Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, currently on a three-day visit to the UAE as part of his Dubai-Spain tour from July 13–19, is making strong headway in attracting international investments. His meetings with UAE officials and global investors have already yielded substantial commitments.
On the second day of his Dubai visit, Dr. Yadav held in-depth talks with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, focusing on investment prospects under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the I2U2 collaboration. He outlined Madhya Pradesh’s strengths, including its industrial infrastructure, supportive policies, and investor-friendly environment across sectors such as electric vehicles, textiles, pharmaceuticals, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, and food processing.
Significant investment commitments have already been secured. Vinay Thadani, Director and CEO of Grew Solar, confirmed an existing investment of ₹3,000 crore in the state, with plans to scale it up to ₹10,000 crore, covering renewable energy, textiles, and other key sectors.
Another key development came from Dr. Yadav’s meeting with Mukesh Vora, Chairman of the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO). Both sides agreed to establish an MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai. The initiative will promote joint ventures in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy, while also supporting skill development, MSME growth, and educational exchange.
Highlighting the broad scope of his visit, the Chief Minister said, “We have been meeting with various stakeholders since morning, including embassy officials. We discussed how the Indian and MP governments can make doing business with foreign partners simpler.” He also mentioned plans to develop food parks, explore mining potential, and support industrial setups.
Aviation also emerged as a focus area. Dr. Yadav noted efforts to boost flight connectivity and promote the state’s Air Ambulance service, with investor support under the Indian government’s guidance.
Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations, expressed strong interest in partnering with the state. “It was a terrific opportunity to meet the CM of Madhya Pradesh. Having been in India for seven years, I’ve seen the scale of investment and vision the CM brings,” he said.
The Dubai leg of Dr. Yadav’s tour spans multiple sectors, including energy, health, services, and wellness. Particular investor interest has been noted in Madhya Pradesh’s mineral wealth, specifically gold, diamonds, and cement. The CM emphasized the state’s diverse offerings: mineral resources, tourism, healthcare, plug-and-play industrial parks, and air cargo facilities.
The collaboration frameworks laid out during the visit are expected to deepen India-UAE ties while furthering the vision of a ‘Developed Madhya Pradesh.’ The Chief Minister’s targeted approach, through structured discussions with officials and direct engagement with investors, is positioning the state as a top destination for UAE and global investment.
The visit began with Dr. Yadav’s address to the Indian diaspora on Sunday and continued with presentations to international investors, projecting Madhya Pradesh as one of India’s most investment-friendly and fastest-growing states.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, currently on a three-day visit to the UAE as part of his Dubai-Spain tour from July 13–19, is making strong headway in attracting international investments. His meetings with UAE officials and global investors have already yielded substantial commitments.
On the second day of his Dubai visit, Dr. Yadav held in-depth talks with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, focusing on investment prospects under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the I2U2 collaboration. He outlined Madhya Pradesh’s strengths, including its industrial infrastructure, supportive policies, and investor-friendly environment across sectors such as electric vehicles, textiles, pharmaceuticals, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, and food processing.
Significant investment commitments have already been secured. Vinay Thadani, Director and CEO of Grew Solar, confirmed an existing investment of ₹3,000 crore in the state, with plans to scale it up to ₹10,000 crore, covering renewable energy, textiles, and other key sectors.
Another key development came from Dr. Yadav’s meeting with Mukesh Vora, Chairman of the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO). Both sides agreed to establish an MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai. The initiative will promote joint ventures in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy, while also supporting skill development, MSME growth, and educational exchange.
Highlighting the broad scope of his visit, the Chief Minister said, “We have been meeting with various stakeholders since morning, including embassy officials. We discussed how the Indian and MP governments can make doing business with foreign partners simpler.” He also mentioned plans to develop food parks, explore mining potential, and support industrial setups.
Aviation also emerged as a focus area. Dr. Yadav noted efforts to boost flight connectivity and promote the state’s Air Ambulance service, with investor support under the Indian government’s guidance.
Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations, expressed strong interest in partnering with the state. “It was a terrific opportunity to meet the CM of Madhya Pradesh. Having been in India for seven years, I’ve seen the scale of investment and vision the CM brings,” he said.
The Dubai leg of Dr. Yadav’s tour spans multiple sectors, including energy, health, services, and wellness. Particular investor interest has been noted in Madhya Pradesh’s mineral wealth, specifically gold, diamonds, and cement. The CM emphasized the state’s diverse offerings: mineral resources, tourism, healthcare, plug-and-play industrial parks, and air cargo facilities.
The collaboration frameworks laid out during the visit are expected to deepen India-UAE ties while furthering the vision of a ‘Developed Madhya Pradesh.’ The Chief Minister’s targeted approach, through structured discussions with officials and direct engagement with investors, is positioning the state as a top destination for UAE and global investment.
The visit began with Dr. Yadav’s address to the Indian diaspora on Sunday and continued with presentations to international investors, projecting Madhya Pradesh as one of India’s most investment-friendly and fastest-growing states.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, currently on a three-day visit to the UAE as part of his Dubai-Spain tour from July 13–19, is making strong headway in attracting international investments. His meetings with UAE officials and global investors have already yielded substantial commitments.
On the second day of his Dubai visit, Dr. Yadav held in-depth talks with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, focusing on investment prospects under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the I2U2 collaboration. He outlined Madhya Pradesh’s strengths, including its industrial infrastructure, supportive policies, and investor-friendly environment across sectors such as electric vehicles, textiles, pharmaceuticals, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, and food processing.
Significant investment commitments have already been secured. Vinay Thadani, Director and CEO of Grew Solar, confirmed an existing investment of ₹3,000 crore in the state, with plans to scale it up to ₹10,000 crore, covering renewable energy, textiles, and other key sectors.
Another key development came from Dr. Yadav’s meeting with Mukesh Vora, Chairman of the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO). Both sides agreed to establish an MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai. The initiative will promote joint ventures in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy, while also supporting skill development, MSME growth, and educational exchange.
Highlighting the broad scope of his visit, the Chief Minister said, “We have been meeting with various stakeholders since morning, including embassy officials. We discussed how the Indian and MP governments can make doing business with foreign partners simpler.” He also mentioned plans to develop food parks, explore mining potential, and support industrial setups.
Aviation also emerged as a focus area. Dr. Yadav noted efforts to boost flight connectivity and promote the state’s Air Ambulance service, with investor support under the Indian government’s guidance.
Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations, expressed strong interest in partnering with the state. “It was a terrific opportunity to meet the CM of Madhya Pradesh. Having been in India for seven years, I’ve seen the scale of investment and vision the CM brings,” he said.
The Dubai leg of Dr. Yadav’s tour spans multiple sectors, including energy, health, services, and wellness. Particular investor interest has been noted in Madhya Pradesh’s mineral wealth, specifically gold, diamonds, and cement. The CM emphasized the state’s diverse offerings: mineral resources, tourism, healthcare, plug-and-play industrial parks, and air cargo facilities.
The collaboration frameworks laid out during the visit are expected to deepen India-UAE ties while furthering the vision of a ‘Developed Madhya Pradesh.’ The Chief Minister’s targeted approach, through structured discussions with officials and direct engagement with investors, is positioning the state as a top destination for UAE and global investment.
The visit began with Dr. Yadav’s address to the Indian diaspora on Sunday and continued with presentations to international investors, projecting Madhya Pradesh as one of India’s most investment-friendly and fastest-growing states.
In a major boost to India’s first high-speed rail project, the construction of the first section of the 21 km undersea tunnel between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Thane has been successfully completed. This undersea tunnel is part of the ambitious Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, which is being built in collaboration with Japan using advanced Shinkansen technology.
According to the latest update from the Ministry of Railways, civil construction across the 508 km corridor is progressing rapidly. So far, 310 km of viaducts have been constructed, alongside the completion of 15 major river bridges, while work on four more bridges is at an advanced stage. Of the planned 12 stations along the route, five have already been completed and three more are nearing completion.
One of the engineering highlights of the project is the Mumbai terminus at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). This station will be located 32.5 metres below ground level and has been designed with a robust foundation capable of supporting a 95-metre high building above ground, showcasing cutting-edge construction capabilities.
In a major boost to India-Japan technological cooperation, the Japanese government has confirmed that the next-generation E10 Shinkansen trains will be deployed on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor. Notably, these trains will debut simultaneously in Japan and India, underlining the depth of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The entire bullet train corridor is being built using state-of-the-art Shinkansen technology, which is globally recognised for its exceptional speed, safety and reliability standards. This project aims to redefine India’s passenger rail experience and set new benchmarks for infrastructure development in the country.
Track laying, installation of overhead electrical wires, and procurement of operational systems are also progressing in parallel, ensuring that the project stays on schedule.
Chair Arnaud Adjler and Audit Chair Tracey Keates Alleged to Have Ordered Former CFO to Misrepresent Financial Statements to Show Stronger Performance
CFO Refused the Order and Was Subject to Retaliatory and Arbitrary Termination After the Release of Accurate Results
Plantro Calls on the Two Implicated Directors to Resign Immediately to Protect the Integrity, Reputation, and the Remaining Shareholder Value of Dye & Durham
ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today called on Dye & Durham’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to respond to serious allegations of director misconduct at the Company.
Plantro has learned in recent days that the Board of Dye & Durham has received multiple whistleblower complaints. The most recent complaint includes serious allegations of misconduct by Arnaud Adjler, Chair of the Board, and Tracey Keates, Chair of the Audit Committee.
Plantro understands the material elements of the most recent whistleblower complaint to be as follows:
In February 2025, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) at that time, submitted a confidential letter to the Audit Committee regarding failures in the Company’s internal controls and governance practices. In the letter, he raised concerns about the disclosure of material, non-public and confidential Company information by Board members to third parties whom with they were conspiring with in the creation of “short seller-style” reports. These reports included numerous false and defamatory statements about the Company.
In April 2025, the above-mentioned Board members attempted to force the former CFO to misrepresent the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements by adopting aggressive accounting practices. The implicated Board members’ direction would serve to artificially inflate the results, was not compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), and would result in the CFO being unable to certify the Company’s financial statements under National Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Financials.
The former CFO refused the Board’s directive, and after the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements were released, he was removed from his role in retaliation.
Given the seriousness of these allegations, Mr. Adjler and Ms. Keates should do the right thing and immediately resign from the Board to protect the integrity, reputation, and the remaining shareholder value of Dye & Durham. The Board should also reinstate its recently deposed independent chairman Hans T. Gieskes, to provide stable and independent Board leadership.
Should the allegations be found to be unsubstantiated, and should the Board deem it appropriate, the implicated directors may be renominated for election at the next Annual General Meeting.
The fact that the Company has received multiple whistleblower allegations only serves to reinforce Plantro’s concerns about Dye & Durham’s suitability to continue operating as a public company. Likeminded shareholders who value good governance and who want action to restore value at Dye & Durham should contact the Board to express their concerns today.
Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.
Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees
To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.
Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.
Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
About Plantro
Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.
Chair Arnaud Adjler and Audit Chair Tracey Keates Alleged to Have Ordered Former CFO to Misrepresent Financial Statements to Show Stronger Performance
CFO Refused the Order and Was Subject to Retaliatory and Arbitrary Termination After the Release of Accurate Results
Plantro Calls on the Two Implicated Directors to Resign Immediately to Protect the Integrity, Reputation, and the Remaining Shareholder Value of Dye & Durham
ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today called on Dye & Durham’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to respond to serious allegations of director misconduct at the Company.
Plantro has learned in recent days that the Board of Dye & Durham has received multiple whistleblower complaints. The most recent complaint includes serious allegations of misconduct by Arnaud Adjler, Chair of the Board, and Tracey Keates, Chair of the Audit Committee.
Plantro understands the material elements of the most recent whistleblower complaint to be as follows:
In February 2025, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) at that time, submitted a confidential letter to the Audit Committee regarding failures in the Company’s internal controls and governance practices. In the letter, he raised concerns about the disclosure of material, non-public and confidential Company information by Board members to third parties whom with they were conspiring with in the creation of “short seller-style” reports. These reports included numerous false and defamatory statements about the Company.
In April 2025, the above-mentioned Board members attempted to force the former CFO to misrepresent the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements by adopting aggressive accounting practices. The implicated Board members’ direction would serve to artificially inflate the results, was not compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), and would result in the CFO being unable to certify the Company’s financial statements under National Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Financials.
The former CFO refused the Board’s directive, and after the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements were released, he was removed from his role in retaliation.
Given the seriousness of these allegations, Mr. Adjler and Ms. Keates should do the right thing and immediately resign from the Board to protect the integrity, reputation, and the remaining shareholder value of Dye & Durham. The Board should also reinstate its recently deposed independent chairman Hans T. Gieskes, to provide stable and independent Board leadership.
Should the allegations be found to be unsubstantiated, and should the Board deem it appropriate, the implicated directors may be renominated for election at the next Annual General Meeting.
The fact that the Company has received multiple whistleblower allegations only serves to reinforce Plantro’s concerns about Dye & Durham’s suitability to continue operating as a public company. Likeminded shareholders who value good governance and who want action to restore value at Dye & Durham should contact the Board to express their concerns today.
Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.
Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees
To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.
Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.
Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
About Plantro
Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.
Chair Arnaud Adjler and Audit Chair Tracey Keates Alleged to Have Ordered Former CFO to Misrepresent Financial Statements to Show Stronger Performance
CFO Refused the Order and Was Subject to Retaliatory and Arbitrary Termination After the Release of Accurate Results
Plantro Calls on the Two Implicated Directors to Resign Immediately to Protect the Integrity, Reputation, and the Remaining Shareholder Value of Dye & Durham
ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today called on Dye & Durham’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to respond to serious allegations of director misconduct at the Company.
Plantro has learned in recent days that the Board of Dye & Durham has received multiple whistleblower complaints. The most recent complaint includes serious allegations of misconduct by Arnaud Adjler, Chair of the Board, and Tracey Keates, Chair of the Audit Committee.
Plantro understands the material elements of the most recent whistleblower complaint to be as follows:
In February 2025, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) at that time, submitted a confidential letter to the Audit Committee regarding failures in the Company’s internal controls and governance practices. In the letter, he raised concerns about the disclosure of material, non-public and confidential Company information by Board members to third parties whom with they were conspiring with in the creation of “short seller-style” reports. These reports included numerous false and defamatory statements about the Company.
In April 2025, the above-mentioned Board members attempted to force the former CFO to misrepresent the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements by adopting aggressive accounting practices. The implicated Board members’ direction would serve to artificially inflate the results, was not compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), and would result in the CFO being unable to certify the Company’s financial statements under National Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Financials.
The former CFO refused the Board’s directive, and after the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements were released, he was removed from his role in retaliation.
Given the seriousness of these allegations, Mr. Adjler and Ms. Keates should do the right thing and immediately resign from the Board to protect the integrity, reputation, and the remaining shareholder value of Dye & Durham. The Board should also reinstate its recently deposed independent chairman Hans T. Gieskes, to provide stable and independent Board leadership.
Should the allegations be found to be unsubstantiated, and should the Board deem it appropriate, the implicated directors may be renominated for election at the next Annual General Meeting.
The fact that the Company has received multiple whistleblower allegations only serves to reinforce Plantro’s concerns about Dye & Durham’s suitability to continue operating as a public company. Likeminded shareholders who value good governance and who want action to restore value at Dye & Durham should contact the Board to express their concerns today.
Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.
Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees
To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.
Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.
Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
About Plantro
Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.
Chair Arnaud Adjler and Audit Chair Tracey Keates Alleged to Have Ordered Former CFO to Misrepresent Financial Statements to Show Stronger Performance
CFO Refused the Order and Was Subject to Retaliatory and Arbitrary Termination After the Release of Accurate Results
Plantro Calls on the Two Implicated Directors to Resign Immediately to Protect the Integrity, Reputation, and the Remaining Shareholder Value of Dye & Durham
ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today called on Dye & Durham’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to respond to serious allegations of director misconduct at the Company.
Plantro has learned in recent days that the Board of Dye & Durham has received multiple whistleblower complaints. The most recent complaint includes serious allegations of misconduct by Arnaud Adjler, Chair of the Board, and Tracey Keates, Chair of the Audit Committee.
Plantro understands the material elements of the most recent whistleblower complaint to be as follows:
In February 2025, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) at that time, submitted a confidential letter to the Audit Committee regarding failures in the Company’s internal controls and governance practices. In the letter, he raised concerns about the disclosure of material, non-public and confidential Company information by Board members to third parties whom with they were conspiring with in the creation of “short seller-style” reports. These reports included numerous false and defamatory statements about the Company.
In April 2025, the above-mentioned Board members attempted to force the former CFO to misrepresent the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements by adopting aggressive accounting practices. The implicated Board members’ direction would serve to artificially inflate the results, was not compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), and would result in the CFO being unable to certify the Company’s financial statements under National Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Financials.
The former CFO refused the Board’s directive, and after the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements were released, he was removed from his role in retaliation.
Given the seriousness of these allegations, Mr. Adjler and Ms. Keates should do the right thing and immediately resign from the Board to protect the integrity, reputation, and the remaining shareholder value of Dye & Durham. The Board should also reinstate its recently deposed independent chairman Hans T. Gieskes, to provide stable and independent Board leadership.
Should the allegations be found to be unsubstantiated, and should the Board deem it appropriate, the implicated directors may be renominated for election at the next Annual General Meeting.
The fact that the Company has received multiple whistleblower allegations only serves to reinforce Plantro’s concerns about Dye & Durham’s suitability to continue operating as a public company. Likeminded shareholders who value good governance and who want action to restore value at Dye & Durham should contact the Board to express their concerns today.
Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.
Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees
To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.
Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.
Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
About Plantro
Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.
Chair Arnaud Adjler and Audit Chair Tracey Keates Alleged to Have Ordered Former CFO to Misrepresent Financial Statements to Show Stronger Performance
CFO Refused the Order and Was Subject to Retaliatory and Arbitrary Termination After the Release of Accurate Results
Plantro Calls on the Two Implicated Directors to Resign Immediately to Protect the Integrity, Reputation, and the Remaining Shareholder Value of Dye & Durham
ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today called on Dye & Durham’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to respond to serious allegations of director misconduct at the Company.
Plantro has learned in recent days that the Board of Dye & Durham has received multiple whistleblower complaints. The most recent complaint includes serious allegations of misconduct by Arnaud Adjler, Chair of the Board, and Tracey Keates, Chair of the Audit Committee.
Plantro understands the material elements of the most recent whistleblower complaint to be as follows:
In February 2025, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) at that time, submitted a confidential letter to the Audit Committee regarding failures in the Company’s internal controls and governance practices. In the letter, he raised concerns about the disclosure of material, non-public and confidential Company information by Board members to third parties whom with they were conspiring with in the creation of “short seller-style” reports. These reports included numerous false and defamatory statements about the Company.
In April 2025, the above-mentioned Board members attempted to force the former CFO to misrepresent the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements by adopting aggressive accounting practices. The implicated Board members’ direction would serve to artificially inflate the results, was not compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), and would result in the CFO being unable to certify the Company’s financial statements under National Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Financials.
The former CFO refused the Board’s directive, and after the Company’s Q3 FY2025 financial statements were released, he was removed from his role in retaliation.
Given the seriousness of these allegations, Mr. Adjler and Ms. Keates should do the right thing and immediately resign from the Board to protect the integrity, reputation, and the remaining shareholder value of Dye & Durham. The Board should also reinstate its recently deposed independent chairman Hans T. Gieskes, to provide stable and independent Board leadership.
Should the allegations be found to be unsubstantiated, and should the Board deem it appropriate, the implicated directors may be renominated for election at the next Annual General Meeting.
The fact that the Company has received multiple whistleblower allegations only serves to reinforce Plantro’s concerns about Dye & Durham’s suitability to continue operating as a public company. Likeminded shareholders who value good governance and who want action to restore value at Dye & Durham should contact the Board to express their concerns today.
Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.
Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees
To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.
To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.
Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.
Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
About Plantro
Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ted Palys, Professor of Criminology, Associate Member of Dept. of Indigenous Studies, Simon Fraser University
The contemporary internet has been with us since roughly 1995. Its current underlying economic model — surveillance capitalism — began in the early 2000s, when Google and then Facebook realized how much our personal information and online behaviour revealed about us and claimed it for themselves to sell to advertisers.
Perhaps because of Canada’s proximity to the United States, coupled with its positive shared history with the U.S. and their highly integrated economies, Canada went along for that consumerist ride.
The experience was different on the other side of the Atlantic. The Stasi in the former East Germany and the KGB under Josef Stalin maintained files on hundreds of thousands of citizens to identify and prosecute dissidents.
This has fuelled the motivation of Canada both internally and in co-operation with western European governments to seek greater independence in trade and military preparedness by diversifying its relationships.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has begun promoting “nation-building projects,” but little attention has been paid to Canada’s digital infrastructure.
Three recent developments suggest Canada would be well-advised to start paying close attention:
1. The current U.S. administration has raised concerns about its reliability as a partner and friend to Canada. Most of the concerns raised in Canada have been economic. However, Curtis McCord, a former national security and technology researcher for the Canadian government, has said the current situation has created vulnerabilities for national security as well:
“With Washington becoming an increasingly unreliable ally, Mr. Carney is right to look for ways to diversify away from the U.S. But if Canada wants to maintain its sovereignty and be responsible for its national security, this desire to diversify must extend to the U.S. domination of Canada’s digital infrastructure.”
2. Silicon Valley is exhibiting a newfound loyalty to Trump. The photo of the “broligarchy” at Trump’s inauguration spoke volumes, as their apparent eagerness to appease the president brings the data gathered by the internet’s surveillance-based economy under state control.
3. Trump’s recent executive order entitled “Stopping waste, fraud and abuse by eliminating information silos” is alarming. The order became operational when the Trump administration contracted with Palantir, a company known for its surveillance software and data analytics in military contexts. Its job? To combine databases from both the state and federal levels into one massive database that includes every American citizen, and potentially any user of the internet.
Combining multiple government databases is concerning. Combining them with all the personal data harvested by Silicon Valley and providing them to a government showing all the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime sounds like Big Brother has arrived.
Civil liberties groups such as the Electronic Freedom Foundation, academics and even former Palantir employees have raised alarms about the possibilities for abuse, including the launch of all the vendettas Trump and his supporters have pledged to undertake.
The appeal of Eurostack
European governments have attempted to rein in Silicon Valley’s excesses for years. Trump’s re-election and his moves toward potentially weaponizing internet data have further boosted Europe’s resolve to move away from the U.S.-led internet.
One newer effort is Eurostack. A joint initiative involving academics, policymakers, companies and governments, it envisions an independent digital ecosystem that better reflects European values — democratic, sovereign, inclusive, transparent, respectful of personal privacy and innovation-driven.
Spokesperson Francesca Bria explains the “stack” arises from the idea that a digitally sovereign internet needs to have European control from the ground up.
Bria discusses Eurostack in May 2025. (re:publica)
That includes the acquisition of raw materials and manufacture and operation of the physical components that comprise computers and servers; the cloud infrastructure that has the processing power and storage to be operational at scale; the operating systems and applications that comprise the user interface; the AI models and algorithms that drive services and its policy and governance framework.
Prospective gains to Europe are considerable. They include greater cybersecurity, promoting innovation, keeping high-end creative jobs in Europe, promoting collaboration on equitable terms and creating high-skilled employment opportunities.
Canada receives no mention in the Eurostack proposal to date, but the project is still very much in the developmental phase. Investment so far is in the tens of millions instead of the billions it will require.
Canada has a lot to offer and to gain from being part of the Eurostack initiative. With the project still taking shape, now is the perfect time to get on board.
Ted Palys does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — During the initial years of China’s historic journey of reform and opening up over four decades ago, the first 14 national-level economic and technological development zones were established in 12 coastal cities. Today, there is a vast network of 232 such zones right across the country, serving as vital engines of development.
In the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, a commerce official, a zone administrator and an executive of a foreign-invested company convened to explore the evolving role of these zones in shaping China’s next phase of high-standard opening up, in-depth reform and high-quality development.
National economic development zones are not only economic powerhouses but also key windows for global engagement, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official in the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign investment department.
Notably, such zones are home to more than 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises and around 99,000 firms engaged in foreign trade.
In 2024 alone, national economic development zones accounted for about one-quarter of China’s utilized foreign investment and trade volume. Collectively, they generated a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan (about 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars) and housed over 4.9 million market entities, including 73,000 major industrial enterprises and 85,000 high-tech firms.
Looking forward, Ji said these zones need to further improve and innovate in areas ranging from development positioning to institutions in a bid to shoulder greater responsibilities in fostering development and expanding opening up.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce recently unveiled a work plan with 16 targeted policy measures including developing new quality productive forces, elevating economic openness and deepening reforms of management systems.
INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
China’s national economic development zones have started to speed up their innovation efforts, seeking to foster new growth drivers.
Suzhou Industrial Park, founded in 1994 in east China’s Jiangsu Province as the first inter-governmental cooperation project between China and Singapore, exemplifies this development trend. This industrial park leverages global partnerships and its free trade status in a quest to become a world-class high-tech park.
Shen Lei, deputy director of the park’s management committee, highlighted its focus on attracting global resources and integrating technological and industrial innovation.
National economic development zones now account for 18.3 percent of China’s high-tech enterprises and host more than 700 state-level incubators and innovation spaces.
“They boast high industrial concentration and solid manufacturing foundations, making them ideal for developing new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths,” Ji said.
These zones have become powerhouses for strategic emerging industries. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, the Yibin zone has built the world’s largest single-site power battery production base featuring a 180 GWh capacity. Another zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, meanwhile, boasts complete industrial chains from aviation equipment to satellite applications.
More efforts will be made to cultivate modern industrial systems in national economic development zones, centered around sectors such as biomedicine, new energy and materials, aerospace, high-end equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), Ji revealed.
PIONEERS OF OPENING UP
Over the past decades, national economic development zones have been trailblazers in institutional innovation, foreign investment and economic growth, setting the pace for China’s reform and opening-up endeavors.
These zones have explored free trade pilot synergies to foster breakthroughs in areas including resource flows, rights protection and market regulation. Some have also proactively aligned with high-standard international trade rules to enhance their institutional openness, Ji said.
“The strategic location, industrial chains and policy support of these zones make them highly attractive for Panasonic to make investments in China,” said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic China.
A 47-year veteran of the Chinese market, Panasonic operates in national economic development zones of eight cities like Beijing, north China’s Tianjin and Shanghai. Its 2024 fiscal year sales in China approached 100 billion yuan — nearly a quarter of Panasonic’s global revenue.
“China is not just a manufacturing giant but a major consumer and innovation hub, offering vast opportunities for foreign firms,” said Zhao. He added that recent policies supporting technological platforms and the integration between the digital economy and the real economy will facilitate Panasonic’s investments in areas ranging from AI to new energy.
Experts noted that the latest reform measures concerning China’s national economic development zones will provide foreign firms with a higher-level platform, thereby encouraging increased R&D investment and deeper collaboration with local enterprises. Thanks to improving industrial ecosystems, global companies will be able to seize greater opportunities in China’s vibrant market.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — During the initial years of China’s historic journey of reform and opening up over four decades ago, the first 14 national-level economic and technological development zones were established in 12 coastal cities. Today, there is a vast network of 232 such zones right across the country, serving as vital engines of development.
In the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, a commerce official, a zone administrator and an executive of a foreign-invested company convened to explore the evolving role of these zones in shaping China’s next phase of high-standard opening up, in-depth reform and high-quality development.
National economic development zones are not only economic powerhouses but also key windows for global engagement, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official in the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign investment department.
Notably, such zones are home to more than 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises and around 99,000 firms engaged in foreign trade.
In 2024 alone, national economic development zones accounted for about one-quarter of China’s utilized foreign investment and trade volume. Collectively, they generated a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan (about 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars) and housed over 4.9 million market entities, including 73,000 major industrial enterprises and 85,000 high-tech firms.
Looking forward, Ji said these zones need to further improve and innovate in areas ranging from development positioning to institutions in a bid to shoulder greater responsibilities in fostering development and expanding opening up.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce recently unveiled a work plan with 16 targeted policy measures including developing new quality productive forces, elevating economic openness and deepening reforms of management systems.
INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
China’s national economic development zones have started to speed up their innovation efforts, seeking to foster new growth drivers.
Suzhou Industrial Park, founded in 1994 in east China’s Jiangsu Province as the first inter-governmental cooperation project between China and Singapore, exemplifies this development trend. This industrial park leverages global partnerships and its free trade status in a quest to become a world-class high-tech park.
Shen Lei, deputy director of the park’s management committee, highlighted its focus on attracting global resources and integrating technological and industrial innovation.
National economic development zones now account for 18.3 percent of China’s high-tech enterprises and host more than 700 state-level incubators and innovation spaces.
“They boast high industrial concentration and solid manufacturing foundations, making them ideal for developing new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths,” Ji said.
These zones have become powerhouses for strategic emerging industries. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, the Yibin zone has built the world’s largest single-site power battery production base featuring a 180 GWh capacity. Another zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, meanwhile, boasts complete industrial chains from aviation equipment to satellite applications.
More efforts will be made to cultivate modern industrial systems in national economic development zones, centered around sectors such as biomedicine, new energy and materials, aerospace, high-end equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), Ji revealed.
PIONEERS OF OPENING UP
Over the past decades, national economic development zones have been trailblazers in institutional innovation, foreign investment and economic growth, setting the pace for China’s reform and opening-up endeavors.
These zones have explored free trade pilot synergies to foster breakthroughs in areas including resource flows, rights protection and market regulation. Some have also proactively aligned with high-standard international trade rules to enhance their institutional openness, Ji said.
“The strategic location, industrial chains and policy support of these zones make them highly attractive for Panasonic to make investments in China,” said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic China.
A 47-year veteran of the Chinese market, Panasonic operates in national economic development zones of eight cities like Beijing, north China’s Tianjin and Shanghai. Its 2024 fiscal year sales in China approached 100 billion yuan — nearly a quarter of Panasonic’s global revenue.
“China is not just a manufacturing giant but a major consumer and innovation hub, offering vast opportunities for foreign firms,” said Zhao. He added that recent policies supporting technological platforms and the integration between the digital economy and the real economy will facilitate Panasonic’s investments in areas ranging from AI to new energy.
Experts noted that the latest reform measures concerning China’s national economic development zones will provide foreign firms with a higher-level platform, thereby encouraging increased R&D investment and deeper collaboration with local enterprises. Thanks to improving industrial ecosystems, global companies will be able to seize greater opportunities in China’s vibrant market.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — During the initial years of China’s historic journey of reform and opening up over four decades ago, the first 14 national-level economic and technological development zones were established in 12 coastal cities. Today, there is a vast network of 232 such zones right across the country, serving as vital engines of development.
In the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, a commerce official, a zone administrator and an executive of a foreign-invested company convened to explore the evolving role of these zones in shaping China’s next phase of high-standard opening up, in-depth reform and high-quality development.
National economic development zones are not only economic powerhouses but also key windows for global engagement, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official in the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign investment department.
Notably, such zones are home to more than 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises and around 99,000 firms engaged in foreign trade.
In 2024 alone, national economic development zones accounted for about one-quarter of China’s utilized foreign investment and trade volume. Collectively, they generated a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan (about 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars) and housed over 4.9 million market entities, including 73,000 major industrial enterprises and 85,000 high-tech firms.
Looking forward, Ji said these zones need to further improve and innovate in areas ranging from development positioning to institutions in a bid to shoulder greater responsibilities in fostering development and expanding opening up.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce recently unveiled a work plan with 16 targeted policy measures including developing new quality productive forces, elevating economic openness and deepening reforms of management systems.
INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
China’s national economic development zones have started to speed up their innovation efforts, seeking to foster new growth drivers.
Suzhou Industrial Park, founded in 1994 in east China’s Jiangsu Province as the first inter-governmental cooperation project between China and Singapore, exemplifies this development trend. This industrial park leverages global partnerships and its free trade status in a quest to become a world-class high-tech park.
Shen Lei, deputy director of the park’s management committee, highlighted its focus on attracting global resources and integrating technological and industrial innovation.
National economic development zones now account for 18.3 percent of China’s high-tech enterprises and host more than 700 state-level incubators and innovation spaces.
“They boast high industrial concentration and solid manufacturing foundations, making them ideal for developing new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths,” Ji said.
These zones have become powerhouses for strategic emerging industries. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, the Yibin zone has built the world’s largest single-site power battery production base featuring a 180 GWh capacity. Another zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, meanwhile, boasts complete industrial chains from aviation equipment to satellite applications.
More efforts will be made to cultivate modern industrial systems in national economic development zones, centered around sectors such as biomedicine, new energy and materials, aerospace, high-end equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), Ji revealed.
PIONEERS OF OPENING UP
Over the past decades, national economic development zones have been trailblazers in institutional innovation, foreign investment and economic growth, setting the pace for China’s reform and opening-up endeavors.
These zones have explored free trade pilot synergies to foster breakthroughs in areas including resource flows, rights protection and market regulation. Some have also proactively aligned with high-standard international trade rules to enhance their institutional openness, Ji said.
“The strategic location, industrial chains and policy support of these zones make them highly attractive for Panasonic to make investments in China,” said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic China.
A 47-year veteran of the Chinese market, Panasonic operates in national economic development zones of eight cities like Beijing, north China’s Tianjin and Shanghai. Its 2024 fiscal year sales in China approached 100 billion yuan — nearly a quarter of Panasonic’s global revenue.
“China is not just a manufacturing giant but a major consumer and innovation hub, offering vast opportunities for foreign firms,” said Zhao. He added that recent policies supporting technological platforms and the integration between the digital economy and the real economy will facilitate Panasonic’s investments in areas ranging from AI to new energy.
Experts noted that the latest reform measures concerning China’s national economic development zones will provide foreign firms with a higher-level platform, thereby encouraging increased R&D investment and deeper collaboration with local enterprises. Thanks to improving industrial ecosystems, global companies will be able to seize greater opportunities in China’s vibrant market.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, today released its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report: “Sustainability in Security.” The third annual ESG report details the company’s progress and vision for a secure, sustainable digital future — where cyber protection serves as the foundation for trust, resilience, and societal advancement.
“At Check Point, our mission is clear: We are here to secure the digital future through trusted innovation, responsible leadership, and unwavering commitment to people and the planet,” said Nadav Zafrir, CEO at Check Point. “As laid out in our 2024 ESG report, our cyber security solutions don’t just defend against threats — they create the foundation for sustainable, responsible digital transformation.”
Safeguarding the Digital Backbone of Society Check Point’s 2024 ESG report underscores the company’s expansive global impact:
Over 10 million cyberattacks prevented daily via 50+ Infinity ThreatCloud AI engines
More than 3.9 billion threats blocked annually across 100,000+ organizations worldwide
Protection of critical sectors including finance, healthcare, energy, and government
Billions of files, websites, and applications analyzed daily
Every threat prevented helps fortify the global digital ecosystem — positioning cyber security not just as a business imperative, but as a social good.
Environmental Progress and Innovation Check Point achieved several key environmental milestones in 2024, including:
100% renewable energy usage at the company’s International Headquarters and Tel Aviv offices
Introduction of new power efficient security appliances compared to throughput threat prevention, helping customers reduce power consumption while improving protection
Expanding Social Impact The company continued advancing its social responsibility goals:
Significant progress toward the goal of training 1 million people in cyber security by 2028, addressing the global talent shortage
Ongoing investments in cyber security education and workforce development
Governance as a Foundation Strong governance remains central to Check Point’s ESG approach, with highlights including:
Continued board independence and oversight
Comprehensive compliance training and responsible AI practices
Ongoing focus on data privacy, supply chain ethics, and transparent business operations
A Vision for the Future Check Point’s 2024 ESG report makes clear that security, sustainability, and ethical leadership are interconnected imperatives. As the pace of innovation accelerates, organizations that integrate robust cyber security with responsible business practices will be best positioned to lead.
About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading protector of digital trust, utilizing AI-powered cyber security solutions to safeguard over 100,000 organizations globally. Through its Infinity Platform and an open garden ecosystem, Check Point’s prevention-first approach delivers industry-leading security efficacy while reducing risk. Employing a hybrid mesh network architecture with SASE at its core, the Infinity Platform unifies the management of on-premises, cloud, and workspace environments to offer flexibility, simplicity and scale for enterprises and service providers.
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding future growth, the expansion of Check Point’s industry leadership, the enhancement of shareholder value and the delivery of an industry-leading cyber security platform to customers worldwide. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results or events in the future are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, 2024. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Check Point as of the date hereof, and Check Point disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — China expresses deep condolences over the passing of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.
“China expresses sincere sympathies to the Nigerian government and people, as well as to former president Buhari’s family,” Lin told a daily press briefing.
Lin said that former President Buhari was an important leader of Nigeria, leading the Nigerian people to achieve remarkable accomplishments on the path of its national construction, adding that he was also a good friend of the Chinese people who had made significant contributions to promoting China-Nigeria relations and the mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation between the two countries.
HERE helps eliminate data prep headaches with high-qualityfoundational data ready to go and tailored for Esri users.
San Diego, CA (Esri User Conference)– HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, today announced the launch of the HERE GIS Data Suite, a comprehensive, ready-to-use foundational dataset designed to meet the evolving needs of GIS professionals using Esri platforms. The product officially debuts at the 2025 Esri User Conference July 14-18.
Built by mapmakers who understand the real-world challenges of GIS, the HERE GIS Data Suite delivers high-quality, globally consistent data in a format optimized for seamless integration with ArcGIS Pro.
HERE GIS Data Suite allows users to get started immediately, without the burden of data preparation and curation. It includes vector tile basemaps, transportation network datasets, rich place and address information, locator files for geocoding and a pre-configured and pre-symbolized ArcGIS Pro project. The HERE GIS Data Suite features high-detail attribution, including advanced truck-specific information like height and weight restrictions, tolls and preferred routes. With regular quarterly global updates, users can rely on fresh, current and accurate data.
“The HERE GIS Data Suite is easy to use in our ArcGIS implementation, and the data itself has the attribution organized in a much more straightforward way than other alternatives,” said Kevin Depolo, GIS Analyst at Contra Costa County, CA Fire Protection District. Solving Real-World GIS Challenges Today’s GIS professionals face a common set of challenges: inconsistent and outdated data with time-consuming, pre-processing requirements. The HERE GIS Data Suite addresses these pain points head-on by:
Saving Time: Eliminate hours of data prep with ready-to-use vector tile basemaps, transportation network dataset and locator files that are configured and ready to go for ArcGIS Pro.
Increasing Confidence: Work with reliable, validated data that supports high-stakes decision-making.
Building Faster: Start projects immediately with high-quality base layers and premium content like traffic patterns, truck restrictions and detailed POIs.
Working Smarter: Download only what is needed; no more massive, unwieldy datasets. The suite lets users start small by purchasing data for a specific area of interest or region and expand as needed.
“GIS professionals spend significant time sourcing, vetting and preparing fragmented data from multiple vendors,” said Chris Handley, Vice President of Product Management at HERE Technologies. “The HERE GIS Data Suite comes pre-processed and ready for use, giving users a single, trusted source of data so they can focus on building powerful, accurate maps and delivering insights.”
For 40 years, HERE has been a trusted provider of high-accuracy, enterprise-grade map data. The HERE GIS Data Suite is built on HERE’s data, which is used by governments, logistics providers, automotive companies and critical infrastructure operators worldwide.
Experience the HERE GIS Data Suite The HERE GIS Data Suite will be available for purchase directly from HERE. Check out HERE GIS Data Suite in action at the Esri User Conference, booth #915. Learn more about how HERE maximizes GIS capabilities at: https://www.here.com/gis
About HERE Technologies HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for 40 years. Today, HERE’s location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at here.com.
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
Zohran Mamdani takes photos with union members during a campaign rally at the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council headquarters in New York on July 2, 2025. AP Photo/Richard Drew
When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani.
He takes the name from his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic who was raised in Uganda and whose work focuses on postcolonial Uganda. I studied the history of the Khoja community for my doctoral work and have helped develop Khoja studies as an academic discipline. The Mamdani surname tells a story of migration, resilience and community-building that spans centuries and continents.
The Khoja history
Mamdanis in Uganda belong to the Khoja community, a South Asian Muslim merchant caste, that shaped economic development across the western Indian Ocean for centuries.
The name originates from greater Sindh, a region in South Asia that today includes southeastern Pakistan and Kachchh in western India.
Its etymology is twofold. Mām is an honorific title in Kachchhi and Gujarati languages, meaning kindness, courage and pride. Māmadō is a local version of the name Muhammad that often appeared in surnames in Hindu castes that converted to Islam, such as the Memons.
The Khoja were categorized by the British in the early 19th century as “Hindoo Mussalman” because their traditions spanned both religions.
Over time, the Khoja came to be identified only as Muslim and then primarily as Shiite Muslim. Today, the majority of Khoja are Ismaili: a branch of Shiite Islam that follows the Aga Khan as their living imam.
The Mamdani family, however, is part of the Twelver community of Khoja, whose Twelfth Imam is believed to be hidden from the world and only emerges in times of crisis. Twelvers believe he will help usher in an age of peace during end times.
Around the late 18th century, the Khoja helped export textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems from the Indian subcontinent to Arabia and East Africa. Through this Western Indian Ocean trading network, they imported timber, ivory, minerals and cloves, among other goods.
Khoja family firms were built on kinship networks and trust. They built networks of shops, communal housing and warehouses, and extended credit for thousands of miles, from Zanzibar in Tanzania to Bombay – now Mumbai – on the western coast of India.
Cousins and brothers would send money and goods across the ocean with only a letter. The precarious nature of trade in this period meant that families also served as insurance for each other. In times of wealth, it was shared; in times of disaster, help was available.
Khoja contributions in Africa
The Khoja became instrumental in building the commercial infrastructure of eastern, central and southern Africa. But the Khoja contribution to the development of Africa extended far beyond trade.
In the absence of colonial investment in public infrastructure, they helped build institutions that formed the foundation of the modern nation-states that emerged after colonization. The institutions both facilitated trade and established permanent communities.
For example, the first dispensary and public school in Zanzibar were constructed by a Khoja magnate, Tharia Topan, who made his wealth through the ivory and clove trades. Topan eventually became so prominent that he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1890 for his service to the British Empire in helping to end slavery in East Africa.
The Khoja community continues to invest in East Africa. The most famous example is the Aga Khan Development Network, whose hospitals and schools operate in 30 countries. In places such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, they are considered the best.
Khoja in Uganda
Like in other parts of Africa, the Khoja settled in Uganda as a liaison business community to develop a market to serve both African and European needs. The linguistic and cultural knowledge, developed over centuries, helped facilitate business despite the challenges of colonization.
Ugandan President Idi Amin and his wife, Sarah, in Rome on Sept. 10, 1975. AP Photo
However, in 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin expelled all Asians – approximately 80,000 – forcing families like the Mamdanis into exile. These included indentured laborers, who were brought in to help build the railroad and farm during the British colonial period, and free traders, like the Mamdani family.
Amin saw them all as the same and famously said: “Asians came to Uganda to build the railway. The railway is finished. They must leave now.”
The experience was a bitter one. Families lost everything, and many left with only the clothes on their backs.
Mahmood Mamdani, who came from a Khoja merchant family, was 26 when he was exiled. Yet, unlike most Ugandan Asians, he chose to go back. At Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, Mamdani set up the Institute for Social Research, which helped to provide rigorous social science training to Ugandan researchers trying to improve their society.
While the earlier generations of the Khoja tended to choose business or adjacent professions, such as accounting, the subsequent generations – particularly those educated in the West – embraced the knowledge economy as professionals, academics and nonprofit leaders.
Several of Mahmood Mamdani’s generation of Khoja academics conducted path-breaking work on Afro-Asian solidarity – a way of thinking about the world beyond colonial categories, such as the category of religion as a separate domain from the secular. These scholars, such as Tanzania’s Issa Shivji and Abdul Sheriff, worked on creating solidarity among the newly independent states of the Global South.
Mahmood Mamdani is known for his influential post-9/11 academic work, “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim,” which examined how Muslim identities are stereotyped. He argued that these identities are complex and varied, shaped by accumulated history and present experiences.
Interfaith identity
The Khoja community – known globally as the Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Muslim Community – has developed strong transnational connections. Today, they are concentrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and France. However, Khoja can be found in almost any country in the world. In 2013, I met members of the community in Hong Kong.
The Khoja community plays an important role in interfaith dialogue and global development initiatives. A prominent Ismaili Khoja, Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith America, has dedicated his life to pluralism and mutual understanding through building up civil society.
Zohran Mamdani’s mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, is Hindu by birth. This interfaith marriage exemplifies the flexibility, diversity and tolerance of Khoja Islam, which has historically navigated between Hindu and Islamic traditions.
Whether Mamdani’s policies prove practical remains to be seen, but his background offers something valuable: a deep understanding of how communities build resilience across generations and geographies.
Iqbal Akhtar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Zohran Mamdani takes photos with union members during a campaign rally at the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council headquarters in New York on July 2, 2025. AP Photo/Richard Drew
When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani.
He takes the name from his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic who was raised in Uganda and whose work focuses on postcolonial Uganda. I studied the history of the Khoja community for my doctoral work and have helped develop Khoja studies as an academic discipline. The Mamdani surname tells a story of migration, resilience and community-building that spans centuries and continents.
The Khoja history
Mamdanis in Uganda belong to the Khoja community, a South Asian Muslim merchant caste, that shaped economic development across the western Indian Ocean for centuries.
The name originates from greater Sindh, a region in South Asia that today includes southeastern Pakistan and Kachchh in western India.
Its etymology is twofold. Mām is an honorific title in Kachchhi and Gujarati languages, meaning kindness, courage and pride. Māmadō is a local version of the name Muhammad that often appeared in surnames in Hindu castes that converted to Islam, such as the Memons.
The Khoja were categorized by the British in the early 19th century as “Hindoo Mussalman” because their traditions spanned both religions.
Over time, the Khoja came to be identified only as Muslim and then primarily as Shiite Muslim. Today, the majority of Khoja are Ismaili: a branch of Shiite Islam that follows the Aga Khan as their living imam.
The Mamdani family, however, is part of the Twelver community of Khoja, whose Twelfth Imam is believed to be hidden from the world and only emerges in times of crisis. Twelvers believe he will help usher in an age of peace during end times.
Around the late 18th century, the Khoja helped export textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems from the Indian subcontinent to Arabia and East Africa. Through this Western Indian Ocean trading network, they imported timber, ivory, minerals and cloves, among other goods.
Khoja family firms were built on kinship networks and trust. They built networks of shops, communal housing and warehouses, and extended credit for thousands of miles, from Zanzibar in Tanzania to Bombay – now Mumbai – on the western coast of India.
Cousins and brothers would send money and goods across the ocean with only a letter. The precarious nature of trade in this period meant that families also served as insurance for each other. In times of wealth, it was shared; in times of disaster, help was available.
Khoja contributions in Africa
The Khoja became instrumental in building the commercial infrastructure of eastern, central and southern Africa. But the Khoja contribution to the development of Africa extended far beyond trade.
In the absence of colonial investment in public infrastructure, they helped build institutions that formed the foundation of the modern nation-states that emerged after colonization. The institutions both facilitated trade and established permanent communities.
For example, the first dispensary and public school in Zanzibar were constructed by a Khoja magnate, Tharia Topan, who made his wealth through the ivory and clove trades. Topan eventually became so prominent that he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1890 for his service to the British Empire in helping to end slavery in East Africa.
The Khoja community continues to invest in East Africa. The most famous example is the Aga Khan Development Network, whose hospitals and schools operate in 30 countries. In places such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, they are considered the best.
Khoja in Uganda
Like in other parts of Africa, the Khoja settled in Uganda as a liaison business community to develop a market to serve both African and European needs. The linguistic and cultural knowledge, developed over centuries, helped facilitate business despite the challenges of colonization.
Ugandan President Idi Amin and his wife, Sarah, in Rome on Sept. 10, 1975. AP Photo
However, in 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin expelled all Asians – approximately 80,000 – forcing families like the Mamdanis into exile. These included indentured laborers, who were brought in to help build the railroad and farm during the British colonial period, and free traders, like the Mamdani family.
Amin saw them all as the same and famously said: “Asians came to Uganda to build the railway. The railway is finished. They must leave now.”
The experience was a bitter one. Families lost everything, and many left with only the clothes on their backs.
Mahmood Mamdani, who came from a Khoja merchant family, was 26 when he was exiled. Yet, unlike most Ugandan Asians, he chose to go back. At Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, Mamdani set up the Institute for Social Research, which helped to provide rigorous social science training to Ugandan researchers trying to improve their society.
While the earlier generations of the Khoja tended to choose business or adjacent professions, such as accounting, the subsequent generations – particularly those educated in the West – embraced the knowledge economy as professionals, academics and nonprofit leaders.
Several of Mahmood Mamdani’s generation of Khoja academics conducted path-breaking work on Afro-Asian solidarity – a way of thinking about the world beyond colonial categories, such as the category of religion as a separate domain from the secular. These scholars, such as Tanzania’s Issa Shivji and Abdul Sheriff, worked on creating solidarity among the newly independent states of the Global South.
Mahmood Mamdani is known for his influential post-9/11 academic work, “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim,” which examined how Muslim identities are stereotyped. He argued that these identities are complex and varied, shaped by accumulated history and present experiences.
Interfaith identity
The Khoja community – known globally as the Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Muslim Community – has developed strong transnational connections. Today, they are concentrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and France. However, Khoja can be found in almost any country in the world. In 2013, I met members of the community in Hong Kong.
The Khoja community plays an important role in interfaith dialogue and global development initiatives. A prominent Ismaili Khoja, Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith America, has dedicated his life to pluralism and mutual understanding through building up civil society.
Zohran Mamdani’s mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, is Hindu by birth. This interfaith marriage exemplifies the flexibility, diversity and tolerance of Khoja Islam, which has historically navigated between Hindu and Islamic traditions.
Whether Mamdani’s policies prove practical remains to be seen, but his background offers something valuable: a deep understanding of how communities build resilience across generations and geographies.
Iqbal Akhtar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Who was the first pirate? – Yandel R., age 11, Lakewood Ranch, Florida
When most people imagine a pirate, they picture actor Johnny Depp playing the mad but likable swashbuckler Jack Sparrow, captain of the sailing ship the Black Pearl.
Depp’s pirate portrayal was inspired by seafaring bandits in older make-believe tales, such as Long John Silver in “Treasure Island,” Captain Hook in “Peter Pan,” or sailor Edmond Dantès in “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
Pirates in these stories were mischievous but also glamorous, courageous and mostly kindhearted. They wore flashy costumes. They had missing limbs, like Captain Cook’s iron hook for a left hand and Long John Silver’s wooden peg leg. They buried treasure chests of gold and silver, forced enemies to walk the plank and had talking parrots as shipboard companions. They flew the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag from the ship’s mast to frighten enemies. The new Netflix series “One Piece,” which is based on a Japanese comic book, continues this popular depiction of pirates.
While fun, these portrayals of pirates are mostly invented.
I’m a political scientist who studies modern-day commerce raiding: robbing of private cargo vessels on the high seas. I’m interested in where it happens in the world, who does it and what can be done to stop it. My research finds today’s pirates to be less like swashbuckling Jack Sparrow and more like regular old thieves.
Pirates in the ancient world
Since pirates have been around for as long as people have moved things by boat, it is hard to pin down the very first pirate.
But archaeological evidence shows that boatbuilding goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who used boats made from papyrus reedsas early as 6,000 years ago. These vessels likely carried valuable goods up and down the Nile River, and where valuable goods can be found, you can usually find thieves too. In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging.
By 3,500 years ago, thieves were using sailing vessels to raid coastal towns and villages in and around the Nile Delta, as well as the Aegean and Adriatic basins. Attacking ships far from land on the high seas and stealing the cargo was a logical next step in the tactics of seafaring raiders.
As trade increased across the Mediterranean Sea, boats carrying valuable cargo, such as pottery, silk, glass, spices and metals, became the targets of ancient pirates. Given the worth of these goods, pirate attacks became widespread across the ancient Mediterranean Sea. With money from the Roman senate and strong effort by a military leader named Pompey, the Roman navy worked hard to stop the pirates – and for a while it did.
The earliest named pirate?
The first mention of a pirate by name may have been in a Greek history book written in the fifth century BCE by an ancient historian named Herodotus.
He briefly describes the adventures of a naval commander by the name of Dionysius who was from Ionia, which is in modern-day Turkey. Dionysius set up a pirate base on the island of Sicily that allowed him and his fellow pirates to plunder ships that happened to sail past.
Pirates of the Caribbean
While Dionysius may have been the first recorded pirate, the most famous pirates lived during the 17th and 18th centuries, which came to be known as the golden age of sea piracy.
Islands such as Jamaica, Tortuga and the Bahamas, as well the North Carolina coast, all became notable pirate havens. Port Royal, on the island of Jamaica, in particular, was a notorious pirate refuge. It was ideally positioned for preying upon Spanish galleons sailing across the Atlantic from ports in Panama and Venezuela. Johnny Depp’s character, Jack Sparrow, swashbuckled around a fictionalized Port Royal in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.
Each dot represents a maritime pirate attack that happened between 1995 and 2023. Brandon Prins
21st-century pirates
The 2013 Hollywood movie “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks, drew attention back to real-world pirates and piracy. The movie was based on a real-life 2009 attack by Somali pirates on a ship named the MV Maersk Alabama, which was carrying food to Kenya. The 500-foot-long vessel and its crew were rescued by the U.S. Navy.
To better understand 21st-century piracy, my research team compiled data on all pirate attacks from 1995 to the present day. We found three main piracy hot spots: the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. All three locations experience the conditions that attract pirates: ship traffic, valuable cargo and weak governments.
Why become a pirate?
People become pirates for many reasons, not the least of which is to escape poverty and enslavement. Others just want adventure and to travel the world. These are the same motivations that drove commerce raiding in the ancient world, during the golden age of piracy, and even today.
While we may never know the first pirate, just like we will never know the very first thief, historical evidence shows that sea-raiding has been around since the very first boats traversed the world’s waterways. Despite efforts to end piracy, my research shows that the conditions that produce ship looting remain and will likely always exist.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Brandon Prins received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research, through the Minerva Initiative, awards #N00014-21-1-2030 and #N00014-14-1-0050.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUANGZHOU, July 14 (Xinhua) — The area around Songshan Lake in southern China’s Guangdong Province exudes youthful energy. Just two decades ago, it was a quiet orchard, but now it is home to a thriving innovation hub. These days, it is not harvesting fruits, but ideas.
The 103 square kilometer high-tech zone is home to more than 17,000 market players, including seven national manufacturing champions and 770 national high-tech enterprises. Each is contributing to the rise of next-generation technologies, from connected vehicles and robotics to intelligent engineering, biomedicine, and advanced materials and energy.
The rapid growth of enterprises is facilitated by the innovative ecosystem of Songshan Lake, which is home to six universities and 18 provincial-level new R&D institutions. It is also home to several key scientific facilities, including the China Spallation Neutron Source and an advanced attosecond laser infrastructure currently under construction.
The evolution of ePropulsion, co-founded by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) alumnus Pan Zongliang and three of his classmates, is a vivid illustration of this dynamic ecosystem.
In 2012, recognizing the significant potential in marine renewable energy, they formed a startup team dedicated to research and development in marine electric propulsion systems. By 2014, they had completed the prototype of their first electric outboard motor. However, the process of turning this innovation into a market-ready product was fraught with challenges. The industrialization process proved to be a complex undertaking that required considerable effort and resources to manage.
Fortunately, HKUST professor Li Zexiang founded the XbotPark robotics base in Songshan Lake area in 2014. He also facilitated the relocation of ePropulsion’s five-person staff to Songshan Lake, providing them with valuable assistance.
“As a marine renewable energy company, we needed a water area to test our products,” explained Pan Zongliang, co-founder and COO of ePropulsion. The Songshan Lake Administrative Committee provided the team with a key asset: a special dock for conducting water tests. “It was a huge support,” Pan Zongliang recalled.
In addition to political support, Songshan Lake’s strategic location allows XbotPark companies to take advantage of the supply chain advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
According to the director of the XbotPark robotics base, teams working in this environment often say: “If you can imagine it, you can build it.” “Finding suppliers for good ideas can usually be completed in about thirty minutes,” he says.
ePropulsion currently operates from a manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, southern China, where Lake Songshanhu is located. The product range includes a wide range of overhead electric systems from 500 to 1000 kW, as well as overhead drives, embedded systems, batteries and control systems, which are sold worldwide.
“Our main market is Europe and the United States, and our small and medium-sized electric outboard motors ranked first in the world in terms of shipment volume last year,” Pan Zongliang said. “The domestic market share is also growing as the new energy boat sector expands in China,” he added.
Their eco-friendly propulsion systems now power boats at events such as SailGP and the America’s Cup, as well as on scenic waters across China, including Donghu Lake in Wuhan, West Lake in Hangzhou and the Lijiang River in Guilin.
According to XbotPark, it has helped create more than 80 startups in the field of robotics and intelligent equipment, of which six are included in the list of unicorn companies whose estimated value has grown to a billion US dollars in a short period of time. At the same time, their survival rate has exceeded 80%. The total value of the leading companies in the base is $ 10 billion.
Nearby, at the Guangdong Institute of Intelligent Robotics (GIRI), another industrial park near Songshan Lake, a bright yellow robot maneuvers in a test tank, rising and falling with the agility of a fish. This intelligent underwater inspection robot, developed by BlueDiveBot, conducts comprehensive inspections with no blind spots.
“Underwater robots can perform equipment maintenance, garbage collection, water quality monitoring and emergency response, overcoming human limitations and safety risks,” said Hu Gangyi, CEO of BlueDiveBot.
Incubated by GIRI and founded in 2023, BlueDiveBot has established a collaborative innovation platform integrating industry, education, research and application for advanced underwater equipment. The company has mastered a number of advanced technologies in the field of unmanned underwater intelligent systems, some of which are the first of their kind in the country.
“The well-developed industrial chain in Dongguan and surrounding areas accelerates the commercialization of our R&D,” Hu Gangyi said. “We have quickly achieved the expansion of production capacity and significant growth in market sales.”
Since its establishment in August 2015, GIRI has focused its R&D and commercialization efforts on key robotics components such as high-power lasers, sensors and machine vision systems, in addition to its core products that include industrial robots, high-end intelligent equipment, unmanned autonomous systems and industrial big data.
GIRI Deputy Director Zhou Xiaoxiao compares prototype technologies to an “unripe green apple.” In order to become a “ripe red apple,” the technology must undergo a process of refinement, she says, and this transformation is necessary for the technology to become the basis for producing a wide range of products, including both “apple jam” and “apple juice.”
Further development of innovation was supported by Songshan Lake High-tech Zone’s partnership with Huawei Cloud to build the “Developer Village” in April 2022. It meets the digitalization needs of enterprises through deep integration and joint innovation between various developer organizations, promoting digital innovation and industrial upgrading. Currently, 29 companies are located there.
“The Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone has carried out cutting-edge basic research,” concluded Wang Qianqian, deputy director of the Songshan Lake Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau. “Based on the results of basic research, we have built a complete innovation chain from pioneering research to commercialization and industrial development.” -0-
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by Gianni ValenteHoms (Agenzia Fides) – Archbishop Jacques Mourad returned just a few days ago from participating in the Synod of Bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church in Rome. And he had a lot to do after his return to Homs. “These days, I am celebrating the First Communion of boys and girls in the village parishes. This is a joy that touches the heart. We thank the Lord for all these signs of hope that He gives us in our poverty,” said Bishop Maurad.He weighs every word when speaking about the present situation his homeland and its people are currently experiencing. The monk of the Deir Mar Musa community, who was appointed Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Hama, and Nabek, is particularly moved by the massacre of Christians who were murdered in Damascus on June 22 while they were gathered with their brothers and sisters for Sunday Mass at St. Elias Church.The words of Bishop Jacques, who was born in Aleppo and joined the monastic community founded by the Roman Jesuit Paolo Dall’Oglio, are at times moving when he speaks about the current situation in Syria.He reiterates that “Syria as a country is at an end today.” But he also recognizes that the Church in Syria must nevertheless continue its path and its work for the good of all. And this, he says, is only happening “because this is the will of Jesus. Jesus wants His Church to remain in Syria. And the idea of emptying Syria of Christians is certainly not the will of God.”The Massacre of ChristiansThe new rulers in Damascus are trying to reassure the people. Even after the massacre at St. Elias’s Church, government representatives reiterated that Christians are an indelible part of the Syrian people. “And I would like to say,” Archbishop Mourad emphasizes, “that the government bears direct responsibility for everything that has happened. Because every government is responsible for the security of the people. And I’m not just talking about the Christians. Many Sunnis, many Alawites have also been killed, many have disappeared. If a team sent by an international organization were to inspect the prisons, they would find many people who had nothing to do with the crimes of the previous regime. I think it’s fair to say that this government is persecuting the people. The entire people.”The Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs also sees hostility in the new Syrian regime’s toward the baptized: “Every time I hear about ‘protecting’ Christians, I feel like we’re being accused, that we’re being threatened. These are words that don’t serve to show benevolence; they burden us. I must say that this government is doing the same things the Assad regime did against the population. Both regimes, the Assad regime and the current one, have no respect for the Syrian people and their history.”Syria is at an endSyria, according to the aArchbishop, has a great heritage and the presence of its young people. But the latest governments “seem to want to erase, to destroy this civilization, the civilization of this people. This is a global crime; it’s not just about us.””UNESCO has declared so many places in Syria as World Heritage Sites. But no one protects them. And today we must protect our living heritage, not just the monuments.”First loudspeakers, then terrorThe acronyms of terror often change their “labels.” Syrian government sources have blamed unidentified Islamic State (IS) fighters for the attack on the church in Damascus. However, the massacre of Christians was claimed by a newly formed jihadist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, possibly created by defectors from Tahrir al-Sham.Marketing strategies, “professional” management of communications and propaganda.The Orthodox Christians of St. Elias Church in Damascus—as repeated by several sources and witnesses on the ground—were massacred “as punishment” after some of them had a confrontation with militant Islamists who, with car-mounted loudspeakers, continually drove up to the church, blaring Koranic verses at high volume to call for conversion to Islam. The same thing, Archbishop Jacques confirms, is happening in Homs and throughout Syria: “They drive up in state security vehicles and use loudspeakers to call on Christians to convert. But when we question the security personnel about this behavior, they reply that these are individual initiatives. People no longer believe in this government.”Western sponsorsMeanwhile, those in charge in Syria continue to seek approval from external circles and powers. Government officials have declared that they are ready to renegotiate the 1974 ceasefire with Israel.”I,” Archbishop Mourad admits, “am not a politician. And I see that almost the entire Syrian people want peace. They also want a peace agreement with Israel, for all the countries of the Middle East. After all these years, everyone is really tired of this war and of seeing the Jews as enemies. But if we were to sign an agreement with Israel now, it would only happen because Syria is weak now. And such an agreement, at a time like this, would only be another act of humiliation of the people.” “So before the president signs such an agreement,” the Archbishop continued, “he should at least speak clearly and unequivocally to the people and explain to them what such an agreement means and what it entails. What the conditions are for Israel and for the Syrians.”The Israeli army, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs continued, “has occupied many Syrian territories since the end of the Assad regime. This means that we may have to forget the Golan Heights forever. And this means that the Syrian people, especially in Damascus, will always be threatened with the instrument of thirst, because the water in Damascus comes from the Golan. And if we remain dependent on Israel for water, we can imagine other things as well…”Today, the Archbishop adds, referring to the dramatic situation in Syria: “Syria as a country is at its end. We keep repeating that it is the first country in the world, that Damascus and Aleppo are the oldest cities in the world, but that means nothing today. It is at its end; most people live below the poverty line; we are massacred and humiliated, and we are tired. We don’t have the strength to reclaim our dignity ourselves. If there is no sincere political support for the people and not for the government, we are at our end.” And: “No one should condemn the Syrian people for emigrating and seeking their fortune outside Syria. No one has the right to judge.” And this in a situation where the entire economy, the education system, and even the healthcare system are on the brink.Where to start againIs it possible to find ways forward when the horizon is so dark and there seems to be no respite? The Archbishop chooses challenging words to outline the situation and mission of the Syrian churches and Christians today.”In my opinion,” he says, “the Church is the only point of reference for hope for the entire Syrian people. For everyone, not just Christians. Because we are doing everything we can to support our people.””After the fall of Assad, many in our communities and parishes fell into crisis and fear. A terrible despair. I, too, visited the parishes, in every village, to encourage Christians and speak about the future. Thank God, I feel accompanied by the Lord each time, in the words I speak to the people. And so, in this situation, we are busy organizing regular meetings for young people, for children, for groups involved in the Church in various ways.”Even in a situation that is tragic in many respects, the normal life of the church communities continues. And it is precisely the parishes that, in a torn, painful context, are trying to promote dialogue for the coexistence of all groups and components.”In Aleppo and also in Damascus, they are truly committed. The bishops have also given lay people space to reflect and take the initiative,” the Archbishop said. “In Homs, we are trying to organize meetings with all other communities: Alawites, Ismailis, Sunnis, Christians,” he continued. “The people we meet are all concerned about the government’s policies, even the Muslims. We are united because we are all in the same boat, as Pope Francis repeatedly said.”The Encounter with Pope LeoIt was Pope Leo who asked the Syriac Catholic bishops to come to Rome to hold their Ordinary Synod in the Eternal City, which took place from July 3 to 6. “It was a wonderful opportunity to meet him, get to know him, and receive his blessing.” “I followed his speeches on the Eastern Churches and the Christian East with great attention. I used this meeting to thank him and ask him to encourage the entire Catholic Church to take the initiative to support the Syrian people, in particular, in their basic needs.”Hope is reflected in concrete works”For me,” Jacques Mourad emphasizes, “it is important that the Church work intensively on the reconstruction of schools and the entire education system in Syria.” We already have schools in Aleppo and Damascus, but they are not enough. In Homs there is nothing. We must work on this, because it can also help curb Christian emigration. All parents think about the future of their children. And if they cannot guarantee them schools where they can learn and functioning hospitals, their only choice is to leave.””We need everything. We must also revitalize pastoral and cultural centers that can accompany the human and cultural growth of our young people. And also houses for young people who want to get married. In this way, we can encourage all young people to stay in the country and not leave,” the Archbishop emphasizes. Resources are lacking, but the horizon is clear: “And this is how we can advance on the path of our Church in Syria. Because that is certainly the will of Jesus. Jesus wants his Church to remain in Syria. This idea of emptying Syria of Christians is certainly not the will of God,” he affirms. “And we, the disciples of Christ and those who bear responsibility in his name, have, first and foremost, the duty to protect our faithful and do everything possible to ensure the future of the Church in Syria,” he concluded. (Agenzia Fides, 14/7/2025)
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