SeaPRwire Consolidates Hong Kong and Greater China Networks

EQS via SeaPRwire.com / 30/03/2026 / 10:24 UTC+8 Hong Kong - March 30, 2026 - (SeaPRwire) - In the complex and ever-changing global economic and trade environment, Hong Kong's status as an international financial center remains pivotal. To help enterprises more effectively connect with global capital and convey brand value, renowned media service provider SeaPRwire (https://seaprwire.com) announced today that it has further consolidated and expanded its media distribution network in Hong Kong and the Greater China region. This strategic move will significantly enhance corporate financial PR efficiency and the depth of brand exposure in this region. The Greater China region, particularly the Hong Kong market, gathers top-tier global investment institutions, analysts, and financial media. SeaPRwire's network consolidation this time focuses on opening up a fast track "from information release to capital attention." The platform not only strengthened cooperation with local mainstream Chinese and English financial newspapers, magazines, and high-traffic financial portals in Hong Kong but also deeply integrated professional financial information terminals radiating across the Greater China region. This means that corporate financial reports, financing information, or major strategic adjustments released by enterprises can be pushed to the desks of professional investors with extremely high priority. Furthermore, targeting the increasingly booming technological innovation and new consumption waves in the Greater China region, SeaPRwire simultaneously expanded its media matrix across multiple vertical fields such as technology, venture capital, fashion, and health. Whether it is a unicorn enterprise seeking listing voice in Hong Kong or a multinational brand hoping to expand business in the mainland and the Greater Bay Area, all can achieve precise penetration of target audiences through SeaPRwire's customized distribution links. "Hong Kong is not just a distribution window; it is a vital bridge for global capital to perceive China and for Chinese enterprises to go global," pointed out SeaPRwire's head of Greater China. "By consolidating this core network, we aim to provide clients with more deterministic communication results, leveraging authoritative media endorsements and extensive channel coverage to escort enterprises' business voyages in the Greater China region." About SeaPRwire SeaPRwire is Asia’s leading AI-driven earned media management platform, purpose-built to empower PR and communications professionals. Through its flagship Branding-Insight Program, the platform connects clients to over 80,000 journalists and an influencer matrix reaching 300 million followers. Leveraging advanced AI, SeaPRwire helps users identify media targets, personalize pitches, and measure PR impact across key APAC markets, including Japan, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Media Contact Company: SeaPRwire Contact: Media Relations Team Email: cs@seaprwire.com Website: https://seaprwire.com 30/03/2026 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

Fujitsu launches generative AI service that analyzes source code and automatically generates design documents

KAWASAKI, Japan, Mar 30, 2026 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Fujitsu today announced the launch of Fujitsu Application Transform powered by Fujitsu Kozuchi, a generative AI service that analyzes source code and automatically generates design documents, contributing to a reduction in work time of approximately 97%. Fujitsu will begin offering Fujitsu Application Transform powered by Fujitsu Kozuchi as a SaaS in Japan starting March 30, 2026. This service supports the modernization of companies and organizations by leveraging Fujitsu's extensive system development expertise, proprietary technology, and generative AI to analyze COBOL and other source codes within existing legacy systems, automatically generating design documents to understand the system's content.Building on the achievements of its predecessor, a software analysis and visualization service launched in February 2025, this new offering standardizes analysis technology and design document generation know-how. In this service, Fujitsu proprietary technology leverages code analysis techniques on remaining design information and existing programs and manages RAG using Fujitsu Knowledge Graph–Enhanced RAG for Software Engineering. By linking large volumes of source code, it prevents omissions and hallucinations, and automatically generates highly accurate, easy-to-read design documentation.This service reduces the time-consuming process of understanding programming languages and generating design documents, which previously required extensive human effort, by approximately 97%, even without expert knowledge. Furthermore, compared to analysis solely by general generative AI, Fujitsu's proprietary technology generates consistent design information without omissions from existing system source code, even for complex COBOL language. This has improved comprehensiveness by 95%. These accuracy enhancements have also led to a 60% improvement in the readability of design documents compared to conventional methods, confirming the generation of high-quality design documents.Moving forward, Fujitsu plans to begin offering support services for the introduction of this service. Additionally, beyond automatic design document generation, Fujitsu plans to sequentially introduce features for rebuilding existing source code for future use, automatically rewriting source code, and supporting operation and maintenance, starting in fiscal year 2026. Through this service, Fujitsu aims to generate high-quality design documents, enabling a clear understanding of current system specifications and characteristics, and strongly supporting the formulation and implementation of system modernization and migration strategies.Figure: Fujitsu Application Transform powered by Fujitsu Kozuchi concept diagramToshihiro Horiuchi, Managing Executive Officer, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. comments:“We see this announcement as an initiative that realistically advances the modernization of our legacy systems by combining Fujitsu’s deep system development expertise built up over many years with generative AI. From fiscal year 2025, we have been conducting joint verification with Fujitsu on reverse-engineering design documentation for legacy languages, including COBOL, and through this collaboration we have come to recognize the significant potential of this technology. Going forward, we hope to continue working closely with Fujitsu to achieve more practical and effective modernization.”Related LinksService Introduction Site(Japanese)Fujitsu launches gen AI software analysis and visualization service to support optimal modernization planningAbout FujitsuFujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 113,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: global.fujitsuPress ContactsFujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations DivisionInquiries Copyright 2026 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Sigenergy Passes Hearing: “AI + Energy Storage” Driving a 150-fold Revenue Surge and Redefining Industry Growth

HONG KONG, Mar 30, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Sigenergy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Sigenergy" or the "Company"), a leading global provider of AI-native solar-storage-charging solutions, officially passed its listing hearing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) today.A spiring to be the "Apple of the Energy World," Sigenergy has reshaped the energy product ecosystem with "AI + Energy Storage" at its core. By positioning AI as the underlying capability permeating product design, system operation, and user interaction, the Company has achieved a leap from "manufacturing" to an "intelligent system platform." Leveraging disruptive AI product power and a precise global high-end strategy, the Company has demonstrated extraordinary growth momentum: revenue surged over 150-fold within two years, and the gross margin for 2025 exceeded 50%, showcasing a new paradigm of "value-driven growth" to the capital market.Revenue Grew 150-fold in Two Years; Profitability Ranks Among the Top in the IndustryAccording to the latest data disclosed in the prospectus, Sigenergy's revenue scale has demonstrated extreme growth momentum. As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s operating revenue soared from RMB 58 million in 2023 to RMB 9 billion in 2025, achieving an astonishing growth of over 150-fold within two years.While achieving rapid expansion in revenue scale, the Company's profitability has also significantly improved. Its gross margin rose steadily from 31.3% in 2023 to 50.1% in 2025, with an adjusted net margin as high as 35.9% in 2025. Both indicators rank among the top in the global distributed energy storage industry. This reflects that the Company has successfully broken away from the common low-price competition framework of the industry, enhanced its pricing power through technological advantages, and thereby achieved synergistic growth in both scale expansion and profitability levels.From "5-in-One" to Full-Scenario Coverage: Reshaping the Energy Management ParadigmSigenergy's core product, SigenStor, with its pioneering "5-in-one" design concept, has completely restructured the system morphology of distributed energy storage. SigenStor deeply integrates the solar inverter, power conversion system (PCS), battery pack, DC fast charging module, and energy management system (EMS) into a single platform. Through "AI + stackable" technology, users can flexibly expand system capacity as easily as building "LEGO" blocks. This highly integrated and extremely standardized system architecture optimizes the installation experience and provides the foundation for large-scale channel replication and global promotion.At the system level, the Company has achieved near 0-millisecond on/off-grid switching technology through hardware-software synergy and system control optimization. Compared to traditional backup power solutions, its "seamless switching" characteristic minimizes the impact of grid fluctuations or interruptions on end-user electricity consumption. This ensures the continuous operation of critical loads in residential scenarios and effectively avoids production and operational losses caused by instantaneous power outages in industrial and commercial (C&I) scenarios.On this basis, the Company has constructed a product portfolio covering residential, C&I, and large-scale utility power plants. In residential and C&I scenarios, the Company adopts modular, highly integrated, and scalable designs, enabling systems with flexible deployment and continuous upgrade capabilities. In utility-scale scenarios, the Company provides long-term value to customers centered on the concepts of "high yield, long-term safety and reliability, and simple O&M."This multi-scenario layout is built upon platform-based capabilities anchored in a unified technical foundation. Through integrated hardware-software design, a unified data architecture, and control logic, the Company has achieved technical synergy and capability reuse across different products and scenarios. This system enhances R&D efficiency and product iteration speed, providing the underlying support for the Company's global scale replication and long-term profitability."AI in All" Constructs a "Growth Flywheel", Driving a Fundamental Leap in Ecological ValueSigenergy adheres to the "AI in All" strategy, viewing AI as a fundamental capability permeating product design, system operation, and user interaction. At the critical juncture of the global energy transition toward intelligence and systematization, the Company is driving energy management from single-device control toward multi-device synergy and global optimization. In this way, dispersed devices, complex energy flows, and diverse application scenarios are integrated into a highly synergistic whole, empowering the entire energy system with unified dispatching and continuous evolution capabilities.Based on this strategy, all core products of Sigenergy have pre-allocated computing power, data interfaces, and control capabilities during the architectural design stage. Whether it is the SigenStor residential system, AC EV chargers, or C&I and utility-scale products, all can seamlessly access the AI ecosystem. This means the Company is building not just individual devices, but an AI-centric energy system capable of cross-scenario synergistic operation. The dimension of competition has upgraded from single-product performance to a comprehensive competition of system capabilities, ecological capabilities, and continuous evolution capabilities.The deeper value of AI capabilities lies in the formation of a "Growth Flywheel." As the number of globally deployed devices increases, while ensuring data security and user rights, the AI system continuously accumulates real-world operational data such as weather, electricity prices, power generation, loads, and user habits. This makes power consumption decisions more precise and system operations more efficient, thereby forming an ever-deepening ecological barrier.More importantly, this capability has directly translated into commercial value. In overseas high-end markets with dynamic electricity pricing, the AI system can assist users in optimizing power strategies to maximize energy economic benefits. Taking the Swedish market as an example, the system has helped users reduce their average electricity costs by approximately 70%, directly converting AI capabilities into "tangible economic returns" and creating incremental value that traditional products cannot provide. Leveraging its leading AI application capabilities, Sigenergy has achieved a fundamental leap from an "energy equipment manufacturer" to an "AI-centric energy system platform."Leading Global Market Share; Comprehensive Upgrade of Delivery CapabilitiesAs of December 31, 2025, the Company has established partnerships with 172 distributors and over 17,600 installers from 85 countries, covering core markets such as Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, and Africa, and extending to emerging regions like Latin America, Central Asia, and South Asia. The Company has built a relatively sophisticated sales, service, and technical support network globally, laying a solid foundation for rapid localization in high-threshold markets and serving as the driving force for long-term growth.Against the backdrop of intensified industry competition, Sigenergy persists in a development path that combines high-end positioning with globalization. Through "strategic superiority" via technology—deeply integrating modular design, full-scenario integration, and AI dispatching algorithms—the Company effectively avoids homogenized competition and continuously enhances product added value. The prospectus shows that high-value markets such as Australia and Europe have become core pillars of the Company's business growth, with sales revenue ranking in the top two. In global benchmark markets with stringent requirements for product performance and safety, according to market reports from the Australian energy consultancy SunWiz, Sigenergy ranked first in market share for systems under 1,000kWh in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa in 2025; it also holds leading positions in markets such as the UK, Sweden, and the Benelux region. This series of market performances fully validates the Company's strong brand premium and commercialization capabilities in high-end market segments.To support global expansion, the Company has constructed three major manufacturing bases centered in Shanghai Lingang, Jinqiao, and Nantong, Jiangsu. Among them, the Nantong Smart Energy Center officially commenced production in the first quarter of 2026, with a total investment of RMB 500 million and a total construction area of 136,000 square meters. With an annual capacity exceeding 300,000 inverters and battery PACKs, it is one of the world's largest single-unit distributed energy storage factories. Through a synergistic system of "advanced manufacturing bases + intelligent industrial systems + deep AI empowerment," the Company has not only achieved the rapid release of large-scale capacity but also built high-consistency and high-reliability global delivery capabilities, forming a critical manufacturing barrier against competitors.For this Hong Kong listing, the Company intends to use the proceeds for R&D investment, global sales network expansion, and intelligent manufacturing upgrades. Following the successful passing of the hearing, Sigenergy will continue to leverage its "AI-native" technological advantages, driving the industry's transition from traditional equipment competition to a comprehensive transformation defined by AI-driven systems, ecosystems, and long-term value.For inquiries, please contact:EVER BLOOM (HK) COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANTS GROUP LIMITEDMs. Claire ZhangTel: (852)3468 8171 Email: project_alps.list@everbloom.com.cn Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

S CUBE Capital Fund Ranked No. 1 Fixed Income Performer in Asia Pacific by Bloomberg

Singapore, Mar 30, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - S CUBE Capital’s Fixed Income Tactical Opportunities Fund II, managed by the Singapore-based investment manager specializing in Global and Indian strategies, has been ranked by Bloomberg as the top-performing USD fixed income fund. The firm outperformed strategies managed by leading global institutions across a universe of funds spanning 15 Asia Pacific markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and Mauritius.Over the one-year period ending January 31, 2026, Bloomberg reported that FITOF – Fund II delivered total returns of 12.44%, outperforming its nearest peer by more than 200 basis points. This recognition follows a similar distinction received by S CUBE two years ago and underscores the strength of the firm’s investment framework, as well as its deep expertise in navigating global credit markets. While the fund remains focused on high-quality bonds, its positioning has maintained a meaningful overweight to Indian credits, reflecting strong conviction in the country’s macroeconomic trajectory.Commenting on the performance, Hemant Mishr, Founder and CIO, S CUBE Capital, said "We are delighted to receive this recognition – it is particularly special as it marks our second such recognition in the past three years and comes against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical risk and a challenging macroeconomic environment. To be acknowledged alongside such a strong cohort of global funds is a testament to the strength of our team and the rigor of our investment framework.“We are seeing strong investor interest supported by favourable tailwinds. A change of guard at the US Fed is reinforcing expectations of a more dovish monetary policy. At the same time rising stress in the private credit market is likely to catalyse a rotation of capital towards public credit strategies- an area where we are well positioned to capture attractive risk-adjusted opportunities” adds Hemant."Balaji Swaminathan, Founder and CEO, S CUBE Capital added “We are pleased to be recognized once again for delivering consistent returns for our investors. Our focus remains on combining rigorous credit selection with deep on-the-ground insights to capture opportunities across Asia and our overweight position in Indian dollar issuers has been a key driver of our performance. As India’s role in the global economy continues to strengthen, we believe our platform is well positioned to connect international investors with high-quality credit opportunities in the region”.About S CUBE CapitalS CUBE is a global fund management company domiciled in Singapore and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). We are a strong and dedicated team of internationally experienced experts delivering institutional investment expertise to client. Our team has managed investments of over USD 50 billion in our previous roles and has a cumulative experience of over 100 years in Global Financial Markets across assets including Credit, Equities, Fixed Income, Rates, FX and Commodities. For more information visit https://scubecapital.com/.Media contact:Namrata Sharma+65 81383034Namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com  Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Mass Grave in Kenya Yields 33 Bodies, Including 25 Children

(SeaPRwire) -   A minimum of 33 corpses, among them children and severed remains packed in sacks, were discovered in a mass grave in western Kenya on Thursday, prompting concerns about whether the bodies had been clandestinely transferred from a hospital morgue.According to officials, investigators recovered the bodies of 25 minors and eight grown-ups, along with severed body parts stuffed in burlap sacks, from a mass grave located at a church-run burial ground in Kericho."We confirmed that these corpses were moved from Nyamira District Hospital to a private burial site in Kericho," stated Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, speaking to journalists.He noted that investigators are working to ascertain if the bodies were lawfully disposed of following their removal from the morgue.The Associated Press noted that under Kenyan legislation, medical facilities and morgues can dispose of unclaimed remains after a two-week period, provided they have court approval.State forensic specialists performed post-mortem examinations on Thursday to establish the manner of death, though officials have not yet disclosed the victims' identities.Two individuals have been detained by law enforcement in relation to this incident.According to local news outlets, the corpses were moved in an official government vehicle by unknown persons and interred quickly, after which some cemetery workers notified authorities."Authorities must carry out a comprehensive probe," said local resident Brian Kibunja.Fellow resident Samuel Moso urged officials to "disclose whether the government participated in this mass burial or if another party was responsible."Kenya has witnessed three significant mass-grave discoveries during the last three years.In 2023, law enforcement discovered hundreds of corpses interred in a forested area in Kenya's coastal Kilifi area, unearthing mass graves linked to a spiritual leader alleged to have caused his followers to starve to death.The following year, officials retrieved nine corpses from a waste disposal site in Nairobi, the capital of this East African country.This most recent finding emerges amid mounting apprehension among certain Kenyans regarding suspected police misconduct.The human rights organization Missing Voices reported recording 125 unlawful executions and six forced disappearances in Kenya during the previous year, up from 104 killings documented in the prior year. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

Scorsese’s Epic Gets a 4K Upgrade Three Years After Release

Paramount Pictures(SeaPRwire) -   Martin Scorsese has a penchant for bringing real-life stories to the screen that often appear unbelievable when adapted. While The Wolf of Wall Street began as a gonzo financial thriller, Scorsese transformed it into a spectacle filled with fourth wall breaks, physical comedy, and financial lessons. Similarly, the glitzy and already unbelievable life of Howard Hughes was dramatized in The Aviator, serving as a haunting portrait of the enigmatic tycoon. It is no coincidence that Leonardo DiCaprio starred in both films; together, Scorsese and DiCaprio turn realistic figures into complex characters that feel larger than life. In 2023, Scorsese further leaned into his strengths with Killers of the Flower Moon, a retelling of a frequently overlooked historical event that highlights the story while acknowledging the significance of his role as the storyteller. Spanning nearly three and a half hours, Scorsese recounts the history of the Osage Nation, the Indigenous tribe that discovered oil on their Oklahoma reservation. Although tribe members became wealthy overnight, racist policies often led to the appointment of white “guardians” to manage their finances. Enter Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), who, after returning from military service, settles with his uncle, King Hale (Robert DeNiro). Hale poses as a supporter of the Osage people, but appearances are deceiving: he is actually orchestrating a series of crimes to steal their wealth. Despite falling in love with Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), Ernest participates in escalating crimes that eventually tear Mollie’s family apart. While lengthy, the film utilizes every minute to immerse the viewer, particularly in its epilogue, which exposes the true nature of Killers of the Flower Moon: a narrative belonging to the Osage people but told by white filmmakers. Thanks to an upcoming Criterion 4K release, viewers can experience this saga with unprecedented detail. How Was Killers Of The Flower Moon Received Upon Release? As a significant addition to Scorsese's filmography, the movie faced high expectations and exceeded most of them. Although many reviews noted the long runtime, critics generally agreed that the time was justified to tell the complex story with the necessary gravity and nuance. The self-referential conclusion also garnered praise, with The New Yorker’s Richard Brody stating, “Scorsese's control of form and tone, and the bold yet subtle way that he marshals incident, signal that he is intent not merely on narrating history but on troubling the conscience of his (doubtless largely white) audience.” The acting received immense acclaim, with Gladstone emerging as a top contender during awards season. Although the film did not win at the Oscars that year, it has established itself as one of the most ambitious and successful projects in Scorsese’s career. Why Is Killers Of The Flower Moon Important To See Now?The reason is straightforward. Killers of the Flower Moon remains essential viewing because its narrative is vital knowledge. Based on David Grann’s book of the same name, which exposed the Osage murders, the film takes the story a step further by depicting these atrocities in a memorable and impactful way. Furthermore, the film is dense with meaning, making it infinitely rewatchable. Even if you saw it in theaters in 2023, a viewing now will likely reveal new insights. It is a film that everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime, if only to understand this historical tragedy. As a period piece, the movie will remain just as relevant 50 years from now. It serves as a timeless cautionary tale regarding the consequences of greed obstructing human rights and basic empathy. This shot of the Kyle sisters was a recreation of a real portrait taken of the family. | Paramount PicturesWhat New Features Does The 4K Release Of Killers Of The Flower Moon Include?Consistent with typical Criterion 4K releases, the Killers of the Flower Moon set includes a 4K UHD disc with the film's new remaster, as well as two Blu-rays: one for the movie and another dedicated to special features. The release is packed with bonus content, such as: A new documentary featuring Scorsese, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone, author David Grann, Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, Osage cultural consultant John Williams, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and other cast and crew members“WahZhaZhe”: A Song for the Osage, a new documentary exploring the film’s final shot, with Scorsese, Chief Standing Bear, and six Osage Nation membersAn excerpted archival interview with director of photography Rodrigo PrietoExcerpts from the 2023 Cannes Film Festival press conference with Scorsese, DiCaprio, Gladstone, Chief Standing Bear, and Robert De NiroEssays by critic Vinson Cunningham and film programmer Adam PironKillers of the Flower Moon Criterion 4K Blu-RayCriterion - This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

Israel seeking ‘solutions’ to open Christian sites after barring church leader on Palm Sunday due to war

(SeaPRwire) -   Major Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, were shut down on Palm Sunday due to Israeli wartime measures, interrupting one of the faith's most sacred celebrations as the conflict with Iran reached its fifth week.The Catholic Church condemned the police action, labeling it "a blatantly unreasonable and excessively severe measure."Israeli police expressed regret that the war-related limitations were affecting religious practice and recognized the necessity to "strike a balance between freedom" and "public safety."In a video statement on X addressing the uproar over religious freedom, Israeli police stated, "Life-saving restrictions from the Home Front Command are in effect for all holy sites in the Old City — applying equally to Jews, Christians, and Muslims." They added, "The Old City has been hit by deadly missiles several times this month, in addition to persistent attacks on residential neighborhoods.""These dangers do not differentiate based on religion, and our responsibility to protect you does not either," the statement went on. "We are engaged in ongoing discussions with religious figures, including a planned meeting with the Patriarch, to explore ways to reconcile worship freedoms with public safety."According to the Latin Patriarchate, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo were intercepted by Israeli police as they attempted to reach the church for a private Mass, following the cancellation of the customary Palm Sunday procession.Israeli President Isaac Herzog contacted the affected worshipers to "convey my profound regret regarding this morning's unfortunate event.""I explained that the event was a result of security worries prompted by the ongoing risk of missile strikes from the Iranian terror regime on Israel's civilian population, after recent incidents where Iranian missiles landed near Jerusalem's Old City," he posted on X on Sunday. "I reiterated the State of Israel's steadfast dedication to religious freedom for all and to maintaining the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites."Italy criticized what it described as an "affront" to "religious freedom" in the Holy Land."The Italian government shows solidarity with Cardinal Pizzaballa, Father Ielpo, and the clergy who were barred by Israeli authorities today from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Holy Sepulchre," wrote Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a statement. "The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a sacred Christian site, and as such should be maintained and safeguarded for the performance of religious ceremonies. Blocking the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Keeper of the Holy Land, especially on a pivotal holy day like Palm Sunday, is an offense not just to the faithful, but to any society that values religious freedom."The Latin Patriarchate noted that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been holding private Masses, closed to the public, since the war with Iran started on February 28, and the reason for treating Sunday's Mass and the priests' access differently was not clear."It is an extremely sacred day for Christians, and we believe there was no valid reason for this decision or action," stated Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.He further mentioned that the church had sought police approval for a small number of religious officials to enter the building for a private Sunday Mass, not a public event.Concluding Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV prayed for all Middle Eastern Christians, whom he said were enduring a "brutal" war. He noted that "in many instances, they are unable to fully participate in the rituals of these holy days," without providing further details.On Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated there was no "ill intent" and that the cardinal was denied access due to safety risks, but Israel would work towards a partial reopening of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre."In recognition of the sanctity of Holy Week for Christians worldwide, Israel's security agencies are developing a strategy to allow church leaders to pray at the holy site in the next few days," Netanyahu posted on X.The Western Wall, a significant Jewish holy site, is also largely closed for safety reasons, although authorities are permitting groups of up to 50 people to pray at a time in a sheltered area next to the plaza.Smaller churches, synagogues, and mosques within Jerusalem's Old City remain open provided they are located a specific distance from a bomb shelter approved by the Israeli military and if attendance is limited to fewer than 50 people. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

Haitian Flavouring Releases 2025 Annual Results: Multi-Dimensional Category Growth + Accelerated Globalization – High-Quality Growth Highlights Long-Term Value

HONG KONG, Mar 29, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Condiments are an important carrier of Chinese culinary culture, playing an irreplaceable role in people’s daily diet, the upgrading of the catering industry, and the development of the food industry. As the absolute leader in the condiment industry, Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food Co., Ltd. (A-share: 603288; H-share: 03288) delivered a high-quality performance report in 2025, leveraging its comprehensive product portfolio, leading digital and intelligent capabilities, and resolute internationalization strategy. The company continues to lead the industry and stands as a well-deserved industry benchmark.On 26th March, Haitian Flavouring released its 2025 annual report. Financial data shows that in 2025, the company achieved total revenue of RMB 28.873 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.32%. Profitability improved simultaneously, with full-year net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company reaching RMB 7.038 billion, up 10.95% year-on-year; net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company after deducting non-recurring gains and losses amounted to RMB 6.845 billion, a year-on-year rise of 12.81%, and the gross profit margin of its core condiment business reached 41.78%, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.15 percentage points. All operating data hit record highs, demonstrating strong development resilience and core competitiveness, and further widening the gap with industry peers.Product Matrix Diversification: Building a Foundation for Multi-Dimensional GrowthAs a time-honored Chinese enterprise with a 400-year history deeply rooted in the condiment industry, Haitian Flavouring has built a stable and resilient multi-dimensional growth pattern through its continuously enriched product portfolio for the mass market, with its core product categories maintaining a globally leading competitive position.In the soy sauce category, Haitian Flavouring has always adhered to a consumer-centric approach. Focusing on consumers’ diverse needs, the company has continuously innovated in flavor, functionality, and specifications, establishing a complete product matrix covering both basic mass consumption and various segmented scenarios. Its product lines include not only classic series, premium soy sauce series, and time-honored series for daily cooking, but also healthy and nutritious lines such as organic, less-sodium, iron-fortified, selenium-enriched, and gluten-free products, as well as trendy products such as matsutake premium soy sauce.In the oyster sauce category, the company insists on selecting premium whole oysters from high-standard marine ranches and simmering them into sauce. With genuine ingredients and rigorous craftsmanship, Haitian oyster sauce maintains its advantage of being “rich in flavor, free from any fishy taste; one simple step to seal in freshness” . Currently, the company has launched diversified products such as Haitian superior oyster sauce and golden label oyster sauce, covering different flavors, packaging specifications, and price points. In response to consumer demand, the company has carried out scenario-based innovation, successively launching new products such as spicy oyster sauce and matsutake fresh oyster sauce to continuously enrich consumer choices.In the seasoning sauce category, the company’s products are mainly divided into two categories: basic flavored sauces and compound flavored sauces. It has built a product system with rich categories, diverse flavors, and multiple scenarios, such as Chu Hou Paste, Hoisin Sauce, Sauce for Rice, and Mushroom Sauce, which are suitable for different cooking methods. Meanwhile, the company adheres to a dual-wheel layout of “traditional vinegar + specialty vinegar,” developing regional characteristic rice vinegar such as sweet rice vinegar, selected fresh rice vinegar, and kangle vinegar, as well as specialty fruit vinegar including sugar-free apple cider vinegar and raw orange vinegar. This has formed a rich and diverse vinegar product system, further consolidating the company’s all-category competitive advantages, providing solid support for its steady performance growth, and building a profound market barrier.Benefiting from the recovery of the consumer market and its extensive product portfolio, Haitian Flavouring’s core categories including soy sauce, oyster sauce, and seasoning sauces maintained steady development in 2025, achieving operating revenues of RMB 14.934 billion, RMB 4.868 billion, and RMB 2.917 billion respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 8.55%, 5.48%, and 9.29%. The three major categories maintained positive growth simultaneously, providing solid support for the overall performance.As of the end of 2025, Haitian Flavouring has established 7 product series each generating over RMB 1 billion in revenue, and more than 30 product series each exceeding RMB 100 million, with product concentration and competitiveness continuing to improve. Among them, the two products series of Golden Label Light Soy Sauce and Mushroom Dark Soy Sauce have been bestsellers for over 60 years. The two products series of Premium Soy Sauce and Haitian Superior Oyster Sauce have achieved annual revenue of over RMB 1 billion per product for over 10 consecutive years, becoming the core drivers supporting the Company's steady performance growth and demonstrating strong product vitality and high market recognition.While consolidating its advantages in core product categories, Haitian Flavouring proactively adapts to the trend of consumption upgrading, invests heavily in new product development, creates trend-setting new products, and forms a continuously evolving growth flywheel. Supported by its industry-leading product strength, the nutritionally healthy product series, represented by organic and less-sodium options, achieved operating revenue with a year-on-year growth rate of 48.3%, significantly outperforming the industry average growth rate and opening up a new growth curve for the Company's performance growth.Furthermore, Haitian Flavouring is proactively transforming itself from a "condiments supplier" to a "comprehensive flavor solutions provider," accurately capturing the new market opportunities brought by the industrialization and chain-upgrading of the catering industry. As of the end of 2025, the Company has cumulatively provided one-stop commercial condiment solutions to catering chains, food enterprises, and numerous global retail brands, further expanding its profit margins.Meanwhile, the Company boasts leading digitalization-enabled flexible production and customized service capabilities. It can produce up to over 20 specifications and more than 130 SKUs of different products on the same production line, with its customized service response and time-to-market speed leading the industry. Powered by its digital transformation, the Company's ultimate supply chain has established a new paradigm for the collaborative development of "customization, scale, quality-to-price performance ratio" in the manufacturing industry. This not only ensures stable and safe product quality to meet the stringent requirements of chain catering but also caters to the diverse needs of different users for condiments.Digitalization Empowers Across the Entire Chain, Technological Innovation Boosts EfficiencyTechnology development and technological innovation are the core engines driving Haitian Flavouring's performance growth. The Company proactively embraces the AI era, deeply integrating artificial intelligence and big data into the entire chain of R&D, production, supply, and sales. This promotes the organic integration of cutting-edge digital technologies with millennia-old brewing techniques, achieving a comprehensive leap in production efficiency, product quality, and operational effectiveness.Every year, Haitian maintained R&D investment at approximately 3% of its operating revenue, solidifying the foundation for innovation with a long-term perspective. Meanwhile, the Company’s Gaoming production base was successfully recognized as the world's first "Lighthouse Factory" in the soy sauce brewing industry, a benchmark for smart manufacturing certified by the World Economic Forum, redefining the Digitalization height of the traditional condiments industry.With comprehensive digital empowerment, Haitian's supply chain operational efficiency has significantly improved. In 2025, the Company's On-Time In-Full (OTIF) delivery rate continued to optimize, and customer service levels reached a new height. At the same time, the ratios of manufacturing expenses and direct labor costs to operating costs-two core cost indicators- surpassed those of most peers,  achieving a dual breakthrough in quality improvement, efficiency enhancement, and cost control.Thanks to its outstanding digital practices, in 2025, the Company won numerous awards, including the "CGF China Supply Chain Digitalization and Sustainable Resilience Development Case" and the "National Typical Cases of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing", establishing itself as a benchmark for digital transformation in the industry. Additionally, the national standard " General Technical Requirements for Food Production Digital Factories", led by Haitian, was officially released. This fills the gap in the field of digital factory construction in China's food industry and provides authoritative and unified technical guidelines and an implementation framework for the Digitalization upgrading of the food industry.Leveraging smart technologies, the Company also achieved notable progress in green manufacturing. In terms of energy structure, the scale of solar photovoltaic power stations increased by nearly 100%, and a biomass power generation project was also put into operation. Power generated from green energy reached 29 million kWh, while the share of green electricity exceeded 28%. Through a smart water-saving system, the Company made dedicated efforts to set a benchmark in water conservation, recycling 1.88 million cubic meters of water over the past year, equivalent to the capacity of 752 standard swimming pools. In 2025, the Company implemented 128 energy-saving and carbon-reduction initiatives, these efforts resulted in a total reduction of 29,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, marking a solid step forward in its green and low-carbon development.Accelerating Global Expansion, Charting a New Course on the World StageWhile maintaining its leading position and deepening its presence in the domestic market, Haitian Flavouring has been proactively expanding its international footprint and accelerating its pace to "set sail" for global markets. Adhering to a dual-track development approach of "global standards + local adaptation," the Company’s products are now sold in over 80 countries and regions worldwide. It has been named a "Chinese Brand Loved by Foreigners" for two consecutive years, reflecting its growing international influence and marking a transition from "product export" to "enterprise globalization."Recently, the Company successfully upgraded its British Retail Consortium (BRC) rating from Grade B to Grade A, a testament to its quality control system receiving internationally recognized accreditation and achieving a world-class standard. This accomplishment has instilled strong confidence in the Company’s efforts to further expand its global footprint and enter premium retail channels in Europe and the United States, while also underscoring the high quality and international competitiveness of Haitian’s products.On March 17, the Company was recognized as a Leading Enterprise in the 2026 Forbes China Pioneer Innovators in Industry Development Selection in recognition of its digital and intelligent transformation as well as its green development practices, affirming the Company’s long-term value creation.In June 2025, the Company was successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, marking a new milestone as it now operates on the dual A+H share platform. The listing attracted eight prominent domestic and international institutions, including Hillhouse Capital and the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC), to serve as cornerstone investors, underscoring the international market's recognition of the Company's growth potential and providing ample capital to support its global expansion strategy. In the same year, the Company also established its overseas production base, further enhancing its global production and sales network. This provides a solid foundation for building a global supply chain and leveraging the Company's competitive advantages from the domestic market, marking a critical step forward in the execution of its internationalization strategy.On the brand development front, the Company continues to deepen its commitment to “400-Year Legacy of Oriental Flavor” Through iconic IPs such as Chef of China, it has captured widespread attention across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and beyond, creating a deep resonance between traditional brewing culture and modern consumer experiences. In addition, the Company launched the “Ambassador for Chinese Flavor” Initiative, bringing together collaborators to ignite global enthusiasm for authentic Chinese cuisine.Overall, in 2025, Haitian Flavouring delivered an impressive performance, driven by its steady operations and forward-looking strategy. Building on a comprehensive product matrix and leveraging digital empowerment, the Company has successfully achieved a strategic transformation through in-depth, full-channel operations. This has enabled it to establish a core competitive edge capable of withstanding market volatility and navigating industry cycles.Looking ahead, the Company will continue to uphold its dedication to craftsmanship and innovation, further consolidate its leading position in the domestic market, and steadily accelerate its global expansion. By doing so, it aims to support the high-quality development of the traditional condiment industry, bring the taste of China to the world, and continue to lead the industry toward a new era of higher quality. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) Reports Approximately 37% Year-on-Year Growth in Industrial Fund Revenue, with Its Dual-Core Businesses Opening Up New Space for Earnings Realization

HONG KONG, Mar 29, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - The 2025 annual report of Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) sends a clear signal: the company is entering what it describes as its “best period in history.” The key to this assessment lies not merely in the growth of a single business segment, but in the fact that, after eight years of continuous transformation, Shoucheng Holdings has established a dual-engine core business model of “industrial funds + asset management” and is now entering a new phase of accelerated earnings realization.In his Chairman’s Statement, Chairman Zhao Tianyang noted that over the past eight years, the company has completed a continuous evolution from the divestment of non-performing assets and the injection of high-quality assets, to asset restructuring, deep industrial cultivation, and finally the realization of returns. Today, the company is steadily entering a stage of medium-to-high-speed growth. This also means that Shoucheng Holdings has moved beyond its earlier restructuring-and-recovery logic and into a new cycle marked by clear core businesses, a mature business model, and accelerating value release.From a business framework perspective, “industrial funds + asset management” has become the company’s most important growth engine. The former is responsible for value discovery, project investment, and securing high-quality assets, while the latter is responsible for operational efficiency enhancement, cash flow accumulation, and asset appreciation. Together, they form a closed-loop model spanning investment, operation, and exit, giving the company stronger earnings stability and greater certainty of future growth.Among these businesses, the industrial fund segment has delivered particularly strong growth. In 2025, revenue related to the company’s industrial fund business reached approximately HKD 402 million, representing a year-on-year increase of about 37%. This shows that the segment has moved beyond a single management-fee model and entered a new phase driven by a dual engine of “management fees + investment returns.” At the same time, the company is advancing the launch of two core funds: a strategic emerging and future industries fund, and a special fund for asset restructuring, with its fund matrix continuing to expand.The asset management business has further strengthened the company’s earnings foundation. In 2025, Shoucheng Holdings assisted in the issuance of seven publicly offered REITs and served more than 20 projects, corresponding to a total issuance scale of over RMB 100 billion. The company also continued to expand its presence in technology parks, consumer infrastructure, data centers, and clean energy. In its static transportation business, the company has promoted an upgrade from a single parking-fee model to diversified commercial revenue generation. Innovative business revenue accounted for 20% of the segment, while revenue yield per parking space increased by 17%, demonstrating the company’s ability to achieve both stable cash flow and asset appreciation.Overall, what is most noteworthy about Shoucheng Holdings at present is not just its earnings growth itself, but the fact that its dual-core businesses of “industrial funds + asset management” have formed a complete closed loop, and the company is now moving from “completing transformation” to “realizing value.” The phrase “best period in history” is the most fitting testament to this pivotal leap forward. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

From Parking Fees to ‘Mother Port’ Services for Autonomous Vehicles, Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) Is Rewriting the Business Model of Parking Lots

HONG KONG, Mar 29, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) is redefining the commercial value of parking lots. According to information released in the company’s 2025 annual report, parking lots are no longer merely static spaces that rely on parking fees for profit. Instead, they are being upgraded into intelligent digital infrastructure nodes serving Robotaxis, Robovans, and even eVTOL aircraft. Shoucheng uses the term “mother port” to describe this transformation, meaning that parking lots in the future will do far more than provide parking spaces. They will also support charging, berthing, maintenance, dispatching, automatic docking, and other back-end support services, becoming critical hubs in autonomous mobility systems.This shift is, in essence, a rewriting of the business model. Traditional parking lots mainly depend on time-based parking fees. Under Shoucheng’s E Park model, however, revenue streams are expanding to include dispatch service fees for autonomous vehicles, charging, battery swapping, and hosting fees for robots, maintenance and OTA service fees, commercial display and advertising revenue, and intelligent business integration income. Accordingly, the core assets of a parking lot are no longer limited to the number of parking spaces, but now also include site resources, intelligent platforms, charging and battery-swapping facilities, dispatching capabilities, and ecosystem support capabilities for autonomous operations.Behind this transformation lies a change in the commercialization logic of the autonomous driving industry. In the past, the sector focused more on whether vehicles could operate on the road. Today, the key factors determining operating efficiency are increasingly concentrated in back-end functions such as charging, berthing, maintenance, and dispatching. Where vehicles go to recharge after completing orders, where they park during off-peak hours, how faults are handled, and how cross-regional fleets are deployed efficiently now determine not only whether a single vehicle can be put on the road, but also whether an entire fleet can sustain operations and scale up. For this reason, parking lots are no longer the end point of the mobility chain; they are becoming the starting point of the next round of operations.Shoucheng’s unique advantage lies in its strong ability to integrate site resources and drive industrial synergies. Through models such as PPP and BOT, the company has long acquired operating rights and concession rights, with business coverage spanning airports, healthcare, public services, and other diversified scenarios, giving it the foundation to build a city-level node network. At the same time, Shoucheng also has a dual-engine capability combining industrial funds and asset operations. On one end, it is strategically positioned in embodied intelligence and robotics; on the other, it upgrades static transportation sites, enabling parking lots to more smoothly accommodate the emerging needs of the autonomous driving and robotics industries.In terms of implementation, this model has already begun to prove itself. Shoucheng has advanced robotics applications in relevant scenarios at Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport, and together with Wisson Robotics, it has built a demonstration project featuring robots and automatic charging at the Chengdu ICD project, promoting the extension of underground parking lots from single-purpose parking spaces to intelligent operational scenarios featuring integrated parking and charging. This shows that the “mother port” model is not just a concept, but is gradually moving toward practical application.It is foreseeable that in the future, the key to competition among parking lots will no longer be simply the number of parking spaces or parking turnover rates, but rather who can connect dispersed nodes into a citywide service network covering charging, berthing, operations and maintenance, and dispatching needs. What Shoucheng Holdings is betting on is no longer just parking fee income, but a more imaginative entry point into downstream service infrastructure in the era of autonomous mobility. For Shoucheng, parking is not the destination; “mother port services” are the real starting point of its new business model. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Shoucheng Holdings (697.HK) Sees an Inflection Point Approaching for REITs and Plans to Substantially Scale Up Investment in 2026

HONG KONG, Mar 29, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Shoucheng Holdings (697.HK) is accelerating the build-out of its end-to-end REITs platform. In 2025, the company recorded investment income of HKD 222 million in this segment, along with dividend income of HKD 54.075 million, for a combined total of approximately HKD 276 million, representing about 19.2% of total revenue. This business has gradually become an important source of profit.At the same time, the company partnered with China Life to establish a REITs stabilization fund with a total size of RMB 10 billion, further extending its reach into capital allocation and strengthening its closed-loop capabilities across investment, management, operation, and exit. As the business continues to deepen, Shoucheng Holdings is simultaneously advancing allocations to existing REITs and building reserves of incremental infrastructure assets, thereby continuously enhancing its capabilities in asset sourcing, operational synergies, and capital operations.In his Chairman’s Statement, Chairman Zhao Tianyang assessed that the infrastructure asset market is now approaching an “inflection point.” Following the earlier price correction, the company will comprehensively scale up investment in 2026, continue to actively position itself around high-quality infrastructure assets and REITs opportunities, and seize the next market window. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Behind the Fourfold Growth of the Beijing Robotics Fund in Four Years: Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) Locks In Its Position at the Infrastructure Gateway for Robotics Commercialization

HONG KONG, Mar 29, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Against the backdrop of continued momentum in humanoid robots and embodied intelligence, Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) is rapidly gaining market attention for its expanding presence in the robotics sector. According to the latest 2025 Chairman’s Statement, the Beijing Robotics Industry Development Investment Fund, which the company co-manages, has achieved approximately fourfold growth in portfolio valuation over the past four years, demonstrating strong capabilities in deal sourcing and value realization. At the same time, Shoucheng Holdings has invested in more than 20 leading companies in embodied intelligence and robotics, covering multiple areas including humanoid robots, quadruped robots, medical robotics, and the low-altitude economy, gradually building a relatively comprehensive industry footprint.Based on disclosed projects, the company’s investment portfolio already includes a number of representative enterprises such as Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Xinghaitu, TowardPi Medical, Volant, and DEEP Robotics. Management has also previously disclosed that the funds under the company’s management have cumulatively invested more than RMB 2 billion in the robotics industry, completing over 40 transactions. As the valuations of leading projects continue to rise and exit timelines gradually progress, Shoucheng Holdings is expected to unlock profits in the future through fund distributions, management fees, and carried interest.Taking Unitree Robotics, which has submitted a listing application, as an example, based on minimum post-offering dilution calculations, the value of the relevant equity stake held by the Beijing Robotics Fund has increased from approximately RMB 520 million to approximately RMB 1.55 billion, generating about RMB 1 billion in book value appreciation. This also reflects, from another angle, the return potential accumulated by Shoucheng Holdings through its forward-looking positioning in the robotics sector.In addition to investment returns, another differentiated advantage of Shoucheng Holdings lies in its ability to combine industrial investment with asset operation capabilities. Leveraging managed scenarios such as parking facilities, industrial parks, and airports, the company can provide portfolio robotics companies with support in product display, testing, energy replenishment, operations and maintenance, and commercialization deployment, gradually forming a closed-loop model of “investment + scenarios + operations.” This not only helps improve the deployment efficiency of portfolio companies, but also has the potential to enhance the utilization efficiency and commercial conversion capability of the company’s assets.In terms of shareholder returns, the company proposed a total dividend of HKD 780 million for 2025, corresponding to a dividend yield of approximately 5.6%. While continuing to increase its investment in robotics and embodied intelligence, Shoucheng Holdings has also demonstrated an operating profile that balances growth potential with shareholder returns. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Iran Reacts to Reports of U.S. Considering Ground Operations: ‘We Will Never Accept Humiliation’

(SeaPRwire) -   Iran has issued a strong response on Sunday to reports suggesting the U.S. may be preparing ground forces for its objectives, which include dismantling Iran's nuclear weapons program and controlling the Strait of Hormuz."As long as the Americans seek Iran's surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation," stated Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, on Sunday.He added that Iranian forces "are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever.""Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased."The speaker's remarks followed a report from The Washington Post, which indicated that the Trump administration and the Department of Defense were developing options for President Trump to deploy ground forces. These potential operations could aim to secure remaining elements of Iran's nuclear program or counter further Iranian aggression impacting oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.Citing anonymous sources, The Post reported on Saturday that the Pentagon is preparing potential U.S. ground operations in Iran, which could extend for several weeks if approved by President Trump. The reported plans involve limited raids by Special Operations and conventional forces, rather than a full-scale invasion, with potential targets including Kharg Island and coastal weapons sites near the Strait of Hormuz."It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander in chief maximum optionality," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Post in a statement, echoing earlier comments. "It does not mean the president has made a decision."The Pentagon was contacted for comment on Sunday morning.Reuters separately reported that the administration has considered deploying thousands of additional troops to the region and that President Trump has contemplated using ground forces to seize Kharg Island. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that the United States is not currently positioned for ground operations, which would offer President Trump "maximum" flexibility, but suggested that objectives could be met without them.The possibility of U.S. troops entering Iran is considered politically contentious and militarily risky, with analysts warning that even a limited territorial seizure could lead to sustained counterattacks against American forces and hinder efforts to conclude a conflict swiftly.The United States has deployed thousands of Marines to the Middle East, with the first of two contingents arriving on Friday aboard an amphibious assault ship, according to the U.S. military.Last week, the United States announced it had presented Iran with a 15-point ceasefire proposal, including a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and limit Iran's nuclear program. However, Tehran has rejected this proposal and put forward its own terms.With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, concerns have also arisen regarding shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, particularly after the involvement of Yemen's Houthis.President Trump has threatened to target Iranian power stations and other energy infrastructure if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, although he has extended the deadline by 10 days.Threats from Iran against ships have deterred most oil tankers from attempting to transit the waterway. Iran has agreed to allow an additional 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass through the strait, with two ships permitted to transit daily. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

North Korea conducts solid-fuel missile engine test amid Kim’s increased threat to US mainland

(SeaPRwire) -   North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the testing of a new high-thrust, solid-fuel rocket engine, state media reported, as the country develops weapons designed to reach the U.S. mainland.According to a Sunday report from KCNA, the test featured an engine constructed from carbon-fiber composites and was identified as a component of a new five-year defense strategy aimed at enhancing the nation's "strategic strike" potential.Kim stated the test held "great significance in elevating the country's strategic military strength to the highest level," KCNA said.The engine was said to generate 2,500 kilonewtons of thrust, an increase over a comparable engine tested the previous year. Analysts indicate that engines of this type could enable the development of more mobile or smaller long-range missiles.A South Korean expert, Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, suggested North Korea's account of the test might be exaggerated, as it omitted critical data such as the engine's total burn duration.The importance of solid-fuel systems lies in their ability to be launched faster and with less advance notice than liquid-fuel missiles, which complicates detection and could enhance their survivability in a conflict.Significant technical challenges remain for Pyongyang before it can deploy a fully operational intercontinental ballistic missile, particularly the challenge of ensuring a warhead can withstand reentry into the atmosphere.KCNA also reported that Kim's recent military engagements included observing special operations exercises and evaluating a new main battle tank, highlighting a comprehensive effort to modernize both the missile arsenal and conventional military units.Kim asserted that the tank's defensive system could neutralize almost all current anti-tank weapons, although Reuters noted these claims could not be verified independently.These advancements are consistent with a broader trend of intensified military actions by Pyongyang. Following the breakdown of Kim's diplomatic talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has ramped up its nuclear and missile programs despite international sanctions, while maintaining that talks are possible if Washington abandons its precondition of denuclearization.During an uncommon party congress in February, Kim introduced a new five-year plan that confirmed the ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons and demanded a wide-ranging enhancement of the military's capabilities.Analysts and governments in the region have also identified new tank and combined-arms exercises as elements of Pyongyang's strategy to update its military doctrine for contemporary warfare, incorporating insights from recent conflicts and stressing coordination between ground and missile units.South Korea and the United States have stated they are vigilantly tracking North Korea's weapons development.The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

North Korean laborers endure brutal Russian forced labor: ‘Working like a cow, earning nothing’

(SeaPRwire) -    "Wake up before 6 a.m. to the Russian winter. Walk to the construction site as a group. Work from 7 a.m. until 10, 11 p.m., sometimes even midnight. Without breaks. There is no set end time. You finish when the target is met. Rain, snow, it does not matter. We worked with no gloves, no heating, no protective equipment. My hands cracked so badly I could not grip the tools. But you do not stop." This account comes from "RT"—identified only by his initials for safety—a former victim of North Korea's overseas forced labor program, who shared his story with Digital. He was among the estimated 100,000 laborers dispatched abroad through North Korea's government-run work program. "I was told I could earn money," he claimed to Digital. "That was all. Nobody mentioned a quota. Nobody told me that most of what I earn would be taken. I thought if I went to Russia and worked hard, I could save enough to build a better life for my family. When I arrived, I realized none of that was true. The money was not mine. It was never going to be mine." An international human rights group, Global Rights Compliance, has released a new report featuring direct accounts from North Korean workers in Russia. The investigation revealed that Russian firms are hiring North Korean laborers in breach of UN sanctions, frequently concealing their identities to the point that workers remain unaware of their actual employers. UN Security Council mandates oblige member nations to return North Korean workers home, suggesting their ongoing employment in Russia may constitute an international sanctions violation. The results provide some of the most explicit evidence to date of how North Korea reportedly props up its regime despite sanctions—by exporting its people as labor, seizing their earnings, and exerting complete control beyond its territory. Global Rights Compliance North Korea advisor Yeji Kim told Digital, "Every North Korean worker deployed abroad must pay a mandatory monthly sum to the state, known as the gukga gyehoekbun. As one worker told us, it must be paid ‘no matter what, dead or alive.’" According to Kim, an average laborer makes about $800 monthly for as many as 420 hours of work. From this amount, $600 to $850 is withheld for the state quota, plus further deductions for travel costs and shared accommodation. Only about $10 remains. Kim noted that if workers fail to meet the quota, the shortfall rolls over, trapping some in debt for a full year. One laborer described the quota as a "lump on his back" that governed every facet of his overseas existence. "Every month you must pay," RT claimed. "There is no negotiation. If you fall short, the debt carries forward to the next month. We were told, ‘The quota must be met by any means necessary, even if it meant paying out of their own pocket.’ You came to earn and you leave with nothing. And if you fail too many times, they send you home. Home does not mean relief. It means blacklisting, interrogation, and sometimes your family paying the price." Digital contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry and North Korea's UN mission for comment but received no reply before publication. The study detected all 11 International Labour Organization markers of forced labor across accounts from 21 workers in three Russian cities—individuals who were unacquainted. The indicators comprise debt bondage, movement restrictions, wage withholding, extreme overtime, physical abuse, monitoring, fraud, seclusion, exploitation of vulnerability, and harsh conditions. According to the report, North Korean security personnel immediately seize and hold workers' passports upon their arrival in Russia. "My passport was taken the day I arrived," RT said. "I never held it again. I could not leave the worksite freely. The city was right there, beyond the fence, but we were sealed off from it. A few times a year, we were allowed out, but only in groups, heads counted, with a fixed time to return." Multiple cases of physical assault were documented, including one where a laborer was so badly beaten he couldn't work for a fortnight. Onsite monitoring was depicted as relentless, employing collective punishment to compel workers to spy on each other. Laborers reported residing in cramped shipping containers swarming with cockroaches and bedbugs, receiving merely one or two showers yearly and, in some instances, only one day off per year. One worker told investigators they were forced to "lead lives worse than cattle." When asked how central the program is to North Korea's economy, Kim said: "The U.N. Panel of Experts estimates approximately $500 million annually from the labor program alone. For a country under the most comprehensive sanctions regime in U.N. history, that is a critical revenue stream. It sustains the political elite, funds internal patronage networks and underwrites military ambitions, including nuclear development." These revelations emerge as reports indicate North Korea has provided Russia with weapons and military personnel valued at up to $14 billion to bolster its war in Ukraine. The report's writers caution that nations hosting these workers are instrumental in perpetuating the system by permitting its operation on their soil. Those featured in the report represent a small minority who successfully fled the system. RT expressed that he now feels compelled to raise awareness. "We are just like you, but we labor like cattle," he said. We have families. We departed our homeland seeking a better future for our children, only to encounter a system that stripped us of everything." He stated that thousands are still ensnared. "I want people to know that right now, today, there are men on construction sites in Russia working 16 hours a day, sleeping in containers, earning nothing, with no way to call home and no way to leave. Their names are not in any report. Nobody knows they are there. But they are there. And if I could say one thing to them, it would be — the world is starting to listen. Please hold on." This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

China XLX Announces 2025 Annual Results Deepening efforts in reducing costs, enhancing efficiency, strengthening competitiveness through differentiation and driving marketing transformation

EQS via SeaPRwire.com / 29/03/2026 / 16:03 UTC+8 Press Release (For immediate release)   China XLX Announces 2025 Annual Results   Deepening efforts in reducing costs, enhancing efficiency, strengthening competitiveness through differentiation and driving marketing transformation   2025 Annual Results Highlights: Profit attributable to owners of the parent after deducting non-recurring items grew by 1.2% YoY to approximately RMB 932 million. Dividend payment increased by 23.1% YoY to RMB 32 fen per share. The ratio of long-term to short-term borrowings improved from 6:4 at the beginning of the year to 8:2 at the year end with finance cost dropped by 3% YoY. The Group’s liquidity and capital structure was thus further optimized. Development of the Xinxiang New Chemical Materials Project and the Zhundong Production Base progressed smoothly. The Group’s share in domestic fertiliser market is expected to grow by 6 percentage points upon the full operation of five production bases. (29 March 2026, Hong Kong) China XLX Fertiliser Ltd. (“China XLX” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries collectively referred to as the “Group”) (stock code: 01866.HK) announced that the Group’s revenue for the year ended 31 December 2025 grew by 9.6% year-on-year to approximately RMB 25.35 billion. Profit attributable to owners of the parent for the period amounted to approximately RMB 932 million, down by 36.1% year-on-year and up by 1.2% year-on-year if non-recurring items were deducted.   In order to reward shareholders for their long-term support and to send a positive signal to the capital market, the Board of Directors, after comprehensive consideration of the Group’s actual operating performance and future strategic plans, proposed to distribute a final dividend of RMB 32 fen per share, up by 23.1% year-on-year.   During the review period, the supply glut of domestic coal chemical-related market dragged down the selling prices of products and weighed on the industry’s overall operating results. The Group adhered to the core profitability model of “low cost + differentiation” and focused on “project development” and “marketing transformation”. While making continuous efforts in reducing costs and increasing efficiency, it reinforced the competitive edges through differentiation and advanced the strategy of marketing transformation, thereby ensuring the stable operation of overall business.   During the review period, revenue from urea sales reached approximately RMB 6.83 billion, down by 6% year-on-year. Due to the decline in feedstock prices, urea selling price was sluggish in the first quarter and led to a 10% year-on-year decrease in the average selling price for the year. On the other hand, driven by relaxed export controls and the unleashing of demand for winter stockpiling, urea prices rebounded quarter by quarter afterwards. It is noteworthy that the selling price in the fourth quarter climbed by 3% from previous quarter. In order to mitigate the adverse impacts of declining prices, the Group fully capitalized on the opening of export window to expand overseas sales with a primary focus on increasing the proportion of exports to Southeast Asia. As a result, the urea export volume substantially grew, leading to a 3% year-on-year increase in urea sales volume for the year.   Revenue from compound fertiliser sales amounted to approximately RMB 6.92 billion in the year, up by 15% year-on-year. In a market environment characterized by misalignment in price transmission, the Group leveraged its nationwide network of small-scale production bases to accelerate marketing transformation and to strengthen agrochemical services, resulting in a 19% year-on-year increase in the sales volume of compound fertiliser. Nevertheless, owing to the national policies to stabilize selling prices and supply, the transmission of feedstock costs to the product prices was delayed, creating a temporary operational pressure arising from “lower prices amid rising costs”. Besides, farmers delayed fertiliser stockpiling, leading to a 3% year-on-year decrease in the average selling price of compound fertiliser.   Revenue from methanol sales in the year surged by 37% year-on-year to approximately RMB 3.67 billion. As domestic economy steadily picked up and the capacity utilization of chemical sector improved, the downstream demand for methanol gradually recovered. As a result, the sales volume of methanol jumped by 43% from the previous year. On the other hand, methanol imports from the Middle East climbed to a record high due to geopolitical tensions. The average selling price of methanol hence dropped by 4% year-on-year on ample supply in the market.   With the successful commissioning of Jiujiang Phase II Project, the Group possessed more low-cost, high-quality production capacity. It became a benchmark for the Group’s development of large-scale project and capacity optimization plan. Meanwhile, the construction of the new chemical materials project at the Xinxiang Production Base and the Zhundong Production Base progressed as planned. When all of five major production bases come on stream, the Group’s share in domestic fertiliser market is expected to increase by 6 percentage points. Leveraging its large-scale synthetic ammonia production bases, the Group had established multiple small-scale compound fertiliser bases across the country. Benefiting from their proximity to end-user markets, the Group further strengthened the nationwide marketing network.   In order to safeguard the financial security and ensure its stable operation, the Group promoted steady and orderly development of large-scale production bases and projects in accordance with the development strategy for next three years, with investment in new projects and new production bases increasing by approximately 24% year-on-year. At the same time, the Group continued to optimize the debt structure, strengthening its financial stability and ensuring the orderly development of projects through medium- and long-term low-cost financings.   The Group further optimized the borrowing structure through the expansion of medium- and long-term financings. As a result, the ratio of long-term to short-term borrowings improved from 6:4 at the beginning of the year to 8:2 at the year end, thus further enhancing its liquidity and capital structure. During the period, the Group completed the replacement of high-interest loans worth approximately RMB 9.24 billion, including all prior high-interest financial lease loans. The borrowing interest rate thus reduced by 0.5 percentage point. While the Group continued to proceed with its development strategy and to increase the cash resources, its finance costs still dropped by 3% year-on-year.   Looking ahead into 2026, Mr. Liu Xingxu, Chairman of China XLX, said: The general trend of domestic urea market for the year will see “ample supply, stable demand and export controls”. Despite the persistence of supply glut, the arable land area is expected to further expand under the support of national policy to ensure grain production. Therefore, agricultural demand is likely to grow. At the same time, the government is expected to further relax export controls and it cannot be ruled out that the export volume will be increased to optimize the demand and supply condition in the market. The imbalance condition of the urea market will see phasal improvement. All in all, the urea price for this year will remain stable, and the selling price is expected to grow steadily in the first half amid robust agricultural demand for farming peak season.   Regarding project development, the trial run of the synthetic ammonia production facility at the Xinxiang New Chemical Materials Phase I Project (with capacity of 570,000 tons) goes smoothly. Most of its indicators perform well. Through energy-saving renovation of key equipment and optimization of production process, the project's production costs are expected to decrease by approximately 8% when compared with the Group's existing production facilities. Meanwhile, the development of the Zhundong Production Base Phase I is progressing steadily as planned and it is expected to be put into operation by the end of this year. With an access to local feedstocks, this project will enjoy significant benefits from low-cost feedstocks. Upon the commencement of its operation, the Group will reinforce the market leadership in terms of production capacity and energy efficiency, thereby laying a solid foundation for it to implement large-scale expansion and enhance its market competitiveness in the future.   ~ END ~   About China XLX Fertiliser Ltd. China XLX Fertiliser Ltd. is one of the largest and most cost-efficient coal-based urea producers in China. It is principally engaged in developing, manufacturing and selling of urea, compound fertiliser, methanol, dimethyl ether, melamine, furfuryl alcohol, furfural, 2-methylfuran, pharmaceutical intermediates and related differentiated products. The Group adheres to the development strategy of “maintaining overall cost leadership and creating competitive differentiation" while strengthening the core fertiliser operations. With support of the resources in Xinxiang, Xinjiang and Jiangxi, it extends the value chain to upstream new energy and new materials and diversifies into coal chemical related products. The Company’s shares (stock code: 01866.HK) are traded on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.   Investor and Media Enquiries China XLX Fertiliser Ltd. Gui Lin Tel: 86-135-6942-3415 Email: gui.lin@chinaxlx.com.hk PRChina Limited David Shiu / Liky Guo Tel: 852-2522 1368 / 852-2522 1838 Email: dshiu@prchina.com.hk       lguo@prchina.com.hk   29/03/2026 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

Is This Year’s Most Enigmatic Sci-Fi Thriller a Stealth ‘Cloverfield’ Film?

(SeaPRwire) -   It is not unusual for films—particularly genre pieces—to be adapted to fit into an established franchise. Saw 2 was originally a script titled The Desperate. Numerous Die Hard films were simply retooled spec scripts, while others were based on unrelated novels. Even the Dirty Dancing sequel, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, started as a political drama script that had dancing elements inserted later. But no franchise serves as better proof of this than Cloverfield. This sci-fi invasion series began with 2008’s Cloverfield, yet both of its sequels, 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox, were adapted from original scripts to integrate into the “Cloververse.” Now, a new film is fueling speculation that it might also belong to this universe, despite not being marketed as such: The End of Oak Street, the latest movie from It Follows and Under the Silver Lake director David Robert Mitchell. View the movie's chilling trailer below: Little can be definitively gathered from the trailer, but it portrays a serene suburban street where a mother (Anne Hathaway) and father (Ewan McGregor) raise their two children, only for their lives to be disrupted when the entire street appears to be transported back to the prehistoric era, leaving dinosaurs wandering the roads. It looks like the ideal original sci-fi film, tinged with the surrealism Mitchell exhibited in Under the Silver Lake. So, where is the proof that it is secretly a Cloverfield movie? The most obvious clue lies in the title. While it is currently being marketed as The End of Oak Street, it originally bore a different title: Flowervale Street. Why the alteration? Perhaps “Flowervale” was revealing too much. A clover is a flower, and “vale” means valley, which sounds suspiciously like “field.” Furthermore, consider the production credits. J.J. Abrams, the architect of the Cloverfield franchise, is credited as a producer on this film, and his name appears first in the teaser trailer. Why would J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot Productions attach themselves to an artsy, high-concept sci-fi thriller unless there was a hidden connection? If that wasn't convincing enough, there is even a canonical hint that a narrative like this exists within the Cloververse. The Cloverfield Paradox centered on a scientific experiment that caused bizarre anomalies across space and time—the perfect setup for a town to be sent back to prehistoric time. Keeping a major franchise link out of the marketing seems like a significant missed opportunity, but the shock value upon release could make it worthwhile. In fact, something similar has occurred before, or at least, almost occurred. In 2020, 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg disclosed on social media that his hit film Prey was initially intended to be marketed as a standalone feature, with its status as a Predator prequel meant to be revealed in theaters. Perhaps that stunt, which was ruined by Prey’s Hulu release, could be employed by the Cloverfield franchise. If this theory holds water, it may have just spoiled the surprise. However, there is no way to know for sure until the release. The End of Oak Street hits theaters on August 14. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

Zelenskyy Offers Advanced Drone Defense Systems to Gulf Allies As Ukraine Pursues Missile Support

(SeaPRwire) -   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leveraging battlefield innovations as bargaining chips, providing Ukraine’s anti-drone systems to Middle Eastern allies while seeking more air defense support as the war with Russia enters its fourth year.Zelenskyy met with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Friday, where they discussed an agreement under which Ukraine would supply its cutting-edge counter-drone technology in exchange for ballistic missile support and financial aid.Following the meeting, Zelenskyy detailed in a wide-ranging interview how Ukraine’s battlefield innovations—specifically its anti-Russian drone systems—are shaping defense partnerships worldwide."We have, for example, drone interceptors. We have [a] system of electronic warfare and a lot of things. All these jointly work in one system. This is what we have [that] nobody has," Zelenskyy told correspondent Matt Finn in Abu Dhabi.Ukraine is currently sharing elements of that system with at least four Persian Gulf nations—the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia—as they face growing threats from Iran’s drone capabilities.But Zelenskyy stressed the partnership must be reciprocal. Ukraine continues to grapple with a "big deficit" of critical air defense weapons, particularly PAC-3 Patriot missiles used to intercept ballistic threats."We are ready to help Middle East countries with our expertise and with our knowledge, and we hope … that they can help with anti-ballistic missiles," Zelenskyy said.Ukraine has already signed 10-year defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with a similar deal with the UAE expected soon, according to the AP.Zelenskyy also warned that the U.S. military’s increasing focus on the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran and the ongoing "Operation Epic Fury" could slow weapons deliveries to Ukraine.He claimed Russia is already strengthening Iran’s military by sharing drone technology—including Shahed "kamikaze" drones—and battlefield tactics developed during the war."Russia will share all they know about this war. … They’re already sharing with Iranians," Zelenskyy said. While he stopped short of confirming missile transfers, Zelenskyy suggested Moscow has a strategic interest in prolonging Middle East instability to divert U.S. attention from Ukraine."This is what they do," Zelenskyy said.On the battlefield, Zelenskyy repeated that Ukraine will not cede territory in the contested Donbas region, arguing it would weaken defenses, harm troop morale and displace tens of thousands of civilians."I think their morale will decrease," Zelenskyy said.He also urged the Trump administration not to lose sight of Ukraine while addressing Middle East tensions.More than 270 Russian drones struck Ukraine overnight Friday, killing at least five people, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, according to the AP."I hope that President Trump … will find a way to end this war with pressure on the Iranian regime, and I hope that also they will not forget about … the war of Russia against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

Forgotten 1941 Sci-Fi Film Introduced a Horror Star

Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock(SeaPRwire) -   Despite being one of the more obscure films from Universal's horror era, the 1941 feature Man-Made Monster had a surprisingly significant influence. A copyright lawsuit over its new title upon re-release 15 years later played a key role in the creation of American International Pictures. The film also launched its star into the ranks of the genre's legends.By the time Lon Chaney Jr. was cast as Dan McCormick, a carnival performer with a bizarre immunity to electricity who is the only survivor of a fatal bus crash into a pylon, he had already accumulated numerous film credits. As the movie marks its 85th anniversary, this sci-fi thriller represented his first foray into horror. Incredibly, before the next year was over, he became the first actor to portray all four of the studio's primary monsters: Frankenstein's monster, The Mummy, Dracula, and the Wolf Man.Chaney Jr. naturally had a horror pedigree. His father, after whom he was named and celebrated as The Man of a Thousand Faces for his innovative makeup work, had dominated the market for silent film monsters, famously scaring audiences in The Phantom of The Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. His son, however, was initially reluctant to pursue the same path.Indeed, Chaney Jr. worked in a plumbing firm early in his life until his father's premature death in 1930 inspired a shift in profession. He also first acted under his birth name, Creighton Chaney, before Universal pressured him to leverage his family legacy and take on his now-famous, nepotism-tinged stage name.The actor, who was once hesitant about horror, owes his major opportunity to two other icons of the genre. Boris Karloff was originally set to play McCormick four years prior, with Bela Lugosi also cast as the mad scientist Dr. Paul Rigas. However, the project was abandoned for being too much like another of their collaborations, The Invisible Ray, until new studio executives later chose to revive it.Lon Chaney Jr. maintaining the family tradition. | Universal/Kobal/ShutterstockProduced on a shoestring budget of $86,000 in only three weeks, the final version of Man-Made Monster that reached cinemas was not anticipated to be revolutionary. Nonetheless, studio executives were highly impressed by Chaney Jr.'s nuanced performance as a zombified assassin and offered him an exclusive contract.Chaney's formidable presence naturally dominates every scene. While an Oscar was never in the cards, he injects his doomed character with genuine heart and pathos. McCormick has no desire to be a killer. But under the command of the villainous Rigas and the massive electrical charges forced into his body, he is left with no alternative, unleashing a reign of terror that culminates in the demise of both the creature and his creator.The film, which has also been released as Electric Man, The Mysterious Dr. R., and The Atomic Monster, is not solely carried by its star. Lionel Atwill delivers a perfectly measured performance of megalomania as Rigas, the scientist determined to conquer the world using electricity. When his shocked colleague Lawrence (Samuel S. Hinds) calls him mad, he proudly agrees, “I am. So was Archimedes, Galileo. Newton, Pasteur, Lister, and all the others who dared to dream!”The script, penned by director George Waggner—who, having honed his craft on westerns, was also new to horror—is filled with sharp dialogue. “I'll bet he spent his childhood stickin' pins into butterflies,” reporter Mark (Frank Albertson) observes, not inaccurately, about Rigas. There are also more philosophical moments, like when Lawrence questions his unhinged associate, “With all the constructive things to be done, why do you concentrate on destruction?”McCormick at the mercy of a mad scientist. | Universal/Kobal/ShutterstockEven with its constrained finances, the special effects were notable for the period, especially the eerie glow emitted by McCormick as he goes on a rampage after surviving the electric chair. The film also features Corky, the endearing dog whose steadfast devotion to his owner provides a surprisingly poignant ending.Man-Made Monster falls short of being a classic. For instance, a substantial portion of its brief, hour-long duration is set in a courtroom. Additionally, the romantic subplot between Mark and Lawrence’s daughter June (Anne Nagel) is so underdeveloped it hardly makes an impact, implying that many of their scenes were cut.Still, it stands as one of the more enjoyable and semi-original films Universal produced between its major blockbusters. Had it not been made, the landscape of mid-20th century horror might have lacked one of its most dynamic personalities.Man-Made Monster is streaming on Tubi. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

Mayor Announces Body Discovered in Ongoing Search for Missing American Airlines Flight Attendant in Colombia

(SeaPRwire) -   A Colombian mayor has announced the discovery of a body, believed to be that of a missing American citizen.The missing individual has been identified as Eric Fernando Gutierrez Molina, a 32-year-old American Airlines flight attendant from Texas, who disappeared while in Colombia."Since last Sunday, we have been searching for Eric Gutiérrez, a U.S. citizen who is missing," stated Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez in a post on X on Friday, as translated from Spanish."Regrettably, a lifeless body has just been found between the municipalities of Jericó and Puente Iglesias," he added."There is a very strong likelihood that it is this individual," the mayor elaborated."We are devastated by the tragic loss of our colleague," American Airlines stated in a message shared with Digital on Saturday."Our sympathies and support go out to his family, friends, and colleagues during this challenging period, and we are providing all possible assistance to Colombian law enforcement in their investigation," the airline further commented.Alexandra Koch of Digital contributed to this report This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.