spoke to HT about his India visit and the nature of India-Gavi partnership He also looked back at Gavi’s 25-year-old journey; and the changes he foresees in Gavi’s role in helping countries in the future; and the impact of US threatening to pull out as a contributor Professor José Manuel Barroso What was the agenda behind your recent India visit My recent visit to India reinforced the strong Gavi-India partnership and celebrated immunization progress since 2002 The current India-Gavi partnership represents a strong example of immunization collaboration within Gavi-supported countries We are developing a roadmap for our collaboration beyond 2026 shifting towards targeted technical assistance and knowledge sharing as India strengthens its global health leadership and Gavi donor role as part of our strategic partnership we will be supporting the Government of India to roll-out the HPV vaccine in a push to eliminate cervical cancer in the country and halving child mortality in 78 lower-income countries We also bolster global health security through health system support and vaccine stockpiles for Ebola with countries progressively contributing to their vaccine costs We aim to expand our impact in the 2026-2030 period protecting more people against more diseases faster How easy or difficult is it to sustain multilateral partnerships given Gavi is all about public-private global partnerships Maintaining political engagement and alignment across our diverse partners — governments and the private sector — is crucial for long-term sustainability especially amid a complex funding environment What impact do you see of US pulling out as a contributor on Gavi’s functioning While Gavi has not received any official notification regarding changes in US funding recent reports are certainly extremely concerning The US has been a long-standing partner with strong bipartisan support for over 25 years including during the previous administration and Congress recently approved $300 million for Gavi in the FY 2025 budget Any cut to Gavi’s funding would have a devastating impact on our ability to protect children and keep our world safe Gavi operates as an incredibly lean and efficient organisation spending 97 cents of every dollar directly on life-saving programmes and delivering an estimated return of $54 in broader economic benefits for every $1 invested If you could specifically talk about some of the projects/initiatives that are likely to get disrupted The US currently contributes roughly 15% of Gavi’s funding to 75 million fewer children protected during our 2026-2030 strategic period leading potentially to 1.3 million more deaths from preventable illnesses It would directly and negatively impact our capacity to protect the world against infectious disease threats through our global vaccine stockpiles (covering diseases like Ebola yellow fever) and our emergency response funds which have proven crucial in recent events like the mpox outbreak Are there any alternatives that Gavi members are looking at to meet the overall funding requirement Gavi is focused on securing its target of at least $ 9 billion for the 2026-2030 period through contributions from its diverse range of partners we recognize the current global funding environment is very complex and constrained implementing countries themselves are co-financing vaccine programmes at increasing levels contributing nearly half of the costs in the upcoming strategic period 19 countries have already graduated entirely from Gavi support Given this broad existing base and the significant contributions already being made by implementing countries it would be extremely difficult for other partners to make up a major shortfall should one occur do you see any changes in the role that Gavi will be playing while helping needy countries faster; enhanced health security (expanding stockpiles (such as adding mpox meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines); addressing climate change (nearly half our vaccine portfolio addresses diseases sensitive to climate shifts); tailored support (Adapting our support for countries as they develop); and leveraging innovation (Continuing to embrace AI Portuguese Youth International Joins the Fire as U22 Initiative Signing 2025) – Chicago Fire FC today announced that the Club has acquired defender Leonardo Barroso from Sporting CP B via transfer Barroso will occupy a U22 initiative slot and an international roster position His contract with the Fire will run through the 2028 season with a Club option for 2029 “We're very pleased to welcome Leonardo to the Fire He’s coming from an elite environment at Sporting where he worked closely with Filipe Celikkaya who recently joined us as an assistant coach,” said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter “We believe that Leonardo has a very high ceiling and we’re confident he will make an immediate impact His skill set and mentality align well with our vision and we’re excited to see how he contributes to the future success of the Club.” joins Chicago after spending the past two seasons with Sporting CP B of Sporting Lisbon He was recently part of the Sporting CP B side that participated in the Premier League International Cup logging 238 minutes across three matches against Atlético CP Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion The Portuguese youth international originally joined Sporting CP in 2018 when he transferred from the SL Benfica Academy to the Sporting CP Academy at the U-15 age level “I’m very happy to join the Chicago Fire,” said Barroso “The Club has ambitious goals and a very clear plan for 2025 and beyond I’m ready to contribute and give my best on and off the field to help us succeed.” Barroso has represented Portugal from the U-15 through the U-20 youth national teams Barroso represented Portugal at the 2022 UEFA Under-17 Euros helping to guide the squad to the tournament semifinals Barroso played every minute of the tournament for Portugal before falling 7-8 in penalty kicks to eventual champion France He also represented the Portugal U-20 squad in five matches of the European Elite League scoring the lone goal as a right back in the team’s 2-1 win against Poland on Sept Transaction: Chicago Fire FC acquires defender Leonardo Barroso from Sporting CP B via transfer Matt Damon is fully embracing his silver era The 54-year-old actor made a rare red carpet-appearance with his wife Damon sported a full grey beard and tousled hair making him almost unrecognizable as he walked the carpet Thursday night in New York City for the premiere of Shadow Force The Jason Bourne star kept it cool and casual in a navy long-sleeve sweater The couple - who’ve been married since 2005 - looked completely smitten as they posed for photos outside AMC Lincoln Square Damon and Barroso also took photos with Washington and the film’s director Damon and Washington filmed Animals together When Entertainment Tonight asked Damon why he came out to support he didn’t hesitate: “’Cause she’s the best.” Washington echoed the love but quipped that his wife is the real reason he got an invite “I just did a film where he's my boss—Animals with Ben Affleck - and I honestly fell in love with his wife Lucy Damon’s been growing it out for his role in The Odyssey the legendary Greek king known for his long and treacherous journey home after the Trojan War The big-budget adaptation is currently filming and set photos have shown Damon looking impressively bulked up for the physically demanding role While Damon tends to keep a low profile outside of work this rare red carpet-moment reminded fans why he’s still one of Hollywood’s most beloved (and now bearded) stars Reproduction of this article and its photographs in whole or in part is prohibited Lourdes Barroso de Padilla didn’t grow up dreaming of city council Born on the East Side of Columbus to Cuban political refugees “by the skin of my chinny chin chin.” Traditional academics weren’t her thing She found her footing through service with City Year where she spent her days knocking on doors on the South Side trying to convince neighbors to come to the after-school program she helped organize “Proximity changes you,” she says of the experience Connect with the Columbus you don't know. Subscribe to Columbus Monthly's weekly Top Reads newsletter she’s the first Latina ever elected to Columbus City Council Whether she’s working to expand pay equity supporting immigrant and refugee families or representing overlooked neighborhoods “I wanted to see change every day,” she says “And I wanted to be part of that change—not just talk about it.” She still works for City Year in a national role advocating for the service that shaped her own trajectory But the pandemic made her think differently She watched the system’s flaws in real time “I’d spent so much of my life doing hearts-and-minds work,” she says “But I realized that if we want change at scale migrants and refugees have become the leading factor in the city’s population growth yet no one at the decision-making table represented that lived experience Barroso de Padilla grew up bilingual—moving between cultures language can’t be your primary tool,” she says I speak in analogies because they paint pictures Her belief in art as a civic force is earned And it gives people access when words don’t always do the job,” she says With the 614 Beautiful program offered by the city she’s made it easier for neighbors to create beauty on their own terms “No one knows your block like you do,” she says “Our job is to remove the barriers—not prescribe the vision.” she’s championed a pay equity agenda and helped establish Columbus’s first-ever Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Commission—ensuring that people who’ve often been left out of civic decision-making are not only included but empowered “To know Lourdes is to love her,” says Lillian Morales-Laster executive director of the Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy who met Barroso de Padilla as a mentee in the program the city council member once led “She opened doors for me—and for so many others—because she saw our potential she’s fun and she leads in a way that fills your cup.” She’s not just changing policy—she’s changing what leadership looks like and who it’s for And for the next generation of Columbus residents “My wish for 2025 is for people to be intentional in building community that they are intentional in being a good neighbor that they become passionate about what they believe in and that ultimately we are all inspired to act on our beliefs.” This story is from the Inspiring Women feature in the May 2025 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here Chicago Fire FC have acquired defender Leonardo Barroso from Sporting CP B The 19-year-old Portugal youth international fullback occupies U22 Initiative and international roster slots He is under contract through 2028 with an option for 2029 Barroso has 2g/4a in 27 appearances for Sporting CP B the reserve team of famed Portuguese powerhouse Sporting Lisbon "We're very pleased to welcome Leonardo to the Fire who recently joined us as an assistant coach," said Chicago director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter "We believe that Leonardo has a very high ceiling and we’re excited to see how he contributes to the future success of the club." Barroso is Chicago's third new defender signed this winter alongside center backs Jack Elliott (free agent) and Sam Rogers (transfer from Lillestrøm SK) "I'm very happy to join the Chicago Fire," said Barroso “The club has ambitious goals and a very clear plan for 2025 and beyond I'm ready to contribute and give my best on and off the field to help us succeed." Looking to qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017, Chicago officially begin their Berhalter era on Feb. 22 at the Columbus Crew (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant 2024 in New York City. Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Apr 13, 2025At one point in his past, Matt Damon might have thought that marriage wasn't in the cards for him That all changed when The Talented Mr Ripley star wound up meeting his eventual wife: Luciana Barroso “I remember thinking, in my early 30s, that I wouldn’t [get married], you know?” the Oppenheimer actor confessed to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. “I didn’t think it was going to happen for me My brother found his soulmate very young; he’d just turned 26 when they were married He’d been married for 10 years by the time I even met my wife ‘I guess that’s not going to happen for me.’ And then it did.” Here is everything you need to know about Matt Damon's wife The Good Will Hunting star is married to Luciana "Lucy" Barroso Barroso was a single mother to daughter Alexia when she first met the actor.  How and when did Matt Damon meet his wife Luciana?Barroso met the Golden Globe winner in 2003 while she was working as a bartender in Miami Damon was in town filming the comedy Stuck on You and one night he and the crew ended up in her bar “But he had started getting recognized and asked for pictures and autographs and then it got kind of aggressive because people are drinking and stuff and so he came and hid behind my bar … [wanting to] just hang out back there and have a drink I saw you and I really wanted to talk to you.'" you can’t just be standing there!’ He had trained as a bartender for a film years before And he made me a ton of money in tips that night because of course everyone wanted to go and see him So it turned into a really fun night and then 15 years later here we are!” Related: 60 Famous Celebrity Couples Who Will Help You Feel the Love The couple had a connection right off the bat Damon particularly loved that being a mom was her priority.  “We definitely had a connection right away It was so easy to talk to each other [and] we were very comfortable [with each other] and by the end of the night he invited me to go out with his friends I’m not going anywhere' … and that was one of the things he loved ‘I love that you’re a mum and that’s your priority,'" she said but for him it wasn’t," Barroso continued "When you meet somebody that you have a connection with that’s just the person that you have a connection with all the other stuff—the movie-star part—wasn’t really a factor When did Matt Damon and his wife Luciana get engaged?A rep for Damon confirmed the couple's engagement to People in September 2005 Related: 10 of Matt Damon's Best Movie Quotes A few months after it was reported that they were engaged, the pair got married that December in a private ceremony in New York City. The bride's daughter Alexia was present for the ceremony, Today reported at the time The actor's wedding ring means a great deal to Damon.  It wasn’t about the ring; it was about the marriage So when I told my mother that I was marrying Lucy she gave me that ring and there were these six little diamonds We took three of them and we put them on the inside of my band and then we took three and we put them on the inside of her band but we’re hopefully carrying the best part of that union with us." Eight years after they first tied the knot, the couple renewed their vows in 2013 on the island of St. Lucia with roughly 50 guests, including Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, in attendance, according to Us Weekly.  "They've wanted to do it for a long time," a friend told the outlet about the vow renewal "They had a tiny ceremony the first time and wanted to celebrate with family and friends." How many kids do Matt Damon and his wife Luciana have?The Ocean's Eleven star was a stepdad to Barroso's daughter Alexia before becoming a biological father He and his wife welcomed their first child together followed by Gia in 2008 and Stella in 2010 “I jumped into the deep end with Lucy. I mean, Alexia was already 4. I was an extra dad," Damon told Parade in 2011 "The only way I can describe it—it sounds stupid but—at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas Everything is full; it’s just full all the time.” who has his daughters' names tattooed on his right upper arm has spoken about what he has learned as a girl dad.  "I never expected to be surrounded by girls, but it’s great ... You never know which way life’s going to take you," he told Today.com in 2012 not the least of which is how much smarter girls are I operated under the assumption that us guys had a chance but I realized when I was completely wrapped around my two-year-old’s finger If they can do that to us at two years old when they’re fully grown we really don’t stand a chance." Related: Matt Damon Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance With Wife and All 4 Daughters Barroso was previously married to a man named Arbello Barroso, per The Sun calling the Hollywood star "an absolute blessing for my daughter." “I couldn’t possibly have asked for a better stepfather for my daughter than Matt,” he told Star Magazine in a 2014 interview “He treats Alexia like she is his own flesh and blood." his ex-wife and Damon "all have a wonderful relationship," and explained "People have been hunting me down for years Related: What We Know About 'Oppenheimer' Star Matt Damon's Net Worth What has Matt Damon said about his family and marriage to Luciana?While Damon is an A-list star he leads a private life compared to some of his famous pals.  Damon feels fortunate to have married a woman who wasn't in the spotlight.  "I got lucky," he said in a 2013 interview with Esquire Not an actress and not a famous actress at that Because then the attention doesn't double—it grows exponentially Because then suddenly everybody wants to be in your bedroom But I don't really give them anything If I'm not jumping up and down on a bar but they're always going to get the same story—middle-aged married guy with four kids So as long as that narrative doesn't change too much The Martian star has told Parade magazine that he's been "left alone they really don’t have much interest in you Next, Bennifer's Back, So Let's Revisit Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Relationship! Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here It took only one round of voting for Brian Barroso to earn four of the seven votes needed to be selected as Key West’s next city manager The city commission cast votes from among five finalists at its Dec Aaron Castillo and Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez supported Barroso Commissioner Monica Haskell voted for Mark Sohaney Commissioner Sam Kaufman voted for Rod Delostrinos and commissioner Mary Lou Hoover voted for Steve McAlearny City staff are now negotiating a contract with Barroso but indicated in his application that he was eager to move back to the island Barroso’s twin brother Jason Barroso is the city’s fire marshal and a division chief at the fire department.  McAlearny and James Brownlee — were not invited to speak or answer questions Barroso also was not asked to make any comments once the votes were cast then called for a confirmation vote to enable the entire commission to cast votes in support of Barroso to show a united front that is committed to working together for the good of the community.  Barroso is a graduate of Key West High School and works as a banker including the governor-appointed board of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority “I thrive in high-pressure and fast-paced situations striving for positive results by applying my leadership and management abilities,” Barroso wrote in his cover letter I possess expertise in finance and acumen for maximizing performance and inspiring colleagues.” The need for a new city manager was prompted by the commission’s 4-3 vote in June to fire city manager Al Childress without cause despite opposition from dozens of residents who filled city hall to speak in support of him the commission voted 4-3 to declare its intent to seek the maximum number of building permit allocations from the state of Florida which distributes such permits given the Florida Keys’ designation as an Area of Critical State Concern Given the fragility of the Keys and its vulnerability to hurricanes the state has long limited development in the island chain and doled out building permits every 10 years or so Monroe County and the other Keys municipalities are currently formalizing their requests for the next round of permit allocations A group of Keys residents known as the ROGO Coalition have been speaking at public meetings in recent months opposing new development and urging officials to conduct detailed analysis of how many permits are actually needed rather than simply asking for as many as they can get Lee voted in favor of requesting the maximum number of building permits “But let me be clear,” Lee told the Keys Weekly or more vacation rentals or more second and third homes I want every permit we get to be restricted to affordable Lee said he wants the city to have enough permits to cover any potential takings lawsuits which could arise if property owners bought a lot thinking they could build on it and then learn they couldn’t get a permit to do so where more than 2,000 vacant lots could be the subject of potential takings cases “I want us to have enough permits to avoid any takings lawsuits and then use however many are left only on affordable and workforce housing we need to update and amend our land development regulations to close loopholes and ensure that those building permits aren’t approved to be used for anything other than the housing we actually need,” Lee told the Keys Weekly Kaufman initially wanted to postpone the decision of how many permits to request until January the resolution to request the maximum number of permits passed with Lee Get Keys Weekly delivered right to your inbox along with a daily dose of Keys News Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker 2024 in New York City.Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images Jan 23, 2025 11:43 AM ESTWhile he has a tight relationship with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon's wife, Luciana Barroso, comes first. The couple have been married for 19 years, though they've stayed out of the limelight much like Cillian Murphy and his wife and Post Malone with his wife.  “I remember thinking, in my early 30s, that I wouldn’t [get married], you know?” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 “I didn’t think it was going to happen for me The Martian star probably didn’t expect to win an Academy Award for writing Good Will Hunting in 1998 or become Jason Bourne in a hugely successful franchise either.  Here are the details you need to know about Damon's wife She was a single mother to her daughter Alexia when she first crossed paths with Damon in 2003 while she was a bartender in Miami Damon and some of his cast and crew showed up at her bar "Matt’s story is that he saw me across the room and there was a light on me. And I’m like, 'Yeah, it was a nightclub—there were lights everywhere!’” she told Vogue Australia I saw you and I really wanted to talk to you.' " Not long after the press touted the engagement Damon first became a stepfather to Barroso’s daughter The couple also had biological children of their own Damon appreciated Barroso’s dedication to motherhood when they got to know each other I’m not going anywhere'… and that was one of the things he loved ‘I love that you’re a mum and that’s your priority,'" Barroso told Vogue Australia The Ocean’s Eleven star shows no sign of stepping away from his close relationship with Barroso “I jumped into the deep end with Lucy. I mean, Alexia was already 4. I was an extra dad," Damon told Parade in 2011 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Chicago has acquired right back Leonardo Barroso on a permanent transfer from Portugal’s Sporting CP B and was subsequently signed to a deal through the 2028 MLS season with a club option for 2029 will occupy a U22 initiative slot and an international roster position for the Fire “We're very pleased to welcome Leonardo to the Fire He’s coming from an elite environment at Sporting who recently joined us as an assistant coach,” said Chicago Fire director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter in the announcement “We believe that Leonardo has a very high ceiling and we’re confident he will make an immediate impact and we’re excited to see how he contributes to the future success of the club.” Barroso has featured at the international level with several of Portugal’s youth sides Joe’s thoughts:The Fire needed a young right back. The club declined their purchase option on Allan Arigoni’s contract after the 2024 season and Barroso will fill that role even though he doesn’t turn 20 until midway through the MLS season Barroso lacks experience with senior professional sides so the Fire are taking a massive risk by signing him to a long-term deal despite his inexperience at the professional level Gregg Berhalter’s statement mentioned the relationship Barroso has with new Fire assistant coach Filipe Celikkaya so the front office is displaying the behavior of a club that thinks they found a diamond in the rough This type of signing needs to work for the Fire as they look to once again become a side that competes at the top level of Major League Soccer.  Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates! heating up as they head into a tough series in Kansas City earning a rain-shortened victory and rare series win behind timely hitting and bullpen work but failed to complete the sweep on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers Here are three pressing concerns following Sunday's 4-0 loss make sure you're prepared to catch the first-ever live NHL draft lottery LHP Shota Imanaga left Sunday's start with a left hamstring strain Andy Hiraoka had his acid test and passed it by knocking out Ismael Barroso on Tuesday at the Ariake Arena in Koto Ku during their World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight eliminator.  A puncher’s duel meant a finish before the limit and it was the home fighter who came out on top after finishing the fight in the ninth round against the brave Venezuelan.  It was a fight full of exchanges and hard punches in which the physical advantage of the local weighed heavily and was more noticeable with each passing round In the ninth he landed a left to Barroso’s chin and then combined to force him to the canvas Although the southpaw came back only to take more punishment and in the end he was unable to continue in the fight.  of which he has won 19 before the final bell The World Boxing Association (WBA) has officially opened online registration.. Usage of Content   Confidentiality Clause Architecture studio Taller Héctor Barroso is the designer of the 13-unit residential complex built at Antonio Maceo 8 in the densely populated Escandón neighbourhood in Mexico City The homes are grouped into four five-story concrete volumes whose morphology adapts to the urban context in which they are located Connected by a central communications core the four volumes rise above the adjacent buildings to extend their interior spaces to the outside through their terraces or balconies These balconies are oriented in such a way that they receive a large amount of natural light and allow the building to improve its cross ventilation The complex at Antonio Maceo 8 shows us how Taller Héctor Barroso has designed the one- and two-story homes as pieces that fit together in a balanced way Both the entrance to the homes and the stairs to the second floors lead to or emerge from a large living-dining room that is separated from the rest of the rooms by the distribution corridors Using exposed concrete made in light browns an aesthetic and visual connection is achieved with the colours of the Escandón neighbourhood the green vegetation becomes one of the distinctive features of the project Project description by Taller Héctor Barroso and the popular neighborhoods are gradually being redensified to house more inhabitants The Antonio Maceo 8 (AM8) residential building is part of this process –a response to the growth of the Escandón neighborhood Four concrete volumes stand behind a heritage-listed façade containing 13 apartments on five levels to make the most of the site conditions This architecture seeks to humanize the compositional pattern centralizing the services to generate an open-plan layout adaptable to the users’ needs The serene spaces created in this way respond to their orientation and provide cross-lighting and ventilation through balconies and intermediate levels which are also useful for extending the boundaries of the interior Its circulation elements –the stairways– resemble indecipherable labyrinths although their form expresses the diverse inhabitation modes corresponding to the program they host inside in a rhythm that eventually composes a cheerful harmony Taller Héctor Barroso César Béjar, Rory Gardiner Archive Architecture Brian Barroso’s tenure as city manager started Jan a day after the city commission unanimously approved his employment contract with little fanfare at their Jan The two-year contract includes a starting salary of $215,000 that will increase to $230,000 after a six-month probationary period The contract also states that salary and benefit discussions will be reopened after Barroso’s first year provided that he “has made substantial progress in obtaining certification as a Florida Certified Public Manager by the Florida City and County Management Association or has achieved ‘candidate status’ with the International City/County Management Association The city will reimburse Barroso up to $10,000 for relocation expenses from Charlotte North Carolina and will provide him with a monthly $500 car allowance The contract will automatically renew for an additional two years in 2027 unless one party wants to change or terminate it.  Barroso grew up in Key West and worked in banking and finance including the governor-appointed board of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and as a past president of the Rotary Club of Key West is the city’s fire marshal and a division chief at the fire department who was fired in June 2024 during a contentious meeting that ended with a 4-3 vote to terminate his contract who had been the assistant city manager under Childress has worked as interim manager since last summer Stoughton did not apply for the permanent position and will work alongside Barroso during the transition.  “The office of the city manager is responsible for the complete administrative management and delivery of city services and programs,” states the city’s website The city manager responds to the needs of the public by proactively seeking public feedback as the city’s chief executive officer and acts as a liaison among the various departments of the government the citizens of Key West and the city commission.  All department heads The city manager’s department provides executive leadership in managing all departments and enterprises of the city.” I have been watching the Juan Barroso story unfold hoping someone in a town leadership position would acknowledge and correct the injustice done to him and his family I have seen our amazing community come together to support Mr but have noticed pure silence from our “leaders.” Juan Barroso upset the political establishment in our town About a week before the 2023 Kearny mayoral election I attended the annual Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA) fundraiser dinner I was the only mayoral candidate who showed up to support this important event Juan approached me and asked if I would like to address the dinner attendees Recognizing this was an event to benefit the firefighters’ union I stated how proud I was to have grown up in a union household and assured the crowd I would always support the right for workers to organize and collectively bargain for fair wages and benefits Barroso received a “Letter of Investigation.” He was suspended without pay he was given the option to come back to work with a demotion taking a huge pay cut and giving up some vacation pay None of us can afford a pay cut in today’s economy especially not a family with three kids and a fourth on the way I should point out: There are several examples of employees in town who were caught (some on video surveillance) committing far worse mistakes usually because they know someone in the right position Most of these people still work in their same positions I agree town employees should not and cannot do two jobs at the same time But it is extremely important to note there are several town and county employees who hold two or more public jobs Some of these employees are even scheduled the same exact hours for two different positions in two different locations Would that ever work in the private sector How many of us get paid to be at two different jobs at the same exact time some of our town employees and local politicians enjoy this benefit The reason behind this is simple: they know the right people in power while others like Juan are held to a different standard because he upset the powers that be with a simple act of perceived “defiance.” We should all be disgusted by these political games and schemes We need to hire and promote people based only on their qualifications We cannot deny a job or a promotion or fire or demote someone based on their race sexual preference or political affiliation There have been several examples of people who were forced to switch political parties to obtain a public job This is totally unacceptable and goes against every fundamental principle of our democracy because it is the taxpayers and residents who ultimately suffer the consequences when you hire based on association rather than qualification Juan has been an exemplary pillar of our community He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars not only for his union brothers and sisters but also for other great organizations such as Camp Fatima and it’s time for our elected officials to break the silence and defend Mr I hope this letter encourages them to do so Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Please use this form even if you've subscribed previously using one of our other platforms — like Mailchimp Signing up here will ensure you'll be notified whenever we post something new .. or you may choose a different delivery frequency Looking for an old issue of The Observer? Our online archive goes back to 2013 — and by clicking here please contact the Kearny Public Library at (201) 998-2666 It looks like nothing was found at this location your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt The European Union has given up hope that Ukraine will ever succeed in recovering Crimea the peninsula that Russia unlawfully seized in 2014 the former president of the European Commission while underlining his support for the country Barroso was in office at the time the annexation happened and remembers how European Union leaders jostled behind the scenes to build a unified front against President Vladimir Putin's expansionism "In the back of our minds or the minds of the European governments was that Crimea is a special case nobody believes that Ukraine is going to get back Crimea That's the reality," Barroso told Euronews in an exclusive interview The former Commission chief acknowledged his comments were "delicate" as they put him directly at odds with the long-standing position of Ukraine which firmly advocates for the complete recovery of all Russian-occupied territories as of 1991 borders "We will force Russia to face reality, namely international law, the power of global solidarity, and the need to restore full justice for Ukraine, ultimately a lasting peace for our entire land," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in September while speaking at the Crimea Platform a yearly summit devoted to the recovery of the Black Sea peninsula a spokesperson for the European Commission "This is a consistent position the EU member states agreed in all relevant European Council conclusions since 2014," the spokesperson said Throughout the interview, Barroso stressed he had "no doubts" about the bloc's duty to support Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion that began in February 2022, arguing the war has evolved into a "global conflict" due to the participation of North Korean troops and represents an "existential challenge" for the entire world "Whatever happens with our American friends, we should support Ukraine," he said, referring to the election of Donald Trump, which has stoked fears that Washington might soon cut off assistance and leave Europe to back Ukraine on its own. "What is at stake in Ukraine is a fundamental issue for all the world. The so-called Global South are looking," he went on. "Are the Europeans, and the Americans as well, strong enough to defend their convictions or are they going to give up? This is very important." In his interview with Euronews, recorded on Tuesday afternoon, Barroso recalled the diplomatic squabble to outline a common EU response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. Back then, he said, there were three options on the table: declare war on Russia, impose sanctions, or settle for a statement of condemnation. With "strong support" from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, then a member state, the bloc opted for the second option – sanctions – but opposition quickly emerged to water down the plans, Barrososo said. "The first one was in fact, [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán. Orbán said: 'I don't agree with sanctions because there will be counter-sanctions, it will be negative for us. But if there is a consensus, I will not oppose it,'" he recalled. The Netherlands was "quite insular" in its views while Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Slovakia displayed "some level of ambiguity," he explained. Making matters more complicated, member states could not agree on what sort of sanctions they wanted to apply. "That's why, at the end of the day, the sanction package was relatively minimalist compared to what happened afterward," Barroso said. The penalties included an arms embargo, an import ban on Crimea-made goods, an export ban on sensitive technology and restrictions on Russia's state-owned banks, among other measures. Dozens of separatists in Eastern Ukraine were blacklisted. In the aftermath of the full-scale invasion, the 2014 sanctions came under intense scrutiny for the limited scope and inability to curtail Moscow's military might. "Governments were not ready to go further. That is the reality. The Commission (was) ready to go further, but governments were not ready to go further because of their own interests," Barroso admitted. "It was an extremely difficult situation." During his 10 years in office, Barroso met with Vladimir Putin 25 times, granting him privileged access to the Russian leader's obscure thinking. According to Barroso, Putin "does not want Ukraine to exist". Alternatively, he envisions a "vassal state" like Belarus, without an independent foreign and defence policy. "Putin does not want to come to the Russian people and say: 'OK, we have gained some more territory, a little bit of Donbas, a little bit of Crimea.' No. The goal of Putin was to avoid Ukraine (from being) a country. I know because I spoke with him about this," Barroso said, evoking his private conversations with the Russian leader. "He said to me: 'Why are you defending Ukraine? You know very well that Ukraine is an artificial country created by the CIA and by the European Commission.' I told him: 'Look, if it was the European Commission who created Ukraine, I should be informed.'" It is up to the EU to decide whether Putin should be allowed to fulfill his neo-imperialist vision or have his impulses contained, Barroso argued. "Are we going to support Ukraine in a way that Ukraine can be a country or are we going to say: 'OK, Mr Putin, you are stronger, we are weak, you can take Ukraine. It's not so important for us.' That's the question," he went on. Asked if he supports Ukraine's EU aspirations, Barroso said the bloc had never admitted a country that was still fighting a war, making it impossible for Brussels to commit to a date by which Kyiv could be ready to join. In the meantime, "we should do everything to help Ukraine to become a member". Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Former European Commission President and Chair of Goldman Sachs International Advisors José Manuel Barroso believes it will be damaging for Europe, China as well as world economy if EU stops trade with China. He speaks with Minmin Low and Haslinda Amin from the sidelines of the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference APAC 2025. (Source: Bloomberg) Andy Hiraoka scored a significant victory when he ended the challenge of the Florida-based Venezuelan cult hero Ismael Barroso after 2:58 of the ninth round. Yokohama’s Hiraoka improved to 24-0 (19 KOs) after a fight he controlled via distance, pace and even power. Barroso was restricted to a few optimistic swings as he tried to cause the momentum to change, but he repeatedly came up short and he had been dropped three times when the end came. Barroso, allegedly 41 years of age and always gutsy, is now 25-5-2 (23 KOs), but he soaked up jabs throughout. Hiraoka was using his speed and range while the crab-like Barroso aimed to time the Japanese fighter’s shots with counters. The opening round was slow, and in many ways the dye was cast early. Hiraoka was taller, longer, faster – and had the power to negate Barroso’s rushes. Barroso tried to make things happen more in the third, but Hiraoka’s ability to take a half step back and prod Barroso with a jab meant the Venezuelan visitor couldn’t sufficiently close the gap to alter the pattern of the fight. Barroso’s heralded power – which secured the stoppage of Ohara Davies in a round in January – meant he remained a threat, but Barroso was often out of range and Hiraoka, dropping his lead hand to his waist, picked away with his jab to control the distance and pace of the contest. Barroso was cracked by a right in the fifth – he regardless flashed a left off Hiraoka’s chin near the end of the session – but in the sixth Hiraoka caught a lunging Barroso with a cuffing right hook that ensured Barroso hit the canvas for the first time and caused him to fall further adrift on the cards. At the end of the next, Hiraoka crashed in a left-right as Barroso began to slow further still. Hiraoka bled from a small cut under his right eye in the seventh and Barroso, in the eighth, did some of his better work as he managed to close the distance and connect with both gloves. But with a minute left in the ninth, Hiraoka landed a booming left hand and it changed everything. Barroso retreated but wilted under pressure and, although he made it back to his feet, he was down again moments later and the referee called it off before the end of the session. Barroso’s face was swollen and lumpy and he had been well beaten. The pumped-up Hiraoka, 28, called out WBA junior-welterweight champion Jose Valenzuela. “I’m coming for you, bro,” said the winner. This website may contain adult language. TM & © 2025 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. This website may contain adult language TM & © 2025 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved « Back selected Brian Barroso as city manager at their meeting on Thursday The selection was the final step in a process that began in June when then-City Manager Al Childress was fired by a different city commission and former Assistant City Manager Todd Stoughton Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Breaking news and news alerts as they happen Weekly headlines from the Florida Keys Free Press Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Russia is the “first to be interested in having Europe associated” with future talks on peace in Ukraine, José Manuel Barroso, the former president of the European Commission, told Euronews in a live interview on Friday morning hours after the EU’s 27 leaders wrapped up a summit in Brussels Putin said it already: there will be no peace without the lifting of sanctions that have been imposed by the European Union,” Barroso explained “Sooner or later the European Union will come because there will be no peace without the European Union the EU has been largely excluded from telephone diplomacy between the US Ukrainian and Russian presidents and from the technical talks happening between their teams in the Middle East France’s Emmanuel Macron and the UK’s Keir Starmer are rallying a coalition of like-minded countries willing to play their part in a potential future ceasefire and peace agreement but they have not so far been directly involved in talks But Barroso says Russia will inevitably want to table the lifting of the EU’s sanctions in any potential peace talks The bloc has adopted an unprecedented 16 packages of wide-ranging sanctions since the outbreak of the war more than three years ago in a bid to cripple the Kremlin’s war-chest Despite Hungary mounting opposition to the measures at several points the bloc has always managed to convince Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban to agree to deepen sanctions a decision that requires the unanimous blessing of all member states Last week, Budapest dropped its veto on the renewal of sanctions targeted at high-profile Russians “I was in the (European) Commission in 2014 when already then Mr Orban opposed sanctions on Russia the EU adopted 16 packages of sanctions,” Barroso explained The former Commission chief spoke hours after a summit of EU leaders wrapped up in Brussels Hungary vetoed the conclusions on Ukraine due to its opposition to Kyiv’s accession to the bloc and the EU’s ‘peace through strength’ strategy to heavily arm Ukraine as a deterrence to Russian invasion the bloc said it was ready to impose further sanctions on the Kremlin Barroso denied that the EU’s unity was unravelling saying it’s “natural” to have rifts and remarkable that as many as 26 countries can agree on such a wide range of matters "Can you show me any other place in the world where we have 26 countries agreeing on so many matters as the European Union?" Barroso asked "It's a complete mistake to think that because one or two countries have different opinions that the European Union cannot act," he went on explaining that the EU treaties allow a group of countries to move forward on initiatives without unanimity Barroso also said that the gravity of the current geopolitical situation will inevitably mean that the EU will act citing Finland and Sweden's accession into NATO and the tweaking of Germany's debt brake as clear signs of their readiness to take unprecedented action I feel the need to write about the situation with Juan Barroso It is important to add I am a proud daughter of a retired Bayonne firefighter niece of a retired Jersey City fire captain active two cousin firefighters with Jersey City but most importantly I cannot get away from the firefighter talk but it has made me knowledgeable and appreciative for all that they do (it’s more than just fires covering and attending other jurisdictions’ fires — it’s being up all hours of the day and night to serve) Since having family on different departments I am fully aware of how politics can play a part in their career he came to our house to inspect that my husband resided in Kearny my husband excitingly went through the process to become a Kearny firefighter who would check-in on my husband during the much-anticipated academy that was postponed to the hot summer months during Covid when my daughter was about a month old our family was grateful the town pushed for a class to be employed and go through the academy during the pandemic I have heard Juan exemplify what it means to be a brother in a fire department that I have often heard it being referred to as a brotherhood Whether it was Juan checking in with my husband and as of last fall becoming the Kearny union FMBA president Did you know the town spent about three years negotiating on a contract and STILL they are one of the lowest-paid departments in the state of New Jersey and the lowest in Hudson County It was not a shock that after getting a much-anticipated contract these men chose Juan with belief that he could make it better for their future Juan is a stand-up guy who fights for what he believes in need to work another job to make ends meet will communicate being a firefighter is the best career and they love what they do It was not shocking to hear Juan having another job I can’t imagine losing pay with three children and a baby on the way The events that happened after he became Kearny union president were shocking and provided me with great sadness While I may not know the specifics of what happened to Juan I have heard of firefighters from other departments making bigger mistakes and having less of a penalty To suspend someone who has done so much for this town of Kearny While the town launches this campaign of its an internal investigation it’s ironic to me how he got suspended again right after the town council meeting where a Kearny resident and the president of New Jersey state FMBA spoke about him getting his rightful position back While the town council is the first to run for a photo opportunity or when there’s a fire in town go on social media to type how proud they are of Kearny’s bravest (and finest might I add) I cannot bite my tongue anymore as this is when words and actions mean the most While I have two children and was not able to attend in person I observed all those who love Juan and stand for him I saw firefighters supporting their brother I saw a community rallying around Juan who has done so much for the town of Kearny I don’t condone profanity or threats of any kind as I read Mrs many longstanding democracies have begun to wither crumbling under the slow yet advancing spread of authoritarian populism explored the foundations of basic democracy in the shadow of rising authoritarian populism the numerous causes of the global push towards populism and its potentially devastating consequences The winning political ideology of the 20th century—constitutional democracy—prevailed over all other alternatives and nationalism to military regimes and religious fundamentalism “Constitutional democracy is a concept that contains two sides of the same coin One side is popular sovereignty: free and fair elections and the rule of the majority Most constitutional democracies around the world have in their institutional arrangement a Supreme Court that arbitrates the tensions that appear between those two sides of the coin,” said Justice Barroso authoritarian populism bears the mark of personalistic and charismatic leaders that manipulate the fears often promising simple and mistaken solutions for complex problems.” and anti-institutional wave that poses serious risks to the hard-won constitutional democracies of the 20th century This wave is now known to us as authoritarian populism often promising simple and mistaken solutions for complex problems,” said Justice Barroso populism has the capacity to be right-wing or left-wing the main risks today come from far-right populism and its division of society into “Us vs and the liberal elites,” elaborated Justice Barroso seems to have gone wrong recently in various parts of the world What we see now in numerous countries has been given many names: “democratic recession,” “democratic backsliding,” “illiberal democracy,” and “autocratic legalism,” among others the erosion of democracy today does not come via military coup d’état—rather begin to progressively deconstruct the pillars our democracies “We have seen this advance of authoritarian populism in countries like France this was linked to the dysfunctions of democracy: democracy in many parts of the world has failed to deliver its promises of prosperity and equal opportunities for everyone authoritarian populism flows through these failures of democracy,” said Justice Barroso “Democracy is not delivering enough satisfaction where its representation of the people is concerned.” the political causes of the rise in authoritarian populism begin with a deficit of representation in the electoral systems members of the general public do not feel that they have relevance or a voice in the electoral system—a notion that is being felt across nations much of this dispiritedness is reflected in doubts and criticisms of the Electoral College no one is satisfied with their electoral system,” said Justice Barroso “Democracy is not delivering enough satisfaction where its representation of the people is concerned.” This erosive view of democracy is often coupled with a growing negativity in the overall popular perception of politics and politicians: the belief that politics revolve more around the interests of politicians themselves rather than the interests of the society as a whole Socio-economic issues have also contributed to the rise of authoritarian populism: the persistence of poverty worldwide and social stagnation that has led to a general lack of upward mobility “Globalization and the knowledge economy have negatively impacted many segments of the society in different parts of the world and the impressive rise of AI will further impact our socioeconomic conditions,” he said “One feature of authoritarian populism is the need to have enemies and to have some social group to blame the blame now is diversity—diversity has become the ‘cause of accidents.’” A shift in culture has also contributed to the rise of authoritarian populism Increasing liberal and progressive values in democracies have enabled significant progress in the rights of several marginalized communities—including women these advancements challenge the longstanding power structures in our societies “These advancements diminished the power of traditional hegemonic sectors and this is something we’ve seen in the United States,” said Justice Barroso and between globalists and nationalists have emerged And now we increasingly see the search for scapegoats for major problems from crime and unemployment to cultural transformations One feature of authoritarian populism is the need to have enemies and to have some social group to blame the blame now is diversity—diversity has become the ‘cause of accidents,’” said Justice Barroso Rising authoritarian populism has already led to severe consequences in all corners of the world and social implications that will likely impact us for years to come The loss of civility and the need to morally disqualify whoever disagrees with the authoritarian populist leader. “To disqualify the opponent is a permanent strategy in a world in which being civil means treating everyone with respect and concern despite people having a different view of the world (which extremist view of the world capturing the conservative camp. Democracy has room for different views of the worlds: for liberals “But the problem with extremism is that it is not a political view It is the intolerance of the ‘other,’” said Justice Barroso The political manipulation of people’s religion. “Authoritarian populism captures religious leaders to advance their purposes and the rhetoric revolves around speaking derogatorily of their opponents who think differently than them,” said Justice Barroso The loss of truth and the use of social media to spread disinformation and conspiracy theories. “Lying is not a decent way of living life Lying cannot be a legitimate strategy in life and in politics,” said Justice Barroso The major disregard for knowledge institutions. “This disdain is evident in the attacks on the press This is another page in the playbook of populism: they don’t like people who think and see what is actually going on,” said Justice Barroso Justice Barroso presented a clear and necessary path forward in order to curtail the intensification of authoritarian populism worldwide the courts alone are not capable of resisting authoritarian populism There must be the participation of civil society and at least part of the political class in order to succeed,” he said These will be times of resistance and efforts to keep the lights on.” democracy is currently experiencing a period of discreditation around the world Many people no longer identify with the values that have brought us here: substantive freedom Many others have not benefitted from these values We must keep in mind that democracy has not fulfilled the promises it made,” he continued These will be times of resistance and efforts to keep the lights on History is not linear—it’s made up of advances and setbacks and as intellectuals is to push history in the right direction And the right direction is that of good justice and the inclusion of all,” concluded Justice Barroso. ■ The President of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruled on Monday (9) that military police officers in São Paulo must mandatorily use body cameras during operations The measure aims to prevent violations of fundamental rights and was issued within the scope of the Suspension of Injunction (SL) 1696 filed by the State Public Defender’s Office with the support of Conectas and Plataforma JUSTA The use of body cameras by police officers to record footage during interventions has been advocated for by public security and human rights experts One of the main advantages is the reduction in police lethality during interventions due to the use of the equipment Another important point is the increased safety it provides for the officers themselves as well as an improvement in the quality of evidence for criminal prosecutions producing more robust proof for judicial review “The decision is the result of the tireless efforts of civil society to ensure oversight and reduce lethality in police actions consolidating the use of technology as a tool to strengthen the democratic rule of law,” said Gabriel Sampaio Director of Litigation and Advocacy at Conectas.  Barroso emphasized that the current situation represents a setback in the protection of rights and could compromise public security In addition to mandating the use of body cameras the São Paulo government must comply with a series of directives the state government must submit monthly reports on the progress of the measures regarding the contract signed between the Military Police and the winning bidder Although the state government claimed that actions were underway the minister deemed the progress insufficient “The data presented demonstrates the need to reinforce the fulfillment of the commitments made by the State of São Paulo The protection of fundamental rights and public order cannot be neglected,” said Barroso 2025 - Conectas Human Rights - Postal Code 47 - São Paulo (SP) Brazil - ZIP: 01032-970 - Phone: +55 (11) 3884-7440 Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information Andrés Barroso joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its transactional team in Mexico City, the firm announced Monday. Barroso advises Mexican and foreign companies on financing operations, securities, and other deals. He also advises on capital markets in Mexico, the firm said. This story was produced by Bloomberg Law Automation. AI-powered legal analytics, workflow tools and premium legal & business news. Log in to keep reading or access research tools. This is Radio Schuman, your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond. From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs, this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans. Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics. No agenda, no argument, no bias, No Comment. Get the story without commentary. Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society. Europe's water is under increasing pressure. Pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. Video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters, from Euronews. We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source, analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing. We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt. Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has expressed strong confidence in Friedrich Merz, Germany's likely next Chancellor, describing him as a “resolute and determined” leader poised to prioritise the country’s economic and defence needs. In a recent interview with Euronews, Barroso lauded Merz's understanding of Germany's current challenges and his potential to provide critical leadership, not only to Germany but also to the European continent. “I think he’s going to make it clear that the priorities for Germany are the economy and defence, which for me is obvious. That’s where the politicians in Germany should focus their attention,” Barroso stated. He went on to highlight Merz's potential to steer Germany and Europe toward greater unity, particularly at a time when leadership is needed most. Merz, the leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has already outlined three key topics that he aims to address in upcoming coalition negotiations: curbing migration, strengthening the economy and determining Europe’s foreign and security policy. With a specific focus on economic revitalisation, Merz has underscored the importance of safeguarding Germany's industrial base, a sentiment he hopes will resonate with his coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), led by the incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “We have to preserveindustrial jobs in Germany,” Merz emphasised, acknowledging the significant role the sector plays in the country's economic strength. In a broader European context, Merz faces the challenge of uniting a continent where many leaders are preoccupied with domestic concerns. Yet, the stakes are high for Merz to bridge the gap and provide leadership at a time when recent shifts in US policy have strained the transatlantic alliance. His leadership is seen as crucial in filling a leadership vacuum within the European Union, particularly as European nations confront global challenges. As part of his strategy, Merz has emphasised the importance of European unity, particularly in matters concerning NATO’s future role and defence spending. The upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled for late June, looms as a critical moment for Merz and European leaders to come together and make key decisions on transatlantic relations and Europe’s defence commitments. "We will have a NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June. By then at the latest, it must be clear how the transatlantic relationship will develop. And by then at the latest, it must also be clear what contribution Europe is prepared to make to defence within NATO,” Merz stated. One of Merz's more notable pledges is to reduce Europe’s dependence on the United States, an ambition that has garnered praise from Barroso, who described Merz’s stance as "exceptional." Despite Merz’s historically pro-American stance - having worked with US companies for a large chunk of his career - he has made it clear that Europe must take a stronger leadership role, especially in light of recent international developments. "Friedrich Merz has been an ‘Atlanticist,’ he’s a pro-American. In fact, in his professional life, he’s also worked with United States companies," Barroso explained. "So he has no prejudice against the United States," Barroso continued. "On the contrary, considering the latest developments, he thinks it’s important to show leadership on the European level, and that is what I think Europe needs now." While Merz remains hopeful that the US will continue to view European stability as an integral part of its own interests, he also warned of the unacceptable notion of the US striking deals with Russia without consulting European allies. "It is unacceptable if the Americans strike a deal with Russia over the heads of the Europeans, over the heads of Ukraine," Merz said, underscoring his commitment to ensuring that Europe has a seat at the table in critical geopolitical discussions. As Merz prepares for what could be a pivotal role in Germany’s leadership, all eyes will be on his ability to navigate domestic challenges while fostering a united, strong European front on the world stage. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Matt Damon and Luciana Damon have been married since 2005 and share four kids with a future shining brighter than the lights at Soldier Field crosses the Atlantic to join a team still trying to find its identity isn’t just another player; he could be the breath of fresh air the team desperately needs to shake off its past and finally make a mark in Major League Soccer (MLS) a club known for shaping talents like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luís Figo Barroso carries more than just stats with him his 2 goals and 4 assists in 27 games for Sporting B are impressive but it’s the context that makes his story stand out This kid isn’t just a prospect; he’s the kind of player who radiates ambition something the Chicago Fire have been sorely lacking Follow MLS Multiplex on X (Twitter). you know these last few years have been a test of patience the club has been stuck outside of the MLS playoffs And that’s not just a problem; it’s an outright insult to a city like Chicago and fans expect nothing less than the best from their teams when Gregg Berhalter announces a signing like Leonardo Barroso you can almost feel the faint stirrings of hope He’s not bringing Barroso in just to fill a spot on the roster He sees in this young Portuguese player something that’s been missing from the Fire: a winning mentality and raw talent that can be refined into something special While other MLS teams are spending big and building strong identities along with defenders Jack Elliott and Sam Rogers signals that the club is finally serious about building a solid defense Barroso comes in as an international player under the U22 Initiative showing that the Fire are thinking long-term But he also seems ready to deliver results right now Coming from one of the best youth development systems in Europe Barroso has already worked with Filipe Celikkaya That connection could be the missing link to help him adapt quickly to the American game which is intense physically and tactically demanding what exactly can we expect from this young Portuguese talent he’s a fullback who’s just as comfortable going forward as he is defending His stats show he likes to push up the field but without neglecting his defensive duties That kind of balance is rare and incredibly valuable especially in a league where fullbacks are often stretched thin covering a lot of ground and facing speedy opponents Even the best European talents have struggled to adjust But with Barroso’s past work with Celikkaya and now being under Berhalter’s guidance that could be the edge he needs to make the transition a little easier © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"75","src":"76","url":"77"},{"type":"74","value":"78"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"7b","url":"7c"},{"type":"7a","value":"7d"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands he’s covered CONCACAF teams as a sports journalist With a degree in Communications and Marketing Arthur worked at Boca Raton FC when the Florida squad was battling it out in the APSL and NPSL Arthur worked with Torcedores and Esportes News Mundo and Mexican versions of VAVEL before landing at Fansided Arthur’s a polyglot aiming to speak nine languages by 2030 Follow MLS Multiplex on X (Twitter). Barroso is bringing hope that he can finally lead the Chicago Fire back to the playoffs Further progress made at the Barroso Lithium Project the developer of the Barroso Lithium Project (the 'Project') in Portugal one of the European Commission's 'Strategic Projects' under the Critical Raw Materials Act and Europe's largest spodumene lithium deposit is pleased to provide an update on a number of ongoing Project workstreams The Company continues to make good progress towards completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study ('DFS') and licencing phase in the Project's overall development into a key asset in Europe's lithium battery value chain ·    Strategic Project status: The Project was classified as a 'Strategic Project' by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act and hence will benefit "from coordinated support by the Commission Member States and financial institutions to become operational" ·    Definitive Feasibility Study: o  Fieldwork: Good progress continues to be made with the phase 2 drilling programme with up to 6 drill rigs working in parallel across multiple orebodies 71 holes have been drilled for 6,916m in the planned 117/c.13,000m programme o  Assays were received from the first 20 holes (see RNS 27 March 2025) with a number of notable intercepts reported including 26m @ 1.40% Li2O from 70m in hole 25PNRRC027 at Pinheiro and 23.1m @ 1.28% Li2O from 99m in hole 25RESRC054 at Reservatório o  Work on all other fronts is proceeding as scheduled including considerable progress in 3D modelling processing plant equipment specification and vendor engagement ·    JORC Resources & Exploration upside: o  Ahead of new JORC Resource estimates later in the year for Grandão Savannah reconfirms the overall JORC (2012) compliant Resource including the upgraded NOA resource announced in May 2024 which includes 18.7Mt at 1.03% Li2O in the Measured and Indicated categories o  The current drilling programme continues to demonstrate the existing orebodies remain open along strike and at depth while a separate exploration programme (see 22 January 2025 RNS) highlighted significant lithium mineralisation located at additional locations on the Project's two Mining Leases ·    Environmental licencing: Commencement of preparation of the "Plano De Lavra" (Mining Plan) and good progress made with continuing RECAPE works and required field studies o  The Environmental Impact Assessment and accompanying Preliminary Design report for the 16km bypass road will be submitted to the Portuguese Environmental Agency in the coming days o  Preliminary design for the internal haul roads between the processing plant and mining areas is nearing completion o  Preparations are being made for the geotechnical fieldwork required on the northern access road following completion of its design ·    Land: Savannah has maintained its dual approach to land acquisition and access with a further 3 properties purchased under its land acquisition programme while also continuing with the process to secure compulsory purchase rights over land it does not own ·    Stakeholder engagement: The team continued to engage regularly with local stakeholders through supporting and sponsoring local events and providing accurate information on key aspects of the Project particularly around the topics of land and access ·    Recruitment: The team in Portugal was further expanded including with more recruits from the local community ·    Next Steps: Over the remainder of H1 2025 Savannah will continue to push on with all its workstreams as it looks to finalise the DFS and make its submission for the final confirmatory phase of the Environmental Licence by the end of the year "The team has continued to make good progress with the Project's many workstreams over recent months as we get ever closer to our long-term objective of lithium production We are now over halfway through the current drilling programme and have passed a number of other milestones during this period the validation given to the Project by the European Commission through its classification as a 'Strategic Project' provides great assurance that our efforts alongside the ongoing support of our shareholders and growing support by the Project's many stakeholders we look forward to continuing with the Project's development and providing regular updates on our progress." Strategic Project classification under European Critical Raw Materials Act In late March 2025 the European Commission announced the selection of the Barroso Lithium Project as one of the first 47 projects considered 'Strategic' for Europe under the Critical Raw Materials Act ('CRMA') critical raw material projects which are classified as Strategic "will be able to benefit from coordinated support by the Commission Member States and financial institutions to become operational notably regarding access to finance and support to connect with relevant off-takers They will also benefit from streamlined permitting provisions to ensure predictability for project promoters while safeguarding environmental the permit-granting process will not exceed 27 months for extraction projects and 15 months for other projects" The DFS is the detailed analysis of the technical commercial and economic feasibility of the Project Recent progress on DFS-related matters includes: ·    Drilling Programme: The second phase of drilling required to complete updates on the Project's JORC compliant Resource as well as gathering outstanding geotechnical and hydrogeological data continues to progress well With a total of 6 drill rigs (3 diamond core and 3 reverse circulation) working across the Pinheiro Reservatório and Grandão deposits a total of 71 holes have been drilled for 6,916m Savannah is well passed the halfway point in its planned 117 hole/13,000m programme and has now also passed the milestone of 40,000m of drilling on the Project to date Barroso Lithium Project summary map showing deposits and drill hole locations ·    Significant intercepts and assays to date: Savannah reported late last month (see 27 March 2025 RNS for full details) that it had received assay results from the first 20 holes drilled (7 at Pinheiro 10 at Reservatório and 3 at Grandão) including results from 14 complete holes and 6 pre-collars which still require diamond drill tails to fully test the pegmatite target Highlights of those initial results included: 26m @ 1.40% Li2O from 70m in hole 25PNRRC027 and 21m @ 1.26% Li2O from 95m in hole 25PNRRC026 with the previous trend for pegmatite widths being thicker and have higher lithium grades than originally modelled continuing from the Phase 1 programme last year The initial results also confirmed mineralisation continues along strike to the north and south in both the Western and Eastern Pegmatites further highlighting the additional resource potential Recent Reverse Circulation drilling at Pinheiro o  At Reservatório significant mineralised intersections included 23.1m @ 1.28% Li2O from 99m in hole 25RESRC054 and 21m @ 1.10% Li2O from 68m in hole 25RESRC053 the RC drilling has shown good continuity of contained lithium grades within the depth extension of the pegmatite which builds further confidence in the existing geological model and current JORC (2012) compliant Resource estimate for Reservatório of 4.2Mt at 0.94% Li2O initial results included 9m @ 1.38% Li2O from 2m in hole 25GRARC136 confirming that mineralisation continues in the shallow extensions of the deposit ·    Future assays results: Samples from the remaining 51 holes are being processed at the laboratory and Savannah expects to be receiving the next set of results during the current quarter Once reviewed and evaluated Savannah will announce relevant results in due course ·    Site layout: Progress continues to be made on the design of the internal and project access roads (see the Infrastructure section below for further details about roads) Savannah expects the roads footprint to be finalised within weeks. This will complete the required site layout which is also an important element in the project's RECAPE ·    3D Model: The 3D model for the Project is now complete (see Figure 3) ·    Mining: Life Of Mine scheduling work continued with the objective to obtain more detailed data on mining as well as ex-pit haulage profiles and cycles This data will then be used as a basis to start preliminary market pricing exploration ·    Processing Plant: The major equipment list has been finalised and the CAPEX estimation exercise is continuing ·    Metallurgical testwork: Further x-ray diffraction and flotation testing are underway with the current phase of the metallurgical testwork programme expected to be completed in April further options are being considered to treat residual water from the processing plant to increase the water recycling capacity ·    Procurement: Budget quotation requests are being prepared for electrical equipment steel/pipe fabrication and installation contracts Engagement with potential vendors is planned to start later this month ·    Tailings and Water Storage: The preliminary designs have been completed for the Tailings Storage Facility water reservoirs and environmental control dams ·    Hydrogeology: The site investigation work including drilling of water bores and pump testing has been completed Hydrogeological numerical modelling is expected to be finished later this month ·    Decarbonisation: Savannah's decarbonisation strategy continues to be focused on the processing plant and mobile mining fleet which are the two largest sources of CO2 emissions The Project's processing circuit will be fully powered from Portugal's public grid which has a significant percentage of power sourced from renewable generation (e.g guaranteeing that the Barroso Lithium Project will already avoid a considerable amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the very start of operations Savannah has engaged with leading OEMs to conduct preliminary studies to assess the feasibility of incorporating fully electrical mobile equipment units into the mining fleet once the project reaches nameplate operational metrics ·    Ceramics by-products: The Company has executed an independent product characterisation and market study with a reputable Portuguese consultant which will provide valuable technical and economic information to be incorporated into the Project's DFS the Company continues its engagement with entities in the ceramics sector to explore business or partnership opportunities Current JORC Resource estimate & exploration upside Following the updated estimate for the NOA orebody made last year by Ashmore Advisory Pty Ltd an external and independent mining consultancy (see RNS 2 May 2024) and ahead of new JORC resource estimates for Grandão Reservatório and Pinheiro which are expected later in the year the Company confirms the current overall JORC Resource (2012) compliant estimate for the Project The total JORC Resource is 28Mt at 1.05% Li2O (See Table 1) and the Exploration Target is maintained at 11.0-19.0Mt at 1.0-1.2% Li2O (See Table 2) Updated Mineral Resource Estimation Summary (May 2024) *Cautionary Statement: The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Targets is conceptual in nature there has been insufficient exploration work to estimate a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in defining a mineral resource In addition to the potential Resource expansion offered by the existing orebodies Savannah also reconfirmed the presence of many other mineralised targets on the Project's two Mining Leases As highlighted in January (RNS 22 January 2025) surface exploration identified new mineralised pegmatites at the western end of the C-100 licence and on Aldeia Block B Highlights from rockchip and channel sampling included 3.01% Li2O from Alto dos Corticos on the C-100 licence and 2.11% Li2O and 4m at 2.62% Li2O on Aldeia Block B Given Savannah's experience on the C-100 licence to date with orebodies such as Grandão the Company believe that the full extent of the mineralisation at the Project is easily underestimated from outcrops alone these additional targets represent exciting additional exploration upside to complement the Project's already compelling lithium development story Field studies and RECAPE preparation works continued during the period ·    Studies: Study related fieldwork and monitoring programmes has continued across several fronts: o  Noise: Following feedback by APA's assessment committee an additional noise study was carried out in March that there is no noise impact on the closest populations and the results obtained confirmed the absence of impact o  Covas River water flow monitoring: Three flow meters were installed in the Covas River to gather data and comply with the requirements of the project's DIA o  Biodiversity: The final round of seasonal surveys is scheduled to take place during the Spring which will serve to update the data collected during the 2024 campaign ·    Plano De Lavra (Mining Plan) Preparation of the new mining plan to support the submission of the RECAPE is now underway Noise Monitoring Campaign as part of RECAPE studies The studies and design work for the Project's supporting infrastructure are now well advanced with excellent progress made on several fronts including: ·    Site (Northern) access Road: Following completion of the preliminary design work on the northern access road (11km) which will directly link the Project to the new Boticas bypass road and ultimately the national highway network consultation with the relevant government agencies and stakeholders continues prior to the execution of the required geotechnical field work for the final design Savannah continues its effort to expedite access to the study area in order to accelerate the commencement of fieldwork ·    Bypass Road: The Environmental Impact Assessment ('EIA') and accompanying Preliminary Design ('PD') report for the 16km bypass road will be submitted to Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente the Portuguese Environmental Agency in the coming days The bypass will join to the west with the national road R311 to subsequently link to the Project's proposed northern access road and to the east with the A24 motorway that provides access to the Inner North Freeway Submission of the EIA will be a major milestone for Savannah as this step represents the culmination of over 8 months of work by the Company's Project team and consultants and underlines Savannah's commitment to minimising the impact of Project-related traffic on local communities The EIA and the PD have been prepared by TPF - Consultores de Engenharia e Arquitetura one of Portugal's leading Engineering companies and experts in the Water The designs were developed through extensive interaction with Infrastructures of Portugal ('IP') the entity responsible for managing road infrastructures in Portugal and are based on IP's criteria of Design Standards which will be made up of new and improved existing sections of road will also benefit the region and the population by reducing the intensity of traffic on existing roads Submission will initiate the 150-business day assessment period available to APA and the EIA will be made public by APA once it is satisfied that the report is in conformity with its application requirements whereupon a mandated period of public consultation (30 business days) with stakeholders will commence The issue of a favourable DIA will allow Savannah to proceed to the RECAPE and Detail Design phase for the bypass ·    Internal haul roads: Preliminary design of the Project's internal haul roads is in progress and is expected to be completed in April ·    HV Power: The DFS level design and permitting process are continuing Map showing the potential layout of Project-related road and power infrastructure ·    Land acquisitions: Savannah's land acquisition is continuing with three further private properties acquired and multiple negotiations underway which Savannah expects to be converted into acquisitions in the short term ·    Additional land easement: In support of the fieldwork and geotechnical studies required for the detailed design of the Project's infrastructure a second land easement application has been submitted to the Government ·    Compulsory land acquisition process: After notifying the interested parties in December 2024 the Company submitted its application for a 'Declaração de Utilidade Publica' (Declaration of Public Utility ('DPU')) to the relevant governmental authorities for approval during Q1 2025 This is the mechanism that grants public utility which is necessary for compulsory acquisitions the DPU will allow the Company to compulsorily acquire the properties that it wasn't able to do so already through its ongoing land acquisition programme The team continues to expand to meet the Company's operational needs we added five new members to the field team and also added personnel to our corporate function Savannah is intensifying its stakeholder engagement efforts focusing on meaningful and transparent communication ·    Enhancing transparency through the distribution of information leaflets explaining the land acquisition process ·    Increasing local presence with the hiring of a new junior community advisor- a local resident from a neighboring parish - and the recent refurbishment of a house in Covas do Barroso to accommodate four staff members locally in addition to the three existing team members who are already residents of Covas ·    Expanding social initiatives through sponsorships of local community activities and the implementation of livelihood restoration efforts directed at enabling the continuation of agricultural activities affected by the Project Key milestones and expected future news flow during H1 2025: ·    Strategic Project/Critical Raw Materials Act: Engagement with the European Commission and its relevant agencies to fully leverage the opportunities which the new project classification provides o  Completion of current drilling programme with assay results and updates released periodically during the programme o  Completion of updates on the Project's CAPEX and OPEX estimates based on finalisation of designs for key Project infrastructure o  Use of data and samples from the ongoing drilling programme to complete the remaining metallurgical testwork and detailed geotechnical work for the pits o  Completion of independent product characterisation and market study for feldspar-quartz by-product ·    Environmental Licencing: Finalisation of key work streams for RECAPE submission ·    Infrastructure: Submission of bypass road EIA and DP start of geotechnical fieldwork and studies required for the detailed design of all the project infrastructure ·    Recruitment: Continuing expansion of the technical team in support of the current field programme and the corporate team in preparation for Final Investment Decision Project Financing and further strategic partnerships ·    land access: Complete processes for second land easement in relation to northern access road and compulsory purchase of land elsewhere ·    Stakeholder engagement: Ongoing relationship building through events community initiatives and comprehensive communications Competent Person and Regulatory Information The information in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based upon information compiled by Mr Dale Ferguson Technical Director of Savannah Resources Limited Mr Ferguson is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the December 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves" (JORC Code) and a Qualified Person under the AIM Rules for Companies Mr Ferguson consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based upon the information in the form and context in which it appears The information in this release that relates to Mineral Resources for the NOA deposit is based on information compiled by Mr Shaun Searle who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Geoscientists Mr Searle is an employee of Ashmore Advisory Pty Ltd and independent consultant to Savannah Resources Plc which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he has undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results Mr Searle consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on this information in the form and context in which it appears The Information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources and Exploration Targets for the Grandão Pinheiro and Aldeia deposits is based on information compiled by Mr Paul Payne a Competent Person who is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.   Mr Payne is a full-time employee of Payne Geological Services.  Mr Payne has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves".  Mr Payne consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears This Announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK version of the market abuse regulation (EU No 596/2014) as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("UK MAR") Savannah - Enabling Europe's energy transition Follow @SavannahRes on X (Formerly known as Twitter) For further information please visit www.savannahresources.com or contact: SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Advisor & Broker) David Hignell/ Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance) Grant Barker/Abigail Wayne (Sales & Broking) James Asensio / Charlie Hammond (Corporate Broking) Gordon Poole/ Emily Hall / Nuthara Bandara Savannah Resources is a mineral resource development company and the sole owner of the Barroso Lithium Project (the 'Project') in northern Portugal The Project is the largest battery grade spodumene lithium resource outlined to date in Europe and was classified as a 'Strategic Project' by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act in March 2025 Savannah will help Portugal to play an important role in providing a long-term lithium raw material supply for Europe's lithium battery value chain Once in operation the Project will produce enough lithium (contained in c.190,000tpa of spodumene concentrate) for approximately half a million vehicle battery packs per year and hence make a significant contribution towards the European Commission's Critical Raw Material Act goal of a minimum 10% of European endogenous lithium production from 2030 Savannah is focused on the responsible development and operation of the Barroso Lithium Project so that its impact on the environment is minimised and the socio-economic benefits that it can bring to all its stakeholders are maximised The Company is listed and regulated on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and trades under the ticker "SAV" A Mineral Resource Estimate for the NOA Lithium Deposit was prepared by Ashmore Advisory Pty Ltd an external and independent mining consultancy as announced on 02 May 2024.  The Deposit forms part of Savannah's Barroso Lithium Project located in northern Portugal.  The Mineral Resource Estimates for the deposits at the project have been classified as Measured Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 Edition and are summarised in Table 3 and Appendix 1 May 2024 Mineral Resource Summary (0.5% Li2O cut-off) northwest trending body which is 5-10m in true width It has been mapped in outcrop over much of the interpreted 440m strike length of the Mineral Resource The weathering profile comprises a shallow surficial zone of weak to moderate oxidation particularly of the schistose country rock The main pegmatite zone remains open along strike and down dip (Figures 7 to 9) The NOA Mineral Resource Estimate is based on results from 58 RC drill holes and 7 diamond holes All holes were completed by Savannah in 2017 NOA Resource Model (Main Domains) Coloured by Li2O content (looking SW) lithium mineralisation occurs predominantly in the form of spodumene-bearing pegmatites which are hosted in metapelitic and mica schists and occasionally carbonate schists of upper Ordovician to lower Devonian age Lithium is present in most pegmatite compositions and laboratory test work confirms that the lithium is almost exclusively within spodumene Distinct lithium grade zonation occurs within the pegmatites with weakly mineralised zones often evident at the margins of the intrusions Minor xenoliths and inliers of schist are observed on occasions The deposit is defined by a total of 58 RC drill holes and 7 diamond holes 2018 and 2023.  The holes were drilled on an approximate hole spacing of 25m by 20m The vast majority of holes were drilled at 60o to the south south-west Drill collar locations are recorded in Universal Traverse Mercator ("UTM") coordinates using differential GPS.  All Savannah drilling has been down-hole surveyed using a gyroscopic tool RC drilling by Savannah was carried out using a face sampling hammer (120mm) Savannah reported that drilling conditions were good samples were generally dry and measured sample recoveries were good other than some recorded sample loss near the hole collar in some holes Samples were collected at 1m intervals from pegmatite zones composite sampling of typically 4m was conducted in the surrounding schists schist was only sampled for 5m each side of the pegmatites The 1m samples were collected through a rig-mounted riffle splitter and were 4-6kg in weight Diamond drilling commenced in PQ diameter and reduced to HQ diameter when competent rock was intersected core was aligned then marked with a centre line Core was cut with a saw with half-core taken for bulk metallurgical samples The remaining half core was cut again to produce quarter core samples for analysis Samples were to geological boundaries then typically at 1m intervals The samples were analysed using ALS Laboratories ME-MS89L Super Trace method which combines a sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-MS instrumentation utilising collision/reaction cell technologies to provide the lowest detection limits available A prepared sample (0.2g) is added to sodium peroxide flux mixed well and then fused in at 670°C The resulting melt is cooled and then dissolved in 30% hydrochloric acid This solution is then analysed by ICP-MS and the results are corrected for spectral inter-element interferences The final solution is then analysed by ICP-MS with results corrected for spectral inter-element interferences QAQC protocols were in place for the drilling programmes and included the use of blanks standards and field duplicates.  The data has confirmed the quality of the sampling and assaying for use in Mineral Resource estimation a Surpac block model was constructed with a block size of 5m NS by 10m EW by 5m with sub-celling to 1.25m by 2.5m by 1.25m.  Interpretation of the pegmatite dykes was completed using detailed geological logging and Fe geochemistry.  Wireframes of the pegmatites were prepared and within those the sample data was extracted and analysed.  A clear break in the grade distribution occurs at 0.5% Li2O and this grade threshold was used to prepare the internal grade domains for estimation Sample data was composited into 1m intervals and the CV of less than 1 for all elements suggested that high grade cuts were not required.  However a small number of outliers of Ta were present at NOA and a high grade cut of 100ppm was applied to all Ta values Iron contamination via abrasion of RC drilling equipment and/or sample preparation equipment is a recognized problem when evaluating lithium deposits.  To test the potential for iron contamination at the MBLP SAV carried out a preliminary program of check assays and a series of comparisons were undertaken on samples from the Grandão deposit.  It was concluded from the Grandão study that a significant proportion of the iron being reported in the drilling assay data was introduced as contamination during the sample preparation process.  It was determined that the amount of contamination was proportional to the lithium content of the samples.  A regression formula was calculated using all samples with the derived regression formula being: Fe_contamination = (0.1734 * Li2O grade) + 0.2308 The amount of Fe contamination was determined using the derived regression formula.  A new field "Fe_factored" was inserted into the drill hole database and the original Fe value minus the calculated contamination was stored in that field.  This allowed a "Fe_factored" value to be extracted from the database and used for grade estimation in the Mineral Resource Bulk density values applied to the NOA estimate were based on values used at the Grandão deposit which were derived from a substantial number of drill core samples as well as some samples obtained from NOA.  Values applied to the NOA estimate were 2.5t/m3 for oxidised pegmatite 2.65t/m3 for unoxidised pegmatite and 2.67t/m3 for unoxidised schist The Mineral Resource Estimate was classified in accordance with the Australasian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results Mineral Resource classification was considered on the basis of drill hole spacing continuity of mineralisation and data quality.   Accurate drill hole collar and topographic surveys have been obtained for the deposit so the spatial location of data and topography has a high level of confidence.  The quality of the drilling and assaying has been confirmed through independent verification of procedures and through a satisfactory QAQC protocol The continuity of the NOA pegmatite is well defined within the drilled portion of the deposit.  Where the NOA pegmatite is exposed the interpretation is supported by mapped contacts at surface and within the small mined open pit The portion of the NOA pegmatite defined by 20m to 40m spaced drill holes and showing good continuity of pegmatite and Li2O distribution has been classified as Indicated Mineral Resource The Indicated portion was extended for the full length of the pegmatite which had been exposed and mapped in the pit and was extrapolated up to 20m past drill hole intersections Inferred Mineral Resource was assigned to those areas of the NOA deposit defined by a drill hole spacing of greater than 40m The shallow nature of the main NOA pegmatite suggests good potential for open pit mining if sufficient resources can be delineated to consider a mining operation.  As such the Mineral Resource Estimate has been reported at a 0.5% Li2O lower cut-off grade to reflect assumed exploitation by low-cost mining methods Metallurgical test work has been conducted by SAV on representative mineralisation at the Grandão deposit The work was completed by Nagrom Metallurgical in Australia and confirmed that high grade lithium low grade iron concentrate can be generated from the mineralisation using conventional processing technology Microscopy confirmed that the concentrate was almost entirely spodumene This test work indicates that the material can be utilised in the plant feed to generate a spodumene concentrate of >5.5% Li2O the composite samples were ground to a particle size of P80 150µm which demonstrated an average Li2O processing recovery of 75.3% Additional metallurgical test work is underway and there is no reason to consider that the NOA mineralisation will behave any differently to the Grandão deposit No modifying factors were applied to the reported Mineral Resource Estimate.  Parameters reflecting mining dilution ore loss and metallurgical recoveries will be considered during the any future mining evaluation of the Project JORC Table 1 Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data ·    Nature and quality of sampling (e.g or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling ·    Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used ·    Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay') In other cases more explanation may be required such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information ·      The majority of holes were reverse circulation RC samples were collected in large plastic bags from an onboard rig splitter and a 4-6kg representative sample taken for analysis ·      A small number of diamond holes were also completed with boundaries sampled to geological boundaries Half core samples were collected for analysis ·      Drilling was predominantly on a nominal 25m by 20m spacing ·      Collar surveys are carried using differential GPS with an accuracy to within 0.2m ·      A down hole survey for each hole was completed using gyro equipment ·      The lithium mineralisation is predominantly in the form of Spodumene-bearing pegmatites the pegmatites are unzoned and vary in thickness from 10m-20m ·      RC drilling used a 120mm bit diameter ·      Core drilling was carried out using an HQ triple tube core barrel ·    Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed ·    Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples ·    Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material ·      RC drilling sample weights were monitored to ensure samples were maximised Samples were carefully loaded into a splitter and split in the same manner ensuring that the sample split to be sent to the assay laboratories were in the range of 4-6kg ·      Core recovery was measured and was found to be generally excellent ·      No obvious relationships between sample recovery and grade ·    Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation ·    Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature ·    The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged ·      RC holes were logged in the field at the time of sampling Core was logged in detail in a logging yard ·      Each 1m sample interval was carefully homogenised and assessed for lithology ·      A representative chip sample produced from RC drilling was washed and taken for each 1m sample and stored in a chip tray which was photographed ·      Core was photographed Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation ·    For all sample types quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique ·    Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples ·    Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling ·    Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled ·      1m RC samples were split by the riffle splitter on the drill rig and sampled dry ·      The 4m composites were collected using a spear with the spear inserted into the bag at a high angle and pushed across the sample to maximise representivity of the sample ·      Core was cut in half using a diamond saw with 1m half core samples submitted for analysis ·      The sampling was conducted using industry standard techniques and were considered appropriate ·      Field duplicates were used to test repeatability of the sub-sampling and were found to be satisfactory ·      Every effort was made to ensure that the samples were representative and not biased in any way Quality of assay data and laboratory tests quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total ·    For geophysical tools the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model calibrations factors applied and their derivation ·    Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e lack of bias) and precision have been established ·      Samples were received ·      Samples were crushed to 70% less than 2mm pulverise split to better than 85% passing 75 microns and 5g was split of for assaying ·      The samples were analysed using ALS Laboratories ME-MS89L Super Trace method which combines a sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-MS instrumentation utilising collision/reaction cell technologies to provide the lowest detection limits available ·      A prepared sample (0.2g) is added to sodium peroxide flux ·      The final solution is then analysed by ICP-MS ·      Standards/blanks and duplicates were inserted on a 1:20 ratio for both to samples taken ·      Duplicate sample regime is used to monitor sampling methodology and homogeneity ·      Routine QA/QC controls for the method ME-MS89L include blanks certified reference standards of Lithium and duplicate samples Samples are assayed within runs or batches up to 40 samples At the fusion stage that quality control samples are included together with the samples so all samples follow the same procedure until the end Fused and diluted samples are prepared for ICP-MS analysis ICP instrument is calibrated through appropriate certified standards solutions and interference corrections to achieve strict calibration fitting parameters Each 40 sample run is assayed with two blanks two certified standards and one duplicate sample and results are evaluated accordingly ·      A QA/QC review of all information indicated that all assays were satisfactory ·    The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel ·    The use of twinned holes ·    Documentation of primary data data storage (physical and electronic) protocols ·    Discuss any adjustment to assay data ·      All information was internally audited by company personnel ·      Savannah's experienced project geologists supervised all processes ·      All field data is entered into a custom log sheet and then into excel spreadsheets (supported by look-up tables) at site and subsequently validated as it is imported into the centralised Access database ·      Hard copies of logs survey and sampling data are stored in the local office and electronic data is stored on the main server ·      Results were reported as Li (ppm) and were converted to a percentage by dividing by 10,000 and then to Li2O% by multiplying by 2.153 ·    Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys) mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation ·    Specification of the grid system used ·    Quality and adequacy of topographic control ·      The coordinate of each drill hole was taken at the time of collecting using a handheld GPS with an accuracy of 5m All collars were subsequently surveyed using DGPS with an accuracy of 0.2m ·      The grid system used is WSG84 ·      An accurate aerial topographic survey was obtained with accuracy of +/- 0.5m ·    Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results ·    Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied ·    Whether sample compositing has been applied ·      Drill data is at sufficient spacing to define Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource ·      Compositing to 1m has been applied prior to resource estimation Orientation of data in relation to geological structure ·    Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known ·    If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias this should be assessed and reported if material ·      At NOA drilling was generally angled to the SW and intersected the moderately dipping deposit at close to orthogonal to the known dip of the main pegmatite At Reservatório the holes were generally drilled at an azimuth of 150° with a dip that varied from -60° to vertical At Grandão the drill holes were vertical ·      Intersections were close to true width for the NOA pegmatite ·      No orientation-based sampling bias has been identified in the data ·    The measures taken to ensure sample security ·      Samples were delivered to a courier and chain of custody is managed by Savannah ·    The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data ·      Internal company auditing and a review by Ashmore during the April 2018 site visit found that all data collection and QA/QC procedures were conducted to industry standards JORC Table 1 Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures wilderness or national park and environmental settings ·   The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a license to operate in the area ·      All work was completed inside the Barroso Lithium Project C-100 ·      Savannah has received written confirmation from the DGEG that under article 24 of Decree-Law no 88/90 of March 16 being relevant justification based on the resources allocated exploited and intended Savannah has been approved an expansion up to 250m of C100 mining concession in specific areas where a resource has been defined and the requirement for the expansion can be justified ·    Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties ·      Limited exploration work has been carried out by previous operators ·      No historic information has been included in the Mineral Resource estimates geological setting and style of mineralisation ·    The lithium mineralisation is predominantly in the form of Spodumene-bearing pegmatites which are hosted in meta-pelitic and mica schists The pegmatites vary in thickness from 5m-20m ·   A summary of all information material to the under-standing of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: ·   easting and northing of the drill hole collar ·   elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar ·   dip and azimuth of the hole ·   down hole length and interception depth ·   If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case ·    No material data has been excluded from the release ·    Drill hole intersections used in the resource have been previously reported ·   In reporting Exploration Results maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (e.g cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated ·   Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high-grade results and longer lengths of low-grade results the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail ·    The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated ·    Length weighted average grades have been reported ·    No high-grade cuts have been applied to reported grades for lithium A high grade cut of 100ppm was applied to the tantalum data ·    Metal equivalent values are not being reported Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths ·   These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results ·    If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known ·   If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported there should be a clear statement to this effect (e.g ·    The majority of holes have been drilled at angles to intersect the mineralisation approximately perpendicular to the orientation of the mineralised trend ·   Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views ·      A relevant plan showing the drilling is included within this release ·   Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results ·      All relevant results available have been previously reported should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances ·      Geological mapping and rock chip sampling has been conducted over the project area ·    The nature and scale of planned further work (e.g tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large- scale step-out drilling) ·    Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas provided this information is not commercially sensitive ·    Further RC and DD drilling to test for further extensions and to increase confidence ·    Economic evaluation of the defined Mineral Resources JORC Table 1 Section 3 Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources ·    Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes ·    Data validation procedures used ·      The assay data was captured electronically to prevent transcription errors ·      Validation included visual review of results ·    Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits ·    If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case ·      Numerous site visits were undertaken by Dale Ferguson in 2017 which included an inspection of the drilling process outcrop area and confirmation that no obvious impediments to future exploration or development were present ·      A site visit by an Ashmore associate was undertaken in April 2018 to confirm geological interpretations drilling and sampling procedures and general site layout ·    Confidence in (or conversely the uncertainty of) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit ·    Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation ·    The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation ·    The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology ·      The pegmatite dykes hosting the NOA mineralisation are defined in outcrop and in drilling and boundaries are generally very sharp and distinct ·      The shape and extent of the >0.5% Li2O mineralisation is clearly controlled by the general geometry of the pegmatites ·      Zonation of lithium within the pegmatite is evident and typically the margins are weakly mineralised ·    The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise) and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource ·      The pegmatite at Noa has a drilled extent of 440m east-west and a maximum vertical depth of 145m The thickness of the mineralisation ranges from 10m to 20m ·    The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions including treatment of extreme grade values interpolation parameters and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parameters used ·    The availability of check estimates previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data ·    The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products ·    Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (e.g sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation) ·    In the case of block model interpolation the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed ·    Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units ·    Any assumptions about correlation between variables ·    Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates ·    Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping ·    The process of validation the comparison of model data to drill hole data and use of reconciliation data if available ·      Inverse distance squared interpolation was used to estimate block grades within the resource ·      Surpac software was used for the estimation ·      Samples were composited to 1m intervals to match the sample lengths Due to the extremely low CV of the data no high-grade cuts were applied to Li2O in the estimate ·      At NOA the parent block dimensions were 10m EW by 5m NS by 5m vertical with sub-cells of 5m by 1.25m by 1.25m ·      The previous resource estimate for NOA was reported in March 2019 ·      No assumptions have been made regarding recovery of by-products ·      The grade of Fe2O3 was estimated for the deposit using factored Fe data to eliminate Fe introduced in the sample preparation stage The mean grade of Fe2O3 was determined to be 0.82% at NOA ·      An orientated ellipsoid search was used to select data and was based on drill hole spacing and the geometry of the pegmatite dyke ·      A search of 40m was used with a minimum of 6 samples and a maximum of 16 samples which resulted in 91% of blocks being estimated The remaining blocks were estimated with search radii of 80m ·      Selective mining units were not modelled in the Mineral Resource model The block size used in the model was based on drill sample spacing and deposit geometry ·      The deposit mineralisation was constrained by wireframes prepared using a nominal 0.35% Li2O grade envelope ·      For validation quantitative comparison of block grades to assay grades was carried out for each estimated body ·      Global comparisons of drill hole and block model grades were also carried out ·    Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture and the method of determination of the moisture content ·      Tonnages and grades were estimated on a dry in situ basis ·    The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parameters applied ·      The shallow outcropping nature of both deposit suggests good potential for open pit mining if sufficient resources can be delineated to consider a mining operation the Mineral Resource has been reported at a 0.5% Li2O lower cut-off grade to reflect assumed exploitation by open pit mining ·    Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods minimum mining dimensions and internal (or It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parameters when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made ·      Based on comparison with other similar deposits the Mineral Resource is considered to have sufficient grade and metallurgical characteristics for economic treatment if an operation is established at the site ·      No mining parameters or modifying factors have been applied to the Mineral Resource ·      Previous high-level mining optimisation work indicates the vast majority of the Mineral Resource can be mined using open pit techniques ·    The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parameters made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made ·      Metallurgical test work has been conducted by Savannah on representative mineralisation at the Grandão deposit ·      Additional metallurgical test work is underway and there is no reason to consider that the NOA mineralisation will behave any differently to the Grandão deposit ·    Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made ·      The area is not known to be environmentally sensitive and there is no reason to think that proposals for development including the dumping of waste would not be approved if planning and permitting guidelines are followed ·    Whether assumed or determined size and representativeness of the samples ·    The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit ·    Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials ·      Bulk density values from the Grandão deposit were applied to the NOA deposit ·      The Grandão densities were based on determinations using 3,370 core samples ·      Bulk density values applied to the estimate were 2.5t/m3 for transitional lithologies ·    The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories ·    Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (i.e relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations confidence in continuity of geology and metal values ·    Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit ·      The Mineral Resource was classified in accordance with the Australasian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results ·      The portion of the NOA pegmatite defined by 20m to 40m spaced drill holes and showing good continuity of pegmatite and Li2O distribution has been classified as Indicated Mineral Resource ·      The remainder of the Mineral Resource at NOA was classified as Inferred due the broader spaced drilling ·      The results reflect the view of the Competent Person ·    The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates ·      The Mineral Resource estimate has been checked by an internal audit procedure Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence ·    Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the resource within stated confidence limits if such an approach is not deemed appropriate a qualitative discussion of the factors that could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate ·    The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation Documentation should include assumptions made and the procedures used ·    These statements of relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate should be compared with production data ·      The estimate utilised good estimation practices The extent and dimensions of the mineralisation are sufficiently defined by outcrop and the detailed drilling The deposit is considered to have been estimated with level of accuracy reflected in the resource classification ·      The Mineral Resource statement relates to global estimates of tonnes and grade ·      The has been small scale mining conducted at NOA with approximately 22,000t mined at an average Li2O grade of 1.24% *A Private Investor is a recipient of the information who meets all of the conditions set out below Some of the cookies are essential for parts of the site to operate and have already been set You may delete and block all cookies from this site To find out more about the cookies used on Investegate and how you can manage them To continue using Investegate, please confirm that you are a private investor as well as agreeing to our Privacy and Cookie Policy & Terms Subscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret DownI’m Not Kidding When I Say That Matt Damon And His Wife Luciana Barroso’s Romance Needs To Be Turned Into A Hollywood Movie ASAPLuciana was a divorced single mom when Hollywood actor Matt happened to walk into the bar where she was working at the height of his fame in 2003 The 53-year-old actor has also opened up about being the ultimate “girl dad” in recent days, and reflected on his 18-year-old daughter, Isabella, heading off to college this fall In another interview, Matt admitted that he only took the script for The Instigators seriously after his wife, Luciana Barroso, encouraged him to Speaking to People, Matt said that Luciana, his best friend Ben Affleck, and Ben’s brother Casey Affleck are the three people that he depends on for advice saying of Luciana “like Casey and like Ben” he “just trusts her taste.” when they dig their heels in on something — any of them do — I pay attention," he added when I see somebody that I agree with so much feeling strongly about something Here’s everything that there is to know about Matt and Luciana’s movie-like romance Matt was in Miami to shoot the movie Stuck on You when he and the crew went into the bar where Luciana worked for a drink — and she ended up providing refuge when he started to get hounded by fans Recalling the moment he first saw his now-wife, Matt said during a 2011 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show: “I literally saw her across a crowded room I don't know how else our paths would've crossed if that didn't happen." and recently divorced from Alexia’s father Speaking in a rare interview with Vogue Australia in 2018 Luciana said of that fateful day: “Matt's story is that he saw me across the room and there was a light on me it was a nightclub — there were lights everywhere!’” telling him: “You can’t just be standing there!” Before long Matt was making drinks and “made a ton of money in tips that night” because “everyone wanted to go and see him.” “It turned into a really fun night,” Luciana recalled also telling Vogue Australia that they “had a connection right away” and were immediately “very comfortable” with one another he invited me to go out with his friends," she said I'm not going anywhere' … and that was one of the things he loved Luciana added that she never really saw Matt as a celebrity sharing: “When you meet somebody that you have a connection with that's just the person that you have a connection with all the other stuff — the movie-star part — wasn't really a factor but they're always going to get the same story: middle-aged married guy with four kids,” he added Matt and Luciana got married in December 2005 and welcomed their first child together Matt and Luciana are also mom and dad to 15-year-old Gia and 13-year-old Stella And Matt has previously opened up about how he and Luciana make their relationship work in spite of his demanding work schedule revealing that they never spend longer than two weeks apart "We have a two-week rule. I'm not away for more than two weeks," he told YourTango in 2014 "I think you need to be with the person you love as much as possible Speaking to Entertainment Weekly Matt revealed that Luciana had wanted him to take a break after a busy few years I had — not to get too personal — negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off.” “This is without knowing whether or not [Christopher Nolan] was working on anything and thankfully it didn’t appear to have too much of an impact on his family life with this week’s premiere photos proving that Luciana and their girls are still Matt’s biggest cheerleaders Pala Zion provides the ideal lifestyle for disconnection while fostering a sense of community among like-minded residents All homes will have access to the facilities and amenities of the forthcoming Paréa landscape hotel – designed exclusively by Studio Andrew Trotter – which will include restaurants as well as a program of daily activities and workshops Pala Zion sits on a parcel of land just a short drive from Paréa landscape hotel via Kolob Terrace Road which was created by the same development team as Pala Zion All homes are designed for short-term rentals whether private guests or guests of the hotel and can be placed into a fully managed rental pool in association with Paréa landscape hotel.Entrepreneurs Reed Lerner and Robert Babbage commissioned Studio Andrew Trotter to create the architectural guidelines for Pala Zion and to select three different firms to each deliver a series of residences that pay homage to the time and place of the primordial terrain in one of the most majestic desert landscapes in the world The development features homes ranging from three to five bedrooms each designed with seamless indoor and outdoor living spaces kitchens and swimming pools that blend harmoniously with the surrounding bluffs and boulders of the primeval terrain Each residence will also feature a small spa with a sauna and bath while connecting denizens with nature by offering unobstructed views of the surroundings Several residences will feature open-air sunroofs crafted from the negative space of the structures including custom plaster finishes that incorporate raw limestone and sandstone from the excavation process.Studio Andrew Trotter for Pala ZionStudio Andrew Trotter is a multi-disciplinary office working on international projects from architecture and interior design With simplicity at the heart of its ideas and a true belief that any design should belong to the place where it is built works such as Masseria Moroseta and Villa Cardo quickly became icons within the Pugliese landscape The studio is currently working on projects ranging from private homes to holiday homes Studio Andrew Trotter visited the site for Pala Zion both in the spring and late fall the studio created overhangs and orientated the buildings to prevent the summer sun from entering the buildings Studio Andrew Trotter intends for Pala Zion to be the perfect place to disconnect become a meeting place for like minded people The studio’s work for the project and creation of architectural guidelines for Pala Zion to be a place to join rituals “The landscape of Kolob Canyons is truly incredible when the colors become vivid and surreal,” says Andrew Trotter “Pala Zion is a place where architecture harmonizes with this splendor—a realization of a dream.” Five houses in total have been designed by the firm including a corner house that has incredible views to the north and to the west from the whole building Two larger houses of the same design mainly look to the north which give privacy to the house from the street allowing for an open flow from the inside out Each building is separate and a standalone structure While each house is created separately by each studio there is a constant dialogue between all four architectural studios so the houses will exist in unison and it’s a great pit of ideas,” says Andrew Trotter Studio Andrew Trotter has envisioned a community where architecture seamlessly integrates with the wild beauty of Kolob Canyons Each home will be constructed with hand-applied lime plaster on both exteriors and interiors embedded within the terrain’s undulating bluffs and majestic mesas The project embodies a new definition of “quiet luxury,” focusing on a connection to nature through a lens of architecture and aesthetic supported by environmental impact and promoting natural light and cross-ventilation through sunroofs and expansive glass walls GOMA Taller de Arquitectur for Pala ZionTaller de Arquitectura is a Mexico-based firm with more than 10 years of experience and continuous innovation in the design and execution of architectural and construction projects The studio develops ideas and concepts aligned with the vision of their clients and conducts them powered by the inspiration of their leaders with the creativity and passion of each one of their collaborators the studio has created six panoramic houses and one corner solution designed to provide a rooted connection with the landscape The house is formed by a big hollow cover that floats 5.9 feet (1.8 meters) from the ground the heights lift up to 10.3 feet (3.15 meters) The floating cover will shield the house during the hot season when the sun is more vertical sunlight can still enter through the gap between the shell and the ground Goma references Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds The firm is also inspired by pre-hispanic and vernacular architecture “The location of the project is incredible—it’s on top of a mesa in the Utah desert and the air seems more clear than what we’re used to back in Mexico so we approached the house as a modern shelter or shell house The panoramic house idea came from wanting an uninterrupted view of the horizon especially towards the southern mountains.” Taller Hector Barroso for Pala ZionTaller Hector Barroso is an architecture studio in Mexico Taller Hector Barroso’s project has a “quiet in the woods” mood which conforms to the environment of the site welcomes the beautiful natural landscape and lives in harmony with nature Taller Hector Barroso is committed to using the natural resources of each place to stand out to create a distinct building scheme that integrates with the natural environment Hector Barroso on Pala Zion: “The project arrived firstly I believe that all of the studios admire one another’s work and ideas It could be said that we share a common ground.” Taller Hector Barroso’s work for Pala Zion will focus on the fundamentals on orientation crossed ventilation and materiality to have a year round atmosphere and quality inside the house films by Tarkovsky and native architecture are all referenced as inspirations for Pala Zion.Taller Hector Barroso also connects Pala Zion to similarities with the Mexican desert The vastness of the landscape echoes in the placement of the architecture The result incorporates timeless architecture the convergence into the landscape and lesser impact of the natural environment and terrain MORQMORQ is an architecture firm founded in Rome MORQ’s work ranges from ultra-luxury-contemporary residential hospitality and commercial projects to masterplan & landscape interventions Emiliano Roia (1971) and Andrea Quagliola (1972) were all born in Rome and studied Architecture at La Sapienza University They are also committed academics at The University of Western Australia MORQ is the recipient of numerous awards and is widely published internationally Currently MORQ is designing projects in Italy MORQ’s international experience in the field and its enduring effort on the ideation and delivery of individual highly curated residential and hospitality projects is also paired with the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams locally and remotely MORQ is present in the prestigious AD100 selection of the most influential and talented architects and interior designers the Pala Zion design is conceived as a device to enjoy and feel the landscape for Pala Zion describes the project as ‘…a device’ that allows the inhabitants to feel and acknowledge this unique location A house that recognized the scale of the landscape.’ MORQ aims to design a ‘device’ that allows the inhabitants to feel and acknowledge this spectacular location The firm’s values embedded in the project include the view as being protagonist; a house rooted in the landscape; an atmosphere intimate yet open; a design that is serene primitive and slick; and to find a point of balance between a typological (abstract) and site-specific design (plaster) Owners of Pala Zion residences may also rent their homes and receive full management services by the hotel Paréa landscape hotel is scheduled to open in 2027 on a plot of land nearby to Pala Zion known for the acclaimed Masseria Moroseta in Puglia will lead the architectural design for Paréa landscape hotel collaborating with renowned visual designer Charlotte Taylor on her first physical project in the U.S. Pala Zion is conveniently located approximately 2-hour drive from Las Vegas George – is a 45-minute drive from the site and accommodates daily flights from Salt Lake City For inquiries about Pala Zion, please visit www.palazion.com. For more information about Paréa, please visit www.pareazion.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals A Building Magazine Leading in the field of building news reporting Building Design & Construction Magazine is one of the most respected and referenced sources of building news enquiries@bdcmagazine.co.uk+44 1484 437312 Subscribe our newsletter to get the best stories into your inbox © 2025 BDC Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt.