Hong Kong, New York, London, Mar 2, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Quam Plus International Financial Limited (“Quam Plus”), through its wholly owned subsidiary Quam Securities Limited (together, the “Quam Plus Financial Group”) has announced a strategic investment by and collaborative partnership with Dinosaur Financial Group, LLC (“DFG”), a global investment banking and financial services firm, aimed at leveraging complementary capabilities across Asia, the United States, and Europe. The partnership is designed to create a cooperative platform across three of the world’s most important financial centres — Hong Kong, New York, and London — enabling both firms to enhance their international reach, broaden product distribution, and jointly serve clients seeking cross-border capital markets access.Under the collaboration, Quam Securities will benefit from expanded access to U.S. and European markets through Dinosaur’s established infrastructure and regulatory footprint, while Dinosaur will strengthen its Asia-Pacific presence by leveraging Quam Securities’ deep regional expertise, client relationships, and distribution capabilities. The partnership is expected to support capital raising, advisory, execution, and investment opportunities for clients across multiple jurisdictions.Both Quam Plus Financial Group and DFG are members of Global Alliance Partners (GAP), a Hong Kong based global network of independent investment banks, further reinforcing their shared commitment to global collaboration and best-in-class client service.Commenting on the partnership, Kenneth Lam, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quam Plus Financial Group, said:“This strategic relationship with DFG aligns closely with Quam Securities’ long-term international development strategy. By combining our strong Asia-Pacific franchise with Dinosaur’s U.S. and European capabilities, we are well positioned to enhance our service offering and support clients pursuing global growth opportunities. We believe this partnership will meaningfully strengthen our cross-border execution and advisory capabilities.”Glenn Grossman, Chief Executive Officer of DFG, said:“Partnering with Quam Securities provides DFG with a powerful platform to deepen our presence in Asia, particularly Greater China, alongside a well-established and respected Hong Kong-listed institution. This collaboration reflects our shared focus on strategic growth, disciplined execution, and delivering differentiated solutions for clients operating in the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic markets.”The firms will work closely to identify and develop joint opportunities across investment banking, capital markets, trading, and wealth and asset management, with a focus on offering complementary, non-overlapping services to institutional and qualified clients globally.About Quam Plus Financial Group and Quam SecuritiesQuam Plus is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 952) in 1997. Quam Plus Financial Group is a Hong Kong based financial services group committed to building a comprehensive, full-licensed integrated financial platform. Quam Securities is one of its key member companiesQuam Plus Financial Group is principally engaged in (i) corporate finance advisory and general advisory services; (ii) fund management, discretionary portfolio management and portfolio management advisory services; (iii) discretionary and non-discretionary dealing services for securities, futures and options, securities placing and underwriting services, margin financing, insurance broking and wealth management services; (iv) money lending services; (v) financial media services; and (vi) investing and trading of various investment products.About Dinosaur Group Holdings (DGH) and DFGDinosaur Group Holdings (DGH) is the holding company for DFG, an investment firm registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC, Dinosaur Merchant Bank Ltd. (regulated by the FCA) and New York-based SEC-registered investment firm DCM Advisors, LLC. Deploying a team of approximately 120 professionals, the overall organization provides global execution services, financing and advisory expertise/insights for equities, fixed income, commodities and derivatives, investment management as well as a suite of investment banking services providing financial solutions and capital markets execution to the middle market client base, both domestically and globally. Clients and counterparties spanning six continents are primarily institutions, family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and corporations. Dinosaur Group takes pride in the business’ stable management, strong compliance, solid operations, and diverse talent.Dinosaur Financial Group is a global financial services firm providing investment banking and advisory services, prime brokerage, global trading, private wealth and custodial services, and asset management.Media Contacts:Quam Plus Financial GroupMandy Lo, Marketing & Corporate Communications DirectorCharlie Chan, Marketing & PR ManagerEmail: mandy.lo@quamgroup.com charlie.chan@quamgroup.comDinosaur Financial GroupAmit Sangekar, Chief Marketing OfficerEmail: asangekar@dinogroup.co.uk Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
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by: nicole
The United States is permitted to use British bases for limited strikes against Iranian missile capabilities
After Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved the plan, the U.S. has been given the green - light to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities. Meanwhile, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated on Sunday that Britain had "joined forces with the Americans.""The only way to eliminate the threat is to destroy the missiles at their origin, either in their storage facilities or on the launchers used to fire them," Starmer affirmed in a pre - recorded statement to the nation."The U.S. has asked for permission to use British bases for this specific and limited defensive objective," he said. "We have decided to accept this request."This decision was made as the situation across the Middle East escalated following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks, which heightened concerns about a wider regional conflict.On February 28, after Operation Epic Fury, Starmer confirmed that British planes "are flying today" across the Middle East "as part of coordinated regional defensive operations aimed at protecting our people, our interests, and our allies."Healey further revealed on Sunday that two Iranian missiles were launched in the direction of Cyprus, where Britain maintains important sovereign base areas.The Royal Air Force confirmed that, operating from Qatar as part of the joint U.K. - Qatar Typhoon Squadron, they successfully intercepted an Iranian drone headed towards Qatar.Approximately 300 British personnel are stationed at a location in Bahrain, where Iranian missiles and drones hit nearby areas."We are taking down the drones that pose a threat to our bases, our people, or our allies," Healey told "Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips" on Sky. "We have joined hands with the Americans. We have increased our efforts. We are conducting those sorties."Healey also emphasized that the U.K. had "no involvement" in the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and insisted that all British actions were defensive. "All our actions are about safeguarding U.K. interests and protecting U.K. allies," he said.When asked if the U.K. would participate in offensive action with the U.S., Healey said, "I'm not going to make speculations," according to the report.Downing Street also confirmed on February 28 that Starmer and the President had a phone call about the "situation in the Middle East," as reported by the BBC. Digital has contacted Downing Street for a comment.
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by: eqs
Over 1.79 Million Visitors: China’s Taizhou Prefectural City Lights Up 2026 Lunar New Year with ‘Ancient Heritage and Cyberpunk Tech’
EQS via SeaPRwire.com / 02/03/2026 / 10:24 UTC+8 LINHAI, Zhejiang, China — During the 2026 Lunar New Year, the Taizhou Prefectural City Cultural and Tourism Zone in Zhejiang Province, China, welcomed a record-breaking influx of tourists. The holiday saw over 1.79 million visitors, with a single-day peak exceeding 291,000. Ranking among the top three in average daily visits among the province's 236 4A-level and above scenic spots, it emerged as one of China's most popular travel destinations during the Spring Festival. As a millennium-old city with profound historical roots, Taizhou Prefectural City has perfectly preserved the spectacular Jiangnan Great Wall and extensive Ming and Qing dynasty architectural complexes, serving as a living fossil of ancient China's dual system of urban flood control and military defense. Thanks to the operating team's continuous innovation and introduction of immersive interactive experiences, the ancient city has consistently ranked among Zhejiang's top Spring Festival attractions for years. This year, the seamless integration of "traditional culture and future technology" showcased the city's unique charm, blending historical depth with youthful vitality to the world. A Visual Spectacle: Four-Century-Old Armor Meets "Cyber Song Dynasty" To offer global visitors an around-the-clock Chinese New Year experience, the city hosted over 50 continuous cultural events daily. By day, warhorses of the "Qi Family Army" clad in iron armor patrolled the streets, recreating the majestic scenes of Chinese soldiers defending the coastal borders four centuries ago. On the picturesque East Lake, intangible cultural heritage performers showcased bamboo drifting, competing alongside modern water jetpack performers. As night fell, the ancient city quickly transitioned into a modern light-and-shadow spectacle. A city wall light show projected a millennium of cultural heritage onto ancient bricks, while hundreds of drones wove auspicious, flowing patterns in the night sky with millimeter precision. The dazzling combination of flame stunts and "electronic Kongming lanterns" illuminating the sky culminated in a "Cyber Song Dynasty" flash mob, breathing new life into the ancient city through the thrill of modern art. A Borderless, International Travel Experience Taizhou Prefectural City also demonstrated China's highly convenient smart tourism and welcoming stance to the world. The scenic area implemented a comprehensive free-admission policy for East Lake, allowing visitors to enjoy the graceful water town scenery with zero barriers. Meanwhile, the innovative "facial recognition Great Wall climbing" technology allowed verified tourists to enjoy a "three-day pass" with unlimited entries. This departure from traditional single-entry ticketing significantly encouraged visitors to slow down and embark on in-depth explorations. A Youthful Magnet and Shared Hospitality Beyond its historical significance, the city has become a trendy hub for young people. This Spring Festival, the scenic area deeply collaborated with the popular Chinese web novel IP "Jian Lai" (Sword of Coming), creating immersive check-in spots that attracted young fans to experience the romance of the martial arts world. The hometown return of Li Yunxiao, a young Yue Opera actress who just dazzled audiences at the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, further became a core highlight drawing youthful crowds. Beyond sightseeing, the introduction of high-quality homestays and the Black Pearl-rated Sichuan restaurant "Yunbuzhichuan" has fully revitalized the consumption landscape. Local residents and merchants showed immense hospitality, proactively guiding tourists and jointly creating a warm, safe travel environment. The arrival of 1.79 million visitors proves that this warm, historical city is pulsing with youthful energy. Taizhou Prefectural City looks forward to welcoming more global tourists to experience the harmonious blend of ancient and modern Eastern charm. 02/03/2026 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.Media archive at www.todayir.com
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by: grit
WELIREG(R) (belzutifan) Plus LENVIMA(R) (lenvatinib) Reduced the Risk of Disease Progression or Death by 30% Compared to Cabozantinib in Certain Previously Treated Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
RAHWAY, NJ and TOKYO, Mar 2, 2026 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) and Eisai (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito) today announced the first presentation of results from the Phase 3 LITESPARK-011 trial evaluating the dual oral regimen of WELIREG® (belzutifan), Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s first-in-class oral hypoxiainducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor, plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib), an orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discovered by Eisai, for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) whose disease progressed on or after treatment with anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)/ programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapy. These data are being presented as a late-breaking oral abstract at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium (abstract #LBA417) and are included in the official ASCO GU Press Program.At a pre-specified interim analysis with a median follow-up of 29.0 months (range, 19.3-49.2), WELIREG plus LENVIMA demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS), reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 30% (HR=0.70 [95% CI, 0.59-0.84]; p=0.00007) compared to cabozantinib. For WELIREG plus LENVIMA, the median PFS was 14.8 months (95% CI, 11.2-16.6) versus 10.7 months (95% CI, 9.2-11.1) for cabozantinib. A trend toward improvement in overall survival (OS), the trial’s other primary endpoint, was also observed for WELIREG plus LENVIMA (HR=0.85 [95% CI, 0.68-1.05]; p=0.06075). The median OS was 34.9 months (95% CI, 27.5-NR) for WELIREG plus LENVIMA versus 27.6 months (95% CI, 24.0- 31.4) for cabozantinib. The trial is continuing, and OS will be evaluated at a subsequent analysis per the clinical trial protocol.Based on data from the LITESPARK-011 trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted two supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDA) for review seeking approval for WELIREG plus LENVIMA for the treatment of adult patients with advanced RCC with a clear cell component following a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor. The FDA set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), or target action date, of October 4, 2026, for both the WELIREG and LENVIMA sNDAs. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and Eisai will also discuss these data with regulatory authorities worldwide to support potential submissions outside the United States.“Choosing the right treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma after immunotherapy has been an ongoing challenge, and treatment options in this setting had not previously been evaluated against a current standard of care tyrosine kinase inhibitor in a Phase 3 trial,” said Dr. Robert Motzer, Principal Investigator and Genitourinary Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “The LITESPARK-011 study demonstrated a 30% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death with belzutifan plus lenvatinib compared to cabozantinib, and 52.6% of patients experienced a response to treatment. These findings mark a critical step forward for these patients.”“The LITESPARK-011 trial highlights the potential of this first-of-its-kind combination regimen to deliver a meaningful benefit for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma whose disease progresses after PD-1/L1 therapy,” said Dr. M. Catherine Pietanza, Vice President, Global Clinical Development, MSD Research Laboratories. “These WELIREG plus LENVIMA data demonstrate important progress for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and reinforce our commitment to improving the lives of patients through innovative treatment strategies.”“The LITESPARK-011 results reinforce LENVIMA's established role in renal cell carcinoma and highlight the potential of this novel combination to address an area of significant unmet need,” said Dr. Corina Dutcus, Senior Vice President, Oncology Global Clinical Development Lead at Eisai. “The acceptance of this regulatory filing is an important milestone, and we remain committed to working toward approval to bring this option to patients as soon as possible. We are grateful to the patients, their families, and the investigators, whose dedication made this research possible.”Additional findingsData for objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DOR), two key secondary endpoints, were also reported. At the first interim analysis with a median follow-up of 19.6 months (range, 9.9-39.8), WELIREG plus LENVIMA met ORR, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement compared to cabozantinib. A confirmed ORR of 52.6% (95% CI, 47.3-57.7) was observed for WELIREG plus LENVIMA versus 39.6% (95% CI, 34.6-44.8) for cabozantinib. At the second interim analysis with a median follow-up of 29.0 months, the median DOR was 23.0 months (95% CI, 2.0-44.3+) for WELIREG plus LENVIMA versus 12.3 months (95% CI, 1.8+-35.9+) for cabozantinib.WELIREG plus LENVIMA was administered to 370 patients and cabozantinib was administered to 371 patients. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 71.6% of patients receiving WELIREG plus LENVIMA versus 65.8% of patients receiving cabozantinib. Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 11.1% of patients receiving WELIREG plus LENVIMA and in 11.3% of patients receiving cabozantinib, respectively. Serious adverse events were observed in 51.6% of patients receiving WELIREG plus LENVIMA versus 43.9% of patients receiving cabozantinib, and AEs led to death in 5.4% of patients (two were treatment-related: thrombotic microangiopathy [n=1] and pneumonitis [n=1]) versus 3.2% (one was treatment-related: hemoptysis [n=1]) of patients, respectively.LITESPARK-011 is part of a comprehensive late-stage clinical development program for WELIREG comprised of several Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, von HippelLindau disease-associated neoplasms and RCC. The Phase 3 LITESPARK-012 trial is evaluating the addition of WELIREG to KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s anti-PD-1 therapy, plus LENVIMA in the first-line advanced RCC disease setting.WELIREG is approved in the U.S., European Union (EU), Japan and other countries for the treatment of adult patients with advanced clear cell RCC following a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and 1-2 VEGFTKIs based on results from the Phase 3 LITESPARK-005 trial.KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA is approved in the U.S., the EU, Japan and other countries for the treatment of advanced RCC. Lenvatinib is approved as KISPLYX for advanced RCC in the EU.LENVIMA in combination with everolimus is approved in the U.S., EU and other regions for the treatment of adult patients with advanced RCC following one prior anti-angiogenic therapy.Dr. Motzer has provided consulting and advisory services for Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and Eisai.About LITESPARK-011LITESPARK-011 is a randomized, open-label Phase 3 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04586231) evaluating WELIREG in combination with LENVIMA compared to cabozantinib for the treatment of patients with advanced clear cell RCC that has progressed on or after anti-PD-1/L1 therapy. The dual primary endpoints are PFS per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) and OS. Key secondary endpoints include ORR per RECIST v1.1 as assessed by BICR, DOR per RECIST v1.1 as assessed by BICR, and safety. The trial enrolled 747 patients who were randomized to receive WELIREG (120 mg orally once daily) plus LENVIMA (20 mg orally once daily) or cabozantinib (60 mg orally once daily).About renal cell carcinomaRenal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer, with about nine out of 10 kidney cancer diagnoses being RCC.1 In 2022, there were about 435,000 new cases of kidney cancer and approximately 156,000 deaths from the disease worldwide.2 RCC is about twice as common in men as in women.1 Most cases of RCC are discovered incidentally during imaging tests for other abdominal diseases. Approximately 30% of patients with kidney cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage.3About Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s research in genitourinary cancersMerck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA is advancing research aimed at helping transform the treatment landscape and broaden options for people with genitourinary (GU) cancers, including bladder, kidney and prostate cancers. Globally, GU cancers account for an estimated 2.6 million new cancer diagnoses each year, equaling over 1 in 8 of all cancer incidences. Through a robust clinical development program with more than 50 clinical trials evaluating more than 22,000 patients around the world, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA is investigating the potential of several portfolio medicines and pipeline assets, leveraging multiple novel combination strategies, across various stages of disease, to help address unmet needs in GU cancers.About WELIREG® (belzutifan) 40 mg tablets, for oral useWELIREG, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s first-in-class hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor, is an orally administered small-molecule designed to reduce transcription and expression of HIF-2α target genes associated with cellular proliferation, angiogenesis and tumor growth. By inhibiting HIF-2α signaling, WELIREG aims to disrupt key pathways certain tumors may use to adapt to low-oxygen conditions, including those that help promote abnormal blood vessel formation and support tumor survival.WELIREG has demonstrated antitumor activity in certain von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated tumors, renal cell carcinoma and in pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. As part of a broader clinical program, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA continues to research WELIREG monotherapy and combination approaches for people with genitourinary, breast and gynecologic cancers across a range of treatment settings to further define where HIF-2α inhibition may provide clinical benefit and to better understand which patients are most likely to respond.About LENVIMA® (lenvatinib); available as 10 mg and 4 mg capsulesLENVIMA, discovered and developed by Eisai, is an orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the kinase activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors VEGFR1 (FLT1), VEGFR2 (KDR), and VEGFR3 (FLT4). LENVIMA inhibits other kinases that have been implicated in pathogenic angiogenesis, tumor growth, and cancer progression in addition to their normal cellular functions, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors FGFR1-4, the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα), KIT, and RET. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, LENVIMA decreased tumor-associated macrophages, increased activated cytotoxic T cells, and demonstrated greater antitumor activity in combination with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody compared to either treatment alone. LENVIMA has been approved for the indications below.Thyroid cancer- Indication as monotherapy(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and Asia)Japan: Unresectable thyroid cancerThe United States: The treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)Europe: The treatment of adult patients with progressive, locally advanced or metastatic, differentiated (papillary/follicular/Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma (DTC), refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI)Hepatocellular carcinoma- Indication as monotherapy(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and Asia)Japan: Unresectable hepatocellular carcinomaThe United States: The first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have received no prior systemic therapy- Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA (generic name: pembrolizumab) and transarterial chemoembolization(Approved in China)Thymic carcinoma- Indication as monotherapy (Approved in Japan)Japan: Unresectable thymic carcinomaRenal cell carcinoma (In Europe other than the United Kingdom, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx®)- Indication in combination with everolimus(Approved mainly in the United States, Europe and Asia)The United States: The treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following one prior antiangiogenic therapyEurope: The treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma following one prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy- Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia)Japan: Radically unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinomaThe United States: The first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinomaEurope: The first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinomaEndometrial carcinoma- Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia)Japan: Unresectable, advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma that progressed after cancer chemotherapyThe United States: The treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is pMMR or not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), as determined by an FDA-approved test, who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiationEurope: The treatment of adult patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma (EC) who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum-containing therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery.About the Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA Strategic CollaborationIn March 2018, Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, through an affiliate, entered into a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and cocommercialization of LENVIMA. Under the agreement, the companies jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize LENVIMA, both as monotherapy and in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA, and HIF-2α inhibitor, WELIREG.Eisai’s focus on cancerEisai acknowledges “Oncology” as one of its key strategic areas, and will continue to focus on the discovery and development of anti-cancer drugs within drug discovery domains including “microenvironment”, “protein integrity and homeostasis”, and “cell lineage and cell differentiation” under the Deep Human Biology Learning (DHBL) drug discovery and development organization. Eisai aspires to discover innovative new drugs with new targets and mechanisms of action from these domains, with the aim of contributing to the cure of cancersAbout EisaiEisai’s Corporate Concept is “to give first thought to patients and people in the daily living domain, and to increase the benefits that health care provides.” Under this Concept [also known as our human health care (hhc) Concept], we aim to effectively achieve social good in the form of relieving anxiety over health and reducing health disparities. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to create and deliver innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology.In addition, our continued commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is a target (3.3) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is demonstrated by our work on various activities together with global partners.For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com (for global headquarters: Eisai Co., Ltd.), us.eisai.com (for U.S. headquarters: Eisai Inc.) or www.eisai.eu (for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand headquarters: Eisai Europe Ltd.), and connect with us on X (U.S. and global), LinkedIn (for U.S. and EMEA) and Facebook (global).Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s Focus on CancerEvery day, we follow the science as we work to discover innovations that can help patients, no matter what stage of cancer they have. As a leading oncology company, we are pursuing research where scientific opportunity and medical need converge, underpinned by our diverse pipeline of more than 25 novel mechanisms. With one of the largest clinical development programs across more than 30 tumor types, we strive to advance breakthrough science that will shape the future of oncology. By addressing barriers to clinical trial participation, screening and treatment, we work with urgency to reduce disparities and help ensure patients have access to high-quality cancer care. Our unwavering commitment is what will bring us closer to our goal of bringing life to more patients with cancer. For more information, visit https://www.merck.com/research/oncology.About Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USAAt Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USAThis news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).(1) American Cancer Society, “What Is Kidney Cancer” https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/kidney-cancer/about/what-is-kidney-cancer.html(2) International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. “Kidney fact sheet” Cancer Today, GLOBOCAN 2022. https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/29-kidney-fact-sheet.pdf(3) E. Esterberg et al. Real-World Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer April 2024, Vol. 22, No. 2, 115–125. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558767323002203Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USAMedia RelationsJulie Cunningham: +1-(617) 519-6264John Infanti: +1-(609) 500-4714Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USAInvestor RelationsPeter Dannenbaum: +1-(732) 594-1579Steven Graziano: +1-(732) 594-1583Eisai Co., Ltd.Public Relations:+81-(0)3-3817-5120Eisai Co., Ltd.Investor Relations:+81-(0) 3-3817-5122 Copyright 2026 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com
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by: emer
The Tomorrow Company Launches With a Bold Mandate to Build the Infrastructure Layer of the AI-Native Financial Era.
Vancouver, BC, Mar 2, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - The Tomorrow Company (“TMRW”) today announced the completion of its strategic merger with Carbon Distributed Technologies AG (“CUT”) and Plato Technologies Inc., forming an integrated Web3 infrastructure platform positioned at the convergence of artificial intelligence, tokenized real-world assets, and programmable climate markets.The Company is launching with a clear conviction: the next decade of value creation in digital finance will belong to those who build and own infrastructure — not interfaces. Systems that are programmable. Intelligence that is embedded. Assets that are verifiable. Rails that institutions can scale on.Global markets are entering a structural transformation. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded into capital allocation, enterprise operations, and regulatory oversight. Digital assets are evolving from trading vehicles into programmable utility frameworks capable of moving value instantly and transparently. Climate accountability is moving from narrative commitments to measurable, auditable instrumentation.The Tomorrow Company is designed to operate at the intersection of these structural shifts — and to grow with them. The merger unites two powerful and complementary platforms.CUT Carbon Distributed Technologies AG contributes a tokenized carbon utility framework structured around verifiability, traceability, and retirement mechanics. Built within Liechtenstein’s Blockchain Act framework and deployed on Ethereum Mainnet, CUT’s model emphasizes measurable CO₂ reduction linkage and immutable audit trails across issuance, transfer, and retirement. As regulators, institutions, and global enterprises demand higher standards of disclosure and impact validation, programmable carbon infrastructure becomes foundational to next-generation capital markets.Paul Thomson, Co-Founder of CUT Carbon Distributed Technologies AG, commented:“Tokenized commodities are moving from intention to instrumentation. For tokenized carbon credits, what matters now is verifiability—traceable assets, defensible controls, and retirement mechanics that stand up to real scrutiny. By integrating into The Tomorrow Company’s broader infrastructure platform, we believe we can accelerate adoption and bring institutional-grade carbon instrumentation to global markets.”Complementing this climate utility layer is Plato Technologies Inc., which brings an AI-driven intelligence engine purpose-built to convert fragmented global data into deployable, decision-ready workflows. Plato’s vertically focused intelligence products are designed for repeat enterprise usage and global distribution, with an operating discipline centered on scalable infrastructure and cost efficiency.Bryan Feinberg, CEO and Founder of Plato Technologies Inc., stated:“AI is only transformative when it moves from insight to execution. This merger connects measurable data verticals with a distribution-driven intelligence engine designed to operate at scale. The opportunity ahead is not incremental — it is to embed AI directly into the infrastructure layer of emerging digital markets.”The Tomorrow Company is structured as a diversified Web3 infrastructure holding platform with multiple reinforcing value engines. The strategy extends beyond a single asset class or vertical. Leadership intends to expand tokenized asset frameworks beyond carbon into additional real-world asset categories where verifiability and programmability unlock new liquidity. The Company plans to accelerate the deployment of vertical AI intelligence products across sectors where data fragmentation creates inefficiencies. It also intends to pursue selective acquisitions and integrations aligned with durable utility, regulatory alignment, and institutional capital flows.Management believes that over the coming years, the convergence of AI and tokenization will redefine how capital is raised, allocated, verified, and measured. Markets will increasingly reward platforms that can demonstrate programmable accountability, embedded intelligence, and infrastructure resilience. TMRW’s long-term objective is to build a compounding portfolio of infrastructure assets that operate beneath market cycles — generating value through adoption, integration, and scale rather than volatility.The Company’s growth roadmap includes expanding institutional partnerships, deepening blockchain-native infrastructure capabilities, and deploying AI systems that integrate directly into financial and enterprise workflows. As tokenized real-world assets and AI-native markets expand globally, The Tomorrow Company aims to position itself as a foundational infrastructure layer — enabling new asset classes, accelerating measurable climate action, and embedding intelligence into digital capital flows.This launch represents the beginning of an expansion strategy, not its culmination. The leadership of The Tomorrow Company believes that the coming cycle will see a dramatic re-rating of infrastructure-layer platforms that combine regulatory alignment, programmable assets, and deployable AI systems. TMRW is entering the market with the ambition to help define that category.About The Tomorrow CompanyThe Tomorrow Company is a Web3 infrastructure and digital asset holding company focused on building foundational rails for the AI-native financial era. Through strategic acquisitions, tokenized utility frameworks, and vertically deployable intelligence products, TMRW seeks to architect scalable systems designed for institutional-grade adoption and long-term compounding growth.About CUT Carbon Distributed Technologies AGCUT Carbon Distributed Technologies AG operates CUT.eco, a tokenized carbon utility platform focused on verification, traceability, and transparent retirement mechanics under Liechtenstein’s blockchain regulatory framework.About Plato Technologies Inc.Plato Technologies Inc. develops AI-powered, vertically focused intelligence products designed to transform aggregated global data into deployable workflows and scalable Web3 AI capabilities.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements relating to anticipated strategic benefits, expansion initiatives, market opportunities, and future performance. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements except as required by law.ContactBryan Feinberg / COO The Tomorrow Companybf@tmrw-digital.com Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
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by: nicole
Strait of Hormuz in turmoil: Vessel attacks, GPS interference, and Houthi warnings escalate amid US-Israeli military action
The Strait of Hormuz became a focal point of conflict on Sunday, as reported electronic warfare and a series of vessel "attacks" occurred along the vital energy corridor, reportedly triggered by actions under Operation Epic Fury.This rapid intensification came after a February 28 advisory that urged commercial ships to steer clear of strategic sea lanes, including the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Sea, due to elevated security threats."It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible," the advisory stated.Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security at , informed Digital that "The Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters are the most dangerous place right now for commercial shipping.""Ships in the Persian Gulf are under threat from Iranian attacks," Larsen stated.He added, "To protect themselves, most ships stay as far away from Iran as they can," and noted that vessels are "trying to depart from the Persian Gulf to get away from the threat."On Sunday, the UKMTO and regional authorities documented several maritime incidents categorized as "attacks."According to data, one ship west of Sharjah, UAE, experienced an explosion from an unidentified projectile that blew up near its hull, while a tanker north of Muscat, Oman, was hit above the waterline, causing a fire that was subsequently controlled.The organization also reported a third vessel northwest of Mina Saqr, UAE, was struck by a projectile that .Adding to the direct dangers, maritime intelligence firm Windward identified widespread GPS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) interference, affecting over 1,000 vessels.Windward reported significant navigation disruptions near Iran's Bandar Abbas port, where ships were incorrectly shown at airports, a nuclear facility, and inland areas.Several new clusters of AIS jamming were also detected across and within Iranian waters, according to Windward.Citing the safety of crew and cargo, major shipping firm Maersk declared it would divert some of its services from the region.The Strait is a conduit for approximately 20% of the world's oil and gas exports, and vessel traffic has already decreased, with some tankers turning around or disabling their AIS transponders.Industry groups also issued warnings regarding the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with analysts suggesting Iran might impound ships associated with U.S. or Israeli interests."The Houthis have threatened to resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden," Larsen clarified.He said vessels with commercial links to the U.S. or Israel are viewed as more probable targets, but others could be hit intentionally or by mistake.The tanker owners’ association also alerted its members that "the expectation is that the Houthis may respond and recommence attacks on shipping," even though current intelligence was not definitive."There are no signs of Iranian attempts to close the Strait with sea mines or naval mines, although this can change at short notice," Larsen further commented, confirming that GPS jamming has "increased significantly following the initiation of hostilities."
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Republican Rep. Mast states U.S. military objective in Iran is to ‘eliminate’ threats facing Americans
Florida Republican Representative Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Digital in an interview that the United States now has a clear and defined : to disable the Iranian regime’s ability to attack Americans.He stated the U.S. mission is "to completely eliminate every piece of military hardware in Iran that can reach and harm an American anywhere in the Middle East.""This is what we’re currently doing to avoid being hit by any weapon—whether it’s a surface-to-surface missile, surface-to-air missile, or anything else, including those with nuclear warheads or any other type of warhead," he said.Mast paid homage to the who lost their lives in the operation. "These knew the dangers of their profession. They went out, fulfilled their duty to defend the United States, and I couldn’t be prouder to thank them for their service; I’m proud to be their brother in arms."He emphasized that the administration will decide the scope and duration of the operation. "The U.S. will determine the military conclusion of this on our own terms," he noted.Mast strongly refuted claims that Israel dragged the U.S. into a war with Iran, explaining that the Trump administration first pursued diplomacy and set a deadline before shifting to military action."Israel has not pulled the United States anywhere," he said in the interview. "First, the U.S. engaged in diplomatic negotiations with Iran, demanding they end their , halt their ballistic missile program, and stop supporting proxies that repeatedly attack the United States.""All of this was part of the debate and conversation: When should action be taken? How should it be done? Clearly, the U.S.—along with President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, our intelligence director, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe—worked to position all assets so that ending Iran’s direct threat was part of the negotiating strategy.""It wasn’t by chance that we had the Ford and Lincoln carrier groups in place; that took time," he added. "Diplomacy was the preferred approach, which is why we started with that instead of a military strike. From speaking directly to the individuals I mentioned, I can say Iran entered the negotiations with extreme arrogance, unwilling to seriously discuss ending their nuclear program.""Even after the U.S. offered to fund nuclear materials for a civilian energy program if Iran agreed not to pursue weaponization, they rejected it. They also refused to talk about ending their ballistic missile program."Looking ahead, Mast suggested the conflict could reshape Iran’s political future. He described the regime’s formal succession process, which "begins with a three-person body, then moves to an 88-person assembly that selects the next leader," and noted potential contenders, including "the Ayatollah’s son, " and "a hard-line cleric named Arafi, who is closely aligned with the IRGC."But he also raised the possibility of broader upheaval."That assumes there’s no uprising, where the millions of Iranians who have been brutally tortured and suppressed decide to take another path," Mast said."We want to see a change, a new chapter for what Iran has been doing."
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After 90 Years, A Legendary Actor Continues to Elevate A Forgotten Horror
Warner Bros. PicturesAfter his legendary performance in Frankenstein, Boris Karloff quickly became pigeonholed into roles as monsters, villains, and mad scientists. While he had previously worked consistently as a minor supporting player, he was now financially secure for life. Frankenstein paved the way for The Old Dark House and The Black Cat, which were followed by a series of sci-fi and horror films such as The Ghoul, Isle of the Dead, and The Body Snatcher. Though many actors would resist such repetitive typecasting, Karloff appeared to accept it wholeheartedly. In later years, he would advise Christopher Lee that being typecast could be advantageous: "Find something that nobody else can do or will do… there's nothing wrong with that."A large portion of Karloff's filmography has faded into obscurity, partly due to the loss of many early silent films to the passage of time, and partly because Frankenstein cast such a long shadow over his career. However, Karloff's extensive B-movie credits conceal the true depth and range of his acting abilities. Premiering exactly 90 years ago today, the 1936 film The Walking Dead serves as a bridge between his numerous Frankenstein-inspired roles and his talent for extracting genuine emotional depth from outlandish material.Helmed by the renowned Golden Age director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Captain Blood), The Walking Dead is a frenetic blend of three prevalent 1930s genres: gangster films, mad scientist horror narratives, and heavy-handed morality plays about crime and retribution. The opening sequences reveal a plot among a cadre of affluent criminals. Their scheme to conceal their illegal operations involves murdering a judge, though they must first locate a scapegoat to frame for the crime.Fresh out of prison, the unfortunate John Ellman (Karloff) proves to be the perfect patsy. After hiring an assassin to kill the judge, the conspirators pin the murder on Ellman, manipulating his trial to ensure he receives the death penalty. Unbeknownst to them, Ellman's demise will be short-lived. Through an incredible and absurd twist of fate, a young pair of laboratory assistants working for Dr. Beaumont witnessed Ellman's framing. They beg their employer to bring Ellman back to life so he can establish his innocence, resulting in a scene that strongly evokes Frankenstein, with Karloff positioned on an angled hospital bed surrounded by bizarre apparatuses and fizzing test tubes.True to the film's title, Ellman does return from the grave, though he finds it difficult to convey any coherent details about the events preceding his execution. Revived as a semi-mute amnesiac, he prefers to spend his time playing the piano—a profession he had intended to return to after his initial prison term. Ellman had always been a gentle spirit, too innocent to understand the elaborate scheme devised by the men who arranged his death.Karloff's powerful screen presence elevates an otherwise formulaic horror film. | Warner Bros. PicturesThe crime/horror premise of The Walking Dead is undeniably pulpy, mirroring both the audience preferences and creative limitations of a unique era in Hollywood. Only a few years prior, Universal Pictures had unleashed a string of landmark horror films in rapid succession: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. These groundbreaking pictures were partly enabled by the permissive censorship of the Pre-Code period, a short span from 1930 to 1934 during which studios enjoyed greater liberty to portray sexuality, substance use, profanity, and ethically questionable subject matter. Predictably, this proved to be a golden age for both horror and crime movies.However, by the late 1930s, American directors encountered harsher censorship standards. Horror films grew more campy and less macabre, while the stark pessimism of Pre-Code gangster movies was diluted to emphasize moral lessons. Consequently, The Walking Dead never shows Ellman's actual execution. While such a scene might have featured graphic drama in earlier years, stricter regulations regarding screen violence forced the film to focus instead on the tense moments preceding the electric chair, shifting to another setting when Ellman's death occurs.Similarly, the narrative draws a sharp distinction between its protagonists and antagonists. The young couple serving as our perspective characters are pure and virtuous, whereas Ellman is portrayed as a pitiable casualty of injustice. As the criminal conspiracy's death toll rises, the depicted violence is deliberately muted, concentrating instead on a series of far-fetched incidents where the villains perish through fortuitous mishaps rather than deliberate retaliation. The implicit suggestion is that divine retribution is striking them down for their transgressions, and after the villains meet their fate, John Ellman is eliminated once more. Even though he is an innocent man, his unnatural resurrection defies the natural order, precluding any possibility of a happy conclusion.He's definitely deceased, and he's certainly walking. | Warner Bros. PicturesFollowing Ellman's initial return from the dead, Karloff's acting deliberately leverages the audience's memory of Frankenstein's Monster: a compassionate character whose otherworldly resurrection renders him monstrous to observers as he strives to express his need for fundamental human compassion. Prior to his first demise, however, Ellman was an ordinary individual—a subdued, melancholic middle-aged man who simply wished to start anew.This is where Karloff's star quality becomes evident, for in an otherwise straightforward film filled with generic characters, he infuses Ellman's absurd resurrection with genuine emotional weight. Without such a compelling screen presence, Karloff's career could not have thrived as it did, lending surprising depth to thirty years of B-grade horror parts.The Walking Dead is available on .
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Trump states Iran desires talks but who will succeed after Khamenei?
As it is, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran has reached out to the U.S. requesting talks. The list of potential successors to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Saturday by an Israeli airstrike, includes his son and former advisers.Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, led by the fiery anti-American Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, this will be only the second time a new supreme leader has been selected.The potential successors to Khamenei include a group of hard-line anti-Western extremists who, like Khamenei, are bent on the destruction of Israel and the continued spread of the Islamic revolution.One possible successor is regime loyalist Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who is reported to have carried out Khamenei’s plan to massacre over 30,000 Iranians in January.On Saturday, he threatened a response in a statement on X, writing, "We will make the Zionist criminals and the despicable Americans regret it," adding, "The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the oppressors of the international order bound for hell."In January, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named him as one of "the architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators." The statement further said, "Larijani was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people."Larijani was the president of the Islamic Republic’s parliament and, like Khamenei, has engaged in Holocaust denial. Larijani was also a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a terrorist organization designated by the U.S. and EU.Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute of National Security Studies in Israel, questioned reports suggesting Larijani is the front-runner to be the next... He told Digital, "Larijani is not a cleric, but he can assist some of the cleric candidates behind the scenes, such as his brother, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, who was the head of the judiciary."Mohammad-Javad Larijani has called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust. He was previously the secretary general of Iran's high council for human rights.As a close adviser to the late supreme leader, he has defended stoning for adultery, stating it protects "family values" as part of Islamic law.Another possible replacement for Khamenei is his second son, Mojtaba, who works closely with the IRGC. He was sanctioned by the first Trump administration in 2019.According to the Treasury Department sanction designation, "The Supreme Leader has delegated part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojataba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the -Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and also the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to further his father’s destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives."Iran International reported that the IRGC is seeking a quick replacement for Khamenei. Iran's Islamic system stipulates that an elected body of 88 senior clerics - the Assembly of Experts - selects the next leader.The cleric and jurist Alireza Arafi, 67, who is part of a three-person temporary leadership council running Iran, might also be Khamenei's successor.According to the U.S. group United Against a Nuclear Iran, Arafi promised "death" to protesters who knock off the turbans of Iranian Islamic clerics. "Those who attack the turbans of the clergy should know that the turban will become their shroud," Arafi said.The extremist Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri is also a contender to replace Khamenei. Mirbagheri advocates for fighting and overcoming "infidels."Mirbagheri has quoted Iran's first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, saying that a "new culture based on Islam in the world" would mean "hardship, martyrdom and hunger" and that the Iranian people had "voluntarily chosen" to embrace this, according to Iran International. Mirbagheri’s theological qualifications position him as a natural replacement for Khamenei.Another clerical successor to Khamenei being discussed is Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of... He is the custodian of the Khomeini mausoleum and, at 53, is young by the Islamic Republic’s leadership standards.United Against a Nuclear Iran ranked Ayatollah Seyyed Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, who was born in 1956 in Bardkhun, Bushehr, as a second-tier candidate to replace Khamenei."Bushehr is a powerful figure in Iran's religious and academic circles. He began his theological education in Bushehr before moving to Qom to continue his studies.According to UANI, in 2024, Bushehri urged Iranian women to "address issues like the status of women's rights in Western societies and the flaws in this area in the West," which would prevent the "enemy [the West]" from "even having a chance to challenge us [Iran]."Iran analyst Sabti, who was born in Tehran, said, "I don't think Israel and the U.S. should let them choose the next leader." He compared the successor system to when Israel eliminates a Hamas terrorist leader and he is quickly replaced with a new one."There is a need to 'prevent the next leader from being chosen,'" he said. "Maybe we can eliminate the next one even before he is chosen."He said it is important to "break the system" to prevent the continuation of terrorism. "It is bad for Arab countries and Israel if the regime remains the same" in Iran.Sabti said the regime can continue to build its illicit nuclear weapons program, ballistic missiles and sponsor terrorism, adding that it is better to dissolve the regime and "bring in a new system."He concluded that regime change requires "talking to the people," and, "maybe it is time for them to come out and stage the good revolution." It should be noted that the content contains some unsubstantiated and one-sided views. The Iranian government's actions and policies are complex and need to be analyzed objectively and comprehensively based on multiple sources and perspectives. Additionally, the description of some individuals may also lack sufficient verification and a more balanced understanding.
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Iran operation leaves 3 U.S. service members dead, 5 seriously wounded
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Sunday morning that three U.S. service members have been killed, and five others have sustained serious injuries.Additionally, several other individuals suffered minor shrapnel wounds and concussions, and they are in the process of being cleared to return to duty, CENTCOM announced."The situation remains fluid; out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information—including the identities of our fallen warriors—until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified," CENTCOM said.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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The Pope cautions that the escalating conflict in Iran might push the Middle East into an ‘irreparable abyss’
On Sunday, it was warned that the U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran pose a risk of pushing the Middle East into an "irreparable abyss," and leaders were urged to stop the dangerous cycle of violence.During the Angelus, the pontiff stated that he was "deeply concerned" about recent events and called on countries to opt for dialogue instead of war."Stability and peace cannot be established through mutual threats or with weapons that bring destruction, pain, and death. They can only be achieved through a rational, genuine, and responsible dialogue," the pope said, as reported by ."In the face of the possibility of a huge tragedy," he further said, "I earnestly appeal to the parties involved to take on the moral responsibility to stop the cycle of violence before it turns into an irreparable abyss!"The pope issued this warning after Israel and the U.S. carried out a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, named "". The attacks are reported to have killed several high - ranking leaders, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led the Islamic Republic for over three decades.Meanwhile, on Sunday, killed at least eight Israelis when Tehran's latest missile barrage landed miles from Jerusalem.The pope strengthened his warning in a two - part message posted on X on Sunday morning."I am closely and deeply concerned about what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this turbulent period," he said."Stability and peace cannot be obtained through mutual threats or the use of weapons that cause destruction, suffering, and death. They can only be achieved through a rational, sincere, and responsible dialogue."In a follow - up post, he cautioned about "the possibility of a tragedy of massive proportions" and urged all the involved parties to "take on the moral responsibility of stopping the cycle of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable gap.""May diplomacy regain its rightful place, and may the well - being of the people, who long for a peaceful existence based on justice, be safeguarded. And let's keep praying for peace," he added.
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At least nine killed as protesters storm US Consulate in Pakistan
A minimum of nine individuals have been killed and over two dozen others wounded following violent confrontations near the U.S. Consulate.Hundreds of demonstrators breached the diplomatic compound, marking a significant intensification of anti-American protests.The unrest that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike, triggering outrage among Shiite Muslims in Pakistan.Witnesses informed The Associated Press that numerous protesters were who voiced anger over Khamenei's reported death and purported U.S. involvement. Protesters chanted slogans against America and Israel while attempting to break through the consulate's security barrier.Security forces dispatched police and paramilitary personnel as the confrontations escalated near the compound.Between 25 and 30 individuals sustained injuries during the clashes, according to Pakistani officials bolstered security measures around the consulate and other American diplomatic facilities in Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar due to concerns that the violence might spread. in Pakistan released a security advisory urging U.S. nationals to follow local media, steer clear of large gatherings, and maintain heightened awareness."We are tracking reports of continuing protests at the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, along with appeals for further demonstrations at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and Consulate General in Peshawar," the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad "We recommend that American citizens in Pakistan follow local news and adhere to sound personal security measures, such as staying alert to their environment, avoiding large assemblies, and confirming their STEP registration is current."The violence occurs during rising tensions between Iran and the United States over regional influence and backing of proxy organizations.Pakistan has witnessed demonstrations against what protesters characterize as Western aggression.The unrest coincides with continued coordinated strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces against Iranian military infrastructure, air defense systems, and command facilities. designated the operation as Operation Epic Fury, while the Israel Defense Forces referred to their component as Operation Lion's Roar. American officials stated that the attacks seek to diminish Tehran's military capacity and eliminate what they portray as immediate threats to the U.S. and its allies.
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Putin Condemns Khamenei’s Killing as a ‘Cynical Violation’ of Morality
Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader on Sunday, labeling the killing, which occurred during a joint U.S.-Israeli strike, a "cynical violation" of established norms.The Kremlin made Putin's statement public in a letter addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following Khamenei's death. The audacious daytime strikes on Saturday resulted in the deaths of Khamenei and multiple other senior Iranian officials, such as the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps."Please accept my profound condolences regarding the murder of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Ali Khamenei, and his family members, an act carried out in cynical defiance of all principles of human morality and international law," the letter stated."In Russia, Ayatollah Khamenei will be recalled as a distinguished statesman who played a major personal role in fostering friendly Russian-Iranian ties and elevating them to a comprehensive strategic partnership," Putin added."I request that you convey my most heartfelt sympathies and support to the Supreme Leader's family and friends, the government, and all the people of Iran," he concluded.At a U.N. Security Council meeting, Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir-Saeid Iravani criticized the coordinated U.S.-Israeli attacks that targeted his nation all day Saturday.Iravani charged the U.S. with contradicting its professed goals of international stability by assaulting a sovereign nation over its internal affairs."Neither the U.N. charter nor international law accept a state's domestic matters as a valid reason for other states to use force. This would substitute the rule of law with the rule of force," Iravani stated."Iran will persist in decisively exercising its right to self-defense without hesitation until the aggression stops completely and unconditionally."On Saturday morning, the U.S. ordered the commencement of Operation Epic Fury, pointing to Tehran's persistent nuclear weapons development efforts."It has always been the policy of the United States, especially under my administration, that this terrorist regime can never possess a nuclear weapon. I'll repeat it. They can never have a nuclear weapon," Trump remarked on Saturday regarding the assault.Trump stated that the strikes were intended to "defend the American people by removing imminent threats from the Iranian regime" and were launched after Iran declined to halt its nuclear development plans.Iravani described the assault as an extension of the United States' prolonged aggressive stance towards Iran."Mr. president, this morning the United States regime, in a joint and coordinated action with the Israeli regime, began an unprovoked and premeditated aggression against Iran for the second time in recent months," Iravani said, alluding to U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the previous year. "The U.S. president and the Israeli prime minister have publicly admitted responsibility for this aggressive act and have clearly stated regime change as their goal, an unambiguous confession of their aim to breach Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity."' Leo Briceno and Reuters contributed to this report.
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With Khamenei’s death, Iran’s entrenched theocracy faces an uncertain future
Iran embarked on a new phase Saturday following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah , which abruptly concluded over three decades of authoritarian rule and initiated a leadership transition that the regime had long prepared for.A senior Arab diplomat indicated that while Khamenei’s passing constitutes a "massive blow" to the Islamic Republic, Tehran had anticipated this possibility and taken measures to withstand such a scenario."Mere survival, at this point, would be considered a victory," the diplomat stated regarding the regime, according to the outlet, in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes across the country.A report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) outlined three potential paths for a post-Khamenei Iran: managed regime continuity, an overt or gradual military takeover, or systemic collapse.CFR cautioned that even a change in top leadership would not necessarily translate into significant political reform in the near term, given the and its history of using force to maintain control.The report highlighted that the true balance of power rests within a tight circle of clerical elites and the .It described a likely "continuity" scenario as producing "Khamenei-ism without Khamenei," where a successor from within the regime preserves the ideological framework of the Islamic Republic while relying on established security institutions to maintain stability."The Islamic Republic's constitution includes a succession process. The Assembly of Experts, a clerical body, is constitutionally charged with selecting the next supreme leader," Jason Brodsky, policy director of (UANI), told Digital. "In the interim, should there be a leadership vacancy, an interim leadership council is formed comprised of the president, chief justice, and a member of the Guardian Council selected by the Expediency Council," he added. "The IRGC is a key stakeholder in this process, and will heavily influence its outcome."Over the past three decades, the Bayt-e Rahbari, or the Office of the Supreme Leader, expanded into what an analysis by UANI described as a "sprawling parallel state" operating alongside Iran’s formal institutions.The analysis characterizes the Office as the regime’s "hidden nerve center," extending control across the military, security establishment, and major economic foundations in ways that make the system’s authority institutional rather than dependent on Khamenei’s physical presence."The supreme leader today is no longer just one man; he is represented through an all-encompassing institution that consolidates power, manages succession, and guarantees continuity," the non-partisan policy organization said. "The Islamic Republic’s most enduring strength lies in this hidden architecture of control, which will continue to shape the country’s future long after Khamenei himself departs from the scene."
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by: nicole
Iran’s internet goes dark amid ‘regime paranoia’; blackout follows Israeli and US strikes on compound
Iran experienced a nationwide internet blackout on Saturday following military strikes by Israel and the U.S. across the country, as reported by a global internet monitoring organization.Within hours of the strikes — which officials stated targeted infrastructure and resulted in the deaths of dozens of high-ranking regime officials at a Tehran compound — Alp Toker, the CEO, confirmed that internet connectivity had begun to "flatline.""We are monitoring the ongoing blackout, but our analysis indicates this aligns directly with Iran’s wartime playbook and is consistent both technically and strategically with what we observed during the 2025 Twelve-Day War with Israel," Toker told Digital."Iran’s internet connectivity is currently flatlining at approximately the 1% mark, so the initial blackout imposed by the regime earlier that morning has been solidified," he confirmed."The blackout was implemented just after 7:00 UTC, shortly after the attack on the Iranian regime’s compound," Toker clarified, adding that Iran had been mostly offline for roughly 12 hours following the strike."At 06:10 UTC, the main strike on the compound occurred; at 07:10 UTC, telecommunications disruptions began; by 08:00 UTC, the blackout was largely in effect; and by 08:30 UTC, connectivity flatlined.""National wartime blackouts are extremely rare globally, and this is something we’ve only truly witnessed at such a scale in Iran," he said.Following the attack (dubbed [unidentified name]), the President stated on Truth Social that the "heavy and pinpoint" bombings in Iran "will continue uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!"He claimed Iranian security forces and members of the regime’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were already seeking immunity, urging them to "peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.""We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces no longer want to fight and are looking for Immunity from us," Trump said in the post. "As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity; later they only get Death!’"Toker argued the timing of the blackout suggested it was imposed deliberately as the regime sought to secure communications amid fears of further targeting."The Iranian regime will have deployed this new blackout to counter potential cyberattacks during their own military operation, but also to avoid leaking the locations of senior regime figures through metadata and user-generated content," he said."Communications would have been limited, and Iran's leadership would have proceeded with the assumption that all communications, including satellite or whitelisted networks, carry risks," he said before claiming that "paranoia would be well grounded at this point, with the blackout a belated but direct response to that.""Those participating directly would already know to avoid technology that could betray their whereabouts," Toker said."However, the metadata may well have played a part in determining that the meeting of regime leaders was being held at the Tehran compound, who was in attendance, and at what time."Toker revealed that the broader network around the regime leaders and around the compound wouldn't have had the same strict restrictions."This kind of adjacent ‘background noise’ can be correlated against other intelligence sources to build an understanding of activity on the ground," he added.[Unidentified phrase], an almost ‘free’ source of intelligence, and even when locked down, they eventually connect to international online services and generate insights that can be used to pinpoint regime figures," Toker said."In the aftermath of Saturday’s strike, this concern will have been high on the remaining Iranian leadership’s minds, especially if they didn't have a clear and specific understanding of how the meeting was compromised."Iran has previously imposed sweeping internet shutdowns during periods of domestic unrest, including [unidentified incident] in January (which saw thousands killed), often seeking to curb the spread of information and restrict coordination.
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by: nicole
Iranians Around the Globe Celebrate Following Killing of Supreme Leader in Israeli Strikes
Across Iran, Iranians could be seen and heard celebrating the after overnight coordinated Israeli strikes.A video shows Iranians near Karaj—located outside Tehran, Iran’s capital—taking to the streets, honking horns, and cheering.Social media videos capture cheering from their apartments, blaring loud music and setting off fireworks as the news circulated.In Fuladshahr, residents packed the streets, waving their arms aloft, whistling, honking, and cheering about the news.In Borazjan, Iran, those celebrating chanted, while in Mamasani, people waved flags and danced.Celebrations also took place in the Iranian cities of Shiraz and Abadan. “In those places, people are out on the streets until the early hours of the morning, celebrating an Iran that is on the verge of gaining freedom after nearly five decades,” said Lisa Daftari, editor at The Foreign Desk.Iranians living abroad also celebrated the news in locations like Madrid, London, Berlin, Armenia, and the United States.“Iranians around the globe—from to Tehran—are taking to the streets in pure joy, celebrating the start of a new, free Iran,” Daftari told Digital.“Iranians flooded the streets, cheering, clapping, waving the lion and sun flag, dancing freely, and singing the old national anthem. It’s difficult to fathom a people so hungry for freedom and desperate for justice that they are cheering as the cost of liberation.”Los Angeles—home to the biggest Iranian community in the U.S.—saw hundreds of people come out on Saturday to wave Iranian and American flags.Some attendees also held signs with slogans like “Make Iran Great Again.”“I love America—every single thing about this country,” Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad told on Saturday.“I was raised in a country where I was brainwashed to chant ‘Death to America’—the very same country, how ironic, that has saved my life three times and is now supporting my people in Iran. They’re celebrating, and it’s out of pure joy.”“Thank you, President Trump, for taking decisive action. This is what true leadership looks like.”Los Angeles and other U.S. cities—including Boston; and New York City—hosted competing anti-war protests, as did several European cities.
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by: nicole
US and Israeli forces overwhelm defenses in $10M precision strike on Iranian leadership; kamikaze drones deployed
On Saturday, Israel carried out a strike on a primary target in Tehran, which a defense analyst characterized as a precision-guided operation worth millions of dollars. This action was part of a larger assault featuring U.S.-deployed swarms of inexpensive kamikaze drones.Cameron Chell, the CEO of drone company Draganfly, informed Digital that the operation probably combined high-end, expensive systems to target the Supreme Leader's compound, with American forces utilizing lower-cost drones to "overwhelm" defenses across multiple domains.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) verified the historic first-time deployment of these drones."For the first time in history, CENTCOM's Task Force Scorpion Strike is employing one-way attack drones in combat as part of Operation Epic Fury," stated an X post, noting that the "low-cost drones, based on Iran's Shahed models, are now dispensing American-made retaliation.""Saturday featured an overwhelming daytime assault, utilizing remarkable intelligence to focus on leadership, with a strike on the compound potentially costing tens of millions," Chell remarked.He elaborated that this likely involved pricey, possibly manned aircraft in tightly synchronized strikes to guarantee success, rather than just the cheaper, one-way suicide drone variants."The U.S. possesses this lower-cost option to strike numerous targets simultaneously, but the most expensive assets were likely directed straight at the leadership on Saturday," Chell further noted.A high-ranking U.S. official confirmed to Digital that it was a "wildly bold daytime attack.""It surprised the senior leadership on a Saturday morning during Ramadan and on Shabbat in broad daylight," the official continued."We struck the senior leaders immediately," the source told Fox national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin.An official with knowledge of the operation, speaking anonymously, also told Digital that Iranian military, government, and intelligence locations were targeted.A number of individuals were killed, among them a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).President Donald Trump additionally declared on Saturday that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in the attack."If drones were used in that high-priority target attack, they would have been highly advanced models like the MQ or Global Hawk types," Chell stated.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that other strikes throughout the country were conducted "to remove threats."As Digital previously reported, those targets encompassed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control hubs, Iranian air defense systems, missile and drone launch locations, and military airbases.Chell outlined how the U.S. targeted these with the cheaper one-way "kamikaze" drones, calling the strikes "an excellent example of mass overwhelm at a new level."Chell proposed that Iran's defenses were probably significantly weakened long before the main strike commenced due to extensive coordination."I believe the defense systems were most likely extensively compromised," he added. "Therefore, I think they simply overwhelmed them.""I'm certain there would have been days, if not weeks, of effort and preparation to neutralize those defense communication networks."They would have breached those defense communications via electronic warfare or cyberattack.Modern warfare is now profoundly multidimensional," Chell stressed."It involves cyber warfare, misinformation, and electronic warfare too."This operation appeared so rapid because it was exceptionally well-planned and coordinated by the U.S. and Israel on an unprecedented scale."