A recent study reveals that a single dose of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine demonstrated 58% overall effectiveness in preventing mpox infection. Among the participants without HIV, effectiveness rose to 84%, while those with HIV showed only 35% effectiveness. These findings underscore the critical need for enhanced mpox prevention strategies for vulnerable, high-risk populations, particularly those with HIV, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The study, which was carried out at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, marks the first comparison of effectiveness between individuals with and without HIV.
Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Mpox is a viral illness, spread through close contact with another infected individual, contaminated objects, or infected animals. Symptoms can include a blistering rash, fever, muscle aches, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. While mpox symptoms are often mild, immunocompromised patients, such as those with uncontrolled HIV, are at a greater risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from this infection.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ongoing clade II 2022 mpox outbreak has been responsible for over 100,000 infections among 122 countries to date across North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Clade II mpox has a >99% survival rate. Conversely, clade I is more likely to cause severe illness and death, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. A clade I outbreak has been ongoing in Central and Eastern Africa since 2024 and has been responsible for over 21,000 infections to date.
Jynneos, also marketed under the name Imvanex, is approved in the US and Canada as a 2-dose vaccine for the prevention of mpox and smallpox in high-risk individuals 18 years of age and older, and in Europe for high-risk individuals 12 years of age and older. The reduced effectiveness of Jynneos in HIV-positive patients is likely attributable to a reduced T-cell response following vaccination in comparison to HIV-negative individuals, according to the study researchers. Ensuring patients receive the full 2-dose vaccination regimen is therefore particularly important for those with HIV.
Kurdach continues: “According to GlobalData, there are currently only two other vaccines approved for the prevention of mpox, KM Biologics’ mpox LC16m8 vaccine, and Emergent BioSolutions’ ACAM2000. Of these, the LC16m8 vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in people with well-controlled HIV.”
In the Jynneos study, over 3,600 participants received two doses of the mpox vaccine to analyze vaccine safety. Local reactions occurred in 70% of individuals after the first dose and 57% of individuals after the second dose. Systemic reactions occurred in 22% of individuals after the first dose and 18% of individuals after the second dose. Severe local and systemic reactions were rare.
Kurdach concludes: “The recent safety and effectiveness data regarding mpox vaccination by Jynneos is important and timely given the ongoing, global outbreak. Unfortunately, there are still clear unmet needs for more research on mpox in patients with HIV and increased, effective vaccination options for this at-risk population.”
The Health Bureau today expressed regret over the inaccurate and misleading content in a report published by Sing Tao Daily on April 3 which quoted individuals’ remarks on alternative smoking products (ASPs) and waterpipe tobacco.
The bureau rebutted the report’s claim that tobacco control policies would negatively impact tourists’ perceptions, saying that it fully considered the tourism sector’s situation when formulating the 10 short-term tobacco control measures which will not affect tourists’ willingness to visit Hong Kong.
Regarding ASPs, it highlighted that Hong Kong has prohibited the import of ASPs, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products as well as any related devices, parts and accessories since April 2022. Both the sale or possession of ASPs for commercial purposes are also illegal, while possession for personal use remains permitted.
Tourists therefore, have been unable to bring ASPs into Hong Kong or purchase them upon arrival for three years. Three years after the implementation of the ban, Hong Kong’s tourism sector has not been adversely affected and the number of passenger arrivals last year has even returned to pre-pandemic levels, with the number of passenger arrivals at land boundary control points exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Additionally, Thailand and Singapore have also banned ASPs without any noticeable impact on their tourism numbers.
The bureau pointed out that claims that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s plan to further prohibit the possession of ASPs would deter tourists totally disregarded the fact that ASPs have already been banned from import and sale for three years.
It added that the report also omitted to explain the fact that tourists are currently unable to bring ASPs into Hong Kong or purchase them upon arrival, misleading both the public and tourists.
Moreover, ASPs are by no means “harm-reducing” products, as the report suggested. In fact, ASPs have been proven to release various toxic substances that can cause cancer, and damage the nervous and respiratory systems. The World Health Organization has also clearly stated that there is no evidence to suggest that ASPs could help with quitting smoking.
The bureau also pointed out that e-cigarette devices have been recently used as tools for drug abuse by way of inserting psychoactive substances such as etomidate, commonly known as “space oil”, and heating to generate aerosol for smoking. Young people may become addicted to drugs by smoking e-cigarettes containing “poisonous capsules” without realising it.
The bureau has proposed banning the possession of related products to prevent harmful products like ASPs from continuing to circulate locally and to tackle the problem of “poisonous capsules” at its root.
As for flavoured tobacco products, the Government’s proposed legislation to ban the sale of flavoured conventional smoking products, which also applies to waterpipe tobacco, will not affect tourists visiting Hong Kong.
The proposal is to ban the sale of flavoured conventional smoking products, but not their consumption.
Inbound travellers, including tourists, are still permitted to bring into Hong Kong 19 cigarettes duty-free or declare and pay duty on cigarettes exceeding this quantity under the existing mechanism, regardless of whether the cigarettes are flavoured or not.
The bureau reiterated that tourists and outside talent would consider a variety of factors when deciding to come to Hong Kong, such as overall tourism experience, development opportunities, humanistic literacies, quality of environment. Tobacco control work will not in any way affect the desire of tourists to visit Hong Kong.
On the contrary, the work will enable citizens and tourists to enjoy a fresher environment, in addition to making Hong Kong a healthier and more vibrant city, thereby enhancing the attractiveness to tourists and outside talent, which is also welcomed by most of the general public, it added.
Follow Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa during their visit to the EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The video will contain a joint press statement.
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Current account surplus at €426 billion (2.8% of euro area GDP) in 2024, after a €243 billion surplus (1.7% of GDP) a year earlier.
Geographical counterparts: largest bilateral current account surpluses vis-à-vis United Kingdom (€197 billion) and Switzerland (€76 billion) and largest deficit vis-à-vis China (€105 billion).
Bilateral current account vis-à-vis the United States: surplus of €3 billion (0.0% of euro area GDP) in 2024, following a deficit of €30 billion (0.2% of GDP) in 2023. For more details see dedicated section on economic and financial linkages between the euro area and the United States.
Current account
The current account of the euro area recorded a surplus of €426 billion (2.8% of euro area GDP) in 2024, following a €243 billion surplus (1.7% of GDP) a year earlier (Table 1). This development was driven by larger surpluses for goods (from €264 billion to €372 billion), services (from €127 billion to €169 billion) and primary income (from €20 billion to €54 billion). The deficit for secondary income increased moderately from €167 billion to €168 billion.
The estimates on goods trade broken down by product group show that in 2024 the increase in the goods surplus was mainly due to a reduction in the deficit for energy products (from €314 billion to €260 billion). In addition, the surpluses for chemical products and machinery and manufactured products increased (from €244 billion to €268 billion and from 283 billion to €300 billion, respectively).
The larger surplus for services in 2024 was mainly due to widening surpluses for telecommunication, computer and information (from €169 billion to €203 billion) and travel (from €52 billion to €61 billion), and a lower deficit for other business services (from €60 billion to €28 billion). These developments were partly offset by a widening deficit for charges for the use of intellectual property (from €100 billion to €126 billion).
In 2024, the increase in the primary income surplus was mainly due to larger surpluses in direct investment (from €72 billion to €104 billion), portfolio debt (from €59 billion to €79 billion), and other primary income (from €3 billion to €15 billion), which were partly offset by a larger deficit in portfolio equity (from €163 billion to €194 billion).
Table 1
Current account of the euro area
(EUR billions, unless otherwise indicated; transactions during the period; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted)
Source: ECB. Notes: “Equity” comprises equity and investment fund shares. Goods by product group is an estimated breakdown using a method based on statistics on international trade in goods. Discrepancies between totals and their components may arise from rounding.
Data on the geographical counterparts of the euro area current account (Chart 1) show that in 2024, the euro area recorded its largest bilateral surpluses vis-à-vis the United Kingdom (€197 billion, down from €220 billion a year earlier) and Switzerland (€76 billion, up from €65 billion). The euro area also recorded surpluses vis-à-vis other emerging countries (€155 billion, up from €135 billion a year earlier) and other advanced countries (€114 billion, up from €80 billion). The largest bilateral deficit was recorded vis-à-vis China(€105 billion, down from €109 billion a year earlier) and a deficit was also recorded vis-à-vis the residual group of other countries (€96 billion, down from €142 billion).
The most significant changes in the geographical components of the current account in 2024 relative to 2023 were as follows: the goods surpluses increased vis-à-vis the United States (from €179 billion to €213 billion) and vis-à-vis other advanced countries (from €27 billion to €50 billion), while the goods deficit vis-à-vis China increased from €131 billion to €141 billion. In services, the deficit vis-à-vis the United States increased (from €124 billion to €156 billion), while the balance vis-à-vis offshore centres shifted from a deficit (€8 billion) to a surplus (€16 billion). In primary income, the balance vis-à-vis the United Kingdom shifted from a surplus (€31 billion) to a deficit (€4 billion) while a smaller deficit was recorded vis-à-vis the United States (from €84 billion to €52 billion). The deficit in secondary income vis-à-vis the EU Member States and EU institutions outside the euro area decreased slightly (from €76 billion to €73 billion).
Chart 1
Geographical breakdown of the euro area current account balance
(four-quarter moving sums in EUR billions; non-seasonally adjusted)
Source: ECB. Note: “EU non-EA” comprises the non-euro area EU Member States and those EU institutions and bodies that are considered for statistical purposes as being outside the euro area, such as the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. “Other advanced” includes Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway and South Korea. “Other emerging” includes Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Türkiye. “Other countries” includes all countries and country groups not shown in the chart, as well as unallocated transactions.
At the end of 2024, the international investment position of the euro area recorded net assets of €1.66 trillion vis-à-vis the rest of the world (10.9 % of euro area GDP), up from €1.25 trillion in the previous quarter (Chart 2 and Table 2).
Chart 2
Net international investment position of the euro area
(net amounts outstanding at the end of the period as a percentage of four-quarter moving sums of GDP)
The €407 billion increase in net assets was mainly driven by larger net assets in portfolio debt (up from €1.27 trillion to €1.42 trillion), direct investment (up from €2.54 trillion to €2.66 trillion) and reserve assets (up from €1.32 trillion to €1.39 trillion).
Table 2
International investment position of the euro area
(EUR billions, unless otherwise indicated; amounts outstanding at the end of the period, flows during the period; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted)
Source: ECB. Notes: “Equity” comprises equity and investment fund shares. Net financial derivatives are reported under assets. “Other volume changes” mainly reflect reclassifications and data enhancements. Discrepancies between totals and their components may arise from rounding.
The developments in the euro area’s net international investment position in the fourth quarter of 2024 were driven mainly by positive exchange rate changes, and to a lesser extent by positive transactions and other volume changes (Table 2 and Chart 3).
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, direct investment assets of special purpose entities (SPEs) amounted to €3.58 trillion (28% of total euro area direct investment assets), up from €3.53 trillion at the end of the previous quarter (Table 2). Over the same period, direct investment liabilities of SPEs increased from €3.10 trillion to €3.13 trillion (31% of total direct investment liabilities).
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 the gross external debt of the euro area amounted to €16.70 trillion (110% of euro area GDP), up by €1 billion compared with the previous quarter.
Chart 3
Changes in the net international investment position of the euro area
(EUR billions; flows during the period; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted)
Source: ECB. Note: “Other volume changes” mainly reflect reclassifications and data enhancements.
At the end of 2024 euro area direct investment assets were €12.62 trillion, 23% of which was invested in the United States and 19% in the United Kingdom (see Table 3). Euro area direct investmentliabilities were €9.96 trillion, with 28% being investments from the United States, 19% from offshore centres and 18% from the United Kingdom.
In portfolio investment, euro area holdings of foreign securities amounted to €7.57 trillion in equity and €7.09 trillion in debt securities at the end of 2024. The largest holdings of equity were in securities issued by residents of the United States (accounting for 60%). In debt securities, the largest euro area holdings were in securities issued by residents of the United States (accounting for 38%), the United Kingdom (17%) and the EU Member States and EU institutions outside the euro area (16%).
On the portfolio investment liabilities side, non-residents’ holdings of securities issued by euro area residents stood at €10.84 trillion in equity and at €5.67 trillion in debt at the end of 2024. The largest holder countries of euro area equity were the United States (27%) and the United Kingdom (13%), while for euro area debt securities the largest holders were the BRIC group of countries (14%), the United States (13%) and Japan (11%).
In other investment, euro area residents’ claims on non-residents amounted to €7.18 trillion, 29% of which was vis-à-vis the United Kingdom and 24% vis-à-vis the United States. Euro area other investment liabilities amounted to €7.71 trillion, with the United Kingdom accounting for 25% and the United States for 19%.
Table 3
International investment position of the euro area – geographical breakdown
(as a percentage of the total, unless otherwise indicated; at the end of the period; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted)
Source: ECB. Notes: “Equity” comprises equity and investment fund shares. “EU non-EA” comprises the non-euro area EU Member States and those EU institutions and bodies that are considered for statistical purposes as being outside the euro area, such as the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. The “BRIC” countries are Brazil, Russia, India and China. “Other advanced” includes Australia, Canada, Norway and South Korea. “Other emerging” includes Argentina, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Türkiye. “Other countries” includes all countries and country groups not listed in the table as well as unallocated positions.
Economic and financial linkages between the euro area and the United States
This statistical release provides a longer-term perspective on the euro area’s bilateral current account balance and international investment position vis-à-vis the United States by presenting developments over the past decade.
In 2024 the euro area recorded a current account surplus of €3 billion (0.0% of euro area GDP) vis-à-vis the United States, following a deficit of €30 billion (0.2% of GDP) in 2023 (see Chart 4). The euro area had recorded a rather stable current account surplus vis-à-vis the United States of around 1.0% of GDP between 2015 and 2019, which gradually declined subsequently and turned into a deficit in 2022. Since 2015 the euro area has run a persistent and sizeable goods surplus vis-à-vis the United States, rising from €127 billion in 2015 to €213 billion in 2024. The marked decline in the euro area current account surplus vis-à-vis the United States over the past decade was mainly due to a pronounced widening in the deficit for services (from €21 billion in 2015 to €156 billion in 2024), driven by an increasing deficit in charges for the use of intellectual property (from €5 billion to €168 billion). In addition, the euro area’s primary income balance vis-à-vis the United States changed from a surplus of €2 billion in 2015 to a deficit of €52 billion in 2024, largely due to a widening deficit in direct investment income. The developments in the euro area’s bilateral current accountbalance vis-à-vis the United States, in particular the significant changes observed since 2019, are partly connected to the activities of US multinational enterprises in the euro area.
Chart 4
Euro area current account balance vis-à-vis the United States
(left-hand scale: four-quarter moving sums in EUR billions; right-hand scale: four-quarter moving sums as a percentage of GDP; non-seasonally adjusted)
At the end of 2024, the euro area’s bilateral investment position vis-à-vis the United States showed net assets equivalent to 26% of euro area GDP, up from 18% of GDP at the end of 2023 and 4% of GDP at the end of 2015 (Chart 5). Net asset positions in portfolio investment debt (13% of GDP) and portfolio investment equity (11% of GDP) contributed most to the euro area’s bilateral net asset position at the end of 2024. The increase in the euro area bilateral net asset position since 2015 was driven mainly by a shift in portfolio investment equity from a net debtor to a net creditor position, as euro area portfolio investment equity assets vis-à-vis the United States rose more strongly than the corresponding liabilities. Developments in portfolio investment debt and direct investment also contributed, albeit to a lesser extent, to the increase in total net assets vis-à-vis the United States.
Chart 5
vis-à-vis the United States
Euro area net investment position
(net amounts outstanding at the end of the period as a percentage of four-quarter moving sums of GDP)
Source: ECB.
Notes: “Total net position” refers to the sum of net direct investment, net portfolio investment, net other investment and net financial derivatives. Reserve assets are not included in the total. Net positions are computed as the asset positions minus the liability positions of the respective item. Discrepancies between totals and their components may arise from rounding.
The United States is the largest destination country for euro area cross-border financial investment. Euro area financial assets vis-à-vis the United States amounted to €12.38 trillion at the end of 2024 (82% of euro area GDP), with an 83% increase since the end of 2015 (see Table 4). This development increased the share of the United States in euro area external assets from 27% to 33%. The increase was mainly due to euro area holdings of portfolio investment equity issued by residents of the United States, which have risen by 286% since the end of 2015, mainly as a result of positive price revaluations. At the same time, euro area holdings of portfolio investment debt securities have increased by 91% since the end of 2015.
The United States is also the largest source country for euro area cross-border financial investment, accounting for bilateral financial liabilities of €8.41 trillion (56% of euro area GDP) at the end of 2024, a 32% increase since the end of 2015. Over the same period, the share of the United States in euro area external liabilities remained broadly stable at 22%. This development mainly reflected an increase of 97% in portfolio investment equity liabilities vis-à-vis the United States, while direct investment liabilities vis-à-vis the United States declined by 9%.
Table 4
Euro area international investment position vis-à-vis the United States
(at the end of the period; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted)
Source: ECB. Notes: “p.p.” refers to percentage points. “Equity” comprises equity and investment fund shares. “Total assets/liabilities” refers to the sum of direct investment, portfolio investment, other investment and financial derivatives. Reserve assets are not included in the total. Around 17% of the Eurosystem’s total reserve assets of €1.3 trillion are held in the form of securities, of which an undisclosed part is invested in securities issued in the United States. Financial derivatives are reported separately in gross terms under assets and liabilities. Discrepancies between totals and their components may arise from rounding.
This statistical release incorporates revisions to the data for the reference periods between the first quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2024. The revisions reflect revised national contributions to the euro area aggregates because of the incorporation of newly available information.
Headline: Panasonic decides to invest in UUUO, an enterprise that developed the “UUUO” fishery market connected by technology, through the Panasonic Kurashi Visionary Fund
Tokyo, Japan, April 4, 2025 – Panasonic Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Masahiro Shinada; hereinafter referred to as Panasonic) today announced that it has invested in UUUO, inc. (Head Office: Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima; CEO: Kazutomo Itakura; hereinafter referred to as UUUO), an enterprise that developed the UUUO fishery market connected by technology, through a corporate venture capital fund, commonly known as the Panasonic Kurashi Visionary Fund, jointly managed by Panasonic and SBI Investment Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Chairman and President: Yoshitaka Kitao).
In response to the diversification in food distribution (e-commerce, direct sales by producers, etc.), in order to increase producers’ income and effectively meet consumer needs, the Wholesale Market Act and the Act on Promoting the Improvement of Food Distribution Structure have been recently revised. This enabled intermediate wholesalers, who serve as intermediaries between wholesalers and retailers, to purchase food items directly from production areas and allowed markets to mutually fulfill each other’s needs according to supply and demand conditions, accelerating the digital transformation (DX) of the food distribution market through improved operational efficiency and the emergence of new businesses.
Under the vision “Bringing the riches of the ocean to your hometown,” UUUO has developed and provides the UUUO smartphone application, which allows shippers in production areas to trade fishery products directly with wholesalers, intermediate wholesalers, and retailers in the market anytime, anywhere, and with ease. UUUO users can specify their preferred fishery products from fishing harbors and markets throughout Japan. With over 100 wholesalers, intermediate wholesalers, and retailers registered, the application ensures a stable supply of fishery products that users wish to purchase without changing their business partners. The easy order system facilitates DX in purchasing operations, ensuring efficiency as well as the variety, quantity, and freshness of fishery products handled. UUUO continues to expand its services as a new fishery market connecting individual harbors and markets throughout Japan.
In the area of food infrastructure, Panasonic provides cooking appliances, along with a wide range of B2B cold chain products, mostly in Japan and the US, including commercial freezers and refrigerated showcases. With the aim of contributing to the cold chain industry by providing value to both producers and end consumers, the company will work to verify synergy effects in fresh fish distribution through this collaboration.Panasonic aims to establish food infrastructure, where necessary food items are provided in the required quantities while maintaining freshness and palatability. It also strives to ensure the safety of people’s daily diet, and create a sustainable society.
With a mission to contribute to the wellbeing of people, society, and the planet, Panasonic aims to be the best partner in supporting people’s lives with human-centric technology and innovation. The company will continue to strengthen its open innovation initiatives through strong partnerships by investing in promising startups both in Japan and abroad that excel in areas closely related to people’s lives, such as energy, food infrastructure, spatial infrastructure, and lifestyle.
■Comments from Kunio Gohara, General Manager of the Corporate Venture Capital Office, Panasonic Corporation
With lifestyle changes and diversified diets, we are witnessing the evolving needs of consumers. In order to address the universal need to deliver good food, we aim to make contributions beyond the scope of the industry. Particularly in the environment surrounding fishery products, challenges have emerged, including a decline in fish catches, imbalanced market conditions, and unsold products due to suddenly worsened weather conditions. It is more crucial than ever, from both an environmental and economic perspective, to address these social issues and provide fresh, savory fishery products without waste. Through our investment in UUUO, we look forward to providing new value to producers and consumers, and developing a sustainable food value chain together.
■Comments from Kazutomo Itakura, Chief Executive Officer of UUUO, inc.
By combining Panasonic Corporation’s cold chain technology and solutions with our platform, we will achieve sustainable distribution in the fishing industry and accelerate business growth, further promoting our vision of “Bringing the riches of the ocean to your hometown.” Taking this opportunity, we will strive to deliver value to more individuals involved in fishery product distribution and contribute to the fishing industry.
Planning, development, and operation of the “UUUO” fishery market connected by technology
URL
https://uuuo.co.jp/en
About Panasonic Corporation
Panasonic Corporation offers products and services for a variety of living environments, ranging from homes to stores to offices and cities. There are five businesses at the core of Panasonic Corporation: Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, Cold Chain Solutions Company, Electric Works Company and China and Northeast Asia Company. The operating company reported consolidated net sales of 3,494.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2024. Panasonic Corporation is committed to fulfilling the mission of Life Tech & Ideas: For the wellbeing of people, society and the planet, and embraces the vision of becoming the best partner of your life with human-centric technology and innovation. Learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global/about.html
Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, today announced the launch of Galaxy Tab S10 FE and Galaxy Tab S10 FE+, offering new entry points to the Galaxy ecosystem on a premium tablet design. Equipped with the largest screen yet on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE series and slimmer bezels that expand its display, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ provides a fun, immersive viewing experience for everything from entertainment to studying and day-to-day tasks. Samsung’s intelligent features empower users to get more done with ease, while a slimmer design helps users to achieve their creativity and productivity on the go.
“At Samsung, we are committed to bringing world-class innovation to everyone, and the launch of the new Galaxy Tab S10FE series is a testament to that vision. With Galaxy AI capabilities making their debut on our FE tablets, we are making cutting-edge technology more accessible than ever. The Galaxy S10 FE series will empower Galaxy users to maximize their creativity and productivity, and help us consolidate our market leadership in India’s tablet segment,” said Aditya Babbar, Vice President, MX Business, Samsung India.
Stunning Display
Combining the Galaxy Tab S series’ heritage design with slim bezels, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+’s 13.1-inch display offers immersive entertainment on a screen that’s almost 12% larger than its predecessor. Smooth visuals enabled by a 90Hz refresh rate and new levels of visibility that goes up to 800 nits in High Brightness Mode (HBM) ensure an optimal viewing experience when watching videos and gaming on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE series. The Vision Booster’s automatic adjustments enhance brightness and visibility even in ever-changing outdoor environments while blue-light emissions are safely reduced to minimize eye strain, meeting every unique viewing need.
Robust Performance and Versatile Design
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE series boosts productivity when working or studying, and delivers fast, smooth gameplay without interruption. The performance upgrades enable the Galaxy Tab S10 FE series users to switch effortlessly between multiple apps, allowing for improved multitasking. And when capturing everyday moments in the classroom or in workspaces, a newly upgraded 13MP rear camera produces clear and vivid photos.
These versatile experiences, from powerful work to seamless play, accompany users everywhere they go. Now more than 4% lighter than its predecessor, Galaxy Tab S10 FE is even easier to carry around. The Galaxy S10 Tab FE series offers hassle-free storage and mobility at home, on campus, in the workplace and elsewhere with its slim design. Engineered for resilience and durability to withstand the elements, the FE series comes with IP68 rating.
Advances Features
Building on Samsung’s legacy of delivering premium experiences across the Galaxy ecosystem, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ and Galaxy Tab S10 FE are the first models in the FE series to come equipped with cutting-edge AI capabilities right out of the box, fueling user productivity.
Fan-favourite Circle to Search with Google allows you to search what you see on your tablet without switching apps. Quickly get the info you need, translate text on screen or get homework help with step-by-step explanations – all on one large screen.
Samsung Notes features like Solve Math for quick calculations of handwriting and text, and Handwriting Help to tidy up notes easily, make notetaking easier than ever so users can stay focused in the moment.
AI assistants are instantly launched with a single tap of the Galaxy AI Key on the Book Cover Keyboard. Plus, AI assistants can be customized based on users’ preferences for a more personalized experience.
An upgraded Object Eraser lets users effortlessly remove unwanted objects from photos, with automatic suggestions for quick and easy edits.
Newly introduced Best Face ensures perfect group photos by selecting and combining the best expressions and features.
Auto Trim brings cherished moments to life by sifting through multiple videos to seamlessly compile highlight reels.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE series also serves as the perfect canvas for creativity with pre-loaded apps and tools including LumaFusion, Goodnotes, Clip Studio Paint and more, alongside other spotlight apps like Noteshelf 3, Sketchbook and Picsart.
For an even more intuitive AI experience, the FE series seamlessly integrates with other Samsung Galaxy devices. Similar to the Galaxy Tab S10 series, users can access a comprehensive overview of their home status with the Home Insight widget dashboard and 3D Map View feature. Summarized status updates of SmartThings-enabled devices give users peace of mind when out and about.
Knox Security
As with any Galaxy device, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE series is fortified by Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade, multi-layer security platform built to safeguard critical information and protect against vulnerabilities with end-to-end hardware, real-time threat detection and collaborative protection.
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Paul Turner sworn in as International Commissioner of Solomon Islands Scouts Association
Paul Turner took his Oath at Government House on Thursday 3 April 2025 before Chief Scout and Governor General of Solomon Islands, His Excellency Sir David Tiva Kapu.
Group photo with the newly appointed International Commissioner of Scout, His Excellency Paul Turner.
British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Non-Resident Commissioner to the Republic of Nauru, His Excellency Paul Robert Turner is the new International Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Scout Association.
High Commissioner Paul Turner took his Oath at Government House on Thursday 3 April 2025 before Chief Scout and Governor General of Solomon Islands, His Excellency Sir David Tiva Kapu in a brief investiture and installation programme.
Chief Commissioner of Scout, Joe Billy Oge welcomed the new International Commissioner to the Scout Movement:
Welcome to the worldwide brotherhood of Scouting your Excellency British High Commissioner as the newly appointed International Commissioner for Solomon Islands Scout Association. We look forward to a close working relationship with you during your term in office in Solomon Islands.
In his brief remarks, new International Commissioner of the Scout Movement, Paul Turner said:
I was once in the scouts as a boy and I know the huge value the scouts can bring, both to young people and local communities. The scouts offer wonderful opportunities for boys to develop a range of life skills and to be a key part of the community.
The Oath of Office ceremony was administered by the office of the Chief Commissioner before His Excellency the Governor General and Chief Scout of Solomon Islands Sir David Tiva Kapu. He was assisted by the Chairman of the Scout Council Mr. William Barile and National Commissioner for Training Mr. Edward James Anisi.
The appointments were approved by the Scout Council and signed by His Excellency the Governor General and Chief Scout of Solomon Islands, Sir David Tiva Kapu.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of new reciprocal tariffs on imports from all trading partners has drawn backlash from countries around the world, with countermeasures already pledged by some.
The universal tariffs imposed by the United States — a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” to be imposed on all imports — will take effect on April 5, and the “individualized reciprocal higher tariff” on the countries and regions with which the United States “has the largest trade deficits” will take effect on April 9, according to a White House document.
“Resentment Day”
On social media platform X, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukas Vlcek called Trump’s new tariffs a “mistake.” Also, Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party and a member of the European Parliament, called April 2 — the new tariff announcement day dubbed by Trump as “liberation day” for the United States — as “resentment day.”
“Donald Trump’s tariffs don’t defend fair trade: They attack it out of fear and hurt both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday expressed deep regret over the U.S. move in a statement, calling it “a major blow to the world economy,” and warned against a devastating impact. “The global economy will massively suffer,” she said. “Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe.”
Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo on Thursday said the United States’ new tariffs are “unfair and unjustified” in an interview with radio station RNE, adding that the Spanish government will take action to protect companies and consumers from the effects of the tariffs.
Speaking to local media on Thursday morning, British Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he is “disappointed” by the additional tariffs imposed on Britain, noting the 10-percent tariff is not a “fair reflection of how we currently trade.”
In Asia, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday expressed “serious concern” about the U.S. decision to impose reciprocal tariffs, saying the new tariffs could have a “big negative impact” on the global economy and the multilateral trade system.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is serving as acting president following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, told an emergency meeting on economic security in Seoul: “As the global tariff war is coming to a reality, the government should pour out all of its capabilities to overcome a trade crisis.”
The German Institute for Economic Research in a statement issued on Wednesday ahead of Trump’s new tariffs announcement warned that the United States has made a significant departure from multilateralism in its trade policy. The introduction of new, extensive tariffs poses a serious threat to global supply chains.
Grave concerns among businesses
Business leaders in Britain voiced concerns on Wednesday that the new tariffs on their exports, even at 10 percent, could weigh heavily on British industries. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: “There are no winners in a trade war. Today’s announcements are deeply troubling for businesses and will have significant ramifications around the world.”
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) believed small exporters in the country would be hard hit, as 59 percent of them trade with the United States. “Tariffs will cause untold damage to small businesses trying to trade their way into profit,” said Tina McKenzie, the FSB’s policy chair.
The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) said in a statement Thursday that the United States imposing a 17-percent tariff on imports from Israel is worrying. “The decision of the U.S. President to apply the tariff policy to Israel could harm Israel’s economic stability, deter foreign investment in the economy, and weaken the competitiveness of Israeli companies in the U.S. market,” it said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Israel announced the lifting of all tariffs imposed on imports from the United States, but the move failed to avert the new tariffs imposed by the United States.
Countermeasures pledged
In Paris, French government spokesperson Sophie Primas said on Thursday the European Union (EU) is ready for a trade war, with retaliatory tariffs to be imposed on all goods and service products from the United States by the end of April.
The initial levies in retaliation to the U.S. tariffs on EU steel and aluminum products would be put in place around mid-April, and the tariffs targeting all American imports are expected to be ready probably by the end of April, she said when speaking to the broadcaster RTL on Wednesday.
In response to the U.S. tariffs, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer told business leaders gathering at 10 Downing Street on Thursday morning that the close ally of the United States is “prepared.” “Decisions we take in the coming days and weeks will be guided only by our national interest. In the interest of our economy,” Starmer said.
On Wednesday before Trump’s announcement of the new tariffs, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated her call for negotiations to avoid a trade war with the United States, while signaling a shift away from her previous opposition to European retaliatory tariffs.
“We must work in every way to avert a trade war,” she said during a cultural event. “But this obviously does not rule out considering appropriate responses to defend our industries if necessary.”
In Brazil, the National Congress passed legislation allowing the South American country to impose reciprocal trade and environmental measures in response to foreign restrictions, on Wednesday just hours after Trump’s announcement of the sweeping tariffs.
The United States and its allies were the main source of cyberattacks against China during the ninth Asian Winter Games, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, citing a newly released report.
The report was released by China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and National Engineering Laboratory for Computer Virus Prevention Technology on Thursday.
It disclosed that the information systems of competition and critical network infrastructures in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, were subjected to a large number of network attacks from abroad. The attacks were traced to countries and regions including the United States, the Netherlands, and Singapore.
“We take note of the report and express serious concerns over the malicious cyber activity it has exposed,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a daily news briefing.
He said that the report once again shows that around the world, China is one of the main victims of cyberattacks.
China urges the United States to adopt a responsible attitude, reflect on itself and refrain from slandering others, Guo said, adding that China will continue to take necessary measures to protect its own cybersecurity.
For Malaysian Chinese Goh Ee Xuan, Qingming Festival has always pulsed with ancestral echoes and meant honoring ancestors through time-honored rituals like burning incense and offering symbolic paper gifts.
Even while living in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin this year, she maintained the tradition through a heartfelt video call with relatives back home.
“Growing up in a Malaysian Chinese household, Qingming rituals like tomb-sweeping were part of my childhood fabric,” Goh explained. “My parents taught me to remember my roots.”
With a 2,500-year history, Qingming Festival, or the Festival of Pure Brightness, observed in early April, uniquely combines ancestral worship with the celebration of spring. Falling on the 15th day after the spring equinox, this ritual-rich observance reflects China’s enduring values of ancestral veneration and inspires deep introspection about what gives life meaning.
Qingming rituals persist with remarkable vitality in most Chinese communities across Southeast Asia, observed folk culture expert Ma Zhiyao, adding that this demonstrates the custom’s enduring cultural resonance.
Wang Yi, associated professor of cultural studies at Tianjin University, noted that as China’s cultural influence expands, traditional Chinese festivals like Qingming are gaining increasing global recognition.
“Their cultural depth speaks to universal human values – making them not just Chinese traditions, but shared touchstones of remembrance and renewal,” she said.
Qingming’s reflections on mortality, kinship and nature speak to all humanity, according to Wang. “As foreigners learn about and even participate in its rituals, they will see how deeply our cultures connect, and how much we can learn from each other.”
From Mexico’s Day of the Dead, brought to life by the 2017 Academy Award-winning animated film Coco, to the Obon Festival in Japan, cultures worldwide have their own takes on ancestral worship. Despite different traditions, all share a deep respect for life and the departed.
Cultural symbolism transcends borders. Both ancient Egyptians and Chinese traditions associate plants with rebirth. Egyptians adorned tombs with symbolic palms and lotuses, while Qingming’s willow branches, prized for their early spring vitality, represent nature’s enduring cycle of renewal.
Ahmed Mohamed Saleh, an Egyptian student in Tianjin, shared his cultural perspective.
“In Egypt, we prepare ritual offerings and special foods for tomb visits, and plant symbolic vegetation by the graveside to represent life’s cyclical nature,” he said. “Both cultures believe honoring the past helps us live better futures, rather than dwell in perpetual sorrow.”
Qingming Festival embodies a poignant duality of emotions, as solemn remembrance is intertwined with spring’s rejuvenating joy. This is beautifully captured in classical poetry.
Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu’s iconic “Qingming” paints the sorrow: A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; the mourner’s heart is going to break on his way.
Yet another poem reveals the season’s brighter essence: When pear blossoms ride the warm eastern winds, half the city empties as the hunt for spring begins.
International students in China follow Qingming traditions in their own ways. Shin Gisong from the Republic of Korea hiked through spring landscapes, while Comorian student Mroivili Faouzia visited cultural sites.
“Even though our customs might be different, the idea of honoring those who came before us is the same,” Faouzia said.
“I believe that a festival to remember our ancestors can touch people everywhere. It reminds us that family, history and respect for our roots are values shared by many cultures around the world,” she added.
China on Thursday released its second revised list of Chinese aviation martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, expanding it to 1,470 names, according to the Nanjing Anti-Japanese Aviation Martyrs Memorial Hall in east China’s Jiangsu Province.
The latest update adds the information of two newly verified heroes while correcting and supplementing details — including names, hometowns, birth and death dates for 12 martyrs.
The updates followed last year’s release of information about 1,468 verified Chinese anti-Japanese aviation heroes, which was met with widespread attention and support.
“After receiving the application of inscription and information about martyrs, the memorial hall conducted verification of materials, finally inscribed the name of two martyrs,” said Dou Ruoqi, a staff member of the memorial hall.
“The addition and correction aims to better the list of anti-Japanese aviation heroes. It is not only a deep memory of the heroes, but also respect and inheritance of history,” said Dou.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Also on Thursday, a solemn ceremony honoring anti-Japanese aviation heroes was held, one day before Qingming Festival, a Chinese traditional festival to mourn ancestors and heroes.
Cao Zhiqin is a relative of an aviation martyr. His grand-uncle Cao Xugui lost his life during a training mission in the United States at the age of 21 on Nov. 24, 1944 and was buried there.
“Our family found his resting place after decades of relentless efforts. Since then, we longed to see his name honored among China’s anti-Japanese aviation heroes. Today, that decades-old yearning is fulfilled,” Cao said, after bowed to the monument where the name of his grand-uncle had been newly inscribed.
The Nanjing Anti-Japanese Aviation Martyrs Memorial Hall houses a rich collection of historical materials documenting the joint efforts of air forces of China, the Soviet Union, the United States, and other countries during World War II to fight the invading Japanese troops.
The names of 4299 Chinese and foreign anti-Japanese aviation martyrs have been engraved on the monument in the memorial hall.
A Japanese artillery shell believed to be from World War II was recently discovered in Sunwu County, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, local authorities said on Thursday.
The shell, measuring approximately 40 centimeters in length and 15 centimeters in diameter, was found near a key cultural heritage site that once served as the underground hideout of Japanese troops in Sunwu County of the city of Heihe.
The local cultural heritage department and police jointly moved the shell to a safe place. Further analysis of the shell will be conducted to potentially uncover valuable information about Japanese military deployment during the invasion.
The discovery of this artillery shell provides new physical evidence for studying the history of the invasion of China by Japanese troops, and helps to further restore details of Japanese military activities and aggression in Sunwu.
The National Aquatics Center in Beijing illuminates its iconic blue lights on April 2, 2025, to mark World Autism Awareness Day. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] The National Aquatics Center in Beijing, a venue that has hosted two Olympics, illuminated its facade in blue on Wednesday to mark World Autism Awareness Day for the 15th consecutive year. The event seeks to raise public awareness and promote inclusivity for people with autism. This year’s event underscored the values of fairness, unity and perseverance — core principles of sportsmanship — while spreading the message “Respect differences, light up hope.” Since its inception in 2011, the venue has been a hub for autism awareness initiatives. Over the past decade, it has hosted public art exhibitions featuring over 5,000 paintings created by children with autism and youth volunteers. Additionally, it has organized more than 10 sports events for disabled individuals, drawing over 6,000 in-person attendees and generating over 450,000 online interactions. In 2025, the “Light It Blue” campaign expanded nationwide, with many landmark buildings across China joining in to illuminate their facades in blue. Notable participants included the National Speed Skating Oval, Shanghai Jinmao Tower and Shanghai Pudong Library, all of which displayed their exteriors in blue and broadcast autism awareness messages.
Children with autism and their families try out curling at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, April 2, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] Activities at the National Aquatics Center included a range of diverse events. The “family day” featured an interactive curling experience at the Center’s underground ice sports arena, encouraging family bonding through friendly competition. An art exhibition showcased 200 artworks created by young artists with autism, volunteers and musicians, promoting creative expression and communication.
Artworks by individuals with autism on display at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, April 2, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] Additionally, a social welfare workshop incorporated art therapy activities such as tactile clay painting and traditional Chinese velvet flower crafts. These activities aimed to enhance sensory development and improve fine motor skills for children with autism.
Children with autism and their parents engage in a handcraft workshop at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, April 2, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] A notable highlight was a forum examining the role of technology in creating a more inclusive society for individuals with autism. Speakers from special education, rehabilitation and psychology discussed innovative ways to utilize artificial intelligence to improve inclusive education and support services for individuals with autism. Participants underscored their commitment to ensuring equal opportunities in education, health care, employment and community involvement. The “Light It Blue” campaign’s impact extended beyond Beijing, with parallel events held nationwide. In Nanjing, Jiangsu province, families and volunteers participated in a charity market, selling handmade crafts and artwork to fund autism support programs. Additionally, experts and parents gave public lectures to share insights on autism care. In Shanghai, hundreds of paintings by autistic youth were exhibited at the Shanghai Jinmao Tower observatory and a cultural and art development center in the Pudong New Area. In Zhuhai, Guangdong province, autism families, social workers and non-profits from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gathered for a screening of China’s first autism-themed documentary, “Uniquely You.” An accompanying art exhibition highlighted the experiences and aspirations of autistic children, advocating for greater societal acceptance and support. As the “Light It Blue” campaign expands, the National Aquatics Center remains dedicated to its social responsibility of promoting inclusivity for individuals with autism. Looking ahead, the venue will continue to champion autism awareness and explore innovative ways to promote a more inclusive environment for all.
In his opening remarks at the first EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, European Council President António Costa highlighted the 30-year diplomatic ties between the EU and Central Asia. Marking a new chapter in the relations between the two regions, the summit elevates the EU-Central Asia partnership to a strategic level and President Costa emphasised the need for continued and deeper cooperation to tackle global and regional challenges.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Murray, Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne
Several of Australia’s biggest superannuation funds have suffered a suspected coordinated cyberattack, with scammers stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of members’ retirement savings.
Superannuation funds including Rest, HostPlus, Insignia, Australian Retirement and AustralianSuper have all reportedly been targeted. However, so far AustralianSuper appears to be the worst affected.
It is Australia’s largest superannuation fund. It has roughly 3.5 million members and manages more than $365 billion in retirement savings. In this cyberattack, a handful of its members have lost about A$500,000 in combined savings.
AustralianSuper is reportedly assisting authorities recover the money. It has not yet confirmed if any remediation will occur.
It’s not yet clear whether the affected accounts had mandatory multi-factor authentication for login or money transfers. But this is a crucial measure to reduce the risk of a similar cyberattack happening in the future.
Strategic timing, stolen passwords
Details of the cyberattack are still sparse. But we do know that it began in the early hours of last weekend. This timing was likely strategic: account holders wouldn’t have noticed anything suspicious as they would have most likely been sleeping.
Cyber criminals are believed to have obtained stolen passwords – either from the dark web or other hacked websites. They then used these passwords to try to access people’s superannuation accounts.
In a statement, AustralianSuper’s Chief Member Officer Rose Kerlin said scammers had accessed up to 600 customer passwords to log into accounts.
So far only four accounts have actually been breached. In those cases, the scammers changed login details and transferred out lump sums of money.
Although members of other superannuation funds do not seem to have lost any money, their personal information may have been compromised.
Different to other attacks
There have been cases in the past of people being scammed out of their retirement savings.
For example, in 2020, Australian man Lee Braz lost all of his retirement savings, worth $180,000, to scammers. The scammers used fraudulent documents to trick his fund, Intrust Super (now owned by HostPlus), into authorising the transfer.
After a four-year legal battle with the fund, Braz retrieved one-third of the money he had lost. However, this amount didn’t cover his legal fees.
But this recent scam seems very different in nature. It didn’t involve scammers using any fraudulent documents or elaborate trickery. Instead, the perpetrators appear to have pulled it off simply by using stolen passwords to access accounts.
To ensure all of this money is properly protected, financial organisations should implement mandatory multi-factor authentication for user accounts. This would require people to prove who they are with something in addition to a password.
This could include, for example, using a one-time code or an authenticator app on their smartphone. This makes it much harder for criminals who obtain user passwords to take over their accounts.
Other financial organisations, including banks and some superannuation funds, already use multi-factor authentication. But it’s especially important for all superannuation funds to implement it, given many people don’t check their retirement savings for months at a time and are less likely to notice straight away if they’ve been hacked.
In the wake of this cyberattack, the Association of Superannuations Funds of Australia says it is working to improve security across the industry, but it is unclear exactly what this will involve.
Consumers also need to do their part by making sure they do not reuse passwords between websites. This is especially important for passwords used to protect accounts on financial organisations such as their super fund or online banking.
Using a password manager is a great way to make it easy to have unique passwords for each website you visit.
Finally, customers should be on the lookout for potential scams that may target them in the coming days. Scammers have been known to exploit fear and confusion in the wake of data breaches to try to lure victims into giving away personal information or money.
Anyone receiving messages purporting to be from their super fund and who wants to respond to them should call up their super provider directly, using a phone number from their website. Avoid clicking links or phoning numbers listed in messages that purport to be from your super fund.
Anyone receiving messages they suspect are scams can report them to Scamwatch.
Toby Murray receives funding from the Department of Defence and Google. He is Director of the Defence Science Institute, wich receives funding from the Commonwealth and State governments.
The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed that as of 11:00 Beijing time (0300 GMT) on Friday, the powerful earthquake in Myanmar has resulted in the deaths of five Chinese citizens and injuries to 13 others.
The death toll from the 7.9-magnitude earthquake has risen to 3,145, with 4,589 others injured and 221 missing, the Myanmar Radio and Television reported on Thursday.
Please attribute to Acting Detective Sergeant Konrad Tamati:
A man has been arrested and charged after an assault involving a parking warden in Palmerston North recently.
Police were made aware of an incident on 26 March where a warden on duty reported that a man had thrown an unidentified liquid at him, staining his skin, clothing and work equipment.
Enquiries led to Police arresting the man today.
He has been charged with assault and is due to appear in the Palmerston North District Court on 10 April.
This type of unprovoked attack on someone simply going about their daily work is unacceptable, and Police are pleased to have made an arrest and put someone before the courts to be held to account.
As the matter is now before the courts, Police will not comment further.
Indosuez Wealth Management plans to acquire Banque Thaler
Indosuez Wealth Management, a subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole Group, has announced that its entity in Switzerland has signed an agreement to purchase the entire capital of Banque Thaler, a Swiss banking institution recognised for the excellence of its services and its long-term expertise in wealth management.
This acquisition is fully in line with Indosuez Wealth Management’s development strategy, strengthening its position in the Swiss market, the global hub for wealth management, where Indosuez has been present since 1876. Banque Thaler, founded in 1982, is renowned for the excellence of its services and its long-term expertise in wealth management.
With this acquisition, Banque Thaler and Indosuez clients will have access to a broader range of products and expertise. In particular, Banque Thaler’s clients will be able to benefit from the Group’s solidity, its international network and its multiple capabilities in financing, corporate finance, fund servicing and asset management.
For Jacques Prost, Chief Executive Officer of Indosuez Wealth Management: “This acquisition strengthens our position in Switzerland and illustrates our determination to provide our clients with solutions that are increasingly tailored to their needs. Indosuez is pursuing its growth strategy in a sector undergoing consolidation and is now a major stakeholder in wealth management in Europe.” Marc-André Poirier, Chief Executive Officer of Indosuez in Switzerland, adds: “We are delighted to welcome Banque Thaler. Following record revenue in 2024, this acquisition will bring our assets under management to nearly €50 billion1. We will work with Banque Thaler’s teams to make this acquisition a success for both clients and employees.”
Dirk Eelbode, Chief Executive Officer of Banque Thaler: “Indosuez Wealth Management in Switzerland is the ideal partner for Banque Thaler. What our management can offer will not only be maintained but enhanced thanks to the substantial resources made available by a major banking group with exceptional financial strength. This can only benefit our clients. At Indosuez we also find the entrepreneurial spirit that characterises Banque Thaler, and this is a great opportunity for all our employees to join an ambitious growth project. These are all positives that will contribute to our continued goal of being the leading player in Switzerland for our clients.”
The finalisation of the transaction remains subject to the prior approval of the relevant supervisory authorities, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025. This acquisition would bring Indosuez Wealth Management’s total assets under management to nearly €220 billion. The impact on Crédit Agricole S.A.’s CET1 ratio would be limited.
Indosuez Wealth Management is the global wealth management brand of the Crédit Agricole Group, the world’s 9th largest bank by balance sheet (The Banker 2024).
For over 150 years, Indosuez Wealth Management has been helping major private clients, families, entrepreneurs and professional investors to manage their private and professional assets. The bank offers a customised approach enabling each of its clients to preserve and develop their wealth in line with their aspirations. Its teams offer a continuum of services and products including Advisory & Financing, Investment Solutions, Fund Servicing & Technology and Banking Solutions.
Indosuez Wealth Management employs more than 4,500 people in 16 territories around the world: in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Monaco, Spain and Switzerland), Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong SAR, New Caledonia and Singapore), the Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) and Canada (representative office).
With €215 billion in client assets at the end of December 2024, Indosuez Wealth Management is one of Europe’s leading wealth management companies.
Indosuez Wealth Management is one of Switzerland’s leading financial institutions, and is now one of the country’s top three foreign banks. The bank in Switzerland handles wealth management, transactional commodity financing and commercial banking. Its roots date back to 1876, when it was established in Geneva. Its teams include more than 800 specialists based in Geneva, Lugano and Zurich, as well as in Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore) and in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi and Dubai). They combine their knowledge of the local environment with the extensive expertise and scope for action of the global network of Indosuez, Crédit Agricole CIB and the Crédit Agricole Group.
The Swiss platform is in charge of developing Indosuez Wealth Management’s activities in Switzerland, the Middle East and Asia.
About Banque Thaler Banque Thaler is a Swiss wealth management bank that became independent in 1999 and is mainly owned by its directors. Throughout its existence, it has stood out for its focus on a targeted client base and on its discretionary management services. Serving families and entrepreneurs, its management is based on dynamic asset allocation by integrating solid expertise in selecting alternative funds and private equity. The bank has offices in Geneva and Zurich.
Jewish students at Columbia University chained themselves to a campus gate across from the graduate School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) this week, braving rain and cold to demand the school release information related to the targeting and ICE arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former SIPA student.
Democracy Now! was at the protest and spoke to Jewish and Palestinian students calling on the school to reveal the extent of its involvement in Khalil’s arrest.
Transcript:
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
Here in New York City, Jewish students chained themselves to gates at Columbia University on Wednesday in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia student protest leader now in an ICE jail in Louisiana.
On March 8, federal agents detained Khalil at his university-owned apartment building, even though he is a legal permanent resident of the United States. They revoked his green card.
I went up to Columbia yesterday and spoke to some of the students at the protest.
PROTESTERS: Release Mahmoud Khalil now! We want justice! You say, “How?” We want justice! You say, “How?” Release Mahmoud Khalil now!
CARLY: Hi. My name is Carly. I’m a Columbia SIPA graduate student, second year. And I’m chained to this gate today as a Jewish student and friend of Mahmoud Khalil’s, demanding answers on how his name got to DHS [Department of Homeland Security] and which trustee specifically handed over that information.
We believe that there is a high chance that our new president, Claire Shipman, handed over that information. And we, as Jewish students, demand transparency in that process.
Protesting Jewish students chain themselves to Columbia gates. Video: Democracy Now!
AMY GOODMAN: What makes you think that the new president, Shipman, gave over his [Khalil’s] information?
CARLY: There was a Forward article with that leak. And there has not been transparency from the Columbia administration to Jewish students, when they claim that they are doing all of this to protect Jewish students.
We would like to be consulted in that process, instead of being spoken for. You know, as Jewish students and to the Jewish people at large, being political pawns in a game is not a new occurrence, and that’s something that we very much are here to say, “Hey, you cannot weaponise antisemitism to harm our friends and peers.”
AMY GOODMAN: And talk about being chained. Are you willing to risk arrest or suspension or expulsion from Columbia?
CARLY: Yeah, I mean, just for speaking out for Palestine on Columbia’s campus, you know that you’re risking arrest and expulsion. That is the precedent they have set, and that is something that we all know at this point.
We are now in a situation where, for many of us, our good friend is in ICE detention. And as Jewish students, we feel we need to do more.
AMY GOODMAN: How did you know Mahmoud Khalil? You said you’re at SIPA. What are you studying there?
CARLY: Yeah, so, I’m a human rights student, and we were classmates. We were classmates and friends. And it’s been a deeply troubling few weeks. And, you know, everyone at SIPA, the students at SIPA, we really are just hoping for his safe return.
For me as a graduate in May, I truly hope we get to walk together at graduation.
AMY GOODMAN: Did he hear that you were out here? And did he send you a message?
CARLY: Yes. So, it has gotten back to Mahmoud that Jewish students are out here chained to the gate, and he did send a message that I read earlier that expressed his gratitude.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you tell me what he said?
CARLY: Yes, I can pull up the message. I don’t want to misquote him. OK.
“The news of students chaining themselves to the Columbia gates has reached Mahmoud in the detention center in Louisiana, where he’s currently being held. He knows what’s happening. He was very emotional when he heard about it, and he wanted to thank you all and let you know he sees you.”
SARAH BORUS: My name is Sarah Borus. I am a senior at Barnard College.
AMY GOODMAN: Why a Jewish action right now?
SARAH BORUS: So, the government, when they abducted Mahmoud, they literally put — Donald Trump put out a post that said, “Shalom, Mahmoud.”
They are saying that this is in the name of Jewish safety. But there is a reason that it is four white Jews that were on that fence or that were on that gate, and that’s because we are not the ones that are being targeted by the government.
It is Muslim students, Arab students, Palestinian students, immigrant students that are being targeted.
AMY GOODMAN: How do you respond to those who say the protests here are antisemitic?
SARAH BORUS: I have been involved in these protests for my last two years here. The community of Jewish students that I have found is one of the most wonderful in my life. To call these protests antisemitic, honestly, degrades the Jewish religion by making it about a nation-state instead of the actual religion itself.
SHEA: My name is Shea. I’m a junior at Columbia College. I am here for the same reason.
AMY GOODMAN: You’re wearing a keffiyeh and a yarmulke.
SHEA: Yes. That’s standard for me.
AMY GOODMAN: Are you willing to be expelled?
SHEA: If the university decides that that is what should happen to me for doing this, then that is on them. I would love to not be expelled, but I think that my peers would also have loved to not be expelled.
I think Mahmoud would love to not be in detention right now. This is — I obviously worked very hard to get here. So did Mahmoud. So did everyone else who has been facing consequences.
And, like, while I obviously would prefer to, you know, not get expelled, this is bigger than me. This is about something much more important. And it ultimately is in the hands of the university. If they want to expel me for standing up for my friend, for other students, then that is their choice.
PROTESTERS: ICE off our campus now! ICE off our campus now! We want justice! You say, “How?” We want justice! You say, “How?” Answer our demands now! Answer our demands now!
MARYAM ALWAN: My name is Maryam Alwan. I’m a senior at Columbia. I’m also Palestinian, and I’m friends with Mahmoud. I’m here in solidarity with my Jewish friends, who are in solidarity with all Palestinian students and Palestinians facing genocide in Gaza.
We are all here today because we miss our friend, and it’s inconceivable to us that the board of trustees are reported to have handed his name over to the federal government, and the fact that these board of trustees have now taken over the university.
Just yesterday, the University Senate at Columbia released an over 300-page report called the Sundial Report, which reveals that the board of trustees has completely endangered both Palestinian and anti-Zionist Jewish students in the name of quashing dissent and cracking down on protests like never before, eroding shared governance, academic freedom.
And so this has been a long-standing process over 1.5 years to get us to the point where we are today, where people are getting kidnapped from their own campuses. And we can’t just sit by and let the federal government do whatever they want to our own university without standing up against it.
So, whatever we can do.
AMY GOODMAN: And what does it mean to you that it’s Jewish students who have chained themselves to the gates?
MARYAM ALWAN: It means a lot to me, especially because of all of the rhetoric that surrounds these protests saying that we’re violent or threatening, when, from day one, I was part of Students for Justice in Palestine when it was suspended, and we were working alongside Jewish Voice for Peace from day one.
The media just completely twisted the narrative. So, the fact that my Jewish friends are still to this day fighting, no matter what the personal cost is to them — I’ve seen the way that the university has delegitimised their Jewish identity, put them through trials, saying that they’re antisemitic, when they are proud Jews, and they’ve taught me so much about Judaism.
So it just means a lot to see, like, the solidarity between us even almost two years later now.
AHARON DARDIK: My name’s Aharon Dardik. I’m a junior here at Columbia. And we’re here to protest the trustees putting students in danger and not taking accountability.
AMY GOODMAN: Why the chains on your wrists?
AHARON DARDIK: We, as Jewish students, chained ourselves earlier today to a gate on campus, and we said that we weren’t going to leave until the university named who it was among the trustees who collaborated with the fascist Trump administration to detain our classmate, Mahmoud Khalil, and try and deport him.
AMY GOODMAN: Where are you originally from?
AHARON DARDIK: I’m originally from California, but my family moved to Israel-Palestine.
AMY GOODMAN: And being from Israel-Palestine, your thoughts on what’s happening there?
AHARON DARDIK: There’s never a justification for killing innocent civilians and for war crimes and genocide that’s being committed now. And I know many, many other people there who are leftist Israeli activists who are doing their best to end the occupation, to end the war and the genocide and to end Israeli apartheid.
But they need more support from the international community, which currently sees supporting Israel as synonymous with supporting the fascist Israeli government that’s perpetrating this genocide, that’s continuing the occupation.
AMY GOODMAN: Voices from a protest on Wednesday when Jewish students at Columbia University chained themselves to university gates in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia student protest leader now detained by ICE in a Louisiana jail.
Students continued their action into the early hours of yesterday morning through the rain, even after Columbia security and New York police arrived on the scene to cut the chains and forcibly remove protesters.
Special thanks to Laura Bustillos.
Republished from Democracy Now! under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
The tenth conference of the Digital Industry of Industrial Russia (CIPR) will be held on June 3-6, 2025 – the main business event on the digital economy and technologies in Russia.
All events within the framework of the 10th anniversary of the conference will be held in Nizhny Novgorod on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and the youth center “Vysota”. The halls of the Main Fair House will also be used for the business program sessions. The exhibition with Russian IT solutions will be located in mirror pavilions, and a separate pavilion will be built for international participants; negotiations are underway on the participation of foreign companies from China, India, and the Middle East. A large-scale festival for participants and city residents will unfold on the street territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair.
Since 2016, the topic of digital development has been on the periphery of the state and business agenda. At that time, interest in the digitalization of Russian industrial organizations was just emerging, and a platform was needed to unite representatives of government agencies, industry and IT – this is how the conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” was born. Over 10 years, CIPR has grown from an industry project to an international event. The conference is attended by guests and market leaders from all regions of Russia and the countries of the EAEU, SCO and BRICS.
Since 2022, the CIPR has been hosting a large technology festival, CIPR Tech Week, for young people, the DECIPRALAND art exhibition with the participation of digital artists from all over the world, cyber championships and phygital games that combine real and virtual competitions, and on the last day of the event, the CIPR exhibition opens its doors to guests and residents of the city.
Today, CIPR is the main event on the digital economy in Russia, where strategically important government decisions are made, initiatives for the development of the IT industry are discussed, and ways to achieve the country’s technological sovereignty in systemically important areas of the economy are determined.
CIPR promotes the formation of a global digital business environment and opens up broad opportunities for finding partners in the Russian and foreign high-tech markets. Traditionally, CIPR hosts international agreements, investment deals, and an exhibition of digital solutions and high-tech equipment for key industries, where companies demonstrate innovations in AI, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, smart city technologies, etc. The conference also promotes export support for Russian technological solutions.
— For 10 years, CIPR has been creating a platform for effective dialogue between regulators and key market experts, and has also united the best intellectual IT resources of the country under its leadership. Now we have a responsible task – not only to present the anniversary conference as a reflection and systematization of valuable long-term experience in the digital environment, but also to form a vector for further development of the industry taking into account strategic initiatives and adaptation to changed scenarios of the global economic landscape, including ensuring dialogue with partner countries in the international market, — noted Olga Piven, director of the conference.
Employees Research Center in the Field of Artificial Intelligence of NSU will take part in the upcoming conference. They also took part in the conference last year. The center has existed since 2023. The main goal of the Center is to develop and prepare for implementation a set of “smart city” technologies using artificial intelligence that would improve the quality of life of citizens and the efficiency of urban economy.
The event is held with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that “nowhere on Earth is safe” after remote island territories belonging to Australia were singled out for new U.S. tariffs.
Among countries and territories listed in U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping new tariffs in Washington on Wednesday local time were the Australian territories of the Heard and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island.
The Heard and McDonald Islands — an uninhabited territory in the Indian Ocean, around 6,000 km southwest of Australian capital Canberra and some 1,500 km to the Antarctica — was specified as being subject to Trump’s baseline 10 percent tariffs.
Norfolk Island — about 1,900 km northeast of Canberra in the South Pacific Ocean with a population of about 2,000 — was hit with a 29 percent tariff, which the U.S. administration said was in response to a 58 percent tariff it faced from the island.
Responding to the tariffs on Thursday, Albanese said he was “not sure” why Norfolk Island had been singled out.
“I’m not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States,” he said.
“But that just shows and exemplifies the fact that nowhere on earth is safe from this.”
Authorities on Thursday night confirmed that Norfolk Island had no known exports to the U.S., with tourism its main industry.
“I’ve got no idea why Trump has given us a tariff,” Leah Honeywood, Norfolk Island’s Chief Magistrate, told the Australian Financial Review.
“If any export is done, it’s been on a personal level. Our industry is tourism — there’s no industry that exports to the U.S.,” he added.
Norfolk Island has been an Australian territory since 1914 and the Heard and McDonald Islands since 1947.
Christmas Island, another Australian territory in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia with a population of about 1,600, was also singled out for a baseline 10 percent tariff, as was the nearby small archipelago of the Cocos, or Keeling, Islands, which has been an Australian territory since 1955.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Friday that tariffs imposed on Japanese goods by the U.S. administration are a “national crisis.”
Speaking in a parliamentary session, Ishiba said the slap of a 24-percent levy on Japanese imports “can be called a national crisis and the government is doing its best with all parties.”
On Thursday, Ishiba told reporters that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement to impose the “reciprocal tariffs” is extremely regrettable and disappointing despite calls from Tokyo at various levels not to take the unilateral measure.
The prime minister argued that his export-oriented country has been the world’s largest investor in the U.S. since 2019, noting Japanese carmakers have made direct investments worth about 418 million U.S. dollars and created 2.3 million jobs in the United States.
Ishiba said that U.S. tariff hikes will have a significant impact not only on bilateral economic relations, but also on the global economy and the multilateral trade system.
He said he is seriously concerned about whether the tariff plan is consistent with World Trade Organization rules and the Japan-U.S. trade agreement.
Ishiba signaled that the government will closely examine how domestic industries will be impacted and provide full-fledged assistance measures.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of new reciprocal tariffs on imports from all trading partners has drawn backlash from countries around the world, with countermeasures already pledged by some.
The universal tariffs imposed by the United States — a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” to be imposed on all imports — will take effect on April 5, and the “individualized reciprocal higher tariff” on the countries and regions with which the United States “has the largest trade deficits” will take effect on April 9, according to a White House document.
“Resentment Day”
On social media platform X, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukas Vlcek called Trump’s new tariffs a “mistake.” Also, Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party and a member of the European Parliament, called April 2 — the new tariff announcement day dubbed by Trump as “liberation day” for the United States — as “resentment day.”
“Donald Trump’s tariffs don’t defend fair trade: They attack it out of fear and hurt both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday expressed deep regret over the U.S. move in a statement, calling it “a major blow to the world economy,” and warned against a devastating impact. “The global economy will massively suffer,” she said. “Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe.”
Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo on Thursday said the United States’ new tariffs are “unfair and unjustified” in an interview with radio station RNE, adding that the Spanish government will take action to protect companies and consumers from the effects of the tariffs.
Speaking to local media on Thursday morning, British Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he is “disappointed” by the additional tariffs imposed on Britain, noting the 10-percent tariff is not a “fair reflection of how we currently trade.”
In Asia, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday expressed “serious concern” about the U.S. decision to impose reciprocal tariffs, saying the new tariffs could have a “big negative impact” on the global economy and the multilateral trade system.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is serving as acting president following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, told an emergency meeting on economic security in Seoul: “As the global tariff war is coming to a reality, the government should pour out all of its capabilities to overcome a trade crisis.”
The German Institute for Economic Research in a statement issued on Wednesday ahead of Trump’s new tariffs announcement warned that the United States has made a significant departure from multilateralism in its trade policy. The introduction of new, extensive tariffs poses a serious threat to global supply chains.
Grave concerns among businesses
Business leaders in Britain voiced concerns on Wednesday that the new tariffs on their exports, even at 10 percent, could weigh heavily on British industries. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: “There are no winners in a trade war. Today’s announcements are deeply troubling for businesses and will have significant ramifications around the world.”
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) believed small exporters in the country would be hard hit, as 59 percent of them trade with the United States. “Tariffs will cause untold damage to small businesses trying to trade their way into profit,” said Tina McKenzie, the FSB’s policy chair.
The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) said in a statement Thursday that the United States imposing a 17-percent tariff on imports from Israel is worrying. “The decision of the U.S. President to apply the tariff policy to Israel could harm Israel’s economic stability, deter foreign investment in the economy, and weaken the competitiveness of Israeli companies in the U.S. market,” it said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Israel announced the lifting of all tariffs imposed on imports from the United States, but the move failed to avert the new tariffs imposed by the United States.
Countermeasures pledged
In Paris, French government spokesperson Sophie Primas said on Thursday the European Union (EU) is ready for a trade war, with retaliatory tariffs to be imposed on all goods and service products from the United States by the end of April.
The initial levies in retaliation to the U.S. tariffs on EU steel and aluminum products would be put in place around mid-April, and the tariffs targeting all American imports are expected to be ready probably by the end of April, she said when speaking to the broadcaster RTL on Wednesday.
In response to the U.S. tariffs, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer told business leaders gathering at 10 Downing Street on Thursday morning that the close ally of the United States is “prepared.” “Decisions we take in the coming days and weeks will be guided only by our national interest. In the interest of our economy,” Starmer said.
On Wednesday before Trump’s announcement of the new tariffs, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated her call for negotiations to avoid a trade war with the United States, while signaling a shift away from her previous opposition to European retaliatory tariffs.
“We must work in every way to avert a trade war,” she said during a cultural event. “But this obviously does not rule out considering appropriate responses to defend our industries if necessary.”
In Brazil, the National Congress passed legislation allowing the South American country to impose reciprocal trade and environmental measures in response to foreign restrictions, on Wednesday just hours after Trump’s announcement of the sweeping tariffs.
In the underwriting auction conducted on April 04, 2025, for Additional Competitive Underwriting (ACU) of the undernoted Government securities, the Reserve Bank of India has set the cut-off rates for underwriting commission payable to Primary Dealers as given below:
If your child is struggling with certain everyday activities – such as playing with other kids, getting dressed or paying attention – you might want to get them assessed to see if they need additional support.
Currently, the way a child is assessed is often fragmented and time-consuming for families. If there’s a concern, you might be talking to your child’s school, have a referral to see a speech pathologist and be on a wait-list to see a psychiatrist.
We’ve developed a framework – in collaboration with 23 other community and professional organisations – to help make this approach more consistent for all Australian children aged 0–12 years.
The framework focuses on a child’s functional strengths (what they can do day-to-day) as well as their challenges and aspirations, to work out what support they might need.
This is useful for all children and it means support can start sooner, whether or not a child has a diagnosis now or might have one in the future.
Working out what support is needed
All children have support needs. But when these needs go beyond what might be expected for their age, or that the people around them can manage, they may need additional help.
Take communication, for example.
Parents use strategies to help their children learn to talk, such as by encouraging them and showing them how to do it.
But for about 3.2% of children, communication difficulties substantially impact their ability to participate in everyday activities. An older child who is struggling to talk will find it harder to play and make friends with other children at childcare.
Understanding each child’s need as well as their day-to-day functioning is the first step to getting appropriate support.
However, there are two main problems with how assessments are currently done.
The first problem is inconsistency. Doctors, teachers, childcare workers and allied health practitioners (such as physiotherapists or psychologists) all work hard to understand each child’s strengths and needs. But they tend to do assessments differently.
This is not surprising – they are focusing on different things.
But this means information can be sometimes duplicated or missed, making it harder to join the dots.
For example, let’s say a child with intellectual disability and minimal spoken language is avoiding eating most foods.
A psychologist may look at the child’s behaviour, a speech pathologist at their swallowing, and a doctor at their nutrition. But unless they work together, it may take longer to understand the underlying issue – in this case, that the child has strong sensory sensitivities.
Without a consistent approach, it is difficult to form a holistic picture of a child’s strengths and support needs across settings, let alone come up with a good plan for support.
Focusing on diagnosis, not function
The second problem is assessment often focuses too much on diagnosis and not enough on support.
Yet even children with the same diagnosis can have significantly different needs.
For example, among three autistic children, one may need 24-hour supervision and support to be safe.
The second may face challenges with a specific activity such as communicating at school, and benefit from targeted support from a speech pathologist.
The third child may not need any additional support at this point in time, beyond what is provided for all children.
Support needs also differ based on a range of personal and environmental factors, such as other health conditions, the quality of supports already in place (such as ramps for a wheelchair), or assistive technology (including mobility and communication aids).
What does the new framework recommend?
The framework focuses on what children can actually do and what they need help with, rather than a diagnosis.
It encourages each professional doing an assessment – whether an educator or health professional – to consider the child’s existing context, including what supports they already have, their strengths and challenges. And it should consider their aspirations (what is most important to them and their hopes for the future).
The framework recognises a child’s strengths and needs can change as they grow, and recommends follow-up assessments when there is a change, rather than following a set schedule.
We developed this framework by reviewing the evidence, looking at how assessments work in other countries, consulting widely with the disability community and yarning with Aboriginal parents and health professionals.
It outlines an approach that can be used consistently whenever a child is assessed across health, education, disability and community services.
What needs to happen next?
The framework is already available and is beginning to be used in practice.
But to make the approach consistent, we need to also provide training for professionals who assess children’s strengths and needs, and a tool to gather and share the information consistently across different settings.
We’re currently working on these. They will be ready by the end of the year, along with recommendations to government for supporting their roll-out across health, education, disability and community services.
If you’re a parent, you don’t need to wait for a diagnosis to start seeking support for your child. You can talk to a professional you trust, such as your family doctor or child’s teacher about your concerns.
David Trembath receives funding from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (Autism CRC), the Commonwealth Government, and the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. The research featured in this article was commissioned by the Autism Cooperative Research Centre with support from a federal government Department of Social Services Information, Linkages, and Capacity-Building grant.
Rachelle Wicks receives funding from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre, the Commonwealth Government, and the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. She also receives a small quarterly honorarium as Chair of the Autism Queensland Advisory Committee.
round the world, more than 100 million people are at risk from landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices.
From Afghanistan to Myanmar, from Sudan to Ukraine, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and beyond, these deadly devices litter rural and urban communities, indiscriminately killing civilians and blocking vital humanitarian and development efforts.
Even when the guns fall silent, these remnants of war remain, lurking in fields and on pathways and roadways, threatening the lives of innocent civilians and the livelihoods of communities.
Year in and year out, the brave mine action personnel of the United Nations work with partners to locate and remove these weapons, provide education and threat assessments, and ensure people can live, work and travel safely. They do so at great risk – as demonstrated most recently in Gaza.
This year’s theme for the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action — Safe Futures Start Here — reminds us of the critical role of mine action in rebuilding shattered communities, supporting survivors and forging peace.
I appeal to all States that have not yet done so to ratify and fully implement the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The humanitarian norms and principles enshrined in these treaties must be upheld and preserved.
And I urge States to uphold the global commitments in the recently adopted Pact for the Future to restrict or refrain from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and to support all efforts to end the threat of explosive ordnances.
Mine action works. Together, let’s commit to build safe futures — starting here and now.
*** Plus de 100 millions de personnes dans le monde vivent sous la menace des mines terrestres, des restes explosifs de guerre et des engins explosifs improvisés.
De l’Afghanistan au Myanmar, du Soudan à l’Ukraine, en passant par la Syrie, le Territoire palestinien occupé et bien d’autres territoires, ces engins meurtriers jonchent les communautés rurales et urbaines, tuent sans distinction des civils et entravent les efforts vitaux en matière d’aide humanitaire et de développement.
Même lorsque les armes se taisent, ces restes de guerre subsistent, tapis dans des champs, des sentiers ou des routes, et menacent ainsi la vie de civils innocents et les moyens de subsistance des populations locales.
Année après année, les courageux spécialistes de la lutte antimines de l’ONU travaillent aux côtés de partenaires pour localiser et éliminer ces armes, sensibiliser les esprits aux risques et évaluer les menaces, et veiller à ce que les populations puissent vivre, travailler et se déplacer en toute sécurité. Ils le font à leurs risques et périls, comme cela s’est vu récemment à Gaza.
Le thème de la Journée internationale pour la sensibilisation au problème des mines et l’assistance à la lutte antimines de cette année, « Agir maintenant pour bâtir un avenir sûr », nous rappelle que la lutte antimines joue un rôle essentiel dans la reconstruction des communautés dévastées, le soutien aux rescapés et l’instauration de la paix.
J’engage les États Membres qui ne l’ont pas encore fait à ratifier la Convention sur l’interdiction des mines antipersonnel, la Convention sur les armes à sous-munitions et la Convention sur certaines armes classiques, et à les mettre pleinement en œuvre. Les normes et principes humanitaires inscrits dans ces traités doivent être respectés et préservés.
J’exhorte également les États à respecter les engagements mondiaux énoncés dans le Pacte pour l’avenir récemment adopté, c’est-à-dire à ne pas utiliser d’armes explosives dans les zones peuplées ou à en limiter le recours, et à soutenir tous les efforts visant à mettre fin à la menace que représentent les engins explosifs.
La lutte antimines porte ses fruits. Ensemble, engageons-nous à bâtir un avenir sûr, ici et maintenant.
People watch live broadcast of the ruling on the impeachment against President Yoon Suk-yeol by South Korea’s constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, April 4, 2025. South Korea’s constitutional court upheld a motion by the National Assembly to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition, live TV broadcast showed Friday. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
South Korea’s constitutional court upheld a motion by the National Assembly to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition, a live TV broadcast showed Friday.
Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief of the court, read a ruling on Yoon’s impeachment, saying it was a unanimous decision of eight justices.
The acting chief said Yoon broke his duty of protecting the constitution as he damaged the constitutional institutions, such as the parliament, and violated the basic rights of people by mobilizing the military and the police.
Moon stressed that the benefit of protecting the constitution through Yoon’s dismissal will overwhelmingly exceed the national loss from his dismissal.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the opposition-led National Assembly hours later.
Throughout the midnight hours of the botched martial law attempt, military helicopters landed at the National Assembly, and hundreds of armed special forces troops broke into the parliamentary building.
By law, the ruling comes into force immediately after the reading and a snap presidential election is required to be held within 60 days. The election is expected to fall in late May or early June.
The conservative leader officially lost all presidential power, becoming the country’s second sitting president to be forcibly removed from power following former conservative President Park Geun-hye’s ouster through impeachment in 2017.
Yoon also became the third president to be impeached by the National Assembly in the country’s constitutional history. Late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun was reinstated in the presidency after impeachment by the National Assembly in 2004.
Since the passage of Yoon’s impeachment motion on Dec. 14 last year, a total of 11 hearings have been held in the constitutional court until Feb. 25.
It took 111 days before the constitutional court’s final verdict, compared to 92 days for Park’s impeachment and 64 days for Roh’s impeachment.
Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on Jan. 15 and was indicted under detention on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection, becoming the country’s first sitting president to be arrested and prosecuted.
If convicted of being the insurrection ringleader, Yoon could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.
He was released on March 8 as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a court’s release approval.
China’s judicial and relevant authorities will strictly, and in accordance with the law, handle a case of suspected espionage activities conducted by Philippine nationals in China, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday.
China’s state security authorities said earlier in the day that it had recently discovered a case of suspected espionage, prompting the arrest of three Philippine nationals on spying charges.
When asked to comment on the case, Guo said that China’s judicial and relevant authorities will strictly handle the case in accordance with the law, and protect the lawful rights and interests of those involved.
He said that recently the Philippines had concocted a series of so-called Chinese spy cases.
“This is a typical act of stigmatization and politicization based on presumption of guilt in the absence of clear evidence. We firmly oppose that, and has lodged protests against the Philippines more than once,” Guo said.
China urges the Philippines to stop shadow-chasing and making false accusations, handle the cases concerning Chinese citizens in a just manner and in accordance with the law, and effectively protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the Philippines, he said.
China on Thursday rejected Japan’s so-called concerns over China’s joint exercises around the Taiwan Island, saying Japan’s words and actions blatantly violate the one-China principle.
The drills conducted by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command are aimed at warning and containing “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to defend China’s national sovereignty and uphold national unity, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing.
“Japan has no right to point fingers at this, still less interfere with it,” he said in response to media reports that the Japanese side had expressed its concerns to China through diplomatic channels over the drills.
Guo said the Chinese side expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and had lodged serious protests with the Japanese side.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations and basic trust between the two countries.
The spokesperson pointed out that Japan committed innumerable crimes during its colonial rule over Taiwan of 50 years, and bears serious historical responsibilities to the Chinese people. “It should act all the more prudently.”
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War.
“We urge Japan to deeply reflect on history, uphold the principles in the four political documents between China and Japan and honor its solemn commitments on the Taiwan question, immediately stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and abide by the one-China principle with concrete actions,” Guo said.