Latest news with #Foster
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Science
- Vancouver Sun
'This should raise flags': Smuggling seahorses a $29 million global industry, say UBC researchers
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that millions of seahorses are being traded illegally around the world on hidden routes, putting many species at risk of becoming endangered or extinct. The study, published this week in the scientific journal Conservation Biology , found nearly five million seahorses, worth an estimated $29 million, were seized by authorities in 62 countries over a 10-year span at airports in passenger baggage or shipped in sea cargo. However, researchers believe the number of seahorses on the illegal trade market is significantly higher, as the data show only the shipments that were seized. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. They also found emerging trade routes for dried seahorses in Europe and Latin America, in addition to already known routes such as Thailand to Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. For example, researchers were surprised to learn there was poaching in European waters and that different species of seahorse are showing up in unusual trade routes, said Sarah Foster, who holds a PhD in resource management and is the program leader with Project Seahorse at UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. 'One of the most interesting seizures that we uncovered was in Vietnam, coming from Peru. But when the Vietnamese authorities did species ID on the seahorses it turned out they were a West African seahorse species…so these seahorses had gone through West Africa, Peru, Latin America, and then on their way to Asia,' said Foster. 'This really highlights how complicated some of these trade routes can be, and reinforces the need for strong communication and collaboration between countries to try and figure this out.' The study says China was the main destination for the smuggled seahorses and they were mostly found at airports. Seahorses are used in traditional Chinese medicine, where are they are usually dried and added to tea as cures for pain, impotence and infertility and asthma, among other ailments. They are also sold as souvenirs and traded to aquariums. 'We're not in a position of questioning the validity of traditional Chinese medicine,' said Foster. 'It's more that if they are going to be used, just like anything else, it should be sustainable.' She said her team has spoken with traditional medicine traders in Hong Kong, who agree that to ensure access to seahorses in the future there must be sustainable practices now. While there is an international legal trade, researchers found that the illegal market is much more prevalent because anyone who applies for a legal permit must prove the trade is sustainable. This is difficult to do given many species of seahorse are endangered. The seahorse is protected under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an agreement among 184 countries, including Canada and European Union. In Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency enforces CITES regulations. Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for CBSA, could not provide the data on illegal seahorse seizures in Canada by deadline Thursday, however she said the information would be provided at a later date. Foster said Canada didn't come up in the team's study as a concern but that doesn't mean the illegal trade isn't happening here as well. 'Not all illegal trade gets intercepted and not all that gets intercepted goes reported,' she said, adding there is a demand for the consumption of seahorse in Canada. 'This should raise flags for Canadian authorities, that they need to be paying attention to make sure that those seahorses have been imported legally and sustainably.' The team analyzed 297 seizure records from 2010 to 2021 and recorded the number of seahorses seized, the value, and trade routes. What they found was that seahorses are often seized with other illegally traded products such as elephant ivory. Policing the illegal trade is difficult because many of the seahorses are caught accidentally, in trawl nets that dredge the ocean floor for fish. Foster said of the 46 known species of seahorse, 14 are considered to be threatened with extinction, mostly because of trawling and trade. 'When you ask people to think of the ocean the first thing they often think about is this blue expanse or sitting on the beach. They don't picture the wildlife that's underneath,' she said. Foster hopes to change that with her research. She's a strong advocate of banning trawling, or at least banning it in sensitive seahorse habitats. 'Imagine a bulldozer coming through and just taking it all down,' she said. 'The fact that bottom trawling is a massive problem isn't new, but being able to really connect people with it, I think, is going to be a game changer.' Foster said seahorses feed on zooplankton and are important predators in the ecosystem. They don't have stomachs so they have to eat a lot in order to meet their energy requirements. The study concludes that more enforcement and consequences are required in many countries to crack down on smuggling seahorses. ticrawford@
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Who was Alex Foster? Baylor football star who was found shot dead in car at 18 — mystery deepens as no arrests made
The Baylor football community and the town of Greenville, Mississippi, are grieving the tragic loss of 18-year-old Alex Foster, a promising athlete and beloved teammate who died from multiple gunshot wounds in the early hours of May 28. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Foster, who was back home for summer break, was found inside a car shortly after midnight with life-threatening injuries. Rising star Alex Foster dies after being found with multiple gunshot wounds in Greenville According to the Greenville Police Department, officers responded to a shots-fired call around 12:11 a.m. on East Alexander Street. Upon arrival, they discovered an unresponsive male in a vehicle suffering from several gunshot wounds. Though he was quickly transported to Delta Health Center, he was pronounced dead just over 30 minutes later. While the police did not initially name the victim, multiple reports confirmed the deceased was Alex Foster. The Washington County coroner's office later verified the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds. No arrests have been made as of this writing, and the investigation remains ongoing. City reacts to rising crime as curfew follows shooting of college football player Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons addressed the city's recent surge in violent crime in a Facebook video, announcing the implementation of a citywide curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in response to the tragedy and other violent incidents. 'We must act to stabilize conditions,' Simmons said, noting that nightclubs and late-night businesses must close by midnight to reduce risk. He condemned the "senseless killings" that have shaken the community. Baylor University , coaches, and former mentors remember Foster fondly Baylor Football confirmed Foster's death with a heartfelt statement from head coach Dave Aranda and athletic director Mack Rhoades. 'We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of Alex, a beloved teammate, friend, and a cherished part of the Baylor family,' the statement read. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Alex's memory will forever be part of our hearts and this program.' Coach Aranda added on X, 'We are devastated by this loss. In his time at Baylor he made a long-lasting impact on all of us in the program.' Foster was Baylor's highest-rated recruit in the 2024 class and had redshirted his freshman season. St. Joseph Catholic-Greenville coach John Baker remembered him as 'a good dude, man... real quiet, soft-spoken guy, you know. Had his head on right and was wanting to make it out.' Also Read: The loss of Alex Foster has left a deep void in both his hometown and college communities — a stark reminder of the violence that continues to claim young lives too soon.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Private equity bigwig shocks courtroom with Alzheimer's diagnosis during bombshell NYC divorce trial: ‘I'm a lowly business man'
A private equity CEO wrapped in a bruising divorce battle shocked a Manhattan courtroom this week when he suddenly announced he has Alzheimer's disease — potentially opening him up to regulator sanctions and shareholder lawsuits, experts said. John Foster, 83, managing partner of the $800 million private equity firm HealthPointCapital, made the stunning, unprompted admission in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday as he testified in his divorce case against his estranged wife of 15 years Stephanie Foster, 57. 'I'm a lowly business man,' said Foster, a longtime health devices bigwig who spent much of his testimony claiming he couldn't recall whether he had signed notarized documents or sworn affidavits. 5 John H. Foster, center, stunned a courtroom Wednesday when he announced a previously undisclosed Alzheimer's diagnosis. Steven Hirsch 'I'm 83-years-old — I have recently had an MRI, which is a brain scan for my Alzheimer's,' he suddenly added, divulging a previously-undisclosed illness. Experts said the revelation from Foster — who spent much of his testimony claiming he couldn't remember signing official documents — could potentially have serious legal consequences outside of his messy divorce. 'That may be material information that has to be disclosed under federal law and SEC regulations,' said securities fraud trial lawyer, Michael P. Bowen. Foster — who is currently under a no-contact order due to 'taunting' text messages he sent to his soon-to-be ex-wife last fall — also erupted in court Wednesday as he bemoaned the hourly rates charged by her attorneys. '$40,000 a day for this bulls—t,' he said loudly, as the lawyers spoke with the judge at the bench. His own apparently well-compensated lawyer, Linda Rosenthal — who has previously claimed her client has 'barely a positive net worth, if at all' — told him to zip it. 5 John Foster spent much of the day saying he could not recall basic things, like if he had signed notarized documents or his sworn affidavit. Steven Hirsch During what was his second day on the stand this week, Foster repeatedly answered 'I don't recall' in response to basic questions about if he remembered signing notarized documents, a statement of net worth, records of million-dollar deposits and his sworn affidavit. After answering yes when pressed by his wife's high-powered attorney Rita Glavin to confirm he had Alzheimer's, he later tried to qualify by saying: 'yes and I am being examined' for the disease when he got his MRI a week earlier. But when Glavin asked him to clarify an earlier statement about his diagnosis, Foster said he could not recall why he got an MRI, or what he had previously said in his testimony. 5 Wife Stephanie Foster has long claimed that her husband is hiding potentially hundreds of millions in a 'net worth strategy' to avoid a divorce payout. Steven Hirsch Bowen, who is not involved in the Foster case, said that while there's no clear line of when a duty to disclose is triggered, a diagnosis like Alzheimer's is one that could directly impact Foster's fund. 'An investor would want to know that information,' Bowen said, adding that the specifics are what matters in cases like this. 'It could lead to sanctions by the SEC, or to shareholder lawsuits,' he said, if Foster's condition was not properly disclosed. 5 Texts found by Stephanie Foster on John Foster's phone allegedly congratulating his lawyer for successfully hiding his wealth from her. Courtesy Stephanie Foster Foster told the court Wednesday that his company placed him on leave 'several weeks ago' due to 'other litigation not to do with this proceeding' — something he hadn't disclosed during his testimony the prior day. Healthpoint Capital still lists Foster as its first managing partner on their website. The company did not immediately respond to questions regarding Foster's current status of employment or when he last signed investor statements and other documentation on behalf of the firm. Glavin — who also reps ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the sexual harassment lawsuits he faces — peppered Foster about his wife's claim that he attempted to hide more than $6.3 million in income from her. Foster has previously claimed during the nearly four-year-long acrimonious separation that his wife's spending has left him destitute, but she claims to have discovered a text message that reveals a deliberate 'net-worth strategy' to hide his true assets. 5 Stephanie Foster, center, leaving the courthouse Wednesday with one of her lawyers, BriAnne Copp. Steven Hirsch When Glavin asked if he had been placed on leave because of the allegations he used company accounts to hide personal income from a business deal, Foster immediately clammed up. 'Judge, I think we should close for the day,' Foster said as he placed a pair of hearing-aided headphones on his head that he only wore occasionally during the day. 'I'm not up for it.' He then complained that his wife had too many lawyers, and he, too few. 'She has too many lawyers. It's three verses four,' he riffed. At other points, Foster had his head buried in his hands, or was too busy scrolling on his smartphone to respond to questions from Glavin as he sat in the witness stand. 'Mr. Foster, can you please put your phone down for a moment?' Glavin requested repeatedly. 'Do you think your testimony is important?' 'I'm not at liberty to discuss,' he said from the witness stand. 'Yes you are,' Glavin replied. 'You are under a subpoena.'
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster's extensive relationship timeline revealed through throwback photos over more than two decades
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster went from Broadway friends to lovers over the course of 23 years. Jackman and Foster's relationship was confirmed earlier this year after months of speculation when People magazine published photos of the couple holding hands on a date night in Los Angeles in January. What appeared to be the start of their whirlwind romance was, in fact, the ultimate culmination of years of being acquainted. Here's a look back at how the Deadpool & Wolverine star, 56, and the 50-year-old Younger actress's friendship blossomed into something more. Decades of dynamic In 2002, Foster and Jackman's careers were on the rise in the Broadway scene. While Foster starred as Millie Dillmount in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jackman visited her backstage at one of her performances. The actress later won a Tony Award for her act. The following year, Jackman starred on Broadway as the titular role in the hit musical The Boy from Oz. In 2021, Foster took to Instagram to recount their meeting two decades ago through a throwback photo of the pair behind the scenes. "Backstage at Thoroughly Modern Millie almost 20 years ago. Millie and Wolverine. Harold and Marian," she wrote in the caption. Early Broadway days Jackman and Foster were pictured again in 2008 when she starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek: The Musical. The fresh-faced duo documented their encounter backstage with a photo. Foster could be seen leaning slightly towards Jackman. At the time, the Australian A-lister was set to star in several notable projects, including the drama film Australia, alongside Nicole Kidman. He beamed beside Foster in a black leather jacket and shirt. Another of the first photos of Jackman and Foster surfaced on Instagram, showing her placing an affectionate hand on him in 2008. Dance the night away In 2014, Jackman and Foster shared a dance during Jackman's performance at the 68th Tony Awards in 2014. The Greatest Showman star hosted the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. He waltzed with the actress throughout the audience while introducing the category for best performance by a leading actress in a musical. Jackman also danced with the other nominees on the glamorous evening. The following day, Foster gushed over the moment on Instagram, writing, "This happened." Broadway buddies In 2019, Jackman and Foster were announced as the leads of The Music Man. The Broadway production saw Jackman as Harold and Foster as Marian. In November 2021, the X-Men star took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look at the production. 'We're coming your way Broadway. And here's a sneak at what we're packing,' he wrote in the caption. Jackman and Foster beamed widely while walking the red carpet together for the opening night in February 2022. An insider at The Music Man said the co-stars did not shy away from showing affection for each other backstage throughout their run. "At intermission, Sutton and Hugh would stand and hug for a minute, two minutes in front of the entire cast coming up the stairs," the source told Daily in January. The Broadway stars performed a number from the show at the 75th Tony Awards in June 2022. While Jackman and Foster were nominated respectively for best actor and best actress, they didn't secure a win. Jackman and Foster wrapped up the musical in January 2023. Double dates The insider also said the Wolverine star and his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 69, opened their home to Foster and her ex-husband of ten years Ted Griffin for double dates during The Music Man. "They had dinners with each other's spouses and Sutton and her husband Ted were invited over for dinner with Hugh and his wife Deborra-Lee," the source said. Respective separations Jackman and Foster separated from Furness and Griffin, respectively, within a year of each other. In September 2023, Hollywood insiders were rattled when the Deadpool & Wolverine star and Furness ended their seemingly rock-solid marriage of 27 years, jointly revealing they simply grew apart. 'We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,' the former power couple wrote in a statement. 'Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.' Nearly two years later, Furness filed for divorce from Jackman in New York last Friday. Furness's lawyer Elena Karabatos submitted further filings, which include a health care coverage notice, a proposed qualified medical child support order, a New York state case registry form, the settlement, a proposed judgment of divorce, and a certificate of dissolution of the 27-year union. The exes share two children, Oscar, 25, and Ava, 19. Foster split Griffin, whom she was married to for ten years, last October. They share a seven-year-old adopted daughter, Emily. Head over heels An insider told Page Six Foster and Jackman were "100 per cent together" around the time of her divorce from Griffin. 'They are 100 percent together and are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together,' the source said. Multiple insiders explained the two were keeping their romance out of the public eye but claimed their relationship was 'common knowledge.' Affair rumours Rumours Jackman and Foster had had an affair gained traction in November 2024 when a friend of Furness spoke out. Actress Amanda de Cadenet claimed the rumours were 'on point' on Instagram 'My beloved friend Deb is about to have her glow up any moment FYI!' de Cadenet wrote. On Wednesday, Furness made a pointed statement about her "traumatic journey of betrayal" after finally filing for divorce from Jackman. She told her "heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. "It's a profound wound that cuts deep, however I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us," the actress said. "This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience. Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose. "It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom." Hard launch Foster and Jackman took their romance public in January 2025 when they were spotted holding hands in Santa Monica, California. That same month, photos surfaced of the lovebirds making out in an In-N-Out drive-thru in San Fernando, California. The former co-stars were seen laughing and kissing in a Range Rover. The couple is believed to be moving into Jackman's New York penthouse, which he purchased for USD$21.12 million (AUD $30 million) in 2022 with Furness. According to one source close to the Oscar-nominated who spoke to Closer in February, Jackman 'wants to make Sutton his wife' after recommitting to Foster following a trip back to Australia. The source said the timing of Jackman's official divorce from Furness will impact when he can get married again, but that 'as soon as they are both free and clear, they (Jackman and Foster) want to walk down the aisle'.
Graziadaily
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
Hugh Jackman's Ex-Wife Deborra-Lee Furness Describes Their Split As A ‘Traumatic Journey Of Betrayal'
In the wake of their split, and pending divorce, Hugh Jackman's ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness has described their break-up as a 'traumatic journey of betrayal', and shared the ways in which she's been navigating her marriage breakdown. Jackman appears to be in a new relationship with his former theatre co-star Sutton Foster, as they were seen holding hands on a date in LA back in January. Deborra-Lee, also an actor, filed for divorce from Jackman last week. Foster filed for divorce from her husband, screenwriter Ted Griffin, after 10 years of marriage in October 2024. 'My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,' Furness wrote in her statement. 'It's a profound wound that cuts deep, however I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us. 'This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience. Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose. 'It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom.' Furness added that the 'one thing' she has learned is 'that none of this is personal'. 'We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random,' she said. 'We are drawn to people, we invite them in, in order to learn our lessons and to recognise and heal the broken parts of ourselves...I remain grateful.' Jackman and Furness met on an Australian TV show called Correlli back in 1995, which was his first role out of drama school, while she was already established in the industry. They then got engaged 4 months later and got married in Melbourne in April 1996, and adopted two children – Oscar and Ava, who are aged 24 and 19 respectively. The Wolverine star told Today back in 2018 that he knew two weeks into meeting Furness that they were 'going to be together for the rest of our lives.' The former couple announced their split back in September 2023, releasing the following statement: 'We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.' Rumours have swirled that Jackman had an affair with Foster, which would admittedly fit with Furness' descriptions of a 'traumatic journey of betrayal'. Jackman and Foster first met back in 2008 when she was starring in a Broadway production of Shrek. Their families became friendly, spending Memorial Day together back in 2022. In an interview with _Vogue_in 2022, Foster talked about her friendship with Jackman at length: 'He has an impeccable reputation of being the hardest working man, incredibly kind, and generous—and all of that is true. He disarms everyone, and he doesn't make anything about him. And he's now become one of my best friends, which was a surprise, because you usually go into these things thinking, Well, I hope we get along. But we just spent Memorial Day with our families. It's really fun to meet new friends after 40.' Fans began to speculate whether Foster and Jackman were an item roughly four months after he had announced his split from Furness, when he was seen in the audience of a play she was performing in, Once Upon A Mattress , back in January 2024. As far back as 2014, the pair danced together in the audience of the Tony Awards, a year that Jackman himself was host. They then began performing together in The Music Man from late 2021, with Jackman posting on X (formally known as Twitter) paying tribute to Foster, calling her 'an exceptional talent and friend'. 'There are hundreds of people who've made this moment happen. But there's one in particular I pay tribute to - [@sfosternyc]{href=' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}. this show is nothing without you,' he wrote. 'You're an exceptional talent and friend. Your joy brings the company of [@MusicManBway]{href=' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} to life. Let's do this!' The post also included a video of the pair doing a dance routine together. Foster posted on Instagram shortly after calling dancing with Jackman 'a dream'.
