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ROSEN, A TOP RANKED FIRM, Encourages Torrid Holdings Investors With Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – CURV

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Torrid Holdings (NYSE: CURV) pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's initial public offering conducted in July 2021 (the "IPO"), of the important January 17, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Torrid securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Torrid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9874 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 17, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the IPO's offering documents failed to disclose the following material facts: (1) in the first half of 2021, Torrid had experienced a temporary surge in demand as a result of changed consumer behaviors in response to the COVID–19 pandemic and government stimulus and that such ephemeral demand trends had dissipated and were not internally projected to continue following the IPO; (2) Torrid was suffering from severe supply chain disruptions caused by the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID–19, which had first emerged in May 2021; (3) Torrid was running materially below historical inventory levels as a result of supply chain disruptions; (4) as a result, Torrid did not have sufficient inventory to meet expected consumer demand for its fiscal third quarter of 2021; (5) as a result, late inventory arrival had materially impaired the Company from effectively matching consumer buying trends, creating an undisclosed risk of increased markdowns and promotional activities necessary to sell undesirable inventory; (6) Torrid's CFO planned to retire shortly after the IPO; and (7) as a result of the above, the Registration Statement's representations regarding Torrid's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, financial results, and trajectory of the Company at the time of the IPO, and were materially false and misleading and lacked a reasonable factual basis.

To join the Torrid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9874 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8702247)

ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages FIGS, Inc. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – FIGS

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the stock of FIGS, Inc. (NYSE: FIGS): (i) pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with the Company's 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO" or "Offering"); and/or (ii) between May 27, 2021 and May 12, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important January 3, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased FIGS securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the FIGS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9629 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 3, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the registration statement supporting the IPO and defendants' statements throughout the Class Period were false and/or misleading and/or failed to disclose that defendants: (1) inflated FIGS' true ability to successfully secure repeat customers; (2) failed to disclose FIGS' increasing dependence on air freight; and (3) inflated the expected net revenues, gross margin, and adjusted EBITDA margin for 2022. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the FIGS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9629 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8702085)

ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages Rite Aid Corporation Investors with losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – RAD

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) between April 14, 2022 and September 28, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important December 19, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Rite Aid securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 19, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) despite representations to the contrary, the number of new members (i.e., "lives") that Elixir's (a subsidiary of the Company) pharmacy benefit management ("PBM") services business was adding during the selling season ending on January 1, 2023 was in material decline; (2) Rite Aid was likely to recognize a significant charge for the impairment of goodwill related to Elixir due to a decrease in "lives" covered by Elixir's PBM services business; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8702914)

ROSEN, A HIGHLY RECOGNIZED LAW FIRM, Encourages Freshworks Inc. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – FRSH

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH) pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's initial public offering conducted in September 2021 (the "IPO"), of the important January 3, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Freshworks securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Freshworks class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9546 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 3, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the registration statement and prospectus used to effectuate the Company's IPO were false and misleading and omitted to state that, at the time of the offering, the Company's business had encountered obstacles. As a result, Freshworks' net dollar retention rate was plateauing, and its revenue growth rate and billings were decelerating. As the truth about Freshworks' business reached the market, the value of its shares declined dramatically, causing Freshworks investors to suffer significant damages. Indeed, by the commencement of the action, Freshworks' shares traded as low as $10.51 per share, representing a decline of over 70% from the IPO price.

To join the Freshworks class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9546 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8702089)

ROSEN, A TOP RANKED LAW FIRM, Encourages Rent the Runway, Inc. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – RENT

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Rent the Runway, Inc. (NASDAQ: RENT) pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's initial public offering conducted in October 2021 (the "IPO") of the important January 13, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Rent the Runway securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Rent the Runway class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9809 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 13, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the IPO's offering documents failed to disclose the following material facts: (1) Rent the Runway was continuing to face extraordinary business headwinds, such as transportation headwinds and labor wage rate increases, from the COVID–19 pandemic; (2) Rent the Runway's active subscriber enrollments had sharply decelerated from the growth trajectory represented in the offering documents and, as a result, Rent the Runway was several months away from approaching its pre–pandemic levels of active subscriptions; (3) Rent the Runway needed to substantially increase marketing and advertising costs from historical figures in order to attempt to grow its active subscriber network; (4) Rent the Runway was suffering from ballooning fulfillment and transportation costs; and (5) as a result, Rent the Runway was suffering accelerating operational losses at the time of the IPO and was far less likely to achieve profitability in the near term, if ever, than represented. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Rent the Runway class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=9809 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8702904)

KlasJet adds Boeing 737 BBJ2 to its exclusive fleet

LONDON, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In 2021, the global business jet market was USD 25.87bn and is expected to reach USD 38.34bn by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.06 %. Business jets flew 3.3 million flights worldwide in 2021, the most on record for a single year and 7 % more than the previous high point in 2019. Private jet statistics show a global fleet of 21,929 registered aircraft.

To expand KlasJet's products portfolio, an EU–based corporate charter and ACMI services provider is adding Boeing BBJ2, MSN 32971 jet to its fleet. The aircraft is set to begin operations in mid–April 2023 and will be based in Dubai. The general sales agent for this aircraft will be Chapman Freeborn UAE Dubai office.

The Boeing 737 BBJ2 is a splendid addition to KlasJet's exclusive private aircraft fleet as it is set to cater to the specific needs of high–ranking clients travelling in smaller groups. "While our other 56–68 seats VIP Boeing 737 uniquely designed jets are great for larger groups, such as sports teams, business and political delegations, the B737 BBJ2 will serve as an amazing choice for affluent families, government representatives, presidents, royal families, important business delegations. Currently, the aircraft is at Avia Solutions Group completion centre JetMS Completion, where the interior of the jet will be fully renewed," explains Rita Domkute, CEO of KlasJet.

Corporate business jet charter services are in great demand all over the world, as big groups can travel enjoying all the perks of business aviation: flexible flight time, luxury service on board, special seats and price per seat similar to business class seats at regular airline companies. "We plan that the newly added B737 BBJ2 will allow us to strengthen our positions in the rapidly growing Middle East market as the jet is a perfect option for high–ranking individuals who are living in or visiting the region on regular basis," she shares.

The 23–seat aircraft is a truly exquisite project, with a spacious lounge area, an on–board bedroom and a shower. "The jet is designed to meet even the most sophisticated needs of our clients. It is planned with convenience and comfort of passengers in mind, the design is created using high–quality materials," KlasJet's CEO shares.

Earlier this year, the airline added passenger ACMI services list, adding to its parent company Avia Solutions Group's ever–growing line–up of capacity providers.

If you would like more information or would like to schedule an interview with one of our KlasJet representatives, please contact Vilma Vaitiekunaite at vilma.vaitiekunaite@aviasg.com or +37061112789

About KlasJet
KlasJet is an exlusive private and corporate jet charter company, renowned as a leader in the provision of bespoke group flights worldwide. Operating a fleet of uniquely designed jets based in Vilnius, Lithuania, as well as airports across Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, KlasJet provides comfort, safety, and attention to detail from the ground up.

KlasJet operates 7 corporate and BBJ Boeing 737 from 23 to 68 seats. Also offers ACMI lease services to airlines and tour operators around the world who face challenges with flight schedules, expansion plans, and the supply of backup aircraft. The company's fleet available for ACMI lease services comprises 6 units of Boeing 737–800 "" each with a capacity for 189 passengers.

KlasJet is a family member of Avia Solutions Group, leaders in end–to–end capacity solutions for passenger and cargo airlines worldwide. Its vast portfolio of services to clients includes ACMI, charter and cargo aviation, aircraft leasing and trading, MRO services, business aviation and VIP airline procurement, pilot and crew training, recruitment services, together with multiple complementary services spanning a wide range of associated operations. The Group manages over 100 offices and production facilities globally.

For more information, please visit: www.klasjet.aero and www.aviasg.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000768752)

To secure top education institutions for their children is a key motivation for African investors – now considering the citizenship by investment programme of Saint Lucia

Castries, Nov. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In recent years higher education has become a global commodity traded across countries and cultures. Students are now travelling more frequently across borders in search of opportunities to study outside their countries of origin. This is especially true for Africa as more and more African families are exploring opportunities to have their children educated at international tertiary institutions.

These families are looking to access premium international education opportunities for their children through investment migration. The surge in demand and competition for places at leading universities post–Covid is increasing interest in investment programmes that come with better global mobility opportunities and access to leading educational institutions.

Saint Lucia offers one of the leading citizenship by investment programmes in the world and African investors are increasingly looking to this Caribbean nation as it provides a hassle–free route to second citizenship.

Africans looking to study abroad are compelled to do so as they are aware that there are limited opportunities for growth in their home countries.

While Africa is home to some leading and globally competitive tertiary institutions "" these universities often do not have the capacity to accommodate all of a certain country's tertiary students.

For example, South Africa only has 26 universities. Canada on the other hand has more than 1500 types of universities and colleges that offer over 10 000 programmes for students to choose from. The country also offers a wide variety of vocational training schools that are closely aligned with industry. Information Technology, Finance and Engineering are among those that are the most in demand in the country

The United States has some 5300 universities and colleges in comparison. World Population Review's Most Educated Countries 2022 shows that the USA sits comfortably in the top 10 most educated countries. Its top private schools and Ivy League universities are extremely competitive, now seeing an increase of around 7% in applications since pre–Covid times. For example, Harvard's 2022 acceptance rate is only 4.6%, which translates to 42,749 applicants, of which only 1,962 students were accepted.

Saint Lucia is also home to top universities including the American International Medical University, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, International American University College of Medicine and the Spartan Health Sciences University.

Saint Lucia offers families a simple path to access the "best of the best' global education facilities

One of the many advantages of Saint Lucia's citizenship by investment is its ability to offer enhanced access to premium education. Providing our children with the opportunity to attend the "best of the best' international universities is one of the most valuable investments any parent can make.

We are all experiencing increasingly volatile times and ensuring the best possible education for their children has become a key motivation for intelligent investors around the world, especially in Africa.

The Caribbean nation is located quite close to the United States – an average nonstop flight from the United States to Saint Lucia takes about eight hours. The most popular route is New York to the country's capital Castries, with an average flight time of just over four hours.

Launched in 2016, St Lucia has the newest citizenship by investment programme in the Caribbean. Inheriting decades of experience from its island neighbours, Saint Lucia's programme is an amalgamation of practices from its surrounding islands and provides a wide range of benefits for investors.

Not only can African families access quality education institutions through better global mobility, but they can also have citizenship for life with the right to live and work in the country if they choose to.

Investment options a straightforward "" a minimum investment of US$100 000.00 to the National Economic Fund (NEF), which was established to receive qualifying investments to fund government–sponsored projects on the island, enables applicants to become citizens of the nation.

Applicants can also obtain citizenship by purchasing a government–approved property valued at a minimum of US$300,000. Property must be owned and maintained for a minimum of five years after citizenship has been granted.

With a straightforward seven–step application process and no residency requirement, a Saint Lucia investment is a great way for intelligent investor to open themselves up to the global playing field and give their children a competitive edge by creating a pathway to some of the best educational facilities around the world.

Saint Lucia's programme is also highly rated on the global stage "" having been recognised as one of the best CBI offerings compared with Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Cambodia, Dominica, Egypt, Grenada, Jordan, Malta, Montenegro, St Kitts and Nevis, Turkey, and Vanuatu.

This is according to the annual CBI Index – an in–depth report examining and evaluating citizenship by investment schemes around the world.

The country scored 87% overall. Saint Lucia continues to offer a popular programme with stability, no caps on the number of applications or specific calls to end the programme, and adaptability both in respect of changes to keep the programme functioning during Covid–19.

With a population of over 184 000, Saint Lucia is the region's most populous CBI nation with very well–developed hospitality and financial sectors.

Investors can attain citizenship in less than six months if the application process goes smoothly and they pass all due diligence checks. These ensure that only reputable investors of good–standing are allowed to become citizens.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8703171)

For this Caribbean Island, Ozone Protection is a Year-Round Mission

Discarded refrigerators. Scientists continue to stress the need for proper disposal of old fridges as some emit ozone-destroying chemicals. Credit: Alison Kentish/IPS

Discarded refrigerators. Scientists continue to stress the need for proper disposal of old fridges as some emit ozone-destroying chemicals. Credit: Alison Kentish/IPS

By Alison Kentish
DOMINICA, Nov 24 2022 – For countries across the globe, September 16th is a day to reflect on progress in protecting the ozone layer. The United Nations designated day for the preservation of the ozone layer is marked by speeches, and educational and social media campaigns.

For the Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia, one day is not sufficient to highlight the gains made or to celebrate the 1987 signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, a landmark, universally ratified treaty.

For that country, Ozone ‘day’ caps a month-long observance, and ozone protection is a year-round effort.

“The National Ozone Unit was established in 1997 and is responsible for coordinating our activities and programmes to ensure that we meet our targets under the Montreal Protocol,” Sustainable Development and Environment Officer in Saint Lucia’s Department of Sustainable Development Kasha Jn Baptiste told IPS.

“Our main obligation is reporting on our progress with the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances and coordinating relevant projects. Other duties include education and awareness, technician training, implementation and enforcement of legislation, and coordinating partners to ensure that we meet our obligations under the convention. This is a year-round job.”

Following summer activities with youth aged 15-18, the Department of Sustainable Development held a month-long observance in September. Events included media appearances and updates on Saint Lucia’s progress toward achieving the model protocol. The Department has held awareness events at all school levels, with more activities scheduled for October.

It is part of a year-round effort to educate the public and put youth at the center of ozone protection.

“One of the most important ways to continue to highlight the ozone layer is through increased awareness. We started with ozone day and usually concentrated on education activities around that day, but we realised that we must have activities year-round. We are also encouraging the teaching of ozone issues as part of our science curriculum,” said Jn Baptiste, who is the Focal Point for the Montreal Protocol in Saint Lucia.

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector

A major component of maintaining compliance with the Montreal Protocol involves stringent monitoring of the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. This includes refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, a group of ozone-depleting chemicals that have been banned but remain in older fridge and air condition models.

In Saint Lucia, the Sustainable Development Department conducts year-round training for technicians.

“The refrigeration air conditioning sector is where we use the bulk of those products and technicians are the ones servicing these items. We want them to be aware of what is happening, how the sector is transitioning, and what new alternatives are available,” Jn Baptiste told IPS.

In a 2016 amendment to the Montreal Protocol, nations agreed to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which were being used as substitutes to CFCs. Known as the Kigali Amendment, its signatories agreed that these HFCs represent powerful greenhouses gases (hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon) and contribute to climate change.

“What is really important now is that countries like Saint Lucia have targets on the Montreal Protocol. We have been saying ‘HFC-free by 2030,’ so in October, Saint Lucia will launch phase two of our HPMP, the HFC Phase Out Management Plan. That will include activities needed to help us achieve that 2030 target. We will expand on what has been done in the past and include activities for training of technicians.”

Legislative changes

Officials are currently reviewing the country’s legislation to ensure compliance with Kigali Amendment targets.

“Our legislation needs to be updated to expand our licensing and quota system to include HFCs so that we can target these gases and control them under the Montreal Protocol,” Jn. Baptiste said.

“What is interesting is that the HFC phase-down can contribute to prevention of 0.4 degrees of warming by the end of the century. That’s important. 0.4 degrees is small, but we know that the Paris Agreement targets a 1.5 degree. The Kigali Amendment, if countries implement it, will be doing some of the work of the climate agreement. The Montreal Protocol started off with the goal of preserving the ozone layer, but it has evolved to address climate change issues – global warming issues.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Asia: the Power of Connections and their Consequences

Figure 1: Overall Concentration Ratios: Top 5 Firms

By Simon Commander and Saul Estrin
LONDON, Nov 24 2022 – In our recent book, “The Connections World: The Future of Asia”, published by Cambridge University Press in October 2022, we argue that mutually beneficial links between dynastic business houses and political elites have been important drivers behind Asia’s extraordinary renaissance. Yet, these close ties now threaten future economic growth.

That is because the ubiquitous Asian corporate structures of Business Groups systematically work with politicians in Asia to create excessive market power and overall concentration. They have proven remarkably adept at entrenching themselves.

Although, by concentrating resources in relatively few hands, this was quite an effective engine of growth in the past half century, the limitation of competition and brake on innovation threatens future progress.

The pervasive and highly resilient networks of connections running between businesses and politicians have provided a common backbone to Asian development and have cut across political systems. We characterize these networks as the Connections World.

That world comprises a web of interactions between businesses and politicians/political parties that are highly transactional and commonly contain significant degrees of reciprocity.

Thus, politicians look to firms to make campaign or personal contributions; pay bribes; provide jobs for family or associates whilst also providing reciprocal favours, such as creating jobs in regions or at moments that are politically advantageous.

At the same time, businesses look to politicians for protection from foreign or domestic competition; to supply subsidies, loans and/or public sector contracts. All parties benefit from these interactions, creating a stable political economy equilibrium.

These arrangements have served Asia well over the past half century, with Asia’s share of the world economy rising from 9% in the 1970s to nearly 40% now. However, the connections world will provide a less supportive foundation for growth in the future for a variety of reasons. Neither politicians nor business groups have sufficient interest in stimulating competition, whether through the entry of domestic or foreign multinational as competitors.

Moreover, because Asian business groups are often highly diversified, with the control of the oligarch or dynasty enhanced by cross-holdings and ownership pyramids, their economic consequences must be measured not only by the traditional measures of market power, but also by overall levels of concentration as, for example, indicated by the share of total revenues for the largest five firms relative to GDP.

To put this in context, while the market concentration ratio (CR5) of the largest US firms, mainly in tech sectors, is often high, the five-firm overall concentration ratio is only around 3%. The comparable figures across Asia in 2018 are much higher, as can be seen in Figure 1. The CR5 in South Korea exceeds 30% and even in very large economies – India and China – it exceeds 10%.

The findings are even starker when we consider the largest ten firms (CR10). In the US, this is only around 4% but in South Korea exceeds 40% and in India and China exceeds 15%.

Looking forward, the consequences of the connections world will be far less propitious, not least because growth will have to rely increasingly on innovation. The existing networks are, for the most part, ill-suited to promote innovation which thrives on an open ecosystem of science universities and business parks, capital funders, lawyers and entrepreneurs and a healthy willingness to risk and lose.

Moreover, the connections world crowds out new entrants, soaks up capital and skilled workers and managers and suppresses the competitive environment so essential for the trial-and-error process at the heart of much successful innovation. Even when the business groups themselves are innovative, there is relatively little innovation going on in the wider economy.

What should be the policies and other measures that could address the shortcomings of the connections world? Central to the policy menu for loosening the grip of entrenched business will have to be measures designed to induce the transformation of business groups into more transparent and better governed businesses, while also radically weakening the links between politicians and business.

This will not happen naturally because the mutual benefits from market entrenchment and political connections outweigh any gains to the current players from reform. The required policies will need to include changes to corporate governance that undercut pyramidal ownership structures, mergers and cross-holdings, that impose inheritance taxes and shift to new types of – and targets for – competition policy.

Some of those policies were successfully introduced in the USA under Roosevelt. More recently, Israel has adopted criteria in competition policy for overall, as well as specific market, concentration levels, while South Korea has placed high inheritance taxes at the heart of their raft of policies to weaken the vice-like grip of their gigantic business groups.

At the same time, measures need to be adopted aimed at limiting the discretionary scope and incentives for politicians to leverage their connections for personal or family benefit. Although hard to achieve, incremental improvements, such as through audited registers of interests, can start to affect behaviour.

In short, although many commentators have already declared the 21st century to be Asia’s, that is far from predetermined. Unless the sorts of policies that we propose are introduced to roll back the tentacles of the connections world, many Asian economies will in fact find themselves unfavourably placed to exploit their potential in the coming decades.

Simon Commander is Managing Partner of Altura Partners. He is also Visiting Professor of Economics at IE Business School in Madrid.
Saul ESTRIN is Professor of Managerial Economics at LSE and previously Professor of Economics and Associate Dean at London Business School.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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Pandemic Aggravated Violence against Women in Latin America

"Not one woman less, respect our lives” writes a Peruvian woman on the effigy of a woman in a park in front of the courthouse, before a demonstration in Lima over the lack of enforcement of laws against femicides and other forms of violence against women. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

“Not one woman less, respect our lives” writes a Peruvian woman on the effigy of a woman in a park in front of the courthouse, before a demonstration in Lima over the lack of enforcement of laws against femicides and other forms of violence against women. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

By Mariela Jara
LIMA, Nov 24 2022 – Violence against women has failed to decline in the Latin American region after the sharp rise recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, while preventing the causes of such violence remains a major challenge.

This is what representatives of the United Nations, feminist organizations and women’s movements told IPS on the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25.”We attack the problem but not its causes. I have been talking for 30 years about the importance of preventing violence against women by fostering major cultural changes so that girls and boys are raised in the knowledge that it is unacceptable in any form.” — Moni Pizani

This date, established in 1999 by the United Nations, was adopted in 1981 at the first Latin American and Caribbean feminist meeting held in Colombia to promote the struggle against violence against women in a region where it continues to be exacerbated by high levels of ‘machismo’ or sexism.

The day was chosen to pay tribute to Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal, three sisters from the Dominican Republic who were political activists and were killed on Nov. 25, 1960 by the repressive forces of the regime of dictator Rafael Trujillo.

The date launches 16 days of activism against gender violence, culminating on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day, because male violence against women and girls is the most widespread violation of human rights worldwide.

“It is not possible to confirm a decrease in gender violence in the region at this post-pandemic moment,” said Venezuelan lawyer Moni Pizani, one of the region’s leading experts on women’s rights. “I could say, from the information I have gathered and empirically, that the level has remained steady after the significant increase registered in the last two years.”

Pizani, who retired from the United Nations, currently supports the UN Women office in Guatemala after a fruitful career advocating for women’s rights. She was twice representative in Ecuador for UN Women and its predecessor Unifem, then worked for East and Southeast Asia and later opened the UN Women Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama City as regional director.

“Before the pandemic we used to talk about three out of 10 women having suffered violence, today we say four out of 10. The other alarming fact is that the impact is throughout the entire life cycle of women, including the elderly,” she told IPS in a conversation in Tegucigalpa, Honduras during a Central American colloquium on the situation of women.

UN Women last year measured the “shadow pandemic” in 13 countries in all regions, a term used to describe violence against women during lockdowns due to COVID.

Seven out of 10 women were found to have experienced violence at some time during the pandemic, one in four felt unsafe at home due to increased family conflict, and seven out of 10 perceived partner abuse to be more frequent.

The study also revealed that four out of 10 women feel less safe in public spaces.

Pizani said the study showed that this violation of women’s human rights occurs in different age groups: 48 percent of those between 18 and 49 years old are affected, 42 percent of those between 50 and 59, and 34 percent of women aged 60 and over.

Venezuelan lawyer Moni Pizani, one of Latin America's leading experts on gender issues, with a long career at UN Women and its predecessor Unifem, takes part in a Central American colloquium in Tegucigalpa on sustainable recovery with gender equality in the wake of the COVID pandemic. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

Venezuelan lawyer Moni Pizani, one of Latin America’s leading experts on gender issues, with a long career at UN Women and its predecessor Unifem, takes part in a Central American colloquium in Tegucigalpa on sustainable recovery with gender equality in the wake of the COVID pandemic. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

According to the same study, unemployed women are the most vulnerable: 52 percent of them experienced violence during the pandemic.

And with regard to mothers: one out of every two women with children also experienced a violation of their rights.

The expert highlighted the effort made by many countries to adopt measures during the pandemic with the expansion of services, telephone hotlines, use of new means of reporting through mobile applications, among others. But she regretted that the efforts fell short.

This year, the region is home to 662 million inhabitants, or eight percent of the world’s population, slightly more than half of whom are girls and women.

The level of violence against women is so severe that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) cites it as one of the structural factors of gender inequality, together with gaps in employment, the concentration of care work and inequitable representation in public spaces.

Governments neither prevent nor address violence

Peru is an example of similar situations of gender violence in the region.

It was one of the countries with the strictest lockdowns, paralyzing government action against gender violence, which was gradually resumed in the second half of 2020 and which made it possible, for example, to receive complaints in the country’s provincial public prosecutors’ offices.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office Crime Observatory reported 1,081,851 complaints in 2021 – an average of 117 per hour. The frequency of complaints returned to pre-pandemic levels, which in 2020 stood at around 700,000, because women under lockdown found it harder to report cases due to the confinement and the fact that they were cooped up with the perpetrators.

Cynthia Silva, a Peruvian lawyer and director of the non-governmental feminist group Study for the Defense of Women’s Rights-Demus, told IPS that the government has failed to reactivate the different services and that the specialized national justice system needs to be fully implemented to protect victims and punish perpetrators.

Lawyer Cynthia Silva, director of the Peruvian feminist institution Demus, poses for a picture at the headquarters of the feminist organization in Lima. She stresses the need for government action against gender violence to include not only strategies for attending to the victims, but also for prevention in order to eradicate it. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

Lawyer Cynthia Silva, director of the Peruvian feminist institution Demus, poses for a picture at the headquarters of the feminist organization in Lima. She stresses the need for government action against gender violence to include not only strategies for attending to the victims, but also for prevention in order to eradicate it. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

She stressed the importance of allocating resources both for addressing cases of violence and for prevention. “These are two strategies that should go hand in hand and we see that the State is not doing enough in relation to the latter,” she said.

Silva urged the government to take action in measures aimed at the populace to contribute to rethinking socio-cultural patterns and ‘machista’ habits that discriminate against women.

Based on an experience they are carrying out with girls and adolescents in the district of Carabayllo, in the extreme north of Lima, she said it’s a question of supporting “deconstruction processes” so that egalitarian relations between women and men are fostered from childhood.

On Nov. 26 they will march with various feminist movements and collectives against machista violence so that “the right to a life free of violence against women is guaranteed and so that not a single step backwards is taken with respect to the progress made, particularly in sexual and reproductive rights, which are threatened by conservative groups in Congress.”

Adolescent women and men in Lima, the Peruvian capital, wave a huge banner during the march for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25, 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that exacerbated such violence in Latin America. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

Adolescent women and men in Lima, the Peruvian capital, wave a huge banner during the march for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25, 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that exacerbated such violence in Latin America. CREDIT: Mariela Jara/IPS

An equally serious scenario

Argentina is another example of gender violence – including femicides – in Latin America, the region with the highest levels of aggression against women in the world, the result of extremely sexist societies.

This is in contrast to the fact that it is one of the regions with the best protection against such violence in national and even regional legislation, because since 1994 it has had the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women.

The problem is that these laws are seriously flawed in their implementation, especially in the interior of the countries, agree UN Women, regional organizations and national women’s rights groups.

Rosaura Andiñach, an Argentine university professor and head of community processes at the Ecumenical Regional Center for Counseling and Service (CREAS), said it is worrying that in her country there are still high rates of femicide, despite the progress made in terms of legislation.

Between January and October 2022, there were 212 femicides and 181 attempted gender-based homicides in the country of 46 million people, according to the civil society observatory “Ahora que sí nos ven” (Now that they do see us).

She said the government still owes a debt to women in this post-pandemic context, as it fails to guarantee women’s rights by not adequately addressing their complaints.

“We do not want the same thing to happen as with a recent case: Noelia Sosa, 30 years old, lived in Tucumán and reported her partner in a police station for gender violence. They ignored her and she committed suicide that afternoon because she did not know what else to do. We are very concerned because the outlook is still as serious as ever in terms of violence against women,” Andiñach said.

It was precisely in Argentina that the #NiunaMenos (Not one woman less) campaign emerged in 2015, which spread throughout the region as a movement against femicides and the ineffectiveness of the authorities in the enforcement of laws to prevent and punish gender-related murders, because femicides are surrounded by a very high level of impunity in Latin America.

Moni Pizani, from UN Women, stressed that the prevention of gender violence should no longer fall short in the region.

“We attack the problem but not its causes. I have been talking for 30 years about the importance of preventing violence against women by fostering major cultural changes so that girls and boys are raised in the knowledge that it is unacceptable in any form,” she underlined.

This strategy, she remarked, “involves investing in youth and children to ensure that the new generations are free from violence, harassment and discrimination, with respect for a life of dignity for all.”

Excerpt:

This article is part of IPS coverage of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25.