Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Brussels, Belgium from April 2-4 to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting. He will discuss security priorities, including increased Allied defense investment, securing lasting peace in Ukraine, and the shared threat of China to the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Alliances.
More: https://www.state.gov/secretary-rubios-travel-to-brussels/
Source: Amnesty International –
By Montse Ferrer, Deputy Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International
In 2020, North Korean authorities reportedly executed a fishing boat captain by firing squad in front of 100 of his colleagues. His crime: secretly listening to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the US government-funded news outlet that has an estimated 50 million-plus listeners across Asia-Pacific.
We only know about the fisherman’s fate because RFA broke the story, based on interviews with sources inside North Korea, including the law enforcement official who confirmed it. RFA was one of the only global media outlets, if not the only one, to have the resources and access to uncover the facts.
But today, someone tuning in to RFA from the seas around the Korean peninsula – or anywhere else – is more likely to find dead air. President Trump’s executive order to close the station down, along with sister broadcasters Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Marti covering Cuba, and stations broadcasting into the Middle East, is extinguishing cherished connections with the outside world for millions of people in “closed” countries. In many cases, their only connection.
VOA was established in 1942 with a mandate to combat Nazi propaganda. RFA followed in 1994, initially triggered by the Chinese government’s censorship of the bloody Tiananmen crackdown five years earlier.
In the Asia-Pacific of 2025, RFA’s core purpose remains just as relevant.
Chinese authorities, like those in North Korea, continue to firewall their people from the global internet, while feeding them a dedicated diet of state media propaganda. They are both, along with Myanmar and Viet Nam, in the bottom 10 the global press freedom index. Cambodia and Laos place only slightly higher.
Until now, the most accessible alternative to state media for many people in these countries was RFA and VOA. The irony of President Trump now denouncing these outlets as “radical propaganda” will not be lost on the listeners and readers who have relied upon it for independent reporting for decades.
Not that Trump’s decision is without support in Asia.
The Beijing state newspaper Global Times reveled in the news that VOA had been “discarded by its own government like a dirty rag”. Meanwhile, Cambodia’s former ruler Hun Sen hailed the order as a “big contribution to eliminating fake news”.
Fake news. The catch-all truth denier popularized by President Trump himself, now being gleefully parroted back to him by unlikely US allies around the globe.
VOA has been bundled in with Trump’s many perceived enemies in the “radical” or “liberal” media, but this executive order appears at odds with his administration’s supposedly hawkish approach on China and foreign policy in general.
Consider, for example, that it was federal funding which enabled RFA to report on human rights violations by the Chinese government in China’s Uyghur region, information which has in turn played a key role in the way civil society and Uyghur communities have successfully pushed for stronger US policies on China. Only this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Thai officials who facilitated the deportation of 40 Uyghur men to China, where they are at risk of torture and enforced disappearance. Five other Uyghur refugees are still facing the same risk; despite threats to their existence, RFA and VOA continue to cover their stories.
The US President’s decision to pull the plug on one of the key outlets uncovering human rights violations across Asia, and not least crimes against humanity in China, hints at a certain incoherence in White House thinking. That Trump has surrendered a tried-and-tested tool of soft US power decades in the making, a brand trusted by overseas audiences amid the ongoing battle for ideas, can only be good news for those who RFA’s reporting sought to combat. It also creates an information vacuum that other ambitious, well-resourced governments could seek to fill to their own ends. Is it any wonder the celebrations are ringing out in Beijing?
As for the Trump administration’s proclaimed advocacy for free speech, there are similar contradictions.
RFA has often been one of the few journalistic voices reporting on stifled stories: from air strikes in Myanmar, to state-linked corruption in Viet Nam, to the killing of activists in Laos. Its shutdown will have an immediate impact in places where governments employ authoritarian policies to maintain control over the news and the narrative. Places where freedom of expression – and that of the press – is suppressed to quash any dissent. Places where there is no independent media, and where VOA and RFA are the lifeline that can tether listeners to reality and the outside world; one that exists beyond state propaganda.
Listeners like the North Korean fisherman, who reportedly confessed to enjoying RFA’s broadcasts for more than 15 years, the open sea acting as his buffer against detection.
Not only will those listeners be deprived of independent journalism; we will all be deprived of hearing their stories. Like the tree that falls in the forest with no one to hear it, the fisherman shot dead by the firing squad will now go down without a sound.
This article was originally published by The Diplomat
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong today (March 31) held the Commemoration Ceremony of the 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong and the Launching Ceremony of Dancing Water Drops Exhibition at the Central Government Offices, Tamar, to celebrate this remarkable and important occasion.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee; the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong; the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Li Guoying; the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government (LOCPG) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Zheng Yanxiong; Member of the Office Leadership of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Mr Xiang Bin; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; Deputy Director of the LOCPG in the HKSAR Mr Qi Bin; Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province Mr Zhang Shaokang; the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; and the Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Qin Weizhong, officiated at the ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Lee said that the country has been providing Hong Kong with reliable and stable supply of Dongjiang water over the past 60 years. Currently accounting for about 70 to 80 per cent of the fresh water consumption in Hong Kong, Dongjiang water supports the sustainable economic development of Hong Kong, and nourishes the citizens, allowing them to live and work in a better place. Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong is not only a water engineering project, but also an epitome of the strong blood ties between the country and Hong Kong. He said that Hong Kong citizens will cherish the country’s care and express their gratitude by making greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Mr Wang said that, over the past 60 years, Guangdong has been resolutely implementing the strategic decisions of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and has made it a priority to ensure the safety of water supply to Hong Kong, guaranteeing stable supply of high-quality Dongjiang water to Hong Kong. Standing at a new starting point, Guangdong will always stay true to the aspirations of General Secretary Xi Jinping, and will fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the principle of “one country, two systems”, and effectively manage the Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Scheme. This will ensure that Hong Kong citizens continue to have access to safe and high-quality water, providing strong support for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
Mr Li said that, over the past 60 years, the Ministry of Water Resources has resolutely implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s water regulating approach of “Prioritising water conservation, Balancing spatial distribution, Taking systematic approaches, Promoting government-market synergy”. Under the sincere care of the Central Authorities, the quantity and quality of water supply to Hong Kong and emergency support capabilities have been continuously enhanced. The Ministry of Water Resources will strengthen co-operation on water resources with the HKSAR Government on all fronts, and will continue to enhance the water safety security system in the Greater Bay Area while ensuring stable, safe and quality water supply to Hong Kong.
A lighting ceremony for the Dancing Water Drops Exhibition was also held at the event. The large-scale art installations exhibition was specially created by internationally acclaimed artist Simon Ma in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong. The display of water drop-shaped installations of various sizes symbolises the vitality that Dongjiang water brings to Hong Kong and social inclusion. The setting and number of water drop-shaped installations will vary at different stages of the exhibition period from April to June. Installations for the first stage include an 18.8-metre-tall water drop-shaped installation and over 100 small never-fall water drop-shaped installations, which will be on display from tomorrow (April 1). The highlight of the exhibition is a 28.8-metre-tall giant water drop-shaped art installation. It is by far the largest of its kind among similar exhibitions and will be on display for the first time in May. The exhibition will be held from tomorrow to June 13 at Tamar Park and the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section).
In addition to the Dancing Water Drops Exhibition, a series of activities in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong have been held under the theme “Dongjiang River – An Inseparable Bond, Our Blessed Origin” since September last year. These activities included a roving exhibition, thematic talks and Mainland study tours. Upcoming celebration activities will be the International Water Pioneers Summit, which will be held tomorrow, and a study tour on national water engineering projects, culture and technology, which will be held within this year.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, will depart for Beijing tomorrow night (April 1). She will call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Administration of Sport of China, and the China Film Administration. She will also meet with relevant officials of other cultural and museum institutions.
Miss Law will return to Hong Kong at midday on April 4 (Friday). During her absence, the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, will be the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, today (March 31) attended the Ancestor Worship Ceremony of the Yellow Emperor in the Year of Yisi in Zhengzhou in Henan Province on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.　
The Yellow Emperor is the cultural ancestor of the Chinese nation, while Zhengzhou is the Yellow Emperor’s birthplace. The Ancestor Worship Ceremony of the Yellow Emperor, jointly organised by the People’s Government of Henan Province, the Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, among others, is a significant event held annually in Henan Province to promote traditional Chinese culture.
Miss Mak expressed deepest gratitude for being invited to attend the Ancestor Worship Ceremony of the Yellow Emperor. Miss Mak added that Zhengzhou is one of the eight great ancient capitals of China and one of the important origins of the Chinese civilisation with profound historical and cultural heritage. By attending the meaningful event, Hong Kong compatriots can enhance their sense of national identity.
During her visit to Zhengzhou, Miss Mak met with the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zhou Ji; the Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Henan Provincial People’s Congress, Mr Liu Ning; and the Deputy Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, Governor of Henan Province and Secretary of Party Leadership Group, Mr Wang Kai.
Moreover, Miss Mak met with Hong Kong students studying in Zhengzhou to learn about their lives on the Mainland. She encouraged young people to grasp the opportunities to study and exchange on the Mainland to gain a deeper understanding of the development of the country and contribute to the country and Hong Kong.
Miss Mak will conclude her visit and return to Hong Kong this afternoon.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (April 1) strongly condemns the United States (US) for including six Central Authorities and HKSAR officials in a so-called “sanctions” list in an attempt to intimidate the relevant officials safeguarding national security. It, once again, clearly exposed the US’ barbarity under its hegemony, which is exactly the same as its recent tactics in bullying and coercing various countries and regions. The HKSAR despises such so-called “sanctions” and is not intimidated by such despicable behaviour. The HKSAR officials will continue to resolutely discharge the duty of safeguarding national security. The HKSAR Government will make every effort to protect the legitimate rights and interests of all personnel.
A spokesman for the HKSAR Government pointed out, “The specified absconders mentioned in the US statement are wanted and have arrest warrants issued by the court against them not because they ‘exercised their freedom of speech’, but because they have been at large in the US, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, etc. and continue to blatantly engage in activities endangering national security, including inciting secession and requesting foreign countries to impose ‘sanctions’ or blockade and engage in other hostile activities against the People’s Republic of China and the HKSAR. The US, however, gives cover for them who have committed these evil deeds. It is therefore necessary for the HKSAR to take all lawful measures in accordance with the law, including measures specified under section 89 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, to strongly combat such acts. The specified measures aim at addressing, combating, deterring and preventing acts of abscondment by suspects, and procuring the return of the absconded persons to Hong Kong to face judicial proceedings. All specified measures align with human rights requirements; and quite a number of countries including the US, the UK and Canada would also impose such measures on wanted criminals. The US deliberately smeared and spread irresponsible remarks on the measures and actions taken by the HKSAR Government in accordance with the law in an attempt to mislead the public. The HKSAR Government strongly disapproves of such acts.”
The spokesman also pointed out, “The fact is that the US has been ignoring the non-interference principle under international law, interfering with other countries’ internal affairs, grooming agents, instigating ‘colour revolutions’, creating social unrest and multiple humanitarian disasters through economic and military coercion, causing suffering to people in many countries. With the Central Authorities having enacted the Hong Kong National Security Law and the HKSAR having completed the legislative exercise to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong has strengthened the legal regime in safeguarding national security and prevented the US from succeeding. The false accusation thereafter against the HKSAR personnel safeguarding national security dutifully, faithfully and in accordance with the law and, on top of that, the imposition of the so-called ‘sanctions’ in the guise of defending human rights and democracy indeed constitute a demonstration of shameless hypocrisy with double standards on the part of the US.
“The HKSAR Government has the responsibility to pursue, in accordance with the law, those who are suspected to have committed offences endangering national security and absconded overseas. The HKSAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. The Department of Justice of the HKSAR is in charge of criminal prosecutions under Article 63 of the Basic Law, with all its prosecutorial decisions made on an objective analysis of all admissible evidence and applicable laws.”
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
First Half Fiscal Year 2025 Revenue up 13.1% to $16.4 Million Period over Period
Accelerating Enterprise AI Adoption Fuels Market Expansion, Unlocking New Opportunities in AI-Powered Customer Engagement
Management to Host Conference Call Today, March 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM ET
SINGAPORE and SAN DIEGO, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Helport AI Limited (NASDAQ: HPAI) (“Helport AI” or the “Company”), an AI technology company serving enterprise clients with intelligent customer communication software and services, today announced financial results for the six months ended December 31, 2024.
First Half Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights
Subsequent Operational Milestones
Outlook for Second Half Fiscal Year 2025 & Beyond:
Management Commentary
“The first half of fiscal year 2025 delivered revenue growth of 13.1%, which was driven by continued enterprise adoption of AI-powered software, technology improvements, and the scaling of our international sales and operations teams,” said Guanghai Li, Chief Executive Officer of Helport AI. “During this time, we made significant investments in product development, cloud infrastructure, and international expansion, which temporarily impacted gross margins and profitability. However, we believe that these investments are essential to scaling our platform and expanding into new markets, and we maintained profitability despite these investments. Moreover, we have seen our enterprise customers increasingly leverage our AI-powered BPO solutions to drive cost efficiencies and improve customer engagement, helping differentiate ourselves as a market leader in the AI-driven customer contact space.”
“On the technology front, our products are now comprehensively integrated with large language models (LLMs), which has been shown to enhance their ability to digest raw, unstructured information and provide smart, domain-specific applications for our growing customer base. We have also built new industry-specific knowledge bases, achieving major milestones for the Company across key sectors. Demonstrating this ability to penetrate new industries where we see vast growth potential, we have partnered with U.S.-based LendSure Mortgage Corp. (“LendSure”), a wholesale lender with a network of over 100,000 loan officers, as well as with seven insurance agencies across multiple US states. These scalable seeds represent early traction across multiple industry sectors, each of which represents significant market opportunities.”
“Operationally, we continued to make strategic investments in our team and infrastructure to strengthen and expand our capabilities and global reach. We have established offices in the Philippines and the U.S. and are in the process of opening additional offices in North America and Southeast Asia to execute on both existing and potential demand in these regions. We also welcomed Amy Fong as President, Director, and Interim CFO. Amy is a seasoned executive who is now overseeing our finance functions, leading strategy across capital markets, partner and customer development, and global operations.”
“Looking ahead to the second half of fiscal year 2025, we are building on our foundation and doubling down on strategic initiatives to accelerate revenue growth and enhance profitability. We are deepening penetration in what we anticipate will be high-growth markets, specifically North America and Southeast Asia. As demonstrated with our recent customer acquisitions across mortgage, insurance, and debt collection, we are tailoring our AI-powered solutions for industry-specific needs, aiming to expand adoption among BPOs, financial services, and public sector industries. We are driving monetization and acceleration of our AI+BPO offering, which has seen noteworthy demand in new segments such as consumer financing, which we expect will allow us to capture greater market share in AI-driven customer engagement solutions.”
“We will continue to prioritize R&D investments and building next-generation AI products that further differentiate Helport AI in the market. We are also focusing on cost efficiencies, including optimizing AI training costs and cloud infrastructure, and improving unit economics per deployment, to strengthen profitability and deliver long-term value to our shareholders,” concluded Li.
Financial Review for the Six Months Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Revenue
During the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, all of our revenue was derived from AI services. Revenue increased by approximately US$1.9 million, or 13.1%, from US$14.5 million for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$16.4 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily attributable to the average monthly subscribed seats, which grew from 5,011 for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to 6,469 for the six months ended December 31, 2024. The growth was driven by (i) our efforts in continuous optimization and development in our service offerings and software platform, (ii) our abilities to improve overall cost performance for customers in their business management process, and (iii) the growing demand for AI software in the professional technology services market. During the first half of FY2025, the Company entered the U.S. market and secured several customers, demonstrating initial business traction and expansion potential.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue primarily consists of amortization of software, payments to a third-party service provider for outsourced operations, as well as cloud infrastructure costs. Cost of revenue related to AI services increased by approximately US$2.6 million, or 55.2%, from US$4.8 million for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$7.4 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024, mainly due to the corresponding rise in outsourced operation costs as revenue increased. The growth rate of cost of revenue is proportionally higher than that of revenue, primarily due to investments required to serve new markets and customers. These investments enable us to enhance our product and service offerings with differentiated, competitive technology—particularly through the development of industry-specific application scenarios. These tailored solutions are essential for entering new sectors such as insurance, mortgage sales, and government services, as well as for localizing our platform to meet the regulatory and operational demands of new geographic regions like North America and Southeast Asia.
Gross Profit
As a result of the foregoing, we recorded gross profit of US$9.0 million and US$9.7 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. This reduction of gross profit margin from 67.0% to 54.6% is the result of the aforementioned elevated amortization costs from software R&D, increased outsourcing operation fees, and expanded cloud infrastructure, which we believe are necessary for our future growth and profitability.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Our selling and marketing expenses increased by 953.0% from US$50,214 for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$528,746 for the six months ended December 31, 2024, which was mainly due to (i) the increase of payroll expenses of US$303,050, primarily driven by the establishment and ramp-up of dedicated sales and marketing teams in our U.S. subsidiary; and (ii) the increase of share-based compensation expense of US$121,800, resulting from share grants under the Company’s 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. The U.S. team expansion is part of our broader international growth strategy, aimed at strengthening our presence in North America—a key strategic market. As part of this effort, we significantly expanded our U.S. office presence, increasing headcount to support go-to-market execution, client onboarding, business development, and marketing in the region. In February 2024, we established the U.S. team, and by December 2024, it had expanded to twenty-two staff, among whom eight were engaged in selling and marketing activities.
General and Administrative Expenses
Our general and administrative expenses increased by 125.2% from US$2.0 million for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$4.6 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024, which was primarily attributable to: (i) an increase of US$1.5 million in professional service fees such as advisory fees, audit fees and legal fees for overseas listing; (ii) an increase of US$0.4 million in insurance expenses; (iii) an increase of US$0.2 million in payroll expenses resulting from the expansion of the management team’s headcount; and (iv) an increase of US$0.2 million in withholding tax incurred from 10% withholding tax on AI services provided to our customers in China.
Research and Development Expenses
Our research and development expenses increased by US$1.3 million from US$78.8 thousand for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$1.4 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024. The increase was attributable to an additional US$0.8 million in AI training service fees and US$0.3 million in product development fees incurred during the six months ended December 31, 2024, allowing us to better differentiate and diversify our product and services offerings with competitive technologies, especially as they relate to the development of industry-specific application scenarios.
Financial Expenses, net
Our financial expenses, net increased from US$19,162 for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$312,437 for the six months ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to an increase in foreign exchange loss of US$266,669 and the increase in interest expenses accrued for convertible promissory notes and the loan from a third party of US$22,139.
Income Tax Expenses
As a result of our operating income position for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred income tax expenses of US$0.7 million and US$1.3 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Net Income
As a result of the foregoing, our net income decreased by US$5.1 million, or 82.9%, from US$6.2 million for the six months ended December 31, 2023 to US$1.1 million for the six months ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in net income was mainly due to a US$2.6 million increase in general and administrative expenses, a US$1.4 million increase in research and development expenses, and a US$0.7 million decrease in gross profit.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash was $0.9 million as of December 31, 2024, as compared to $0.1 million on December 31, 2023. We had a positive working capital of $7.6 million and $10.6 million as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively. Our liquidity is based on our ability to enhance our operating cash flow position and obtain financing from equity and debt investors to fund our general operations and capital expenditure. Our ability to further enhance our liquidity depends on management’s ability to execute our business plan successfully, which includes optimizing accounts receivable collection and striking a balance between revenue growth and investments in R&D activities.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We consider adjusted net income, a non-GAAP financial measure, as a supplemental measure to review and assess our operating performance. We define adjusted net income for a specific period as net income in the same period excluding share-based compensation expenses and changes in fair value of warrant liabilities.
We present this non-GAAP financial measure because it is used by our management to evaluate our operating performance and formulate business plans. Accordingly, we believe that adjusted net income helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain expenses that are included in net income and certain expenses that are not expected to result in future cash payments or that are non-recurring in nature. We also believe that the use of the non-GAAP financial measure facilitates investors’ assessment of our operating performance, enhances the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and allows for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision making.
The non-GAAP financial measure should not be considered in isolation from or construed as an alternative to its most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the historical non-GAAP financial measure in reconciliation to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. As the non-GAAP financial measure has material limitations as an analytical metric and may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies, such measure may not be comparable to other similarly titled measure used by other companies. In light of the foregoing limitations, you should not consider the non-GAAP financial measure as a substitute for, or superior to, its most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP. We encourage investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.
The following table reconciles our adjusted net income for the periods indicated to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which is net income.
| For the six months ended December 31, |
|||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| Net income | $ | 1,066,894 | $ | 6,243,606 | |
| Add: | |||||
| Share-based compensation expenses | 223,933 | – | |||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | 336,136 | – | |||
| Total | $ | 1,626,963 | $ | 6,243,606 | |
First Half Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results Conference Call
Guanghai Li, Chief Executive Officer, and Amy Fong, President and Interim Chief Financial Officer, will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer session. The conference call will be accompanied by a presentation, which can be viewed during the webcast or accessed via the investor relations section of the Company’s website here.
To access the call, please use the following information:
| Date: | Monday, March 31, 2025 |
| Time: | 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time |
| Toll-free dial-in number: | 1-800-274-8461 |
| International dial-in number: | 1-203-518-9814 |
| Conference ID (Required for Entry): | HELPORT |
Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact MZ Group at 1-949-491-8235.
The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay at https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1712485&tp_key=f52524cadf and via the investor relations section of the Company’s website here.
A replay of the webcast will be available after 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time through July 1, 2025.
| Toll-free replay number: | 1-844-512-2921 |
| International replay number: | 1-412-317-6671 |
| Replay ID: | 11158521 |
About Helport AI Limited
We are a global AI technology company serving enterprise clients with intelligent customer communication software and services. Our proprietary software offering, Helport AI Assist (“AI Assist”), is a real-time, AI-driven “co-pilot” providing intelligent guidance for customer contact professionals across business settings. In addition, we provide AI+BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) services to facilitate customer engagement, helping clients grow sales, improve customer service, and reduce operational costs.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, HPAI’s business plan and outlook. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on HPAI’s current expectations and projections about future events that HPAI believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. HPAI undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although HPAI believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and HPAI cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in HPAI’s registration statement and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, please contact:
Helport AI Investor Relations:
Website: https://ir.helport.ai
Email: ir@helport.ai
External Investor Relations Contact:
Chris Tyson
Executive Vice President
MZ North America
Direct: 949-491-8235
HPAI@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us
| HELPORT AI LIMITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Amounts in and U.S. dollars (“US$”), except share data) |
|||||
| As of December 31, | As of June 30, | ||||
| 2024 | 2024 | ||||
| (unaudited) | |||||
| Cash | $ | 852,463 | $ | 2,581,086 | |
| Accounts receivable | 22,016,884 | 21,313,735 | |||
| Deferred offering costs | – | 817,871 | |||
| Prepaid expenses and other receivables | 2,027,167 | 41,966 | |||
| Total current assets | 24,896,514 | 24,754,658 | |||
| Intangible assets, net | 8,592,817 | 2,425,694 | |||
| Right-of-use assets, net | 762,644 | – | |||
| Total non-current asset | 9,355,461 | 2,425,694 | |||
| Total assets | $ | 34,251,975 | $ | 27,180,352 | |
| Accounts payable | $ | 3,280,565 | $ | 284,067 | |
| Income tax payable | 2,508,021 | 2,724,998 | |||
| Amount due to related parties | 536,538 | 965,776 | |||
| Convertible promissory notes | – | 4,889,074 | |||
| Warrant liabilities | 4,782,915 | – | |||
| Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 5,684,775 | 5,263,239 | |||
| Lease liabilities, current | 110,832 | – | |||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 332,626 | – | |||
| Total current liabilities | 17,236,272 | 14,127,154 | |||
| Lease liabilities, non-current | 687,093 | – | |||
| Total non-current liabilities | 687,093 | – | |||
| Total liabilities | 17,923,365 | 14,127,154 | |||
| Commitments and contingencies | |||||
| Ordinary shares (US$0.0001 par value per share; 500,000,000 authorized as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively; 37,132,968 and 30,280,768 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively)* | 3,713 | 3,028 | |||
| Additional paid-in capital* | 2,212,361 | 4,528 | |||
| Retained earnings | 14,112,536 | 13,045,642 | |||
| Shareholders’ equity | 16,328,610 | 13,053,198 | |||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 34,251,975 | $ | 27,180,352 | |
| *Par value of ordinary shares, additional paid-in capital and share data have been retroactively restated to give effect to the reverse recapitalization that is discussed in Note 1 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. |
|||||
| HELPORT AI LIMITED UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Amounts in and U.S. dollars (“US$”), except share data) |
|||||||
| For the six months ended December 31, | |||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| (unaudited) | (unaudited) | ||||||
| Revenue | $ | 16,406,402 | $ | 14,506,363 | |||
| Cost of revenue | (7,440,338 | ) | (4,793,021 | ) | |||
| Gross profit | 8,966,064 | 9,713,342 | |||||
| Selling expenses | (528,746 | ) | (50,214 | ) | |||
| General and administrative expenses | (4,598,484 | ) | (2,042,289 | ) | |||
| Research and development expenses | (1,448,115 | ) | (78,757 | ) | |||
| Total operating expenses | (6,575,345 | ) | (2,171,260 | ) | |||
| Income from operation | 2,390,719 | 7,542,082 | |||||
| Financial expenses, net | (312,437 | ) | (19,162 | ) | |||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | (336,136 | ) | – | ||||
| Income before income tax expense | 1,742,146 | 7,522,920 | |||||
| Income tax expense | (675,252 | ) | (1,279,314 | ) | |||
| Net income | $ | 1,066,894 | $ | 6,243,606 | |||
| Total comprehensive income | $ | 1,066,894 | $ | 6,243,606 | |||
| Earnings per ordinary share | |||||||
| Basic | 0.03 | 0.21 | |||||
| Diluted | 0.03 | 0.21 | |||||
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding* | |||||||
| Basic | 35,990,935 | 30,280,768 | |||||
| Diluted | 35,990,935 | 30,280,768 | |||||
| *Share data have been retroactively restated to give effect to the reverse recapitalization that is discussed in Note 1 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. | |||||||
| HELPORT AI LIMITED UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONDOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Amounts in and U.S. dollars (“US$”), except share data) |
|||||||
| For the six months ended December 31, | |||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| (unaudited) | (unaudited) | ||||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: | |||||||
| Net income | $ | 1,066,894 | $ | 6,243,606 | |||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 1,957,877 | 1,166,667 | |||||
| Amortization of right-of-use assets | 36,806 | – | |||||
| Share-based compensation | 223,933 | – | |||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | 336,136 | – | |||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | |||||||
| Accounts receivable | (703,149 | ) | (5,809,454 | ) | |||
| Prepaid expenses and other receivables | 1,028,346 | (57,896 | ) | ||||
| Accounts payable | 2,996,498 | 1,654,223 | |||||
| Amount due to related parties | – | 10,800 | |||||
| Accrued expenses and other liabilities | (3,196,882 | ) | 1,939,154 | ||||
| Income tax payable | (216,977 | ) | 1,279,315 | ||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 332,626 | – | |||||
| Lease liabilities | (10,810 | ) | – | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 3,851,298 | 6,426,415 | |||||
| CASH FLOWS FORM INVESTING ACTIVITY | |||||||
| Purchase of intangible assets | (8,125,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | |||
| Net cash used in investing activity | (8,125,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | |||
| CASH FLOWS FORM FINANCING ACTIVITIES | |||||||
| Deferred offering costs | (213,052 | ) | (467,465 | ) | |||
| Loan from a third party | – | 954,909 | |||||
| Repayment of loans from a third party | (199,582 | ) | – | ||||
| Repayment of loans from related parties | (429,238 | ) | (5,143 | ) | |||
| Cash inflow from reverse recapitalization | 1,136,951 | – | |||||
| Proceeds from PIPE investments | 2,600,000 | – | |||||
| Repayment of sponsor loans | (350,000 | ) | – | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 2,545,079 | 482,301 | |||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes | – | (130 | ) | ||||
| Net change in cash | (1,728,623 | ) | (91,414 | ) | |||
| Cash at the beginning of the period | 2,581,086 | 142,401 | |||||
| Cash at the end of the period | $ | 852,463 | $ | 50,987 | |||
| SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION: | |||||||
| Recognition of right-of use assets and lease liabilities | $ | 799,450 | $ | – | |||
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Trump Administration plans to reshape the nation’s trade policy, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is leading her Midwest colleagues, U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), in laying out a vision to prioritize American workers in trade policy, re-establish the United States as a world leader in manufacturing, and strengthen national security. Senator Baldwin has long worked against trade deals that undermine American workers, including opposing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China, and other deals that are a race to the bottom. Since 2001, flawed trade policies have contributed to the loss of 4.3 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S.
“For too long, the deck has been stacked against workers and has benefited trade cheats like China and the corporate fat cats in board rooms. Workers are the ones who make our economy go around and they are the ones we need to prioritize. Right now, we have a real opportunity to level the playing field for American workers and crack down on trade cheats, grow our Made in America economy, and ensure workers get the pay they deserve to live a good, middle-class life,” said Senator Baldwin.
“We need trade policies that provide a level playing field for American workers to compete and succeed,” said Senator Peters. “For far too long, American businesses and workers have paid the price of a trade landscape that benefits countries like China who blatantly cheat the system and undercut our businesses without being held accountable. Now is the time to take a real, comprehensive look at our trade policies to ensure we are putting American workers first and preventing good-paying jobs from being shipped overseas.”
“For 30 years we’ve been outsourcing our supply chains way too far, and too many Michigan workers have suffered because of it,” said Senator Slotkin. “Democrats, especially in the Midwest, need a vision for a 21st century trade policy. To me, that strategy isn’t rocket science. It should strengthen the Middle Class and protect American manufacturing and jobs, provide certainty for American businesses and farmers, and recognize that the U.S. has powerful economic levers to wield against our adversaries.”
In the letter to President Trump, Baldwin and her colleagues outline the details of a trade agenda that would center workers, stand up to trade cheats like China, and grow the American manufacturing sector, including:
Full text of the letter can be found here and below.
Dear Mr. President:
Your Administration has announced that it is undertaking a comprehensive review of our nation’s trade policy, an action that is welcome and long overdue. Free trade and globalization have left us with offshored manufacturing, devastated communities, workers out of a job or in jobs with lower wages, and supply chains overly dependent on our adversaries in too many areas. Our states have suffered disproportionately, and we write to share policy solutions informed by that experience and to urge you to implement a pro-American worker trade policy.
The current global and domestic economic landscape is the result of deliberate policy choices. Now is the time to break the cycle and boldly set a new standard for how we design, implement, monitor and enforce our trade policies. Presidents of both parties have failed Americans on trade policy, and Congress has validated their mistakes—often, in close votes. Misguided decisions like granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), which paved the way for China’s accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO), along with the passage of NAFTA and CAFTA, as well as support of the Trans Pacific Partnership, are part of a misguided narrative that free trade and liberalization would improve economic growth and living standards, which for many communities has proven false. Since 2001, flawed trade policies have contributed to the loss of 4.3 million manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. We have fought for a pro-American worker trade policy, and would strongly support reforms that are reasoned, strategic, and durable. Our goal should be a combined pro-U.S. worker trade agenda and proactive industrial policy and strategic use of tariffs that secures supply chains, revitalizes communities, creates good-paying, union jobs and re-establishes the United States as a leader in world manufacturing.
First and foremost, we must drastically revise our trade relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). By allowing China to join the WTO, the United States opted to treat the PRC like a market economy. Proponents claimed this would bring market reforms. That has proven a naïve and misguided approach. China still embraces a state-directed approach to trade and targets entire sectors and industries for global domination. China’s non-market practices, rampant abuses of labor and human rights, and government-sponsored trade cheating call for a complete rethinking of our economic relationship, including PNTR.
Each of the United States’ 14 free trade agreements with 20 countries, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), must be reviewed and revised where necessary, in order to ensure the best outcomes for American workers. While your Administration oversaw the negotiations of the USMCA, which contained the strongest labor standards of any free trade agreement thus far, there are urgent issues to be addressed during the upcoming review. The PRC has increasingly located facilities in Mexico to take advantage of proximity to the United States and preferential treatment of goods under USMCA. It has also failed to fundamentally change a core challenge facing American workers: the continued offshoring of good manufacturing jobs because of wage suppression, union busting and weak regulations in Mexico. There are long-standing challenges to the U.S. economy that USMCA’s dispute mechanism has failed to address, such as Canada’s treatment of the United States dairy sector. Separate from USMCA, the United States is part of agreements about government procurement, through the WTO or negotiated separately, that result in a losing deal for Americans. All such agreements must be thoroughly reviewed and recalibrated to level the playing field.
The ultimate goal of our trade enforcement mechanisms should not be to react to injury, it must be to deter and prevent cheating in the first place. Foreign entities will continue to transship, evade trade remedies, and create new ways to cheat and take advantage of the United States, and stopping problems as they come up in a “whack-a-mole” fashion is a reactive strategy. Strengthening trade enforcement mechanisms will curb cheating and manipulation by foreign countries. There are substantive bipartisan efforts in this area, such as the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act to strengthen trade remedies and the Fighting Trade Cheats Act to empower private companies to hold bad actors accountable. Furthermore, there are some bipartisan efforts that can be addressed by executive action, like closing the de minimis loophole, which your Administration acknowledges results in lost tariff revenue and the importation of counterfeit products and contraband drugs like fentanyl. The loophole also puts American manufacturers and retailers at a disadvantage. In addition, critical support for American workers who lose their jobs due to the short-sighted policies of the past, such as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), must be reauthorized and strengthened as we try to right the ship on trade policy, to allow those workers to access job training benefits and quickly return to the workforce.
Tariffs are important tools for leveling the playing field when they are enacted in a strategic, deliberate, and durable way, but it can take months and years for supply chains to adjust. The positive impact of tariffs and trade policy must be bolstered by a robust industrial policy to create and sustain good-paying jobs with efforts such as investments, Buy America requirements, tax incentives, and other programs like those included in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. To be successful, we must also keep corporations in check with equitable tax rates and strong antitrust laws to prevent price gouging. Critically, we must empower workers to join unions and earn fair wages to support a middle class lifestyle and be able to save for a safe and secure retirement.
Lastly, we want to emphasize this proposal is critical to workers and communities in our states, as well as to our national security and emergency preparedness. Re-evaluating American trade policy and securing supply chains will strengthen our national security and better position the United States to defend itself if faced with conflict. During World War II, United States automakers shifted from producing civilian passenger vehicles to producing military equipment and weapons like tanks, engines, and aircraft. More recently, global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine exposed the risks of our fragile supply chains. Now is the time to learn from these lessons and prioritize a trade policy that puts American workers first.
Thank you for your consideration of this most important issue.
Sincerely,
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ben Marwick, Professor of Archaeology, University of Washington
New technologies today often involve electronic devices that are smaller and smarter than before. During the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthals were modern humans’ neighbors, new technologies meant something quite different: new kinds of stone tools that were smaller but could be used for many tasks and lasted for a long time.
Archaeologists like me are interested in the Middle Paleolithic – a period spanning 250,000 to 30,000 years ago – because it includes the first appearance of our species, our arrival into many parts of the world for the first time, and our invention of many new kinds of stone tools.
In our study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of international collaborators and I describe our discovery in China of the first complete example of a Middle Paleolithic technology previously seen only in Europe and the Middle East.
Archaeologists have thought that ancient people in East Asia completely skipped the Middle Paleolithic. Our discovery challenges the long-standing notion that while ancient people in Europe and Africa were inventing new tools during this period, people of East Asia stuck to only the most basic tools that remained unchanged for thousands of years.
The tool we’ve identified is called a Quina scraper. This type of stone tool is well known from archaeological sites in Europe and the Middle East.
Quina scrapers are typically quite thick and asymmetrical, with a broad and sharp working edge that shows clear signs of being used and resharpened multiple times. This shape results in durable cutting edges, ideal for long cycles of use followed by resharpening.
People used Quina scrapers to scrape and cut soft materials, such as meat and animal skins, and medium-hard materials, such as wood. We know this from tiny scratches and chips on the scrapers that match traces caused by working these materials in experiments using contemporary stone tools.
European archaeologists believe that Quina scrapers were invented to meet the needs of highly mobile hunters living in cool and dry climates. These hunters were focused on seasonal migratory prey such as reindeer, giant deer, horse and bison. Quina scrapers would have helped them process their kills into food and other resources – for example, to extract marrow.
Our team, led by Hao Li of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and Qijun Ruan of the Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, excavated Quina scrapers and related stone tools from the Longtan archaeological site in southwest China.
Our colleague Bo Li at the University of Wollongong used optical luminescence dating methods on the layers of earth that contained the artifacts. This technique can identify how much time has passed since each individual sand grain was last exposed to the Sun. Dating many individual grains in a sample is important because tree roots, insects or other animals can mix younger sediments down into older ones.
After we identified and removed intrusive younger grains, we found the layers containing the artifacts were 50,000 to 60,000 years old. This is roughly the same time Quina scrapers were being used in Europe at Neanderthal sites.
Keliang Zhao from China’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology looked at pollen grains from the Longtan excavations. He found that the Middle Paleolithic people of Longtan lived in a relatively open forest-grassland environment and a dry and cool climate. This environment is similar to that of Quina sites in Europe.
Davide Delpiano, Marco Peresani and Marie-Hélène Moncel, experts on European Middle Paleolithic tools, joined our team to help with the comparison of the Chinese and European specimens and confirm their similarities.
Hélène Monod, from Universidad Rovira i Virgili in Spain, looked at our Quina scrapers under the microscope and found traces on them from scraping and scratching bones, antlers and wood. She also found polish from using the tools on meat, hides and soft plants.
Our new discovery of Quina scrapers joins another recent find of a different kind of Middle Paleolithic technology in East Asia: Levallois tools from Guanyindong Cave in Guizhou Province in south-central China. Levallois tools result from a distinctive multistep sequence that efficiently produces lots of useful cutting tools, with minimal wasted stone. Taken together, these two finds make a strong case that Middle Paleolithic technologies were present in East Asia.
But why are we only just finding this Quina tool kit now, when it has been known in Europe for such a long time?
One reason is that archaeologists have been looking in Europe for longer than almost anywhere else in the world. Another reason Middle Paleolithic evidence appears rare in East Asia is because what now seem to be less typical variations of the Quina tool kit previously found in China had been overlooked, likely due to archaeologists’ narrow definitions based on European examples.
The Quina tools at Longtan are among the earliest artifacts from that site, which makes it hard for researchers to determine the origins of this new technology. Was it introduced by visitors from Europe? Or did local people in East Asia independently invent it?
To answer these questions, we hope to find more Quina scrapers at sites with deeper – meaning older – layers than Longtan. If older layers hold what look like the remnants of experiments in stone toolmaking that would eventually result in Quina tools, it suggests Quina tools were invented locally. If deeper layers have dissimilar tools, that suggests Quina technology was introduced from a neighboring group.
We also hope future work will reveal who made these tools. Our excavations at Longtan did not find any human bone or DNA that could help us identify the toolmakers.
During the Middle Paleolithic, there were multiple human species that could make tools like this. It could have been modern humans like us. But it could also have been Neanderthals. Considering that the Quina technology in Europe is directly associated with Neanderthals, this seems likely. But it could also have been Denisovans, an extinct species similar to modern humans found during this time in Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and Laos, or even a new human species that hasn’t been seen before.
Whoever was making and using these Quina scrapers, they were able to be inventive and flexible with their technology, adapting to their changing environment.
Ben Marwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East – https://theconversation.com/stone-tool-discovery-in-china-shows-people-in-east-asia-were-innovating-during-the-middle-paleolithic-like-in-europe-and-middle-east-252868
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a bicameral letter urging United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Acting CEO Victor Morales and Special Advisor Kari Lake to rescind the Trump administration’s illegal actions to dismantle the agency, terminate grants for several government-funded outlets worldwide, and place Voice of America and other federal staff on administrative leave.
“Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill.”
“These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests,” they continued. “America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.”
“We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives,” they concluded.
U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), as well as U.S. Representatives Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) also signed the letter.
The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Acting CEO Morales and Ms. Lake:
You are at the helm of an agency with a critical mission to increase freedom of expression, circumvent censorship, and deliver objective, accurate, and relevant information to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. This mission directly supports U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
Given its importance, we write to express our concerns with the decisions you have made in response to the March 14, 2025 Executive Order titled “Executive Order on Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”
Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world. Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill. This includes sections 7015 and 7063, and the provisions under the United States Agency for Global Media heading, of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025.
Additionally, the actions you have taken to significantly downsize the agency, including termination of the new building lease and closeout costs, will cost the U.S. taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.
These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests. America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.
In 2020, when then-USAGM CEO Michael Pack instituted mass firings, then-Senator Rubio led a bipartisan effort to have such actions reversed. In the letter, Senator Rubio and colleagues stated:
“We are at a critical moment in history where malign actors including Russia, China, and Iran, are using advanced tools and technology to undermine global democratic norms, spreading disinformation, and severely restricting their own free press to hamper access to independent news for their citizens. As these and other authoritarian regimes further crack down domestically, their citizens turn to outside media as their only trustworthy source of unbiased, accurate news.”
This is no less true today.
We are equally troubled that these actions put staff across all of those entities, who have faithfully served the interests of the U.S. government, at risk if they are forced to return to authoritarian countries where they may be subject to harassment, persecution, or arbitrary arrest. The agency appears to have no plan in place to address these risks. Already, 1,300 VOA staff and 75 percent of RFA U.S.-based staff have been put on leave.
We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives. We request that you respond to this letter no later than April 4, 2025 confirming your intent to do so.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham
China’s president Xi Jinping recently held a meeting with 40 leaders of multinational companies, including BMW and AstraZeneca.
In contrast to Donald Trump’s rhetoric, Xi told the top level executives that globalisation was not going away. Xi is attempting to boost foreign investment in China, which has dropped in the last few years, and build new relationships that will offset Trump’s tariffs on many Chinese goods.
In the March 28 meeting, Xi “vowed to improve market access” and assured corporate leaders that “lines of communication” between them and the Chinese government are open.
Xi is hoping to build on an anti-Trump bounce and inspire businesses to back Beijing as some signs emerged that China’s economy was doing a little better than expected in early 2025. Industrial production went up by 5.9% in January and February. Credit growth, which measures the amount of loans banks give out, also appears to be picking up, suggesting that businesses might be growing in China.
Retail sales, which are a major economic marker indicating consumer spending, has risen by up to 4% in January and February this year, compared to last year.
Beijing is also willing to create further stimulus packages to sustain China’s economic growth, which might lift consumer confidence further.
But this is hampered by a real estate crisis that began in 2021. What followed was an already high local government debt that was exacerbated by the property crisis, and high youth unemployment that existed since 2023.
The big question then is what are the factors that could lead to a more buoyant outlook in China’s economic fortunes?
According to a Bloomberg report, China has traditionally relied on cheap loans and subsidies to boost economic sectors in infrastructure, manufacturing, and the property market. However, those times are over.
The problem is China has produced more goods to sell than people are willing to buy. In the past, Beijing relied on the west to purchase its products, but with rising protectionism and looming tariffs stemming from a Donald Trump-led US, US consumption of Chinese goods is likely to fall.
And if another key market in the form of the EU were to take a cue from Trump’s economic playbook and impose more tariffs on China, then Chinese hope for sales in the west for economic growth may not materialise.
Beijing’s surest way of boosting sales is through domestic consumption. This isn’t easy as China’s domestic spending remains relatively low at 40% of the country’s GDP, which is about 20% lower than the global average. And if Beijing wants cautious consumers to spend amid a relatively weak economic outlook, it needs to do more to raise consumer confidence.
Although China did introduce a stimulus package in September 2024, it has resolved to do more. In an early March 2025 speech in the Chinese parliament, Chinese premier Li Qiang promised a “special action plan” to vigorously raise domestic consumption for 2025. Several weeks later Li reiterated in the China Development Forum that Beijing would roll out more stimulus packages when the need arose.
These assurances are likely to have helped improve market sentiment, and the fact that China’s GDP growth target was also set at an ambitious level of around 5%, might signal Beijing’s confidence and resolve that the economy will improve.
In the past, China was considered a copycat nation known for manufacturing shanzai, or fake and pirated products. This difficulty in innovating and reliance on the designs of others largely lay with an education system steeped in rote learning, and a top-down culture with a conformist approach.
This is why experts thought China would struggle when the US decided to introduce restrictions on Chinese access semiconductor and AI technologies. However, despite these restrictions, China has managed to develop a highly capable AI model of its own in the form of DeepSeek, which was unveiled early this year, and immediately boosted China’s image as an innovator.
Unlike other AI models, DeepSeek was apparently made at a fraction of the cost of other traditional AI models such as ChatGPT, and may have a more efficient coding scheme that allows for quicker problem solving. This has prompted Donald Trump to coin DeepSeek’s development as a wake-up call for the US tech industry.
Many AI startups in China are now revamping their business models to compete with DeepSeek, following widespread adoption of the latter’s technology. As the AI revolution in China could potentially reduce costs and thereby boost efficiency in the financial sector.
Following Trump’s return to the Oval Office, investors across the globe have been trying to reduce their reliance on the US by looking for investment opportunities elsewhere. This isn’t entirely surprising given Trump’s knack for the unpredictable, and how new US tariffs have been applied to a host of US allies such as Mexico, Canada, and the European Union.
While Trump is striking an increasingly protectionist tone, China is taking the opposite approach. Trump’s penchant for tariffs and disregard for the economic interest of US allies may mean Beijing might not need to do too much to attract more nations and businesses to consider turning towards Chinese markets.
Chee Meng Tan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. How Beijing plans to bounce back against Trump’s tariffs – https://theconversation.com/how-beijing-plans-to-bounce-back-against-trumps-tariffs-253086
Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Bacci, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Thermofluids Laboratory, University of Oxford
The most advanced fighter jets in the world are known as “fifth generation”. They contain technologies developed in the first part of the 21st century. Examples of fifth generation fighter jets include America’s F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor, China’s Chengdu J-20 and Russia’s Sukhoi SU-57.
Now, however, nations are moving ahead with the sixth generation of combat jets. In the past few months, China has flown its J36 and J50 prototype jets. Meanwhile, the US has selected Boeing to build a new fighter aircraft called the F-47.
As with previous generations, the sixth will incorporate major advances in aircraft design, onboard electronics (avionics) and weapon systems.
But how will the new generation of jets stand out from the previous one? Future combat jets will not see dramatic increases in maximum speed, nor in flight performance. Instead, the true innovations will be in how these systems operate and achieve dominance in aerial combat.
Like the fifth generation, the sixth will be dominated by stealth technology. This helps fighters jets to reduce their chances of being detected by infrared and radar sensors, to the point that when their signatures are eventually picked up, the opponent has no time to act.
Stealth is achieved through particular shapes of airframe (such as diamond shapes) and coatings on the aircraft – called radar absorbing materials. The airframe is the fundamental structural framework of an aircraft, encompassing the fuselage, wings, tail assembly and landing gear.
The diamond-like shapes that already characterise fifth generation jets are likely to remain in the upcoming generation of fighter, but they will evolve.
A common feature we’re likely to see is the reduction or complete removal of vertical tails at the back of the aircraft and their control surfaces. In current aircraft, these tails provide directional stability and control in flight, allowing the aircraft to maintain its course and manoeuvre.
However, sixth generation jets could achieve this control with the help of thrust vectoring – the ability to manipulate the direction of engines and therefore the direction of thrust (the force that moves the jet through the air).
The role of vertical tails could also be partially replaced by devices called fluidic actuators. These apply forces to the the wing by blowing high speed and high pressure air on different parts of it.
The removal of the vertical tails would contribute to the fighter’s stealth. The new generation of fighters is also likely to see the use of novel radar absorbing materials with advanced capabilities.
We’ll see the introduction of what are known as adaptive cycle engines on sixth generation fighters. These engines will feature what’s known as a three stream design, which refers to the airstreams blowing through the engine. Current jets have two airstreams: one that passes through the core of the engine, and another that bypasses the core.
The development of a third stream provides an extra source of air flow to increase the engine’s fuel efficiency and performance. This will allow both the capability to cruise efficiently at supersonic speed and deliver a high thrust during combat.
It is likely that China and the US will build two separate fighters with different airframes. One will have a bigger airframe, designed for use in an area like the Pacific Ocean region. Here, the ability to fly further and carry a heavier payload will be key, because of the distances involved. Airframes designed for this region will therefore be larger.
Another fighter jet carrying a smaller airframe will be designed for use in areas such as Europe where agility and manoeuvrability will be more important.
The next wave of jets will have a system in the cockpit that gathers lots of information from other aircraft, ground surveillance stations and satellites. It would then integrate this data to give an enhanced situational awareness to the pilot. This system would also able to actively jam enemy sensors.
Another key feature will be the deployment of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (Ucavs), a form of drone aircraft. The piloted fighter jet would be able to control a variety of Ucavs, ranging from loyal wingmen to cheaper, unpiloted fighter jets that will assist the mission, including protecting the piloted fighter.
This will all be the responsibility of something called the advanced digital cockpit, a software-driven system that will use virtual reality and allow the pilot to effectively become a battle manager. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a key feature of the support systems for the drones. This will allow them to be controlled with complete autonomy. The pilot will assign the main task – such as, “attack that enemy jet in that sector” – and the system will carry out the mission without any further input.
Another advancement will be the weapon systems, with the adoption of missiles that not only will be capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds, but will also incorporate stealth features. This will further reduce the reaction times of enemy forces. Directed energy weapons systems, such as laser weapons, could potentially appear in later stages, as this technology is under study.
Under America’s sixth generation fighter programme, the US Navy is working on a separate jet called the F/A-XX, complementing the F-47.
The UK, Italy and Japan are also working on a jet project known as the global combat air programme (GCAP). This will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in service with the UK and Italy and the Mitsubishi F-2 in service with Japan.
Germany, Spain and France are working on a fighter programme called the future combat air system (FCAS). This could supersede Germany and Spain’s Typhoons and France’s Rafale.
The path for sixth generation fighter jets seems to have already been traced, but uncertainties remain. The feasibility of some of the characteristics described and development times and costs are not yet well defined. This interval of time was more than ten years for fifth generation fighter jets – and the sixth is going to be far more complex in terms of requirements and capability.
A new generation of fighter jet is expected to remain on active duty for something like 30 years. But warfare across the world evolves rapidly. It is unclear whether the design requirements we are fixing today remain relevant over the coming years.
David Bacci is affiliated with Cranfeild Defence & Security (CRanfield University) – Visiting Research Fellow
– ref. How a new wave of fighter jets could transform aerial combat – https://theconversation.com/how-a-new-wave-of-fighter-jets-could-transform-aerial-combat-252949
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced H.R. 2385, the Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025, or the CREATE AI Act, legislation that would establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) to remove barriers to the essential tools and infrastructure that power artificial intelligence research and development.
Currently, only a handful of large technology companies possess the computing resources, massive datasets, and advanced infrastructure required to perform cutting-edge research in AI. The CREATE AI Act seeks to level the playing field by making those critical tools available to students, researchers, non-profits, small businesses, and academic institutions across the country. The NAIRR would serve as a shared national resource, providing cloud computing, curated datasets, AI testbeds, and educational tools to a broad community of users, ensuring that the future of AI is shaped not just by corporations, but also by entrepreneurs and academia.
“Artificial intelligence is one of the most transformative technologies of our time, but currently the tools needed to develop it are out of reach for most Americans,” said Rep. Jay Obernolte. “The CREATE AI Act will democratize access to cutting-edge AI resources by establishing a shared national infrastructure for research and experimentation. By empowering students, universities, startups, and small businesses to participate in the future of AI, we can drive innovation, strengthen our workforce, and ensure that American leadership in this critical field is broad-based and secure.”
“By establishing the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), we would provide an excellent resource for researchers, educators, small businesses, and even students like me to learn how to use artificial intelligence. This access to high-quality data, compute resources, and support would drive the innovation necessary to strengthen our global competitiveness in trustworthy AI development and in turn help accelerate solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “I am thrilled to co-lead this bipartisan, bicameral, and pro-innovation legislation, and look forward to seeing the increased access to high-tech tools and resources that the CREATE AI Act will provide.”
The bill establishes a formal governance structure for the NAIRR, including a Steering Subcommittee under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and a Program Management Office within the National Science Foundation. This structure will oversee operations, manage federal and private resource contributions, select an independent operating entity through a transparent bidding process, and ensure adherence to strict standards of privacy, ethics, scientific integrity, and national security.
The NAIRR will offer researchers secure, tiered access to computational resources, structured Application Programming Interfaces or APIs for working with large AI models, access to interoperable datasets, and educational resources designed to broaden participation in STEM and AI research. In addition to technical infrastructure, the NAIRR will prioritize access for projects that address durable and secure AI development—key issues in ensuring artificial intelligence is aligned with American values and interests.
Importantly, the NAIRR will be built using donated resources from both federal agencies and the private sector, ensuring that its impact is achieved without requiring a massive new federal expenditure. Cloud computing power, datasets, storage capabilities, AI models, and educational tools will all be contributed by participating partners, leveraging existing infrastructure to maximize access and minimize cost. This collaborative model empowers government, academia, and industry to work together to expand opportunity and accelerate innovation in a fiscally responsible way.
The CREATE AI Act has earned early praise from many leading voices in the tech and research community:
“The tech sector wants the United States to be the world leader in AI research and deployment,” said ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman. “The CREATE AI Act will help U.S. AI leadership by codifying the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) and providing AI researchers, small business owners, and students with cutting-edge research tools for AI development. We thank Congressman Jay Obernolte and Congressman Don Beyer for their leadership on this bipartisan, bicameral legislation and urge the U.S. Congress to advance the bill quickly.”
“Enabling AI research and development helps to keep the United States as the destination for AI innovation and adoption. The CREATE AI Act would facilitate AI R&D by establishing the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), a foundational resource to enable AI research and development across the economy. This legislation would also broaden access to AI research resources to make sure that small businesses, technology startups, and universities and community colleges across the country are equipped with the tools to facilitate further innovation. We commend Reps. Obernolte and Beyer for their work to advance this legislation during the 119th Congress.” – The Business Software Alliance
The full text of the CREATE AI Act of 2025 can be found here.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA), the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific, and Congressman Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and the former President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, introduced the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, bipartisan legislation that counters Beijing’s attempts to exclude Taiwan from participating in international organizations.
The legislation previously passed the House in July 2023.
“Beijing continues to do all it can to isolate Taiwan from the outside world and silence Taiwan’s voice on the world stage. Taiwan has a track record of success in democracy and global health security, and its perspective deserves to be heard,” said Kim. “The Taiwan International Solidarity Act helps the United States demonstrate through meaningful action our support for Taiwan’s status in international organizations. Taiwan’s participation in global conversation is the world’s gain.”
“For too long, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has distorted policies and procedures at international organizations to assert its sovereignty claims over Taiwan, often to the detriment of global health, governance, and security efforts,” said Connolly. “This bipartisan legislation ensures that we stand against Beijing’s weaponization of international organizations and in solidarity with the wishes and best interests of the people of Taiwan.”
The Taiwan International Solidarity Act builds on the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act, which was signed into law in March 2020, to further counter the PRC’s attempts to weaponize international organizations to claim that Taiwan is part of China by distorting the language, policies, and procedures of international organizations. The legislation clarifies that U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not preclude the United States from using its vote, voice, and influence to resist the reckless campaign against Taiwan’s place on the world stage. It also encourages the U.S. to work with allies and partners to oppose the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s diplomatic relationships and partnerships globally. Finally, the bill expands reporting requirements to include information relating to any prior or ongoing attempts by the People’s Republic of China to undermine Taiwan’s participation in international organizations as well as its ties and relationships with other countries.
Text of the legislation is available here.
Source: Apple
Headline: Apple Intelligence comes to Apple Vision Pro today with visionOS 2.4
March 31, 2025
UPDATE
Apple Intelligence and new spatial experiences come to Apple Vision Pro today with visionOS 2.4
Alongside the first set of powerful Apple Intelligence features, users can discover new content with Spatial Gallery and the Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone, and share the magic of spatial computing with enhancements to Guest User
visionOS 2.4 is available today, bringing the first set of powerful Apple Intelligence features that help users communicate, write, and express themselves on Apple Vision Pro — all while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.1 With the new Spatial Gallery app, users have access to a curated collection of spatial content spanning art, culture, nature, sports, and more. visionOS 2.4 also introduces the Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone to help users easily find new content and apps, and enhancements to Guest User make sharing Vision Pro experiences even easier.
Apple Intelligence on Apple Vision Pro
With Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, and many third-party apps. With Rewrite, users can adjust the tone of their text to make it more friendly, professional, or concise, or specify the change they’d like to make using Describe Your Change. Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure, and provides suggested edits. Users can also select text and have it recapped in several formats with Summarize. With Compose, users can ask ChatGPT to generate content for anything they are writing about from the systemwide Writing Tools.2
Image Playground allows users to easily create fun and unique images from themes, costumes, accessories, and places. Users can add their own text descriptions, and can even create images in the likeness of a family member or friend using photos from their photo library. The experience is integrated directly into apps like Messages and Freeform, and is also available as a dedicated app for Apple Vision Pro.
Apple Intelligence takes emoji to an entirely new level, offering users the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing or speaking a description into the emoji keyboard. Genmoji can be added inline to messages, shared as a sticker, or sent as a Tapback.
Smart Reply in Messages and Mail provides suggestions for a quick response, and will identify questions to ensure everything is answered.
With natural language search in the Photos app, it’s even easier to find a specific photo or moment in a video just by describing it. Create a Memory Movie lets users create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description. Using language and image understanding, Apple Intelligence will pick out photos and videos based on a user’s description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc. As with all Apple Intelligence features, user photos and videos are kept private, and are not shared with Apple or anyone else.
visionOS 2.4 also includes support for Priority Messages in Mail, Mail Summaries, Image Wand in Notes, Priority Notifications in Notification Center, and Notification Summaries. The initial set of Apple Intelligence features is available in visionOS 2.4 for users with their device and Siri language set to U.S. English.
Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing whenever possible to protect users’ privacy. For requests that require access to even larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Apple products into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill the request. Independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise, and are already doing so.
Curated Spatial Content with Spatial Gallery
Spatial Gallery, a new app for Apple Vision Pro, features spatial photos, spatial videos, and panoramas curated by Apple, and gives users a window to captivating and powerful moments spanning art, culture, entertainment, lifestyle, nature, sports, and travel, with new content released regularly.
At launch, users can discover stories and experiences from iconic brands including Red Bull, Cirque du Soleil, and Porsche; go behind the scenes with Apple Originals like Severance, The Studio, and The Morning Show; and listen to conversations with top artists like Bad Bunny, Charli xcx, and Keith Urban.
The Apple Vision Pro App for iPhone
The Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone offers a new way for users to discover new spatial experiences, queue apps and games to download, easily find tips, and quickly access information about their Vision Pro, all from their iPhone.
The Discover page features recommendations for new and notable experiences on Apple Vision Pro, from popular apps like Explore POV and JigSpace, to Apple Arcade games like Gears & Goo, to Apple Immersive experiences like Metallica, which gives viewers unprecedented access to the band through a remarkable storytelling format only possible on Vision Pro.
The My Vision Pro page helps users get the most out of their Apple Vision Pro, offering tips and key information such as their current visionOS version and device serial number. Users with vision correction needs can now store and view the App Clip code for their ZEISS Optical Inserts in the Apple Vision Pro app.
New Enhancements to Guest User
visionOS 2.4 lets users start a Guest User session on Apple Vision Pro with their nearby iPhone or iPad. To make it easier to guide a guest through the Vision Pro experience, users can now choose which apps are accessible to their guests and start View Mirroring with AirPlay from their iPhone.
New Apple Immersive Video Content
VIP: Yankee Stadium premieres this Friday, April 4, featuring an all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary. Bono: Stories of Surrender pulls back the curtain on the deeply personal experiences that have shaped Bono as a son, father, husband, activist, and U2 frontman. The groundbreaking film from Apple TV+ premieres May 30, and will be available in 2D and in Apple Immersive Video.
Availability
Press Contacts
Corey Nord
Apple
Andrea Schubert
Apple
Apple Media Helpline
Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
On March 27, a conference was held in a hybrid format at the Higher School of Economics to finalize the work on establishing the International Movement for Financial Security. During the meeting, the regulations and roadmap were adopted and the presidium was elected.
The conference was hosted by Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Vyacheslav Bashev and Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Director of the International Network Institute in the Sphere of AML/CFT. They moderated the meeting from Moscow, and Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the Higher School of Economics, delivered a welcoming speech from the capital of the People’s Republic of China.
Yuri Chikhanchin, Director of Rosfinmonitoring and Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the movement, opened the conference from Kazakhstan, noting the importance of joint work to protect young people from modern threats, including involvement in illegal activities as dropouts, and also emphasizing the need to create a “forge of personnel” for national anti-money laundering systems.
Participants were connected from three countries: the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China, which confirms the international status of the movement, as noted by Vyacheslav Bashev. Today, the organization already covers 36 participating countries.
Natalia Parshkova, the curator of the International Movement for Financial Security from the Government of the Russian Federation, presented candidates for the presidium for election. Deputy Director General of the International Training and Methodological Center for Financial Monitoring (ITMCFM) Irina Shilina presented a draft regulation, which the conference participants reviewed and unanimously adopted as the main regulatory document.
Ivan Uvarov, Director General of the MUMCFM, presented a draft roadmap, according to which it is planned to implement subsequent steps to develop the movement. Ambassadors from among students and postgraduates also spoke: Ekaterina Bazarova from Russia, Ngetobai Masangar Rongar from the Republic of Chad, and from Kazakhstan – Sagyn Ismetilla and Temirlan Tuleyev. The students actively support the organization, make their proposals and ideas for its further expansion and development.
Acting Director of the Center for Digital Educational Platforms of PJSC Promsvyazbank Maxim Lobanov presented information on the operation of the main technological resource — the digital platform “Sodruzhestvo”. The report presented the scale of the platform, its capabilities and content, as well as plans for its development.
In conclusion, Yuri Chikhanchin said a few words: “Let the Financial Security Movement not stop at the numbers achieved and grow with new countries and participants. Now we have the “Commonwealth” – a platform that allows us to be close to each other even from different corners of the world. The proposals that were voiced today only indicate that all participants are interested in actively promoting new ideas and development projects.”
Summing up, Vladimir Ovchinnikov offered everyone who wanted to register on the platform and join the organization.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law will depart Hong Kong tomorrow evening on a visit to Beijing, where she will meet various officials.
Miss Law will call on the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office, the Ministry of Culture & Tourism, the General Administration of Sport of China, and the China Film Administration. She will also meet officials from other cultural institutions.
The culture chief will return to Hong Kong on Friday. During her absence, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Raistlin Lau will be Acting Secretary.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak and Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau today attended the “Ancestor Worship Ceremony of the Yellow Emperor in the Year of Yisi” in Zhengzhou, Henan.
The Yellow Emperor, born in Zhengzhou, is regarded as the cultural ancestor of the Chinese nation. The ceremony is a significant cultural event held annually in Henan.
Miss Mak remarked that by attending an event of such cultural value, Hong Kong compatriots can enhance their sense of national identity.
During her visit to Zhengzhou, Miss Mak met CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Executive Deputy Director Zhou Ji; Secretary of CPC Henan Provincial Committee and Director of Henan Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee Liu Ning; and CPC Henan Provincial Committee Deputy Secretary and Governor of Henan Province & Secretary of Party Leadership Group Wang Kai.
Additionally, Miss Mak met Hong Kong students studying in Zhengzhou to learn about their lives on the Mainland. She encouraged young people to grasp the opportunities open to them, gain a deeper understanding of China’s development, and contribute to the country and to Hong Kong.
The home affairs chief was due to return to Hong Kong this afternoon.
Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Central Bank of Russia (2) –
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Categoris24-7, Central Bank of OF Russia, Miles, Russians Banks, Russians savings, Russians finance, Russians Language, Russian economy, Russian banks
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Fraudsters have begun to use a new fraudulent scheme involving the Bank of Russia. They send potential victims an email with the regulator’s logo, which includes the person’s last name, first name, and patronymic. In the letter, the scammers report that the person allegedly has an active account in a European financial institution. They demand to close an “international account” with a large sum of money and offer to withdraw it while preserving the interest income. The scammers claim that to do this, you need to use your Russian bank account, which has the most money. To get more detailed instructions, the person should reply to the letter or contact its senders via instant messengers. Some letters include a phishing link to a site where you are asked to enter personal data and bank details, allegedly for identification and closing the account. Refusal to close the account, according to the scammers, threatens a significant fine, seizure of property or forced collection from wages. In the future, the scammers can use this information to steal money or arrange loans and credits. In addition, the link may contain malicious software that is automatically installed on the user’s device and provides attackers with remote access to banking applications. |
Be vigilant and do not respond to such letters: do not follow links in the message, do not provide personal or financial information. Real employees of the Bank of Russia do not call people and do not send them copies of any documents, do not request personal or bank information, do not offer to perform any transactions with the account. If possible, install an antivirus program on your devices and update it regularly. If you have any doubts, call your bank yourself at the number indicated on the back of the card or on the credit institution’s website. |
Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On March 27–28, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk paid a working visit to the People’s Republic of China (Hainan Island), heading the Russian delegation at the annual Boao Forum for Asia.
During his speech at the session “Creating favorable conditions for peaceful development and ensuring overall economic security,” the Deputy Prime Minister spoke in detail about the creation of international partnerships aimed at forming a reliable basis for sustainable economic growth in the Eurasian region, including the construction of transport and logistics systems and an independent payment infrastructure.
Alexey Overchuk spoke about the initiative of the Greater Eurasian Partnership, put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which implies the interconnectedness of the economies of Eurasia and is based on the idea of economic security and integration.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the Northern Eurasia macro-region serves as an example of multi-level economic integration, where such associations as the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Commonwealth of Independent States operate.
At the same time, in Asia there is the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road”, ASEAN, the Organization of the Gulf States and other organizations that unite the countries and regions of the global South. Many countries of Asia and Eurasia, including the three largest economies of the continent – China, India and Russia, participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. Russia and China are also members of APEC.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the unification of these multilateral efforts will lead to the creation of the impetus needed to build a more sustainable future and socio-economic progress, develop and implement new technologies, increase economic connectivity, and strengthen intercultural communication in Eurasia.
During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister held talks with Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang. During the conversation, it was noted that further development of strategic partnership in all sectors of the economy meets the interests of both countries. The trusting dialogue between the leaders of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, plays a decisive role in the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation. Mutual high-level visits are planned for the spring-autumn of 2025, timed to coincide with the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II.
Alexey Overchuk emphasized that Russia is ready to jointly implement the agreements reached by the heads of the two states and continuously deepen Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction.
“Russia and China need to expand trade relations, scientific and technical cooperation, and create new production and cooperation chains,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
During the talks, it was noted that China remains Russia’s main foreign trade partner. By the end of 2024, mutual trade approached the $245 billion mark. Over 95% of bilateral settlements are conducted in rubles and yuan.
The parties are implementing joint projects in industry, energy, high technology, space, transport, automotive engineering and other sectors.
Cultural and humanitarian ties are actively developing. The countries’ mutual interest in each other’s history, culture and traditions is high and continues to grow. The cross-cultural years of Russia and China are being held successfully, more than half of the 230 events of the Russian part have been held.
Alexey Overchuk also invited representatives of the leadership and business community of the PRC to take part in international economic forums held in Russia – the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2025.
Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang stressed that relations between China and Russia have become a model of cooperation between major neighboring powers, stating that Beijing, together with Moscow, is ready, in line with the important agreements reached by the heads of state of the two countries, to deepen political contacts and strengthen practical cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
On the sidelines of the forum, Alexey Overchuk held talks with the Chairman of the Provisional Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus. During the meeting, it was noted that the countries are striving to strengthen friendly relations and develop trade and economic ties on a mutually beneficial basis. According to the results of 2024, mutual trade between Russia and Bangladesh amounted to 2.66 billion dollars.
The parties discussed issues of cooperation in the fields of industry, energy, food security, and the cultural and humanitarian sphere. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the need to continue work to expand the regulatory framework for bilateral cooperation, emphasizing the importance of activating the format of the Russian-Bangladesh Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation for the development of bilateral relations.
During the Russian-Pakistani meeting, which also took place on the sidelines of the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and Minister of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Aurangzeb considered priority issues on the bilateral agenda, including cooperation in energy and food security.
The parties noted the active development of Russian-Pakistani cooperation. In 2024, a series of mutual visits took place between governments and parliaments.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Olamide Samuel, Track II Diplomat and Expert in Nuclear Politics, University of Leicester
At a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, intensified by strategic dynamics involving the US, Nato and Russia over Europe’s security, nuclear weapons are back on the agenda.
In recent times, Russia has openly threatened to use nuclear weapons. The UK and France are considering ways to rapidly increase their nuclear weapons stockpiles.
Germany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, South Korea and Japan are now seeking nuclear weapons capabilities.
Even a limited nuclear war in Europe would lead to catastrophic global climatic effects. Huge amounts of debris thrown high into the atmosphere would block sunlight, causing global temperatures to drop sharply. It would be much harder to grow food around the world.
This would severely threaten Africa’s food security, exacerbating mass migration, disrupting supply chains and potentially collapsing public order systems.
How should African countries respond to this growing threat?
Based on my experience in nuclear non-proliferation and politics, I argue that African leaders need to proactively confront the risks, while there is still time.
All African states, except for South Sudan, abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is an international agreement which limits the spread of nuclear weapons. And 43 African states have gone further to join the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). This was negotiated in the belief that it would “protect African states against possible nuclear attacks on their territories”.
As conflict and uncertainty pushes many western leaders to support the madness of nuclear weapons proliferation, African leaders are in a unique position to push back against this.
Africa’s strength in numbers in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the Nuclear Ban Treaty, is a vehicle the continent can use to address nuclear weapons risks, head-on.
On one side, nuclear-armed states cling to deterrence for their national security. They insist that possessing nuclear arsenals keeps them safe.
At present, there are nine nuclear-armed states: the US, Russia, the UK, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. These countries possess around 12,331 nuclear warheads (as of 2025).
The use of only 10% of these weapons could disrupt the global climate and threaten the lives of up to 2 billion people.
On the other side, African countries and other non-nuclear-weapon states such as Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Mexico highlight how deterrence creates unacceptable risks for the entire international community.
This global majority – the 93 countries that have signed the Nuclear Ban Treaty and 73 that are party to it – argue that real safety comes from eliminating nuclear threats.
The Nuclear Ban Treaty became international law on 22 January 2021. It is the first instance of international law challenging the legality and morality of nuclear deterrence.
Since 2022, states parties to the Nuclear Ban Treaty have held formal meetings to address current nuclear risks. In March 2025, at their third meeting, 17 African states officially recognised nuclear deterrence as a critical security concern. They called on nuclear armed states to end deterrence.
The deterioration of the international security environment is so palpable that there has been a noticeable shift in nuclear ban states’ perception of nuclear threats. Nuclear disarmament is no longer just a humanitarian or moral concern to these states, it is now a national security concern.
South Africa warned that
any use of nuclear weapons would result in catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would have a global impact.
Ghana likewise stressed that Africa is not immune to nuclear war’s fallout:
Africa, despite its geographic distance from the immediate hotspots of nuclear conflict, is not immune to the repercussions of nuclear weapons.
Africa bears a unique historical connection to nuclear issues. Nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert in the 1960s, when France detonated nuclear bombs in Algeria, had devastating consequences. Widespread radioactive contamination harmed local communities, caused long-lasting health problems, displaced populations, and left large areas environmentally damaged and unsafe for generations.
For its part, Nigeria recalled that Africa had “long acknowledged the existential threat nuclear weapons posed to human existence.”
The meeting determined that it is unacceptable that states parties are exposed to nuclear risks, “created without their control and without accountability”. It stressed that eliminating nuclear risks “is a prime and legitimate concern and national responsibility” of states.
Delegates effectively asked whether their own national security concerns had less value than those of nuclear-armed states. I think this is a valid question.
Africa’s leaders and their allies in the Nuclear Ban Treaty are reframing what “national security” means in the nuclear age.
Rather than accepting a world perpetually held hostage by the madness of nuclear deterrence, they are asserting that the security of nations – and of peoples – is best served by dismantling this threat to humanity.
They are prioritising human life, development and international law over the threat of overwhelming force.
The outcome of this contest will have profound implications, not just for Africa but for the entire globe.
Olamide Samuel is affiliated with the Open Nuclear Network.
– ref. Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban – https://theconversation.com/nuclear-war-threat-why-africas-pushing-for-a-complete-ban-253171
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Olamide Samuel, Track II Diplomat and Expert in Nuclear Politics, University of Leicester
At a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, intensified by strategic dynamics involving the US, Nato and Russia over Europe’s security, nuclear weapons are back on the agenda.
In recent times, Russia has openly threatened to use nuclear weapons. The UK and France are considering ways to rapidly increase their nuclear weapons stockpiles.
Germany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, South Korea and Japan are now seeking nuclear weapons capabilities.
Even a limited nuclear war in Europe would lead to catastrophic global climatic effects. Huge amounts of debris thrown high into the atmosphere would block sunlight, causing global temperatures to drop sharply. It would be much harder to grow food around the world.
This would severely threaten Africa’s food security, exacerbating mass migration, disrupting supply chains and potentially collapsing public order systems.
How should African countries respond to this growing threat?
Based on my experience in nuclear non-proliferation and politics, I argue that African leaders need to proactively confront the risks, while there is still time.
All African states, except for South Sudan, abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is an international agreement which limits the spread of nuclear weapons. And 43 African states have gone further to join the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). This was negotiated in the belief that it would “protect African states against possible nuclear attacks on their territories”.
As conflict and uncertainty pushes many western leaders to support the madness of nuclear weapons proliferation, African leaders are in a unique position to push back against this.
Africa’s strength in numbers in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the Nuclear Ban Treaty, is a vehicle the continent can use to address nuclear weapons risks, head-on.
On one side, nuclear-armed states cling to deterrence for their national security. They insist that possessing nuclear arsenals keeps them safe.
At present, there are nine nuclear-armed states: the US, Russia, the UK, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. These countries possess around 12,331 nuclear warheads (as of 2025).
The use of only 10% of these weapons could disrupt the global climate and threaten the lives of up to 2 billion people.
On the other side, African countries and other non-nuclear-weapon states such as Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Mexico highlight how deterrence creates unacceptable risks for the entire international community.
This global majority – the 93 countries that have signed the Nuclear Ban Treaty and 73 that are party to it – argue that real safety comes from eliminating nuclear threats.
The Nuclear Ban Treaty became international law on 22 January 2021. It is the first instance of international law challenging the legality and morality of nuclear deterrence.
Since 2022, states parties to the Nuclear Ban Treaty have held formal meetings to address current nuclear risks. In March 2025, at their third meeting, 17 African states officially recognised nuclear deterrence as a critical security concern. They called on nuclear armed states to end deterrence.
The deterioration of the international security environment is so palpable that there has been a noticeable shift in nuclear ban states’ perception of nuclear threats. Nuclear disarmament is no longer just a humanitarian or moral concern to these states, it is now a national security concern.
South Africa warned that
any use of nuclear weapons would result in catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would have a global impact.
Ghana likewise stressed that Africa is not immune to nuclear war’s fallout:
Africa, despite its geographic distance from the immediate hotspots of nuclear conflict, is not immune to the repercussions of nuclear weapons.
Africa bears a unique historical connection to nuclear issues. Nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert in the 1960s, when France detonated nuclear bombs in Algeria, had devastating consequences. Widespread radioactive contamination harmed local communities, caused long-lasting health problems, displaced populations, and left large areas environmentally damaged and unsafe for generations.
For its part, Nigeria recalled that Africa had “long acknowledged the existential threat nuclear weapons posed to human existence.”
The meeting determined that it is unacceptable that states parties are exposed to nuclear risks, “created without their control and without accountability”. It stressed that eliminating nuclear risks “is a prime and legitimate concern and national responsibility” of states.
Delegates effectively asked whether their own national security concerns had less value than those of nuclear-armed states. I think this is a valid question.
Africa’s leaders and their allies in the Nuclear Ban Treaty are reframing what “national security” means in the nuclear age.
Rather than accepting a world perpetually held hostage by the madness of nuclear deterrence, they are asserting that the security of nations – and of peoples – is best served by dismantling this threat to humanity.
They are prioritising human life, development and international law over the threat of overwhelming force.
The outcome of this contest will have profound implications, not just for Africa but for the entire globe.
– Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban
– https://theconversation.com/nuclear-war-threat-why-africas-pushing-for-a-complete-ban-253171
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 31 — An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on forging ahead toward the grand goal of building a strong country in science and technology will be published on Tuesday.
The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s seventh issue of Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.
The article notes that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has vigorously implemented an innovation-driven development strategy, setting the goal of building China into a sci-tech powerhouse by 2035. Meanwhile, it has been deepening reforms in the sci-tech system, unleashing the enthusiasm and creativity of sci-tech personnel, and advancing self-reliance and strength in science and technology, leading to historic achievements and transformation in the sector.
Chinese modernization must be underpinned by advancements in scientific and technological modernization, and achieving high-quality development relies on new growth drivers cultivated by innovation in science and technology, says the article. It stresses the importance of fully acknowledging the strategic leading position and fundamental supporting role of science and technology.
The article outlines key elements for building China into a sci-tech powerhouse, including strong basic research and original innovation capabilities, a robust capacity to achieve breakthroughs in key and core technologies, significant global influence and leadership that make China a major scientific and innovation hub, strong ability to attract and nurture top-tier talent, and outstanding governance systems and capabilities in science and technology.
The article also proposes key measures to accelerate sci-tech development, including leveraging the advantages of the new system to mobilize resources nationwide for major tasks to boost high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, promoting the integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation to help develop new quality productive forces, and deepening reforms of sci-tech systems and mechanisms to fully unleash the vitality of innovation.
Such measures also include promoting coordinated development of education and talent cultivation, and advancing international sci-tech cooperation with the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, according to the article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 31 — China welcomes more foreign companies to cultivate the Chinese market, share in its development opportunities, and work cooperatively to create a better future together, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks when asked to comment on the view that China has embarked on a “charm offensive” for foreign investment over the past week, evidenced by the Chinese leader’s meeting with foreign business representatives and the presence of global CEOs at both the China Development Forum 2025 in Beijing and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025 in south China’s Hainan Province.
Guo said foreign enterprises and China have contributed to each other’s success in the past and will win the future together.
With its firm commitment to deepening reform and high-level opening-up, broad market, stable policy expectations and sound development environment, China is a fertile land in which international companies can invest and develop, he said.
Guo said that as the world’s second-largest consumer market, China has continually released its potential, accelerated its development of new quality productive forces, and worked to improve its business environment.
Source: NATO
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Warsaw on Wednesday (26 March 2025), where he met Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. The Secretary General then gave a speech at a public event co-hosted by the Warsaw School of Economics and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Secretary General Rutte praised Poland for its leadership within the Alliance, including its strong support to Ukraine and record-high defence spending, set to reach 4.7% of GDP this year. “Poland’s investment in defence is an example to all Allies. Not only do you top the NATO charts, you plan to spend even more,” he said.
In his keynote speech, the Secretary General underlined the strength of the transatlantic bond and laid out NATO’s path to the upcoming Summit in The Hague.
“When it comes to keeping Europe and North America safe, there is no alternative to NATO,” he said, stressing that it is not possible to imagine the defence of Europe without the Alliance.
As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on and its military cooperation with China, Iran, and North Korea intensifies, Mr Rutte warned that President Putin “has not given up on his ambition to reshape the global security order.” He underlined that a strong transatlantic Alliance remains the foundation of European security and that stronger European Allies are a unique strategic asset to the United States – allowing America, he said, to “promote peace through strength on the global stage.”
Secretary General Rutte reiterated his confidence in the United States’ continued commitment to NATO and Article 5. “Listen to President Trump, who has repeatedly stated his commitment to a strong NATO. Listen to the strong bipartisan support in the US Congress,” he said. “And listen to the American people,” three-quarters of whom support NATO according to a recent Gallup poll.
Mr Rutte also emphasised that the US commitment to NATO comes with a clear expectation: that European Allies and Canada take on greater responsibility for our shared security.
Looking ahead to the NATO Summit in The Hague, the Secretary General said the Alliance would “begin a new chapter for our transatlantic Alliance. Where we build a stronger, fairer and more lethal NATO, to face a more dangerous world.”
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SINGAPORE, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Justin Sun, Global Advisor of HTX and Founder of TRON, has been featured on the Forbes Digital Assets Daily Cover, which lauds him as a “Crypto Billionaire Who Helped The Trumps Make $400 Million.” This marks a historic moment as Sun becomes the second Chinese entrepreneur—after Jack Ma—to be featured on Forbes’ English digital asset spotlight. On the evening of March 28, Sun joined a live broadcast session hosted by HTX titled “Justin Sun Featured on Forbes! Another Legendary Moment for Crypto?” to share his thoughts and experiences. The livestream also featured Molly, Spokesperson of HTX, along with several well-known Chinese crypto influencers and representatives from leading industry media.
Showcasing Chinese Leadership on the Global Crypto Stage
Sun views this recognition as an opportunity to represent both himself and the broader crypto industry on the global stage. “This helps the public better understand who I am, what the crypto industry stands for, and can potentially reshape public perception,” said Sun. “It’s also a great opportunity for the industry’s growth in China. We can now prove to the world that the crypto sector can represent Chinese voices and interests on a global level.”
“This is definitely a milestone, but it’s just the beginning,” he added. Prior to him, only CZ, Brian Armstrong, and SBF had received this level of recognition. “This validates the achievements we’ve made in the industry, and also enhances the visibility and reputation of brands like HTX and TRON. In the business world, Forbes’ endorsement brings credibility and trust to our work.”
Forbes Recognition to Accelerate HTX’s Global Expansion
The three previously recognized crypto leaders corresponded to Binance, Coinbase, and FTX. Now, Sun represents HTX. “Not long ago, Forbes named HTX one of the world’s most trustworthy crypto exchanges. This, along with the latest feature, strongly supports our global expansion,” said Sun. “Since rebranding to HTX, our platform has become easier for international users to recognize and connect with. I’m very optimistic about HTX’s next phase of growth.”
Sun has also praised HTX on social media, citing steady trading volume increases, successful asset launches, and over $100 million in net inflows for three consecutive months. “Based on current liquidity levels, HTX ranks around sixth globally,” he said. “With sustained effort, we have a real opportunity to return to the global top three.”
A Vision to Build the Industry for the Next 40 Years
March 28 also marks the 10th anniversary of Jack Ma’s Lakeside University. As an alumnus, Sun noted: “The biggest difference is, when Jack Ma appeared on Forbes, Alibaba was already a household name. But blockchain is still in its early stages. Out of 7 billion people worldwide, TRON has only 300 million users—we’re still early.”
Looking ahead, Sun remains ambitious. “I believe I can contribute to the industry for at least another 40 years. I entered the crypto space in 2012—it’s been just 13 years. If given three times more time, I’m confident I can help elevate the industry to new heights.”
About HTX
Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.
As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.
To learn more about HTX, please visit HTX Square or https://www.htx.com/, and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Ruder Finn Asia
glo-media@htx-inc.com.
Disclaimer: This press release is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.
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Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) today announced financial results for its second quarter fiscal 2025 ended December 31, 2024.
Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights Compared to Prior Year
“Our retail oils business continued to deliver exceptional growth in the second quarter, reflecting robust demand across our portfolio as well as expanding distribution,” said Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer. “Our momentum is strong, including a significant increase in demand from China recently, and we continue to benefit from our commitment to eliminating chemicals from the edible oil production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products such as non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils. We remain comfortable with our direction and trajectory and continue to expect to deliver improving returns over the long term as our business scales.”
About Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. is an Australian proprietary company that, directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries, is focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding our financial outlook, business strategy and plans, market trends and market size, opportunities and positioning. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall” and variations of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. For example, global economic conditions could in the future reduce demand for our products; we could in the future experience cybersecurity incidents; we may be unable to manage or sustain the level of growth that our business has experienced in prior periods; our financial resources may not be sufficient to maintain or improve our competitive position; we may be unable to attract new customers, or retain or sell additional products to existing customers; we may experience challenges successfully expanding our marketing and sales capabilities, including further specializing our sales force; customer growth could decelerate in the future; we may not achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations from recent acquisitions or business combinations, and we may not be able to pay off our convertible notes when due. Further information on potential factors that could affect our financial results is included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for June 30, 2024 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this press release and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
Contact
Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
126-142 Cowcumbla Street
Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
Attn: Amarjeet Singh, CFO
Email: amarjeet.s@energreennutrition.com.au
Investor Relations Contact
Reed Anderson
(646) 277-1260
reed.anderson@icrinc.com
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Xiong’an New Area: sci-tech innovation, industrial development promote each other
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 31 — China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Monday released new national standards for residential projects, aiming to meet the people’s demand for improved living quality.
The new standards, targeting residential projects as a whole, emphasize safety, comfort, green practices and smart design while specifying requirements for construction, use and maintenance in terms of scale, layout, functionality, performance and key technical measures.
The new standards, effective on May 1, cover seven aspects that include general principles, basic regulations, living environment, building space, structure, indoor environment, and building equipment.
Key provisions include a minimum ceiling height of three meters for new residential buildings, mandatory elevators for structures with four or more floors, and enhanced sound insulation standards for walls and floors.
According to China’s existing home design standards, which have been in effect since 2012, the ceiling height requirement is 2.8 meters.
An official from the ministry said that rapid economic and social development, coupled with improvements in living standards and construction technology, have raised expectations for housing quality.
The new standards, formulated through extensive consultation and research, will further support the high-quality development of urban housing, the official added.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Muhammad Ali Nasir, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Leeds
Donald Trump is calling April 2 2025 “Liberation Day”. For the rest of the world it will just be the day when they discover the details of his latest round of tariffs.
Those tariffs have already become the stand out economic feature of Trump’s second term in the White House. And frankly, it’s been hard to keep track.
There have been tariffs imposed and then lifted, tariffs with exemptions, tariffs on metal and tariffs on wood. Now Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars to take effect on April 2, when he also plans to reveal his “reciprocal tariffs” on other trading partners.
Trump thinks the US has been “ripped off for decades by nearly every country on Earth”. He also counts “tariff” as his favourite word, and a tool which is “”very powerful, both economically and in getting everything else you want”.
Whether or not the president gets everything he wants remains to be seen. But the frequent changes in tariff policies over the past few weeks have definitely created uncertainty in trade with the US, which research shows can be harmful in itself.
And the evidence clearly shows that the reasons for the US trade deficit are more to do with domestic issues such as productivity and fiscal discipline than international trade.
So what are the possible outcomes if Trump continues to pursue this policy?
Our analysis shows that in the worst-case scenario, non-reciprocated tariffs on Canada and Mexico could result in a significant fall in GDP for all three countries. Canada would be the worst affected (a dip of 16.5%) followed by Mexico (6.6%). GDP in the US would fall by 0.19%.
Canada is particularly dependent on selling its oil and gas – and the US is heavily reliant on its northern neighbour for its fuel supply. In 2024, total trade between the two nations reached US$762.1 billion (£589 billion).
The impact on Mexico would also be devastating. Over 40% of the country’s GDP is derived from exports – and 80% of those exports go to the US.
High tariffs and subsequent retaliations would quickly reduce the confidence of companies on both sides. Costs passed on to consumers would reduce demand and then profits, forming a vicious cycle of economic recession. Trade protectionism could then rise further, potentially even turning a recession into a depression
We also found that even if the economic effects of tariffs were less severe, no nation involved would manage to achieve GDP growth. And Canada and Mexico would still suffer the most.
In this situation, some kind of stalemate could emerge, where tariffs lead to rising inflation, reducing the political appetite for escalation. Trade friction would likely continue until 2026, when a renegotiation of the trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada is due to take place.
Even under the best-case scenario, with reduced economic impact, GDP for all three countries still falls. Put simply, imposing tariffs creates no winners.
Since the tariff has been seen as a bargaining chip, the best option for Canada and Mexico will be to enter trade negotiations with the US, aiming for a balanced trade policy that is beneficial to all parties.
In the meantime, they should cooperate with other economies affected by US tariffs – such as the EU and China – in the hope that this encourages Trump to make concessions.
All three countries could then revert to their original low-tariff levels before the trade war. This constitutes the optimal scenario within our projected framework – and could be what happens eventually.
US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has said that Trump’s second favourite word is “reciprocal”. If that’s true, then it is possible that the Trump administration has the overall intention of cooling down the intensity of this trade war ahead of negotiating a new version of its trade deal with Canada and Mexico – and a new one with China too.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Donald Trump likes tariffs, but they damage the economies of everyone involved – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-likes-tariffs-but-they-damage-the-economies-of-everyone-involved-252322
