Latest news with #JohnPearce
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
UniSuper Turns to Cash to Navigate Market Ructions
Hello, Rich Henderson in Bloomberg's Melbourne bureau with the latest headlines... Today's must-reads: • UniSuper ramps up cash holdings • Demand for Aussie bonds falls • Australia cracks down on crypto ATMs UniSuper is ramping up its holdings of cash to navigate market uncertainty. John Pearce, chief investment officer of the A$149 billion fund, said its cash holdings were approaching Covid 19-era levels as Donald Trump's trade war roils global markets.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Cash Is Key Trump Trade for $96 Billion Australian Pension Fund
One of Australia's largest pension funds, UniSuper, is ramping up its cash holdings to near Covid 19-era levels as President Donald Trump's trade war roils global markets. John Pearce, chief investment officer of the A$149 billion ($96 billion) fund, called cash the 'only risk-free investment' and said his firm was wary of the risk that a rise in US inflation could hit both stocks and bonds simultaneously.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
The Wiggles head to Malaysia as ABC Commercial grows brand's regional reach
This latest deal signals an expanding commercial blueprint for The Wiggles brand, one that places Southeast Asia as a key growth territory in the post-pandemic media landscape. A trusted brand lands in a new market The agreement will see RTM acquire four seasons (Series 4–7) of the Ready, Steady, Wiggle! series for its English-language free-to-air channel. For ABC Commercial, the deal builds on a broader strategy: extending the reach of reliable, educational entertainment across borders. With The Wiggles already established in Australia, North America and the UK, Malaysia becomes the latest addition to a growing list of markets where the brand resonates with preschoolers, and where local broadcasters are actively seeking quality content with cross-cultural appeal. Cultural connection as a growth strategy According to ABC Commercial's Content Sales Manager for Asia and MENA, Alex Zhou, the timing is ideal. 'We're seeing strong demand from broadcasters for safe, smart content that parents can trust,' Zhou said. 'The Wiggles tick all those boxes, they've spent over 30 years combining music, movement and learning in a way that feels joyful and inclusive.' Part of that relatability comes from the group's evolving cast. With John Pearce, the Purple Wiggle, bringing Asian heritage to the screen, the brand's diversity has become a feature, not just a footnote, in how it connects with young viewers globally.
Fox News
05-05-2025
- Science
- Fox News
Archaeologists find proof of grisly gladiator-lion fight in unexpected tourist destination
Archaeologists recently discovered proof of a gladiatorial fight with a lion in an unexpected tourist destination. York, a city in northern England known for its breathtaking medieval architecture, welcomes millions of visitors annually – but its history goes much further back than the Middle Ages. The area was inhabited by the ancient Romans, who founded the city in 71 A.D. and named it Eboracum. Until now, archaeologists weren't sure that gladiatorial fights with lions took place outside of Italy – and didn't have much evidence of these battles, other than Roman art depicting the fights. The recent findings, publicized in the journal PLOS One, analyze a puncture wound that was found on the pelvis of a gladiator buried in a York cemetery. The gladiator lived during the 3rd century A.D. and was between 26 and 35 years old at the time of his death. Analyzing the man's wound, researchers found that the bite mark was made by a big cat, most likely a lion. "Skeletal evidence associated with gladiatorial combat is rare, with most evidence deriving from written or visual sources," the article states. The bite mark was made by a big cat, most likely a lion. "A single skeleton from a Roman cemetery outside of York where gladiators arguably were buried presented with unusual lesions." The piece noted, "Investigation, including comparative work from modern zoological institutions, has demonstrated that these marks originate from large cat scavenging." The discovery is the "first physical evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat from the Roman period seen anywhere in Europe," according to the study's authors. Although researchers believe that the gladiator died in battle, they don't believe the pelvic puncture was the fatal blow. "We don't think that this was the killing wound, as it would be possible to survive this injury, and it is in an unusual location for such a large cat," forensic anthropologist Tim Thompson of Maynooth University said in a statement to Reuters. "We think it indicates the dragging of an incapacitated individual." John Pearce, a Roman archaeologist at King's College London and a co-author of the study, told Reuters that the cat may have been starved before the fight in order to increase its aggression. "Very speculatively, from the gladiator's perspective, perhaps an approach like a matador's would have been applied - to dodge and progressively wound, so as to extend the performance," Pearce said. "In this case, clearly that ended unsuccessfully, with it being likely, given the position of the bite mark, that the lion is mauling or dragging this individual on the ground," he continued. "At the end, when one or both were dead, there would be a burial for the gladiator and the use of the animal carcass for meat for the spectators." The expert added that the discovery reflects the "spectacle culture" central to Roman life. "This new analysis gives us very concrete and specific evidence of a human-animal violent encounter, either as combat or punishment, showing that the big cats caught in North Africa were shown and fought not only in Rome or Italy but also surprisingly widely, even if we don't know how frequently," Pearce concluded. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPReuters contributed reporting to this article.
