions from around the world, focusing on how certain categories of crime are punished. The report covers 60 jurisdictions, including 11 in the Americas, 18 in Europe (including the European Union), 15 in the Middle East, 3 in Africa, and 13 in Asia and the Pacific.
The jurisdictional surveys reveal four approaches: A. corporations may be punished for the same crimes as natural persons; B. corporations may be punished for crimes only when specific provisions so prescribe; C. corporations are not subject to criminal liability, but administrative punishments may be imposed; and D. the criminal liability of corporations is covered in special legislation addressing this topic. Most of the jurisdictions surveyed for this report fall within the first or second categories.
You can read the entire report or for a summary, you can look at the informative table included with the report. Read the report here.
This report is an addition to the Law Library’s Legal Reports (Publications of the Law Library of Congress) collection, which includes over 4,000 historical and contemporary legal reports covering a variety of jurisdictions, researched and written by foreign law specialists with expertise in each area. To receive alerts when new reports are published, you can subscribe to email updates and the RSS feed for Law Library Reports (click the “subscribe” button on the Law Library’s website). The Law Library also regularly publishes articles related to corporations in the Global Legal Monitor.
Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton was most popular with Canberrans this year.
In brief
The list of most-borrowed books from Libraries ACT in 2024 has been released.
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton was most popular with Canberrans this year.
This article includes the top five books across five categories.
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton was the most-borrowed book from ACT libraries in 2024.
The story, featuring the unforgettable heroine Lola, takes the crown from another gutsy female: Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry. This Bonnie Garmus book claimed the top spot last year.
Tenacity and resilience are qualities both Lola and Elizabeth have in spades.
As did Eileen O’Shaughnessy, the subject of Anna Funder’s Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life. This came in at number 1 in the adult non-fiction category.
Local interest in strong female stories continued in the young adult fiction and graphic novels category. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas introduced Canberrans to protagonist Feyre Archeron.
Lola in the Mirror
Canberrans couldn’t get enough of Lola this year. The book topped both the adult fiction and all-formats categories. At one stage, there were 525 reservations to borrow the book.
The title has been shortlisted for many awards and was named 2024 ABIA Book Literary Fiction Book of the Year.
Its Australian author, Trent Dalton, also wrote the bestselling Boy Swallows Universe.
Most popular books in all formats, including audio books
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
Past Lying by Val McDermid
Sanctuary by Garry Disher
The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves
What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
Top five adult fiction
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
Past Lying by Val McDermid
Sanctuary by Garry Disher
What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
Top five adult non-fiction
Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life by Anna Funder
RecipeTin Eats Dinner: 150+ Recipes From Australia’s Favourite Cook by Nagi Maehashi
4 Weeks to Better Sleep: A Life-Changing Plan for Deep Sleep, Improved Brain Function and Feeling Great by Michael Mosley
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathon Haidt
Question 7 by Richard Flanagan
Top five junior fiction and graphic novels
Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey
Hypno-Ninja!(Ninja Kid #12) by Anh Do
Ninja Games!(Ninja Kid #13) by Anh Do
The Scarlet Shedder: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #12) by Dav Pilkey
The Race Is On (Wolf Girl 10) by Anh Do
Top five young adult fiction and graphic novels
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Libraries ACT over summer
All library branches are closed for the current holiday period with branches re-opening on Monday 6 January 2025.
For more information on library opening hours over the summer period, visit library.act.gov.au
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by Paolo Affatato(Fides Agency) – Universality, inculturation, mercy, and reference to the Sacraments: throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has recognized in the dynamic spread and living of the Gospel in Asian countries an example of authenticity and a valid paradigm for the Church throughout the world.“We must go to Asia,” Pope Francis said in 2013, at the beginning of his pontificate, upon his return from Brazil, and the trips to Asia that followed immediately (to Korea in 2014, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in 2015) quickly fulfilled his desire to follow this path and meet the peoples of the East. This desire also took shape with trips to Myanmar and Bangladesh (2017), Thailand and Japan (2019), Kazakhstan (2022), Mongolia (2023), and most recently Indonesia, East Timor, and Singapore (2024).Pope Francis’ view of the diverse reality of Asian peoples and their civilizations is light years away from the traps of Western-style neocolonialism. On the contrary, his attitude is always one of learning, of grasping signs and lessons that can also be useful for believers living in countries with an ancient Christian tradition.“I was in the heart of Asia and it did me good. It is good to enter into dialogue with this great continent, to understand its messages, to get to know its wisdom, its way of looking at things, of embracing time and space,” said Pope Francis on his return from his apostolic journey to Mongolia. Francis recalled that the Mongolian people are a “humble and joyful” Catholic community, and revealed one of its defining characteristics: “It is far from the limelight, where the signs of God’s presence are often found.” “The Lord,” he explained, ”does not seek the center stage, but the simple heart of those who long for him and love him, without appearing, without wanting to elevate themselves above others.”On the largest and most pluralistic continent, the cradle of the great religions, where Catholic communities are often tiny, hidden, and completely insignificant, Pope Francis recognized the importance of catholicity, “an inculturated universality that takes up the good where it lives and serves the people with whom it lives.” The Pope praised the exemplary witness of missionaries who, often in contexts where Christ had not yet arrived, sowed the seeds “not of a universalism that is homologous, but of a universalism that is inculturated.” In Central Asia, “the missionaries went to live like the Mongolian people, to speak the language of this people, to adopt the values of this people, and to preach the Gospel in the Mongolian way. They went and inculturated themselves: they adopted the Mongolian culture in order to inculturate the Gospel in that culture.”Precisely because of their structural condition as a “small flock,” the Catholic communities in various Asian countries have been able to develop their mission as “works and places of mercy,” that is, to present themselves as “open, welcoming places where the misery of every human being can come into contact, without shame, with the mercy of God, which uplifts and heals.” In these contexts, the Pope added, “it is crucial to see and recognize the good. It is important, like the Mongolian people, to look upward, toward the light of goodness. Only in this way, starting from the recognition of the good, can we contribute to making it better.” ”Let us remember how many seeds of goodness are hidden in the garden of the world, while we usually only hear the sound of falling trees!” And, also referring to the Mongolian people, but with a remark that is valid in many other contexts, he remarked: “What kind of people cherish their roots and traditions, respect their elders, and live in harmony with their environment? It is a people who search the heavens and feel the breath of creation. When we think of the boundless and silent expanses of Mongolia, we should be guided by the need to broaden the horizons of our vision.”From this experience, Francis drew the universal lesson that “we must expand the limits of our gaze so that we can see the good in others and broaden our horizons. And we must also expand our hearts: expand our hearts to understand, to be close to every person and every civilization.” This is a key that expresses and sums up the sometimes troubled gaze of the Successor of Peter on the small Catholic communities in Asian countries. These communities rely more on the power and grace of the Holy Spirit than on their economic, political, or media power. And they continue to have two strengths for their mission: the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession, which Francis has always considered and described as the sources of all missionary work.The Eucharist, the sacrament in which God offers himself, his flesh and blood, thereby breaking the cycle of violence and death. The cycle of life and death is a central theme in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, all of which originated on the Asian continent: hence, the sacrament of the Eucharist has a very special power and meaning for Asian peoples. This power and significance can be found, for example, in communities immersed in a reality—think of Afghanistan—where the political situation does not allow for the full exercise of religious freedom: there, it is still possible to celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist, the living presence of Christ. A second strength of the Church’s mission is the sacrament of Confession, which enables believers to enter into a relationship with God and, through a human mediator, to receive forgiveness and reconciliation, an existential gift that comes from above and is not merely the fruit of a commitment to prayer or a path of personal purification. That is why “our Eucharistic celebrations are full of non-Christians,” explains Father Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzález, Apostolic Prefect of Battambang in predominantly Buddhist Cambodia, “and among them many are beginning the journey toward baptism.”(PA) ( Fides Agency 28/4/2025)
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Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations
The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community (DSG APSC) met with Ms Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), on 24 April 2025. Discussions focused on strengthening the connectivity between the two sides as well as advancing cooperation in areas such as transport infrastructure development, cross-border facilitation, and capacity building programmes to share expertise in transport and connectivity development.
The day before, on 23 April, the ACJCC delegation visited Super Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport. The tour provided insights into the latest innovations and future trends in terminal design, airport construction, and master planning, showcasing Hong Kong’s advancements in aviation infrastructure.
The post The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN meet with Secretary for Transport and Logistics of Hong Kong SAR appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
Chief Executive John Lee today met Slovak Republic Deputy Prime Minister for the European Union Recovery Plan & the Knowledge Economy Peter Kmec and the governments of the two places signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Science, Research & Innovation.
Mr Kmec and Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong signed the MOU on behalf of the Slovak Republic Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government respectively.
Mr Lee noted that the MOU is an important milestone in strengthening the ties between Hong Kong and the Slovak Republic on the innovation and technology (I&T) front, encouraging exchanges among scientific research organisations, scientific and technological talent and enterprises of the two places, and promotes co-operation in scientific research and innovation as well as the transfer of technology and innovation outcomes, contributing to the high-quality development of the two economies.
While Hong Kong is striving to become an international I&T centre and the Slovak Republic has announced various long-term digital transformation development strategies in recent years, Mr Lee said he believes that there is ample room for future co-operation between Hong Kong and the Slovak Republic in the application of I&T.
In terms of economic and trade development, Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong SAR Government will maintain close ties with the Slovak business community, and will organise promotion activities of various natures to keep them abreast of the latest developments and opportunities in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong SAR Government will also promote Hong Kong’s strengths and development potential, including the city’s close connections with international and Mainland markets, as well as the tremendous development opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt & Road Initiative.
Partnered with Working in Support of Education (W!se)
Continued Campus Tour with Columbia University and New Jersey City University (NJCU)
Published Financial Literacy Survey with moomoo’s North America users
JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The intuitive global trading platform moomoo and its Moomoo Foundation with the dedication to boosting financial literacy, are excited to announce its 2025 plan to celebrate the financial literacy month with its North American users and communities worldwide.
This year, the moomoo foundation is partnering with the New York city-based educational nonprofit Working in Support of Education (W!se) to recognize the 100 Best W!se High Schools Teaching Personal Finance at Touro College in Midtown New York. Moomoo’s US CEO Neil McDonald presented awards to representatives from the 100 highest ranking high schools whose students excelled on W!se’s Financial Literacy Certification Test in the 2023-24 school year. Always held during April -Financial Literacy Month – the 100 best ceremony, is the first and only national ranking award to honor outstanding schools from W!se’s national network whose students performed well on the Test.
In addition, Moomoo Foundation will host a series of financial literacy seminars across the New York and New Jersey area. Moomoo Technology’s Vice President of Strategy Justin Zacks spoke about stock market fundamentals and equity trading at Columbia University on April 25 and will conduct a seminar at NJCU’s business school on May 2. Working with Columbia’s GCC and NJCU’s Student Development & Community Engagement team, moomoo continues its efforts of bringing financial inclusion to empower individual investors of all kinds, irrespective of ethnicity, age or gender, with the tools they need to make informed investment decisions.
Zacks said, “we are thrilled to extend our educational mission to the diverse academic audience in the Tri-State Area. These events reflect our long-term mission to inspire financial literacy at an early age and strengthen our community engagement with underserved demographics at every level of learning.”
To understand investors’ financial health and their personal finance behaviors and habits, moomoo also conducted a quarterly survey with its North American users. As the U.S. markets notched a second consecutive year of over 20% price appreciation. Many retail investors gained a positive return financially, but a new tariff policy and signs of an economic slowdown made some of them concerned.
The majority of moomoo users are better off than last year and many are able to save a consistent amount some of which is going into stocks. Low income and housing is a headwind for some and is preventing them from saving.
Moomoo’s users in Canada are closely watching political developments both at home and in the US in order to help them adjust their spending plans.
For more details, please download the moomoo North America financial literacy whitepaper here.
About Moomoo Foundation
Moomoo Foundation is a non-profit initiative launched by Moomoo, an intuitive investment and trading platform dedicated to financial empowerment. The foundation seeks to further Moomoo’s mission by promoting financial literacy, advancing economic equality, and fostering technological innovation.
Through strategic partnerships and targeted grants, Moomoo Foundation focuses on nurturing fintech startups that share its vision, working to build a more inclusive and forward-thinking financial landscape.
Our commitment goes beyond traditional philanthropy. At Moomoo Foundation, we are dedicated to establishing a sustainable, long-term approach that ensures our efforts make a lasting impact. We believe in equipping those we support with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to shape their own financial journey and thrive as active participants in the investment world. For more information, please visit moomoo’s official website at
The survey included approximately 1200 registered moomoo users in North America (1000 U.S. users, 200 Canada users) from March 14 to March. 23, 2025. The data shown in the survey represents the opinion of those surveyed and may change based on the market and other conditions. The survey results provided herein may not represent other customers’ experience, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success and should also not be construed as investment advice. Experiences may differ than the ones represented here. Investing involves risks regardless of the strategy selected.
This whitepaper is for informational and educational use only and is not a recommendation or endorsement of any particular investment or investment strategy. Past investment performance does not indicate or guarantee future success. You should consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to your relevant personal circumstances before making any investment decisions.
We do not provide tax advice and any tax-related information provided is general in nature and should not be considered tax advice. Consult a tax professional regarding your specific tax situation.
Moomoo is a financial information and trading app offered by Moomoo Technologies Inc. In the U.S., Investment products and services on Moomoo are offered by Moomoo Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC.
About moomoo Moomoo is a leading global investment and trading platform dedicated to empowering investors with user-friendly tools, data, and insights. Our platform is designed to provide essential information and technology, enabling users to make more-informed investment decisions. With advanced charting tools, pro-level analytical features, moomoo evolves alongside our users, fostering a dynamic community where investors can share, learn, and grow together.
Founded in the U.S., moomoo operates globally, serving investors in countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada and Malaysia. As a subsidiary of a Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings (FUTU), we take pride in our role as a global strategic partner of the Nasdaq, earning numerous international accolades from renowned industry leaders such as Benzinga and Fintech Breakthrough. Moomoo has also received multiple awards in the US, Singapore, and Australia for its innovative, inclusive approach to investing.
For more information, please visit moomoo’s official website at www.moomoo.com or feel free to email us: pr@us.moomoo.com.
Moomoo is a financial information and trading app offered by Moomoo Technologies Inc. In the U.S., Investment products and services on Moomoo are offered by Moomoo Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC.
Investing is risky. Securities offered through Moomoo FInancial Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC
W!se and Nasdaq are independent third parties, not affiliated with Moomoo Financial Inc., Moomoo Technologies Inc., or its affiliates.
As we enter the final days of campaigning, Labor leads with its nose in front on most polls, but the devil is in the detail of particular seats.
To help get a read on what the voters are feeling at this late stage, we’re joined by RedBridge director Kos Samaras.
RedBridge – a political research company, whose directors include both former Labor strategists like Samaras and former Liberal strategist Tony Barry – has been conducting focus groups and polling throughout the campaign.
On Labor’s polling lead, Samaras says
At the moment we’re looking at a situation where Labor will end up possibly forming minority government, with an outside chance of majority.
On the large number of soft voters, Samaras says soft voters are more likely to represent people shifting from the majors to the minor parties, rather then from Liberal to Labor.
The best way we can describe soft voters is it’s a permanent state of mind, and again we go back to talking about younger voters here, or those under the age of 45 in particular, who have very low levels of values connection to party politics in this country.
Very low numbers of people switch from the majors these days. So I think a lot of political strategists, particularly on the Coalition side, still think they are living in the world of 20 years ago where a large soft vote means people will just transfer their entire support over to the other major party. That no longer is the case.
By Saturday April 27, more than 2.3 million Australians (more than 13%) had already voted with a week to go to election day, according to analyst Antony Green. More than half a million votes were cast on the first day alone – a new record.
On that early voting trend, Samaras says while it’s “standard practice now” that people vote early, both major parties have been too slow to adapt to this change.
I would say, we haven’t seen any real evidence of the major parties really understanding the importance of starting early, although I would say Labor did start very early in the beginning of March. But you saw that the Coalition was very late to the game.
I think there’s a way to go before the majors fully wrap their heads around that Australians are now voting very differently, and they need to actually alter their campaign to suit those practices.
After a lacklustre campaign, voters are seeing Albanese as “the least worst option”:
The best way we can capture it is they view Anthony Albanese as the least worst option and we can see that in our quantitative analysis as well. Both major parties and both leaders are still in the negative territory but Labor and Albanese have improved their position dramatically, whilst at the same time the Coalition and Peter Dutton’s ratings have actually dropped.
And on political candidates lying in elections, Samaras says Australians think
They all lie. That’s fundamentally what most Australians will tell you. They all lie and they don’t live the lives we live. That’s the sort of saying we hear all the time.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Posters in Tokyo’s enormous Shinjuku railway station are normally used for advertising commodities like cosmetics and food, as well as new films. But occasionally you may happen across a poster with a birthday message and a picture of a young man, often from a boy band and typically with impeccable looks.
These posters are created by specialised advertising companies and are paid for by adoring fans. They are part of a phenomenon called oshikatsu, a term coined in recent years that is made from the Japanese words for “push” and “activity”.
Oshikatsu refers to the efforts fans engage in to support their favourite oshi, which can mean an entertainer, an anime or manga character, or a group they admire and want to “push”.
A considerable part of this support is economic in nature. Fans attend events and concerts, or buy merchandise such as CDs, posters and other collectables. Other forms of oshikatsu are meant to spread the fame of their idol by sharing content about their oshi, engaging in social media campaigns, and writing fan fiction or drawing fan art.
A birthday message for Kogun, a South Korean singer trying to make it in Japan, in 2022. Fabio Gygi, CC BY-NC-ND
Oshikatsu developed out of the desire of fans to have a closer link to their idols. The combination of oshi and katsu first appeared on social media networks in 2016 and became widespread as a hashtag on Twitter in 2018. In 2021, oshikatsu was nominated as a candidate for Japan’s word of the year, a sign that its use had become mainstream.
Now, it has appeared on the radar of corporate Japan. The reason for this is a burst of inflation in recent years, caused by pandemic supply chain disruption and geopolitical shocks, that has caused Japanese consumers to reduce their spending.
However, with wages set to rise again for the third time in three years, the government is cautiously optimistic that economic growth can be rekindled through consumer-driven spending. Entertainment and media companies are looking to oshikatsu as a potential driver of this, although it is unclear whether the upcoming pay hikes will be sufficient.
A widespread phenomenon
Contrary to popular perception, oshikatsu is no longer the purview solely of subcultures or young people. It has made inroads with older age groups in Japan as well.
According to a 2024 survey by Japanese marketing research company Harumeku, 46% of women aged in their 50s have an oshi that they support financially. Older generations tend to have more money to spend, especially after their own children have finished education.
Oshikatsu also signifies an interesting reversal in terms of gender. While husbands in the traditional Japanese household are still expected to be breadwinners, in oshikatsu it is more often women who financially support young men.
How much fans spend on their oshi depends. According to a recent survey by Japanese marketing company CDG and Oshicoco, an advertising agency specialising in oshikatsu, the average amount fans spend on activities related to their oshis is 250,000 yen (about £1,300) annually.
This contributes an estimated 3.5 trillion yen (£18.8 billion) to the Japanese economy each year, and accounts for 2.1% of Japan’s total annual retail sales.
Oshikatsu will drive up consumer spending. But I doubt it will have the impact on the Japanese economy that the authorities are hoping for. For the younger fans, the danger is that government approval will kill any kind of cool clout, making oshikatsu less appealing to these people in the long run.
And if you support an oshi who has not yet made it, you may have a stronger sense that your support matters. Hence some of the spending will go directly to individuals, rather than to established corporate superstars. But it’s also possible that struggling young oshis may spend more of this money than established celebrities.
The international press is focusing either on the economic side of oshikatsu, or on the quirkiness of “obsessive” fans who get second jobs to support their oshi and mothers spending large sums on a man half their age. But what such coverage misses is the slow yet profound societal transformation that oshikatsu is a sign of.
Research from 2022 on people engaging in oshikatsu makes clear that “fan activities” address a deep wish for connection, validation and belonging. While this could be satisfied by friendship or an intimate partnership, an increasing number of Japanese young adults feel that such relationships are “bothersome”.
Young men are leading in this category, especially those who do not work as white-collar corporate workers with relatively stable jobs, the so-called salarymen. Many who work part time or in blue-collar jobs are finding it difficult to imagine a future in which they have families.
The tertiary sector is thus changing to accommodate an increasing number of services that turn intangible things such as friendship, companionship and escapist romance fantasies into paid-for services.
From non-sexual cuddling to renting a friend for the day or going on a date with a cross-dressing escort, temporary respite from loneliness can be sought on a per-hour basis. As a result, human connection itself is becoming something that can be consumed for a fee.
On the other hand, sharing oshikatsu activities can create new friendships. Fans coming together to worship their idols collectively is a powerful way of creating new communities. It remains to be seen how these shifts in the way people relate to each other will shape the future of Japan’s economy and society.
Fabio Gygi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. bombed and defoliated vast areas of forest and protective mangroves.AP Photo
When the Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, it left behind a landscape scarred with environmental damage. Vast stretches of coastal mangroves, once housing rich stocks of fish and birds, lay in ruins. Forests that had boasted hundreds of species were reduced to dried-out fragments, overgrown with invasive grasses.
The term “ecocide” had been coined in the late 1960s to describe the U.S. military’s use of herbicides like Agent Orange and incendiary weapons like napalm to battle guerrilla forces that used jungles and marshes for cover.
As an environmental scientist and anthropologist who has worked in Vietnam since the 1990s, I find the neglect and slow recovery efforts deeply troubling. Although the war spurred new international treaties aimed at protecting the environment during wartime, these efforts failed to compel post-war restoration for Vietnam. Current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East show these laws and treaties still aren’t effective.
Agent Orange and daisy cutters
The U.S. first sent ground troops to Vietnam in March 1965 to support South Vietnam against revolutionary forces and North Vietnamese troops, but the war had been going on for years before then. To fight an elusive enemy operating clandestinely at night and from hideouts deep in swamps and jungles, the U.S. military turned to environmental modification technologies.
The most well-known of these was Operation Ranch Hand, which sprayed at least 19 million gallons (75 million liters) of herbicides over approximately 6.4 million acres (2.6 million hectares), of South Vietnam. The chemicals fell on forests, and also on rivers, rice paddies and villages, exposing civilians and troops. More than half of that spraying involved the dioxin-contaminated defoliant Agent Orange.
A U.S. Air Force C-123 flies low along a South Vietnamese highway spraying defoliants on dense jungle growth beside the road to eliminate ambush sites during the Vietnam War. AP Photo/Department of Defense
As news of the damage from these tactics made it back to the U.S., scientists raised concerns about the campaign’s environmental impacts to President Lyndon Johnson, calling for a review of whether the U.S. was intentionally using chemical weapons. American military leaders’ position was that herbicides did not constitute chemical weapons under the Geneva Protocol, which the U.S. had yet to ratify.
Scientific organizations also initiated studies within Vietnam during the war, finding widespread destruction of mangroves, economic losses of rubber and timber plantations, and harm to lakes and waterways.
A photo at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, historically known as Saigon, shows the damage at Cần Giờ mangrove forest. The mangrove forest was destroyed by herbicides, bombs and plows. Gary Todd/Flickr
Fires from napalm and other incendiary weapons cleared stretches of forest, in some cases scorching the soil so badly that nothing would regrow. AP Photo
“Rome Plows,” massive bulldozers with an armor-fortified cutting blade, could clear 1,000 acres a day. Enormous concussive bombs, known as “daisy cutters”, flattened forests and set off shock waves killing everything within a 3,000-foot (900-meter) radius, down to earthworms in the soil.
The U.S. also engaged in weather modification through Project Popeye, a secret program from 1967 to 1972 that seeded clouds with silver iodide to prolong the monsoon season in an attempt to cut the flow of fighters and supplies coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam. Congress eventually passed a bipartisan resolution in 1973 urging an international treaty to prohibit the use of weather modification as a weapon of war. That treaty came into effect in 1978.
Despite Congress’ concerns, there was little scrutiny of the environmental impacts of U.S. military operations and technologies. Research sites were hard to access, and there was no regular environmental monitoring.
Recovery efforts have been slow
After the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese troops on April 30, 1975, the U.S. imposed a trade and economic embargo on all of Vietnam, leaving the country both war-damaged and cash-strapped.
Vietnamese scientists told me they cobbled together small-scale studies. One found a dramatic drop in bird and mammal diversity in forests. In the A Lưới valley of central Vietnam, 80% of forests subjected to herbicides had not recovered by the early 1980s. Biologists found only 24 bird and five mammal species in those areas, far below normal in unsprayed forests.
Only a handful of ecosystem restoration projects were attempted, hampered by shoestring budgets. The most notable began in 1978, when foresters began hand-replanting mangroves at the mouth of the Saigon River in Cần Giờ forest, an area that had been completely denuded.
Mangroves have been replanted in the Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve near Ho Chi Minh City, but their restoration took decades. Tho Nau/Flickr, CC BY
In inland areas, widespread tree-planting programs in the late 1980s and 1990s finally took root, but they focused on planting exotic trees like acacia, which did not restore the original diversity of the natural forests.
That project, completed in 2018, treated 150,000 cubic meters of dioxin-laden soil at an eventual cost of over $115 million, paid mostly by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The cleanup required lakes to be drained and contaminated soil, which had seeped more than 9 feet (3 meters) deeper than expected, to be piled and heated to break down the dioxin molecules.
Large amounts of Agent Orange had been stored at the Da Nang airport during the war and contaminated the soil with dioxin. The cleanup project, including heating contaminated soil to high temperatures, was completed in 2018. Richard Nyberg/USAID
Another major hot spot is the heavily contaminated Biên Hoà airbase, where local residents continue to ingest high levels of dioxin through fish, chicken and ducks.
Agent Orange barrels were stored at the base, which leaked large amounts of the toxin into soil and water, where it continues to accumulate in animal tissue as it moves up the food chain. Remediation began in 2019; however, further work is at risk with the Trump administration’s near elimination of USAID, leaving it unclear if there will be any American experts in Vietnam in charge of administering this complex project.
Laws to prevent future ‘ecocide’ are complicated
While Agent Orange’s health effects have understandably drawn scrutiny, its long-term ecological consequences have not been well studied.
Current-day scientists have far more options than those 50 years ago, including satellite imagery, which is being used in Ukraine to identify fires, flooding and pollution. However, these tools cannot replace on-the-ground monitoring, which often is restricted or dangerous during wartime.
The legal situation is similarly complex.
In 1977, the Geneva Conventions governing conduct during wartime were revised to prohibit “widespread, long term, and severe damage to the natural environment.” A 1980 protocol restricted incendiary weapons. Yet oil fires set by Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991, and recent environmental damage in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and Syria indicate the limits of relying on treaties when there are no strong mechanisms to ensure compliance.
Remediation work to remove dioxin contamination was just getting started at the former Biên Hoà Air Base in Vietnam when USAID’s staff was dismantled in 2025. USAID Vietnam, CC BY-NC
Some countries have adopted their own ecocide laws. Vietnam was the first to legally state in its penal code that “Ecocide, destroying the natural environment, whether committed in time of peace or war, constitutes a crime against humanity.” Yet the law has resulted in no prosecutions, despite several large pollution cases.
Both Russia and Ukraine also have ecocide laws, but these have not prevented harm or held anyone accountable for damage during the ongoing conflict.
Lessons for the future
The Vietnam War is a reminder that failure to address ecological consequences, both during war and after, will have long-term effects. What remains in short supply is the political will to ensure that these impacts are neither ignored nor repeated.
Pamela McElwee receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation, National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Catholic Church’s 115 cardinal-electors take part in a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on March 12, 2013, ahead of entering the conclave for a papal election.Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images
Following the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis on Easter Monday, several cardinals who were already in Rome, or who traveled only short distances to arrive, held the first of several meetings – general congregations – to discuss preparations for the papal funeral and the election to follow.
The College of Cardinals – which will elect the next pope – has 252 members, but only 135 can vote. Only those younger than 80 as of the day of a pope’s death may cast a ballot. Theoretically, church law allows the College of Cardinals to elect any Catholic man in the world to become the next pope – but in reality, as has been the case for more than 600 years, one of those cardinal-electors will almost certainly be Francis’ successor.
During the early centuries of Christianity, three classes of ordained minsters came about to lead and serve Christian communities: bishops, priests and deacons.
Bishops supervised local church communities and presided at liturgical ceremonies in the main churches – cathedrals. Priests advised the bishops and led individual communities – parishes. Deacons tended to the needs of the poor, widows and orphans and took care of community finances. They also had a special role during some worship services and often acted as the bishop’s secretaries.
Over time, seven of these deacons in key Roman churches served as special advisers to the bishop of Rome, the pope. They came to be called cardinals, from Latin “cardo” – meaning hinge – and “cardinalis” meaning key or principal. Later popes would choose priests and bishops to be cardinals as well.
Electing the pope
In the earlier centuries, popes would be elected by the clergy and people of the city of Rome. As time went on, these elections could be manipulated by local civic leaders, wealthy families and political leaders outside of Rome and Italy.
It was not until the 11th century that Pope Nicholas II formulated a process for selecting a new pope: election by an assembly of cardinals. However, it was not always possible for all the cardinals – known as the College of Cardinals – to come together, due to age, illness or distance. Those who had to travel long distances might arrive too late to vote.
In order to avoid continued outside interference, Pope Gregory X in the 13th century adopted a new procedure: the conclave. Cardinals would remain in a locked location – from the Latin cum clave, “with a key” – in isolation from outside influences until the election concluded.
The rules governing the conclave changed slightly over the years. The leader of the College of Cardinals is called the dean of the college. Over the centuries, his duties have come to include organizing the conclave, assisted by other Vatican officials. The size of the college has also varied over time but has steadily increased despite efforts to limit its size.
Starting in the 19th century, popes began expanding the size and geography of the college. Once dominated by European and especially Italian cardinals, popes began to choose new cardinals from different areas of the globe. For example, the first cardinals born in North America were named: John McClosky, archbishop of New York, was named cardinal in 1875; James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore in 1886, and Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, archbishop of Quebec, also in 1886.
The College of Cardinals receives final instructions from the Grand Marshal before adjourning to the Sistine Chapel to begin voting for a new pope in 1922. Bettmann via Getty Images
The expansion of the college gathered momentum in the mid-20th century. The first native-born bishops from Asia were named at this time – for example, from China in 1946, Japan and the Philippines in 1960, and Sri Lanka in 1965. The first native-born cardinals of both Mexico and Uruguay were named in 1958, and the first native-born African of modern times, from Tanzania, was named in 1960. Popes continued this trend through the later 20th and early 21st centuries.
Different visions
By the time of his death, Francis had named a large number of new, non-European cardinals, especially from the Global South, where Catholicism is expanding. Currently, out of a total of 252 cardinals, 138 are non-European. Importantly, out of a total 135 cardinals eligible to vote, 82 are not from Europe, which makes a record number of non-Europeans eligible to vote.
In addition, at this conclave, 80% of the cardinal-electors have been named by Francis: that is 108 cardinals out of 135. This is an overwhelming number, representing a wide variety of Catholic communities from several different cultures. A new pope must be elected with a two-thirds majority of the votes: a total of 90 votes. If no candidate receives 90 votes, balloting continues as scheduled.
As I see it, there are several issues likely to arise and influence the vote for the upcoming election. Some of the cardinal-electors may want to choose a cardinal with more progressive views. But other cardinals, even if chosen by Francis, still might prefer to choose a more conservative candidate, to moderate what they see as the progressive agenda of the past 12 years. Their appointment by Francis doesn’t mean that they automatically agree with all of his ideas.
Catholics around the world will be praying for the Holy Spirit to guide the hearts and minds of the cardinals as they fill out their ballots. Many will hope for a pope as inspiring as his predecessor, one who can face the challenging problems of an increasingly complex world.
Joanne M. Pierce does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
TORONTO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Corporation“) (TSXV: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), a leader in the design and implementation of highly-integrated optical engines and light sources for artificial intelligence networks today announces its intention to complete a non-brokered public offering of 5,000,000 units of the Corporation (the “Units“) at a price of US$5.00 per Unit (the “Issue Price“) for aggregate gross proceeds to the Corporation of US$25 million (the “Offering“). Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Corporation (each, a “Common Share“) and one common share purchase warrant of the Corporation (each, a “Warrant“), with each Warrant being exercisable to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$8.32 for a period of five years from the date of issuance.
The Issue Price represents a premium of approximately 21.8% over the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange on Friday, April 25, 2025. The Corporation anticipates using the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The Offering will be made by way of a prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement“) to the short form base shelf prospectus of the Corporation dated September 6, 2024, which Prospectus Supplement will be prepared and filed by the Corporation prior to the closing of the Offering with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, as well as with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the Corporation’s U.S. registration statement on Form F-10 (“Form F-10“) (Registration No. 333-280553) under the U.S.-Canada Multijurisdictional Disclosure System, with such additions thereto and deletions therefrom as may be permitted or required by Form F-10. The Offering is expected to be fully subscribed by a single institutional investor in Canada that qualifies as an “accredited investor” under National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions of the Canadian Securities Administrators.
The consummation of the Offering remains subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange“), and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. No commission or finder’s fee will be paid in connection with the Offering.
The Corporation had announced the terms of a similar offering on December 12, 2024. However, the Corporation decided to postpone such offering in order to prioritize the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Quanzhou San’an Optical Communication Technology Co., Ltd.’s 24.8% interest in Super Photonics Integrated Circuit Xiamen Co., Ltd. (“SPX“) and meet key milestones related to establishing assembly and manufacturing capabilities in Malaysia. With the SPX acquisition now complete and the Malaysia expansion well underway, the Corporation and the investor have agreed to revised offering terms and anticipate completing the Offering on or about May 15, 2025. With an already robust cash position, the completion of the current offering will be used to further establish the Corporation as a leading supplier of optical engines and light sources that power connectivity in artificial intelligence systems and networks.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About POET Technologies Inc.
POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Singapore, Penang, Malaysia and Shenzhen, China. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Corporation’s expectations with respect to consummation of the Offering, the Corporation’s ability to complete the Offering on the announced terms, the Corporation’s products, the scalability of the POET Optical Interposer and the success of the Corporation’s products, the Corporation’s ability satisfy all closing conditions and close the Offering within the announced timeline, the investor acquiring all of the Units under the Offering on the terms announced, the Corporation’s use of proceeds for the Offering, the Corporation’s ability to complete the Malaysia expansion, the Corporation’s ability to obtain the final approval of the Exchange, the Corporation being well-capitalized upon the closing of the Offering and the Corporation being able to advance its business objectives. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management’s expectations regarding the size of the market for its products, the capability of SPX to produce products on time and at the expected costs, the performance and availability of certain components, and the success of its customers in achieving market penetration for their products. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the attractiveness of the Corporation’s product offerings, performance of its technology, the performance of key components, and ability of its customers to sell their products into the market. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Corporation’s filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Corporation’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Corporation can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
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TERRE HAUTE, Ind., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) (“Hallador” or the “Company”), will host a conference call on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The Company’s results will be reported in a press release prior to the call.
Hallador’s management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period. Interested parties may submit questions prior to the call by emailing the Company’s investor relations team, Elevate IR, at HNRG@elevate-ir.com.
Date: Monday, May 12, 2025 Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time Dial-in registration link:here Live webcast registration link:here
The conference call will also be broadcast live and available for replay in the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.halladorenergy.com.
About Hallador Energy Company
Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) is a vertically-integrated Independent Power Producer (IPP) based in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Company has two core businesses: Hallador Power Company, LLC, which produces electricity and capacity at its one-Gigawatt (GW) Merom Generating Station, and Sunrise Coal, LLC, which produces and supplies fuel to the Merom Generating Station and other companies. To learn more about Hallador, visit the Company’s website at www.halladorenergy.com.
FREMONT, Calif., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, today announced production shipments of IQ8™ Microinverters in Japan through a distribution agreement with ITOCHU Corporation (ITOCHU), one of the largest trading companies in the country.
Starting April 1, 2025, Tokyo became the first Japanese city to mandate rooftop solar on all new homes built by large-scale homebuilders. Tokyo’s residences typically have smaller roof areas, making rooftop solar system design challenging. Enphase IQ8 Microinverters enable flexible and scalable systems, enhancing solar production and reliability for optimized rooftop solar systems in Tokyo. Enphase microinverters feature an AC architecture that provides enhanced protection for customers in Japan.
“Enphase has solidified its position as a frontrunner in home energy management globally, and we are excited to announce that ITOCHU will now provide Enphase’s cutting-edge IQ8 Microinverters in Japan,” said Shunsuke Kawashima, general manager of the Sustainable Energy Business Department at ITOCHU. “This collaboration is a win for everyone involved, especially as Tokyo begins implementing its rooftop solar mandate on all new homes. Today, many homeowners with small roofs can’t access the benefits of solar energy due to a lack of quality solutions. Enphase IQ8 Microinverters provide a safer, reliable solution for the unique design challenges of Tokyo’s smaller roof areas, making solar possible for many more people. We’re also pleased to facilitate the Tokyo metropolitan government’s 20 yen-per-watt subsidy for homeowners who install Enphase products.”
Enphase will be launching IQ8HC™ Microinverters in Japan initially, which can manage a continuous DC current of 14 amperes and feature a peak output power of 350 VA. All Enphase IQ8 Microinverters activated in Japan come with a 25-year warranty.
“ITOCHU is an invaluable customer, and we’re thrilled to enter the market in Japan, which is a large residential solar market that values quality and service,” said Ken Fong, senior vice president and general manager of the Americas and APAC at Enphase Energy. “Microinverters will provide homeowners with excellent energy production, safety, and warranty — perfect for compact roofs even if there is partial shading. We feel confident in our collaboration with ITOCHU and look forward to the positive impact we can make together in promoting sustainable energy solutions for homeowners across the country.”
For more information, please visit the Enphase Japan website.
About Enphase Energy, Inc.
Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company based in Fremont, CA, is the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems that enable people to harness the sun to make, use, save, and sell their own power — and control it all with a smart mobile app. The company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter-based technology and builds all-in-one solar, battery, and software solutions. Enphase has shipped approximately 81.5 million microinverters, and approximately 4.8 million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in over 160 countries. For more information, visit https://enphase.com/.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements related to the expected capabilities and performance of Enphase Energy’s technology and products, including safety, quality, and reliability; and statements regarding the timing and availability of Enphase Energy’s products in Japan. These forward-looking statements are based on Enphase Energy’s current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of such risks and uncertainties including those risks described in more detail in Enphase Energy’s most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other documents filed by Enphase Energy from time to time with the SEC. Enphase Energy undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law.
NEW YORK, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StepStone Real Estate (SRE), the real estate arm of StepStone Group (Nasdaq: STEP), today announced the final closing of StepStone Real Estate Partners V (SREP V), its fifth flagship fund dedicated to GP-led secondaries and recapitalizations of real estate vehicles. With $3.77 billion in primary commitments, SREP V represents the largest real estate secondaries fund raised to date. Including co-investments completed and discretionary vehicles raised to invest alongside the fund, the total investment program exceeds $4.5 billion in capacity.
Despite challenging market conditions and a slowdown in fundraising across the real estate sector, SREP V was significantly oversubscribed, reflecting strong investor confidence in SRE’s differentiated strategy and past performance. To date, SREP V and related separate accounts have committed $1.7 billion across 8 investments, with a large pipeline of transactions currently closing, underscoring the significant demand for liquidity solutions from real estate GPs.
Founded in 2009, SRE was established by Jeff Giller, Partner and Head of StepStone Real Estate, Josh Cleveland, Partner and Head of EMEA, and Brendan MacDonald, Partner and Chief Operating Officer. Since inception, the firm has focused on providing liquidity to real estate funds and their investors during times of market dislocation.
“We believe the combination of value declines, historically low transaction volume, increased borrowing costs, and a slow fundraising environment has created unprecedented illiquidity across real estate markets,” said Giller. “Our strategy—providing liquidity solutions to real estate vehicles and investors when traditional liquidity avenues are challenged—has proven resilient through all phases of the market cycle, and it’s especially compelling today.”
“SREP V attracted a diverse global investor base, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and wealth management platforms,” said Cleveland. “The fund saw notably higher participation from North American institutions compared to prior vintages, along with increased commitments from investors in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America,” he added.
The success of the fundraise was also driven by the strength of SRE’s broader platform. “Our advisory practice, which oversees roughly $170 billion in real estate assets under advisement, continues to play a pivotal role in sourcing and evaluating secondaries transactions,” said MacDonald. “We conduct over 1,000 manager meetings annually and have allocated approximately $17 billion per year across primary investments in funds, secondaries, and co-investments. This level of engagement gives us a distinct vantage point in the market—and a strong edge in deal sourcing and diligence.”
SREP V continues a strategy pioneered by SRE’s founders following the Global Financial Crisis, shifting from traditional secondaries focused on passive limited partner interests to control-oriented, GP-led secondaries and recapitalizations.
Latham & Watkins LLP advised on the formation of the fund and Threadmark Partners Limited provided placement agent services.
About StepStone and StepStone Real Estate
StepStone Group Inc. (Nasdaq: STEP) is a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to its clients. As of December 31, 2024, StepStone was responsible for $698 billion of total capital, including $179 billion of assets under management. StepStone’s clients include some of the world’s largest public and private defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies, as well as prominent endowments, foundations, family offices and private wealth clients, which include high-net-worth and mass affluent individuals. StepStone partners with its clients to develop and build private markets portfolios designed to meet their specific objectives across the real estate, private equity, infrastructure, and private debt asset classes.
UConn Neag School of Education alumni Jessica Stargardter ’16 (ED), ’17 MA; Gabriel Castro ’14 (ED), ’15 MA; Nicole Holland Kew ’09 (ED), ’10 MA; and Yurah Robidas Emmenegger ’09 (ED), ’09 (CLAS), ’10 MA; have each embarked on remarkable journeys as educators, spanning continents and cultures. From their foundations at UConn to classrooms across the world, their careers highlight the transformative power of teaching beyond borders.
“Time after time, our UConn participants have told me that studying and teaching abroad has been one of the most profound experiences of their lives,” says Doug Kaufman, the Neag School’s director of global education and an associate professor of curriculum and instruction. “I see it, too. Moving away from familiar and comfortable contexts has taught them how to recognize the diverse and powerful gifts that their students at home bring into the classroom.
“Working abroad develops cultural awareness, empathy, humility, and an expanded sense of possibility when working with students. Our teachers learn how to learn from their students and advocate for them all.”
Stargardter’s passion for gifted education led her from Connecticut to Panama, Singapore, and Finland, shaping her global perspective. She says her experiences reinforce her belief in education as a universal force for change, transcending cultural and linguistic differences.
Working abroad develops cultural awareness, empathy, humility, and an expanded sense of possibility when working with students. Our teachers learn how to learn from their students and advocate for them all. — Doug Kaufman, Neag School’s director of global education
Castro’s path to teaching went from Puerto Rico to Colombia, Costa Rica, and Taiwan, and he has embraced each opportunity with curiosity and openness. His teaching philosophy is rooted in adaptation and connection, ensuring meaningful relationships with students regardless of geography. As he prepares for fatherhood, he looks forward to the next chapter of his journey.
For Kew, London became home. A study abroad trip led to a life-changing move across the Atlantic, where she has spent over a decade teaching and raising a family. Balancing work and her personal life, she cherishes her role as an educator in a diverse, evolving community.
Emmenegger’s love for language and culture brought her from Connecticut to France, Portugal, and Switzerland. Teaching French and German in international schools, she exemplifies resilience and adaptability, proving that a commitment to education can create opportunities in unexpected places.
Together, their stories illustrate the boundless impact of teaching, and the unique paths educators take to inspire students worldwide.
Reconnecting with Family Roots
From Connecticut to Puerto Rico, Colombia, Costa Rica, and now Taiwan, every step of Gabriel Castro’s ’14 (ED), ’15 MA journey has been driven by curiosity, a love for teaching, and an openness to change. (Photo courtesy of Gabriel Castro)
Education wasn’t Castro’s first choice — he entered UConn as a psychology major, uncertain of his career path. However, a mentorship role in a First-Year Experience course changed everything. Standing before a classroom, guiding new college students, he realized teaching was what he was meant to do.
After graduating from the Neag School, he took his first teaching position in Puerto Rico, reconnecting with his roots. His mother had spent much of her childhood moving between Puerto Rico and Connecticut, and teaching at a K-12 school immersed him in a close-knit community.
Three years in Puerto Rico deepened his love for international teaching and inspired him to explore the other half of his heritage. His father had emigrated from Colombia, and Castro wanted to experience the country firsthand. Moving to Colombia, he found a vibrant culture, rich with music festivals, soccer, and breathtaking landscapes. It was there he met his wife, Kismeth, a fellow international teacher from New York. He says their shared passion for education and adventure brought them together.
They had intended to take a sabbatical year traveling through South America, but the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped their plans. With borders closing, they found temporary teaching positions in Costa Rica. Castro stepped in as a last-minute math teacher, navigating virtual classes, hybrid schedules, and masked interactions. Despite the challenges, Costa Rica was a paradise.
My years of adapting to different educational environments had prepared me well. — Gabriel Castro ’14 (ED), ’15 MA
“With tourism at a standstill, nature thrived,” he says. “Sloths and monkeys roamed undisturbed, and sunsets painted the sky in hues of gold and crimson.”
As the world reopened, they faced their next big decision. Asia had always intrigued them, and Taiwan offered everything they wanted — an excellent school, a safe environment, and a strong culture of hiking, cycling, and running.
Moving to Taiwan was a leap of faith but quickly felt like home. While the language barrier existed outside the classroom, Castro found his ability to connect with students transcended words.
“My years of adapting to different educational environments had prepared me well,” he says.
From Connecticut to Puerto Rico, Colombia, Costa Rica, and now Taiwan, every step of his journey has been driven by curiosity, a love for teaching, and an openness to change. His classroom now extends beyond four walls, spanning countries, cultures, and languages, and he is preparing for an exciting new personal chapter: fatherhood.
“I have an 11-month-old puppy, so I feel like I’ve been practicing in a way,” he says. “It’s a steep learning curve! But I’m excited to see how we can continue traveling with a baby and incorporating her into our adventures.”
Finding Love While Abroad
“It’s the children, really. Seeing them progress, mature, but still retain that spark of who they are — it’s special,” says Nicole Holland Kew ’09 (ED), ’10 MA. (Photo courtesy of Nicole Holland Kew)
Fourteen years into her teaching career — first in Connecticut and then in London — Kew still finds joy in watching her students grow.
“It’s the children, really,” she says. “Seeing them progress, mature, but still retain that spark of who they are — it’s special.”
Having spent 10 years at the same London school, she has become deeply embedded in the community. She gets to know families, watches siblings pass through her classroom, and shares their triumphs and struggles.
“Teaching wasn’t just a job; it was a life woven into the fabric of so many others,” she says.
Her path to teaching began in high school when she worked at an after-school program at her former elementary school in Connecticut. Later, as a camp director at a nature center, she solidified her love for mentoring. Her mother had always dreamed of being a teacher but never pursued it.
Teaching wasn’t just a job; it was a life woven into the fabric of so many others. — Nicole Holland Kew ’09 (ED), ’10 MA
“Maybe in a way, I was fulfilling that dream for both of us,” Kew says.
A single decision changed her trajectory. Studying abroad in London while at the Neag School was supposed to be an adventure — an opportunity to explore a city she had loved since a family trip at 13. She hadn’t expected to meet her future husband just weeks into the program.
They met in a pub, a chance encounter that turned into a long-distance relationship. After navigating time zones and transatlantic flights, they decided to marry. With her husband’s career established in London and the UK actively recruiting teachers, it made sense for Kew to move.
Adjusting to teaching in England came with challenges. In Connecticut, Kew had more autonomy in her teaching, while curriculum and behavior management were standardized in London. Leadership opportunities came more readily, and she briefly considered administration but loved being in the classroom too much.
Balancing work and family was another challenge. With four children — two daughters, 6 and 4, and toddler twins — her hands are full.
“Honestly,” she says, “going to work feels like a break compared to being home!”
London has become home in ways she never expected. During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband considered moving to the U.S. to be closer to her family, but something always held them back. London has given her a life she cherishes, a career she loves, a community she belongs to, and — most importantly — a family she has built from the ground up.
Focused on All Things French
Yurah Robidas Emmenegger ’09 (ED), ’09 (CLAS), ’10 MA says her Neag School education instilled adaptability, an open-minded approach to curricula, and a hands-on teaching philosophy. These lessons help her navigate unfamiliar school systems and cultural differences with confidence. (Photo courtesy of Yurah Robidas Emmenegger)
Emmenegger, who taught for 15 years in Connecticut and now teaches in France, first became interested in education while teaching piano and tutoring in high school. With a mother who was also a teacher, it felt natural.
“It just made sense that I would become a teacher,” she says.
Growing up in Bristol and Plainville, Emmenegger developed a love for French through her mother, who had lived in Switzerland and Portugal.
“She sang to us in French as kids,” Emmenegger says. “In high school, I jumped at the chance to study it.”
A summer program in France in 2007 and the Neag School’s study abroad program in London during her master’s year of the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s teacher education program deepened her passion for language and curriculum planning.
My marriage, career, and worldview have all been shaped by this journey. While I still hope for a French teaching position, I know I am exactly where I am meant to be. — Yurah Robidas Emmenegger ’09 (ED), ’09 (CLAS), ’10 MA
After graduating, she taught French in Ellington, for three years but longed to live in France. She joined the French government’s teaching assistant program and was placed in Monté, where she lived with international assistants and did a weekly language exchange with another teacher. She spoke in English for half an hour for the language exchange to help the other teacher improve his English communication skills. Then, the other half specifically worked on improving her grammar.
Since she couldn’t teach French in France, Emmenegger explored other opportunities. Her mother’s past in Portugal led her there for Christmas, where she fell in love with the country and found a teaching job. But her journey took an unexpected turn — she met her future husband in Switzerland. When the world shut down in 2020, they spent months apart. Determined to be together, they married in May 2021, and, by July, she had moved to Switzerland.
Finding a teaching job there was challenging. She took a role at a private school, but it wasn’t the right fit.
She joined the International School of Basel (ISB), but no French positions were available. Expanding her search, she took a six-month role at a Swiss public school, but left after half a year.
ISB welcomed her back with an unexpected offer: teaching beginner German. Having learned German just two years earlier through Duolingo and night classes, she thought the interview offer was a joke. But ISB encouraged her. She took the leap and found herself in a supportive, engaging environment. ISB promised her priority for the next French opening, but no one wanted to leave — a testament to the school’s quality.
Despite career uncertainties, Emmenegger and her husband were building a life together. He was teaching while finishing his studies, and they navigated the challenges of being an international couple.
“You have to be open to moving,” she says. “Each time I relocated, I rebuilt my support system, making me appreciate my deep connections back home even more.”
She says her Neag School education instilled adaptability, an open-minded approach to curricula, and a hands-on teaching philosophy. These lessons helped her navigate unfamiliar school systems and cultural differences with confidence.
For those who love studying abroad, Emmenegger encourages taking the next step and teaching internationally, as she has no regrets.
“My marriage, career, and worldview have all been shaped by this journey,” she says. “And while I still hope for a French teaching position, I know I am exactly where I am meant to be.”
From UConn to Global Classrooms
Jessica Stargardter’s ’16 (ED), ’17 MA teaching journey included a year in Finland as a Fulbright Scholar, during which time she researched teacher evaluations in the country’s globally recognized education system. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Stargardter)
Stargardter’s journey as an educator has been extraordinary, spanning continents and shaping her perspective on the transformative power of teaching. After graduating from the Neag School, she began her career in Connecticut, teaching in Greenwich Public Schools before moving to Norwalk. There, she discovered her passion for gifted and talented education, an interest sparked during her time at UConn, where she worked at the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development.
“I started filing papers at first, but then I received a grant to conduct research,” she says, which ignited a lifelong commitment to student potential.
Stargardter’s dedication led her to teach abroad at the International School of Panama.
“It was my first experience in a traditional classroom after working across grade levels,” she says. “I felt like a first-year teacher again, but it taught me so much about myself and the world.”
She later moved to Singapore, where she found a more manageable cultural transition.
“I was in a classroom with students from all over the world, each bringing something unique,” she says. “It was challenging but incredibly rewarding.”
Teaching is more than just a profession. It’s a way to change lives, one student at a time, no matter where I teach. — Jessica Stargardter ’16 (ED), ’17 MA
Teaching abroad reinforced her belief in education’s universal impact, transcending borders and backgrounds. Reflecting on what initially drew her to teaching, Stargardter credits her third-grade teacher, Mr. Simeone.
“He gamified everything,” she says. “Learning was fun and engaging. I remember thinking I wanted to do the same for my students.”
Her teaching journey also included a year in Finland as a Fulbright Scholar, during which time she researched teacher evaluations in the country’s globally recognized education system. Initially considering a career in academia, she realized how much she missed teaching, leading her back to the classroom and eventually to her move to Panama.
Stargardter’s foundation for success was built at the Neag School, where extensive classroom experiences prepared her for any teaching environment.
“Neag gave me the tools to step into my first classroom ready to succeed,” she says, crediting the program’s diverse placements for shaping her adaptable teaching philosophy.
During her master’s year, Stargardter interned in London through one of the Neag School’s study abroad programs, working at a school for adolescents with mental health challenges. She says this experience reshaped her understanding of education, teaching her that learning extends beyond traditional classrooms.
Her journey abroad has reinforced her belief in cross-cultural education’s power to broaden perspectives.
“Teaching is more than just a profession,” she says. “It’s a way to change lives, one student at a time, no matter where I teach.”
To learn more about the Neag School’s teacher education programs, visit teachered.education.uconn.edu.
Vatican City (Fides Agency) – In times of darkness, “the Lord comes to us with the light of the Resurrection to illuminate our hearts.” This is what happened to Jesus’ disciples when they encountered the Risen One, who after Jesus’ death on the cross had felt “ orphaned, alone, lost, threatened and helpless”. This is happening again today, with the light of Easter illuminating even the sadness over the end of Pope Francis’ earthly life.On the sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Pietro Parolin addressed the approximately 200,000 young people who had come to Rome from all over the world to participate in the Holy Year of Youth with words of hope and Easter joy during the funeral Mass for the late Pope on the second day of the “Novendiale.”Easter joy, the Venetian cardinal told the boys and girls, “ can almost be touched in this square today; you can see it etched above all in your faces, dear children and young people who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee. You come from so many places: from all of the dioceses of Italy, from Europe, from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, from the United Arab Emirates… with you here, the whole world is truly present!”Cardinal Parolin recalled that Pope Francis, quoting the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, placed the joy of the Gospel at the center of his pontificate, which “fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus”. “Never forget,” the cardinal urged, ‘to nourish your lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ’ with whom ‘you will never be abandoned or alone,’ He ”who comes to meet you where you are, to give you the courage to live.” On the second Sunday of Easter, Dominica in Albis, when the Church also celebrates the Feast of Divine Mercy, Cardinal Parolin also recalled that “it is precisely the Father’s mercy, likewise the eagerness to proclaim and share God’s mercy with all – the proclamation of the Good News, evangelisation – was the principal theme of his pontificate. He reminded us that “mercy” is the very name of God, and, therefore, no one can put a limit on his merciful love with which he wants to raise us up and make us new people.” The affection manifested for Pope Francis after the end of his earthly life, the Cardinal emphasized in his homily, “must not remain a mere emotion of the moment; we must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another”. Mercy, added the cardinal, “brings us back to the heart of faith,” “heals and creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred and violence: this is the great teaching of Pope Francis.” ( Fides Agency 27/4/2025).
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Srinagar (Fides Agency) – The Parliament of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir passed a resolution today, April 28, expressing its dismay at the terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam (Kashmir), which killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists. The resolution pledges to resolutely combat “plans to disrupt harmony between communities and hinder progress.” Meanwhile, tensions remain high on the border between India and Pakistan following the attack by Pakistan-based terrorist groups, which India has described as an “act of war.” Violations of the ceasefire were reported for the fourth consecutive day along the Line of Control (LoC), the temporary border dividing Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir.Meanwhile, the Indian government has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative content and disinformation against India.On the Pakistani side, the government in Islamabad banned Indian airlines from using its airspace due to escalating tensions between the two countries. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that Pakistan “seeks peace in the region”: “Pakistan condemns all forms of terrorism and has nothing to do with the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir,” he said. He reiterated that Pakistan was ready to “cooperate in a transparent and impartial investigation into the terrorist attack.” He recalled that the Pakistani people themselves had been victims of terrorism over the past two decades, with thousands of their citizens losing their lives. Commenting on India’s decision to suspend cooperation with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, he said, “Using water as a weapon is unacceptable.”There is only one Catholic diocese (with about 7,000 faithful) in the Indian state of Kashmir, which covers the entire territory. The Bishop of Jammu-Srinagar, Ivan Pereira, expressed his deep shock and condemned the “horrific terrorist attack against innocent tourists.” “This senseless act of violence,” said Bishop Pereira, ‘casts a dark shadow on our collective conscience’ and constitutes ‘an attack on the sanctity of human life and a betrayal of the values we hold dear as a nation: peace, harmony, and the dignity of every human being.’ He assured that he would pray unceasingly for peace.Meanwhile, in central India, the Catholic community of the Diocese of Indore paid their respects and celebrated the funeral of Sushil Nathaniel, a 57-year-old Catholic who was one of the tourists killed in Kashmir. Nathaniel, regional director of an insurance company, was on vacation in Kashmir with his wife and two children, who managed to escape. According to his wife Jennifer, the terrorists stopped Nathaniel and asked him what his faith was. Nathaniel admitted he was Catholic. They then asked him to kneel and recite the “Kalima” (the six phrases that are the foundation of the Islamic faith, a declaration of loyalty to Allah), and Nathaniel confessed he did not know them. So they shot him in the head in cold blood. The Bishop of Indore, Monsignor Thomas Kuttimackal, celebrating the funeral, praised Nathaniel’s “courage in not hiding his faith even under threat of arms,” calling him “a martyr.” (PA) (Fides Agency 28/4/2025)
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
A Northern Territory man appeared in Darwin Local Court last Thursday after being charged with the alleged importation and possession of more than 4kg of ketamine.
It is believed to be the Northern Territory’s largest ketamine seizure.
The man, 32, who was arrested on Wednesday 23 April 2025, is due to face court again on 2 May 2025.
A Northern Territory Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (NT JOCTF) investigation began in April 2025, after Australian Border Force (ABF) members at Sydney Airport identified a consignment suspected of containing ketamine that arrived on a flight from Germany.
Investigators from NT JOCTF, which comprises of members from the Northern Territory Police Force, Australian Federal Police, ABF and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), replaced the illicit drugs – which were disguised in several sports energy drink and protein bar packages – with an inert substance.
After retrieving the crystallised ketamine from the packages, officers determined the estimated weight of the illicit drugs to be 4.08kg. This amount of ketamine has an estimated street value of $800,000.
The parcel was then delivered to its intended address in Zuccoli, near Darwin, where officers allegedly observed a man signing and taking possession of the delivery.
NT JOCFT investigators then executed a search warrant at the property and arrested the man.
During the search, officers allegedly located the opened parcel containing the substituted illicit drugs.
The man, 32, was charged with the following offences:
One count of importing a commercial quantity of ketamine, contrary to section 307.1(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of possessing a dangerous drug, contrary to section 7(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1990 (NT); and
One count of supply a dangerous drug, contrary to section 5(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1990 (NT).
Each of these offences carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
NT Police Force Detective Superintendent Lee Morgan said, “This operation has resulted in the Northern Territory’s largest ever recorded ketamine seizure.
“4 kilograms of Ketamine is 40,000 times the minimum commercial quantity and is estimated to be worth $800,000 when sold.
“This package was delivered from outside of the country and the NT Police Force reiterate that these drugs are manufactured in unregulated and unhygienic conditions, and anyone choosing to use them is gambling with their life. We will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to combat imports of illicit substances into the Northern Territory.”
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the AFP and its law enforcement, intelligence and border agency partners worked tirelessly to identify, target and disrupt criminal syndicates in their attempts to import and distribute illicit drugs into Australia.
“The AFP, together with our partners under the NT JOCTF have prevented ketamine from reaching Australian streets under this investigation,” Supt Davis said.
“Our investigators continue to work collaboratively to ensure Australia remains a hostile environment for criminal syndicates in order to prevent any form of illicit drugs from entering the Australian community and causing widespread harm.
“Ketamine specifically is a dangerous sedative; its dissociative effects block sensory brain signals and can cause memory loss, feelings of being detached from one’s body and the inability to perceive dangers.
“This operation should serve as a significant warning to transnational serious organised crime syndicates – the AFP and our partners remain one step ahead of your illicit activities and will ensure you are brought to justice.”
This is a joint media release between the Northern Territory Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the world marks World Malaria Day 2025 under the theme “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” EBC Financial Group (EBC) is renewing its global partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria campaign. Now entering its second year of collaboration, EBC is scaling up its impact through increased corporate sponsorship, cross-border employee mobilisation to raise awareness, and direct investment in frontline health tools that save lives.
From a shared belief that no child should die from a mosquito bite, EBC is transforming its role from ally to active advocate—supporting both the global systems that drive malaria eradication and the grassroots initiatives that protect the world’s most vulnerable communities. As part of this commitment, EBC is stepping up as a first-time corporate sponsor of the Move Against Malaria 5K 2025 event, mobilising many in a global movement to raise awareness for one of the world’s deadliest—yet entirely preventable—diseases.
“In 2024, we stood in solidarity. In 2025, we stand in action,” said David Barrett, CEO of EBC Financial Group (UK) Ltd. “This campaign is now embedded into our leadership strategy and employee culture. This is not a moment, it’s a movement.”
EBC’s Commitment to Global Health Equity is a Shared Mission To mark this renewed partnership, Barrett sat down with Margaret McDonnell, Executive Director of United to Beat Malaria, for a candid 40-minute fireside chat. Their conversation explored the urgent need for global solidarity, the personal and professional impact of the campaign, and why EBC has chosen to walk alongside this cause—literally and figuratively.
“The first year for me was a complete revelation in terms of how advocacy for this mission worked—not only in America but globally,” said Barrett. “This year, it was different. The politics have shifted, and the challenges have changed. But if anything, that makes this mission even more important.”
As a global financial institution with operations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia—regions disproportionately affected by malaria—EBC views this fight as both urgent and deeply personal.
“We have offices in Africa, Latin America, and Asia where malaria is a very real, on-ground problem. Supporting this campaign is a natural progression, resonating with our people and the communities we work in,” Barrett said. “At the beginning, it was something of interest. But the more you learn about the lives this movement has saved, the more you realise you’ve got to keep going.”
McDonnell echoed the importance of having private sector allies like EBC on board, praising the company’s commitment to both the summit and the broader mission. “We appreciate that a company like EBC—though not in public health—recognises the impact of malaria on your workforce, clients, and communities,” said McDonnell. “Malaria isn’t just a health issue. It’s an economic issue, a workforce issue, and a strategic global issue.”
Barrett also emphasised the ripple effect of even small funding disruptions: “If you break that chain, the progress and investment just unravel. These initiatives require macro thinking. If we keep looking only at the next quarter, we risk losing decades of momentum,” he added.
Raising Voices at the 2025United to Beat MalariaAnnual Leadership Summit In March 2025, Barrett and EBC’s APAC Director of Operations, Samuel Hertz, joined over 120 passionate advocates at the United to Beat Malaria Annual Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.—a three-day gathering of Champions, policymakers, scientists, students, and private sector leaders united by a common goal: ending malaria for good.
The summit culminated in direct advocacy on Capitol Hill, where Barrett and Hertz met with members of Congress to push for full funding of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the UN’s malaria-related programs. EBC stood with a network of global partners, amplifying the message that stable investment and strategic collaboration are essential to driving continued progress, alongside Beat Malaria Champions, a highlight of the summit.
“What stood out most was the passion of the Champions,” said Barrett. “From students to scientists, their energy is contagious. They’re not just learning—they’re leading. And that gives me hope that a healthier, more just world is truly possible.”
Hertz added, “Being able to walk into the halls of Congress alongside these dedicated Champions—people who are educating communities, building coalitions, and pushing policy forward—was a powerful reminder that advocacy works. EBC was proud to represent the private sector in this movement, and even prouder to walk beside the changemakers driving it.”
More Than a Run: EBC Rallies a Worldwide Workforce to Move Against Malaria EBC is once again joining the global Move Against Malaria 5K—a virtual challenge running from April 25 to May 10 that invites participants around the world to walk, run, cycle, or move in any way to support malaria prevention efforts.
While EBC actively participated in the campaign last year, 2025 marks the company’s first year as an official corporate sponsor, highlighting its deepened commitment to both advocacy and action. This step forward reflects EBC’s evolving role in supporting frontline initiatives and raising awareness, with more than 200 EBC employees across the UK, Asia, Africa, and Latin America pledging to take part—mobilising teams, engaging their communities—and helping to raise vital funds.
Fuelling Frontline Impact through Purposeful Investment EBC is directing its investment toward life-saving malaria interventions, including insecticide-treated bed nets, rapid diagnostic tests, and antimalarial treatments. These contributions will be directed toward frontline health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions that bear the highest burden of malaria worldwide.
“This partnership goes beyond corporate philanthropy, it reflects a shared mission to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations,” said McDonnell.
Aligned with its broader Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, EBC continues to explore deeper collaborations with UN-affiliated organisations and global health partners to maximise its impact in the developing world. “As a global financial institution, we recognise that sustainable growth is inseparable from global well-being,” added Hertz. “In the fight against malaria, we are not only donors—we are advocates, allies, and catalysts for change.”
In 2024 alone, United to Beat Malaria helped protect over 1.67 million people from malaria across vulnerable communities worldwide—an achievement made possible through the collective support of partners like EBC Financial Group. Registrations and donations are available via https://fundraise.unfoundation.org/event/move-against-malaria-5k-2025/e654861.
These efforts spanned five high-risk African nations—DR Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Uganda—and supported malaria elimination programs across 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries, where vulnerable populations continue to face daily risks due to limited healthcare access, displacement, and ongoing conflict.
Yet the fight is far from over. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s World Malaria Report 2024, malaria sickened an estimated 263 million people and claimed more than 597,000 lives—most of them children under the age of five. These are lives we can save—with continued global action, private sector leadership, and unwavering support from the international community.
Together, with the United to Beat Malaria campaign, EBC is proud to stand at the forefront of a global movement to end malaria for good. For more information about EBC Financial Group’s CSR initiatives, please visit www.ebc.com/ESG.
About EBC Financial Group
Founded in London’s esteemed financial district, EBC Financial Group (EBC) is renowned for its expertise in financial brokerage and asset management. With offices in key financial hubs—including London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Cayman Islands, Bangkok, Limassol, and emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, and Africa—EBC enables retail, professional, and institutional investors to access a wide range of global markets and trading opportunities, including currencies, commodities, shares, and indices.
Recognised with multiple awards, EBC is committed to upholding ethical standards and these subsidiaries are licensed and regulated within their respective jurisdictions. EBC Financial Group (UK) Limited is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA); EBC Financial Group (Cayman) Limited is regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA); EBC Financial Group (Australia) Pty Ltd, and EBC Asset Management Pty Ltd are regulated by Australia’s Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC); EBC Financial (MU) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission Mauritius (FSC).
At the core of EBC are a team of industry veterans with over 40 years of experience in major financial institutions. Having navigated key economic cycles from the Plaza Accord and 2015 Swiss franc crisis to the market upheavals of the COVID-19 pandemic. We foster a culture where integrity, respect, and client asset security are paramount, ensuring that every investor relationship is handled with the utmost seriousness it deserves.
As the Official Foreign Exchange Partner of FC Barcelona, EBC provides specialised services across Asia, LATAM, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Through its partnership with the UN Foundation and United to Beat Malaria, the company contributes to global health initiatives. EBC also supports the ‘What Economists Really Do’ public engagement series by Oxford University’s Department of Economics, helping to demystify economics and its application to major societal challenges, fostering greater public understanding and dialogue.
For over 25 years, the UN Foundation has built novel innovations and partnerships to support the United Nations and help solve global problems at scale. As an independent charitable organization, the Foundation was created to work closely with the United Nations to address humanity’s greatest challenges and drive global progress. Learn more at www.unfoundation.org.
The UN Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria campaign brings together key and diverse partners and supporters to take urgent action to end malaria and create a healthier, more equitable world. Since 2006, United to Beat Malaria has worked to equip and mobilize citizens across the U.S. and around the world to raise awareness, funds and voices. The campaign works with partners in endemic countries to channel life-saving resources to protect the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. By championing increased leadership, political will and resources from the U.S. and beyond, as well as more holistic, innovative tools and strategies, we can be the generation that ends malaria once and for all.
Communities in Vanuatu are learning to grow climate resilient crops, 18 months after Cyclone Lola devastated the country.
The category 5 storm struck in October 2023, generating wind speeds of up to 215 kmph, which destroyed homes, schools, plantations, and left at least four people dead.
Save the Children Vanuatu country director Polly Banks said they have been working alongside Vanuatu’s Ministry of Agriculture and local partners, supporting families through the Tropical Cyclone Lola Recovery Programme.
“It really affected backyard gardening and the communities across the areas affected – their ability to pursue an income and also their own nutritional needs,” she said.
She said the programme looked at the impact of the cyclone on backyard gardening and on people’s economic reliance on what they grow in their gardens, and developed a recovery plan to respond.
“We trained community members and also provided them with the equipment to establish cyclone resilient nurseries.
Ready for harsh weather “So for example, nurseries that can be put up and then pulled down when a harsh weather event – including cyclones but even heavy rainfall — is arriving.
“There was a focus on these climate resilient nurseries, but also through that partnership with the Department of Agriculture, there was also a much stronger focus than we’ve had before on teaching community members climate smart agricultural techniques.”
Banks said these techniques included open pollinating seed and learning skills such as grassing; and another part of the project was introducing more variety into people’s diets.
She said out of the project has also come the first seed bank on Epi Island.
“That seed bank now has a ready supply of seeds, and the community are adding to that regularly, and they’re taking those seeds from really climate-resilient crops, so that they have a cyclone secure storage facility,” she said.
“The next time a cyclone happens — and we know that they’re going to become more ferocious and more frequent — the community are ready to replant the moment that the cyclone passes.
Setting up seed bank “But in setting the seed bank up as well, the community have been taught how to select the most productive seeds, the seeds that show the most promise; how to dry them out; how to preserve them.”
Banks said they were also working with the Department of Agriculture in the delivery of a community-based climate resilience project, which is funded by the Green Climate Fund.
Rolled out across 282 communities across the country, a key focus of it is the creation of more climate-resilient backyard gardening, food preservation and climate resilient nurseries.
“We’re also setting up early warning systems through the provision of internet to really remote communities so that they have better access to more knowledge about when a big storm or a cyclone is approaching and what steps to take.
“But that particular project is still just a drop in the ocean in terms of the adaptation needs that communities have.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
On April 16, 2025, the Earth Science Division at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley held an Earth Science Showcase to share its work with the center and their families. As part of this event, kids were invited to share something they like about the Earth. These are their masterpieces. Sora U. Age 9. “Wildlife”
Question for written answer E-001568/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Fabio De Masi (NI)
South Africa has initiated a WTO dispute settlement procedure in relation to the EU’s phytosanitary trade regulations regarding CBS. South Africa claims these regulations were primarily intended to shield Spanish and Portuguese producers of citrus fruits from South African competition. While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) argued in 2013 that CBS could spread to citrus farms in the EU, scientists from Brazil, Argentina, the US, Uruguay, Australia and South Africa have challenged this assessment. South African producers point out that they have exported citrus fruits to the EU for over 110 years without a single case of CBS transmission, and argue that CBS would be a purely cosmetic issue, affecting only a very small proportion of exported fruit and unable to spread via fruit to other climatic zones.
Has EFSA submitted any new studies or findings to the WTO since 2013 to support the EU’s position and the 2013 assessment? If so, what information has been communicated?
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Suzanne Martindale, of Oakland, has been appointed Chief Deputy Commissioner at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Martindale has been the Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Consumer Financial Protection at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation since 2021, and a Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law since 2019. Martindale was a Student Loan Justice Fellow at the Student Borrower Protection Center from 2018 to 2021. She held multiple positions at Consumer Reports from 2010 to 2021, including Senior Policy Counsel and Western States Legislative Manager, Senior Attorney, and Staff Attorney. She was a Pro Bono Attorney at the East Bay Community Law Center from 2015 to 2018. She is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Martindale earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Arts degree in Humanities from University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $207,600. Martindale is registered without party preference.
Yvonne Hsu, of Washington D.C., has been appointed Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs at the California Civil Rights Department. Hsu was the Chief of Staff of Rural Housing Service at the United State Department of Agriculture from 2023 to 2025. She was the Chief Policy and Government Affairs Officer at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum from 2021 to 2023. Hsu was a Senior Housing Policy Specialist at the National Council of State Housing Agencies from 2020 to 2021. She was a Senior Advisor at the Office of United States Representative Katherine Clark in the United States House of Representatives from 2019 to 2020. Hsu was an Independent Consultant from 2018 to 2019. She held multiple positions at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017, including Policy Advisor at the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and Special Assistant for Public Engagement at the Office of Public Affairs. Hsu held multiple positions in the Office of United States Representative Adam Schiff in the United States House of Representatives from 2008 to 2014, including Senior Legislative Assistant and District Representative. Hsu was the Outreach Coordinator at the Housing Rights Center from 2006 to 2008. She earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Sociology and History from the University of California, Riverside. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $160,200. Hsu is a Democrat.
Jaimie Huynh, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement, Equity and Partnerships at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Huynh has been Acting Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice and Equity at the California Environmental Protection Agency since 2025, where she has held multiple roles since 2022, including Environmental Justice Scientific Advisor and Climate Change Advisor. She was an Environmental Justice Enforcement Liaison at the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery from 2018 to 2022. Huynh was a California Sea Grant Fellow at the California State Lands Commission from 2017 to 2018. She earned a Master of Advanced Studies degree in Climate Science and Policy and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Environmental Systems – Policymaking from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $144,972. Huynh is a Democrat.
Robert Jenkins, of Victorville, has been appointed Administrator of the Veterans Home of California, Barstow at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Jenkins has been Acting Administrator of the Veterans Home of California, Barstow since 2024, where he has held multiple roles since 2012, including Staff Services Manager II and Health and Safety Officer. Jenkins was a Firefighter/Security Officer Captain at the Veterans Home of California, Yountville, at the California Department of Veterans Affairs from 2010 to 2012. He was a Structural Firefighter at the Tule River Tribal Reservation Fire Department from 2009 to 2010. Jenkins was a Paid Call Firefighter/Engineer at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 2009 to 2010. He was a Correctional Facility Fire Captain at the California Institution for Men-Chino Fire Department from 1997 to 2008. Jenkins was a Correctional Facility Firefighter at the Centinela Fire Department from 1993 to 1997. He was a Paid Call Firefighter/Captain at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 1986 to 1997. Jenkins was a GS-06 Firefighter/Driver Operator at the Barstow Logistics Marine Base Fire Department from 1992 to 1993. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $160,428. Jenkins is a Democrat.
Joseph “Joe” Nation, of South Lake Tahoe, has been appointed to the Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee. Nation has been a Professor of the Practice in the Public Policy and Human Biology Programs at Stanford University since 2007. He was the Principal at Joe Nation Consulting from 1992 to 2024. Nation was the Senior Advisor to the President at the RAND Corporation from 1991 to 2024. He was an Assemblymember for District 6 in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006. He was an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of San Francisco from 1992 to 2000. Nation is a member of the Economic Advisory Board, Bay Area Council, and Climate Cabinet Action. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Policy Analysis from Pardee RAND Graduate School, a Master of Science degree in Diplomacy and Security from Georgetown University, and Bachelor of the Arts degrees in Economics, German, and French from University of Colorado, Boulder. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Nation is a Democrat.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Apr 25, 2025
News What you need to know: More Californians than ever are connecting with earthquake warning services as the MyShake app reaches over 4 million downloads. SACRAMENTO – During Earthquake Preparedness Month, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major milestone: the…
Apr 25, 2025
News What you need to know: California is working with state, local, and federal agencies in a historic project to repopulate the North Yuba River with native fish and help protect the state’s waterways and ecosystems. MARYSVILLE – Governor Gavin Newsom announced a…
Apr 24, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Leia Bailey, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Bailey has been Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach…
What you need to know: More Californians than ever are connecting with earthquake warning services as the MyShake app reaches over 4 million downloads.
SACRAMENTO – During Earthquake Preparedness Month, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major milestone: the MyShake app – which alerts Californians before an earthquake begins – has surpassed 4 million downloads, the equivalent of more than 10% of the state. This achievement is a significant step in expanding access to California’s life-saving earthquake technology and building resilience across the state.
Launched under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, California’s nation-leading Earthquake Early Warning system notifies residents in advance of shaking by using ground motion sensors across California. More than 60% of the 1,046 sensors have been installed since the program launched in 2019, making the system more accurate and able to deliver alerts faster.
Last week, the MyShake app distributed 693,044 alerts for the 5.2 magnitude earthquake near Julian in San Diego County, a subset of the total 7.5 million alerts sent out for that event. Some MyShake users received as much as 35 seconds notice before shaking occurred.
“MyShake provides Californians with life-saving seconds before earthquakes strike. This milestone is a proud moment for California, and a reminder that preparedness is a continuous effort. We urge everyone to spread the word to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to download this critical tool.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The California Earthquake Early Warning System combines the MyShake smartphone application with traditional alert and warning delivery methods such as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). Now, with the integration of early warning technology within the most popular smartphone devices, the system can deliver alerts to most Californians.
Since its inception, MyShake has delivered more than 5 million alerts for nearly 170 earthquakes.
The MyShake app is free, easy to use, and available in six languages (English, Spanish, Chinese (Traditional), Tagalog, Korean, and Vietnamese). It can be downloaded on iOS, Android, and Chromebooks. The app contains earthquake and tsunami preparedness information not found in other alerting platforms and includes the secure Homebase feature which allows users to set a default location where they can receive earthquake early warning alerts even if location services are temporarily down or turned off.
Californians are also encouraged to pair earthquake early warning with the Cal OES Earthquake Readiness Guide. This recently released comprehensive guide offers clear, easy-to-follow earthquake safety tips, explains essential preparedness steps, and how Californians can take protective actions before, during, and after an earthquake. Download the guide here today to ensure you and your loved ones are prepared.
To learn more about earthquake preparedness and download the MyShake earthquake early warning application, visit: www.earthquake.ca.gov.
Recent news
Apr 25, 2025
News What you need to know: California is working with state, local, and federal agencies in a historic project to repopulate the North Yuba River with native fish and help protect the state’s waterways and ecosystems. MARYSVILLE – Governor Gavin Newsom announced a…
Apr 24, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Leia Bailey, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Bailey has been Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach…
Apr 24, 2025
News What you need to know: California’s second C-130 Hercules airtanker is ready for firefighting operations, adding to the state’s arsenal that stands ready to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire. SACRAMENTO – With peak fire season on the horizon,…
