(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. 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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. 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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.
Houthis, backed by Iran, open third front against Israel as Tehran seeks leverage ahead of talks
(SeaPRwire) - The Houthi movement, backed by the Iranian regime, launched two missiles at Israel on Saturday, opening a third front for the country as it continues its conflict with the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in Lebanon.The Houthis claimed to have targeted "sensitive Israeli military sites" using a "barrage of ballistic missiles." According to YNET, the IDF reported that it intercepted both a ballistic and a cruise missile fired by the group on Saturday morning.Nadwa Al-Dawsari, a Yemen expert and associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Digital that the conflict is now essentially about the Iranian regime's survival. She noted that Houthi involvement, along with other members of the Axis, is managed by the IRGC-led Axis of Resistance Operations Room. Having already demonstrated their resilience against heavy U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, both Iran and the Houthis define "winning" as survival rather than a definitive military victory.She further explained that the strategy aims to draw out the conflict and increase the associated costs. The Houthis are well-positioned for this due to their ability to open new pressure points and interfere with vital shipping lanes. If the escalation persists, they are likely to resume attacks in the Red Sea and may expand their pressure toward the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).Saudi Arabia and the Houthis were previously at war until the Biden administration reportedly pressured the Saudi government to halt its military operations. While Biden had removed the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations, the Trump administration quickly reinstated the designation during the early days of his second term.Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, told Digital that the Houthis appear to be acting under significant pressure from Tehran. He suggested the attack was more symbolic than strategic, serving as part of Iran's effort to strengthen its negotiating position with the U.S. by showing it has influence beyond the Strait of Hormuz.He added that while the Houthis do not control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, they can still interfere with Red Sea shipping. At the same time, they seem to view Iran as a failing power and are hesitant to commit too heavily to it.The Houthis maintain a fanatically anti-American and anti-Israel ideology. The official slogan of the movement (Ansar Allah) is: "Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam."The group currently controls most of northwestern Yemen, having ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa, in 2015.The Houthis joined the war alongside Hamas in mid-October 2023, following the terrorist group's invasion of Israel that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans. In 2024, a Houthi drone strike killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.International relations expert Michael Szanto told Digital that Iran has been severely impacted by the U.S. and Israel, and that American forces will likely sever all supply routes between Iran and Yemen. This would leave Yemen without the necessary logistics for a sustained offensive against Israel, though they likely still possess significant stockpiles of drones and missiles.He added that the Houthis are making a major strategic error by provoking Israel again, as Israel will seek to eliminate the threat in Yemen. He characterized the Houthis as a menace to the Saudis, the Emiratis, the U.S., and the international community.Saturday's strike took place just hours before a spokesperson for the group warned that their "fingers were on the trigger." 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.
Ugandan military chief pledges to support Israel against Iran in viral social media blitz
(SeaPRwire) - Uganda's top military commander has indicated that the nation's armed forces might join the conflict with Iran in support of Israel, following a series of social media statements that gained widespread attention this week.General Muhoozi Kainerugaba—the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and widely regarded as his probable successor—has spent this week posting extensively on X in defense of Israel."We support Israel because of our Christian faith," he wrote, while adding in a separate post, "Uganda represents the David that the world overlooked and ignored. We shall overcome the giant, Goliath."Kainerugaba launched his social media campaign with the statement: "We desire an immediate end to the Middle East conflict. The world has grown weary of it. However, any discussion of annihilating or overcoming Israel will draw us into the battle—on Israel's side!"The Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) comprises 45,000 active-duty soldiers and approximately 35,000 reservists, according to the defense ministry. The country is believed to possess roughly 240 tanks and more than 1,000 armored combat vehicles.The country also maintains substantial military engagements in war-torn nations. Its troops serve with an African Union contingent combating the Islamist al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Ugandan forces remain deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to fight the Islamic State-affiliated ADF terrorist organization.Although Iran is not believed to have direct interests in Uganda, it has faced allegations of clandestine activities in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, such as operating smuggling rings and pursuing contentious diplomatic and economic initiatives with dubious intentions across the region. Despite being landlocked, Uganda reportedly remains concerned about Iran's strategic ambitions to establish influence in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea regional waters.In a separate post, he declared, "Israel supported us when we were insignificant during the 1980s and 1990s. Why would we not protect her now that our GDP has reached $100 billion—among the biggest in Africa?"Israel has previously provided training to Ugandan forces, including the general. Uganda is known to uphold a robust strategic alliance with Israel, featuring tight security and intelligence cooperation.Relations were not always positive. In 1976, under dictator Idi Amin's vehement anti-Israel stance, four terrorists seized Air France Flight 139 en route from Tel Aviv to France, redirecting it to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. On the night of July 3, 1976, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) executed a long-distance rescue operation, initially designated Operation Thunderbolt, to liberate 106 predominantly Israeli captives.The operation was later renamed Operation Yonatan in honor of its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu—older brother of Israel's current prime minister—who was fatally shot by a Ugandan sniper during the assault. The Israeli troops achieved a successful rescue, though four hostages, seven hijackers, and 45 Ugandan troops lost their lives.Kainerugaba has announced plans to install a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu at the precise location in Entebbe Airport where he died, as an additional goodwill gesture toward Israel. This week, Kainerugaba shared an image of the monument on X, calling it "a sneak peek." 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.
Iran’s Military Unveiled: Missiles, Militias, and a Force Engineered for Survival
(SeaPRwire) - Iran’s military isn’t built to secure victory in a traditional war against the U.S. or Israel. Instead, its design focuses on outlasting such a conflict—absorbing harm and keeping up the fight over an extended period, according to experts.This approach is evident both in the structure of Iran’s armed forces and their current performance following weeks of continuous U.S. and Israeli attacks.The campaign has been substantial in scope. Since Operation Epic Fury began, over 9,000 targets have been hit—including missile sites, air defense systems, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command hubs, and weapons manufacturing plants—accompanied by more than 9,000 combat sorties, per a March 23, 2026, fact sheet from U.S. Central Command.U.S. authorities state the goal is straightforward."We are targeting and eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile systems … destroying the Iranian Navy … and ensuring Iran cannot rapidly rebuild," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said during a March Pentagon briefing.However, analysts warn the situation is more nuanced."It’s a mixed bag," Nicholas Carl—who is a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank and assistant director of the Critical Threats Project—told Digital. "On one hand, (Iran’s military) is badly degraded across the board, but the regime still retains a significant amount of capability."Iran’s military system is centered on an intentional two-part structure: the Artesh, its conventional army, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—a separate force established post-1979 revolution to protect the regime.Carl notes that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has molded Iran’s armed forces over decades with a single key goal: maintaining the Islamic Republic and spreading its revolutionary beliefs."You have to distinguish between the IRGC and the regular army," Middle East intelligence expert Danny Citrinowicz told Digital. "The IRGC gets all of the budgets — better salaries, better equipment, better everything."Carl characterizes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "deeply ideological praetorian guard," whereas the Artesh is a more traditional force responsible for guarding Iran’s borders.Yet this division isn’t black and white."The IRGC is probably the more dangerous of the two, but we cannot discount the threat that the regular military poses as well," Carl said.Even after widespread attacks, Iran’s missile program continues to be the foundation of its military strength.The IRGC Aerospace Force has invested years in developing what Carl calls the Middle East’s largest missile stockpile.U.S. officials claim these capabilities have been greatly diminished by recent attacks."Iran’s ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting," Caine said in a Pentagon briefing earlier in March, adding that drone launches have dropped by roughly 73%.Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated during the same briefing that the campaign has drastically curbed Iran’s capacity to keep up its attacks."The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did, not even close," he said.Yet even U.S. officials admit the threat is still present."Iran will still be able to shoot some missiles … and launch one-way attack drones," Hegseth said.Carl noted that the drop in missile and drone fire has leveled off."Iranian missile and drone fire has dropped precipitously … about 90% since the war began… but that number has been consistent for weeks," he said. "That means they still retain enough capability to sustain strikes across the region."Citrinowicz provided a comparable analysis."They suffered blows, but still hold the ability and still have the capacity to launch missiles for weeks to come," he said.U.S. estimates referenced by Carl indicate that around one-third of Iran’s missile capabilities are still operational."The regime still does have a significant capability to threaten targets across the region … especially as it demonstrates the ability to shoot beyond 2,000 kilometers," Carl said.The Pentagon claims it has achieved significant progress against Iran’s naval units.Over 140 Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed, per U.S. Central Command.Caine said U.S. forces have "effectively neutralized" Iran’s major naval presence in the region.However, analysts caution that Iran’s naval threat never relied on large vessels.The IRGC Navy is structured around "area denial capabilities," such as fast attack boats, mines, missiles, and drones intended to swarm enemies and disrupt sea traffic."They still have the capacity — speedboats, drones, surface-to-sea missiles — allowing them to block the Strait of Hormuz," Citrinowicz said.Carl warned against a widespread misunderstanding."It’s not technically accurate to say the Strait of Hormuz is closed … Iran is selectively denying access … firing at some ships while allowing others to pass," he said."Iran has to do very, very little to achieve a meaningful effect."U.S. officials state the campaign has made significant advances in air operations."We will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace," Hegseth said.Caine added that U.S. forces have already established "localized air superiority" and are expanding operations deeper into Iranian territory.But Iran’s air force was never the focal point of its strategy. Decades of sanctions have left it dependent on outdated planes and with limited modernization, rendering it much less capable than its Western or regional rivals."There is definitely a setback … but Iran was never built on an air force," Citrinowicz said.Instead, Iran depends on missiles, drones, and layered defense systems.On the ground, Iran holds a critical edge: its forces have mostly avoided direct confrontation.The Artesh ground forces—comprising dozens of brigades—are mainly stationed to protect Iran’s borders, per Carl’s report."The ground troops are still intact, nobody has invaded Iran," Citrinowicz said.He pointed out that ground forces are more frequently launching drones, indicating a wider change in Iran’s combat tactics.Outside its borders, Iran’s military influence is expanded via a network of proxy forces overseen by the IRGC’s Quds Force.Carl said the Quds Force provides "leadership, materiel, intelligence, training and funds" to allied militias across the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis."The ‘Axis of Resistance’ is the central mechanism by which Iran can further regionalize the conflict … to endanger as many actors’ interests as possible," Carl said.Iran’s military is also organized to address internal threats, underscoring its primary mission: keeping the regime in power.The outcome is a military force constructed around redundancy, asymmetric tactics, and stamina.Even after weeks of continuous attacks, Iran still has sufficient capability to keep launching missiles, disrupting global shipping, and using proxy forces across the region.While it may be weakened, it continues to pose a strategic danger."We cannot discount the threat that the Iranian military poses," Carl said, "it remains a force capable of threatening regional and international security." 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.
From Parking Lots to Robot Hubs: Shoucheng Holdings (0697.HK) Redefines Static Transport Infrastructure Through Asset Management Logic
HONG KONG, Mar 28, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - When a Robotaxi enters a parking structure, what it needs is no longer just a parking space, but a full infrastructure system to support its operations - including energy replenishment, dispatching, maintenance, data connectivity, and a complete fully autonomous end-to-end operational capability. For that reason, the underlying logic of the traditional parking lot is being redefined: it is no longer merely a static space for vehicle storage, but is rapidly evolving into a critical node for the operation of future unmanned systems.In its 2025 Annual Report, Shoucheng Holdings Limited (0697.HK) judged that parking lots will become the largest robot operating bases in the future. Zhao Tianyang, Chairman of the Board of Shoucheng Holdings, further explained the logic behind this view in the annual report: "What we see is not merely today's parking spaces, but the key nodes of future smart digital infrastructure." Based on this understanding, the role of the parking lot is changing - from a traditional supporting space for static transport to an infrastructure platform that supports robot operation, dispatch, and services.To understand this transformation, the key is to grasp the fundamental difference between the traditional parking model and the "E Park" model. Under the traditional model, parking lot revenue mainly comes from parking fees, the core asset is parking space resources, the main customers are vehicle owners, and the operating logic is essentially the management of space and time, with relatively limited growth potential. Under the E Park model, however, the parking lot is no longer a single space-leasing asset, but is upgraded into an integrated service platform for Robotaxis, Robovans, and various types of robots.This change is first reflected in the revenue structure. Revenue sources in the traditional parking business are relatively simple, whereas the E Park model can layer in multiple income streams, including dispatch service fees, charging or battery-swapping and custody fees, O&M and OTA service fees, advertising fees, and smart service integration fees, significantly broadening the boundaries of profitability. At the same time, the core assets of the parking lot are upgraded from mere parking space resources to a composite system of "site resources + energy-replenishment facilities + dispatching capabilities + robot access capabilities." In other words, the future value of a parking lot will no longer depend primarily on how many cars it accommodates, but on how deeply it can serve how many unmanned systems.The customer structure is also changing in parallel. Traditional parking lots primarily serve end-user vehicle owners. Under the E Park model, however, the service base expands to a coexistence of To B, To C, and To Robot - serving autonomous driving operators, end users, and robot devices themselves, thereby forming a new infrastructure ecosystem. At the same time, parking lots designed for unmanned systems can enable 24-hour automatic docking and a fully unmanned closed loop throughout the process through dedicated lanes, space-efficient design, energy-replenishment facilities, and data interfaces, thereby improving space utilization and overall operational efficiency.To turn this judgment into a replicable path in the real world, the key lies in validation and implementation in real scenarios. Shoucheng Holdings has chosen to begin with high-traffic, high-density transport hubs and core urban scenarios, promoting deep integration between robotic capabilities and parking assets. One landmark case is the introduction of the Hobbs W1 intelligent robot from Noetix Robotics at the Terminal 3 parking building of Beijing Capital International Airport, where technology was used to enhance both asset operating efficiency and passenger experience. Another example is Shoucheng Holdings' collaboration with its portfolio company Wisson Robotics to build the country's first automatic charging robot pop-up experience station in the underground parking lot at Chengdu IFS ICD, driving the parking lot's evolution from a single parking space into an intelligent operating scenario integrating parking and charging, and further validating the deep embedding of robotic technology into urban infrastructure.From a broader macro perspective, the reason Shoucheng Holdings has been able to advance this path lies in its ownership of an asset base capable of accommodating new demand. As Robotaxis, Robovans, and embodied intelligent robots accelerate into urban scenarios, cities will require a large number of distributed nodes to undertake energy replenishment, dispatching, and maintenance functions. Compared with building new facilities from scratch, parking lots naturally possess advantages such as wide geographic distribution, well-developed spatial conditions, easy access to power supply, and clearly defined asset characteristics. They have therefore become the most practical and efficient carriers for this new demand.Against this backdrop, Shoucheng Holdings' advantage in network-based deployment is being rapidly converted into real capability. The Company manages more than 100 parking lot projects nationwide, with a total area of several million square meters, covering core economic regions and providing a foundation for standardized retrofitting and large-scale replication. This means that its previously scattered static parking resources are now poised to be restructured into a multi-city, multi-node robot operating infrastructure network. At the same time, improvements at the operational level are also supporting this transition. In 2025, the Company's parking space turnover rate increased by 7.1%, its full-occupancy rate reached 55%, and innovative business revenue accounted for 20% of total revenue, demonstrating that through the application of AI technologies, refined operations, and expanding scenario applications, it is driving parking lots' transformation from traditional legacy assets into platform-based, growth-oriented assets.Accordingly, for Shoucheng Holdings, the proposition that "parking lots will become the largest robot operating bases in the future" is no longer merely a forward-looking judgment. It is a practical path that is being continually validated and is expected to achieve replication at scale. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
CALB (3931.HK) Announces 2025 Results with Record Revenue of RMB 44,400.07 Million, Up 60% YoY
HONG KONG, Mar 28, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - On March 27, CALB Group Co., Ltd. ("CALB" or "the Company," stock code: 3931.HK) announced its audited annual results for the year ended 31 December 2025 (the "Reporting Period"). During the Reporting Period, the Company’s total revenue for the year was RMB 44,400.07 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 60%; profit for the year was RMB 2,095.22 million, a year-on-year surge of over 140%, demonstrating a leap in profitability and continued momentum for high-quality development.In core business sectors, the Company’s market share for both power batteries and energy storage cells climbed significantly. In October 2025, CALB’s power battery installations reached a historic milestone, ranking among the global top three for the first time on a monthly basis. In early 2026, the Company stood out in the battery industry again with a huge growth of 630% YoY in the commercial EV sector.Deepening Global Market Presence with Dual Breakthroughs in Premium Market Positioning and Large-Scale ProductionIn 2025, as the global new energy industry flourished, shipments of power batteries and energy storage cells soared, with overseas markets becoming the core growth engine. Backed by all-scenario product capabilities, CALB accelerated its strategic layout toward both premium positioning and large-scale development.The Company’s market share in the passenger vehicle sector reached a new high. Its 5C super-charged battery, which has reached a monthly delivery sale of 20,000+ sets, exclusively supports popular models such as XPeng’s new P7 long-range version, supporting Xpeng further enhance its market competitiveness with a record-breaking driving mileage of 3,961km within 24h. Furthermore, CALB successfully entered the supply chains of international OEMs such as Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai. Simultaneously, the Company deepened strategic partnerships with HUAWEI and Xiaomi, laying the groundwork for mass-scale delivery in 2026.The commercial vehicle segment also saw explosive growth, with shipments achieving a multiple-fold increase in 2025. With over 468 new vehicle models announced, the Company achieved full-scenario coverage and showed strong momentum as commercial battery shipments surged 630% YoY in early 2026. Overseas, the Company secured major rail transit and bus projects in Europe and won multiple international client awards.In the energy storage market, CALB achieved dual breakthroughs. Internationally, the Company entered the top-tier supplier lists in South Africa, Latin America, the U.S., and Israel. The next-generation “ZHIJIU” 600Ah+ cell secured mass production nominations. Domestically, partnerships with giants like SPIC (State Power Investment Corporation Limited) and CTG (China Three Gorges Corporation) were strengthened, further advancing the all-category energy layout in energy storage.Furthermore, the Company has established a forward-looking presence in emerging new energy sectors such as ship, low-altitude economy, and robotics, which represents a core highlight for the capital markets. In the shipping sector, several benchmark projects have already been implemented with large-scale deliveries, providing solid support for stable earnings growth. In the low-altitude sector, powered by core solid-state battery technologies, the Company has successfully commenced mass production of batteries for flying cars and secured exclusive nominations for major eVTOL models, perfectly aligning with the development trend of a trillion-dollar market. In the robotics sector, the Company has completed its product layout based on breakthroughs in all-solid-state battery technology. With batch deliveries set to begin, the Company is preemptively securing its position in the core energy track for humanoid robots, opening up significant growth opportunities for its future performance.Continuous Technology Leadership and All-Scenario Product Matrix AdvancementIn 2025, CALB achieved key breakthroughs in high-performance batteries, solid-state batteries, and advanced manufacturing. Product series such as “UP,” “ZHIYUAN,” “ZHIJIU,” and “Boundless” continue to define industry trends.Specifically, CALB is leading the way in super-charged and high-power battery technologies. The Company’s 5C super-charged batteries have reached large-scale commercialization, while the 10C super-charged batteries completed design and development in 2025. The 20C high-power batteries developed for HEV/PHEV models have been delivered for mass production to Geely and Dongfeng. For the luxury supercar and racing segments, the Company has completed prototype testing of its 25C high-power batteries, which boast megawatt-level discharge capabilities. Additionally, the advanced R46 cells have reached mass production and are being supplied to top-tier eVTOL customers, securing the No.1 market share in the sector.Technological upgrades were also synchronized across energy storage and commercial battery sectors. The “ZHIYUAN” series achieved 2C super-charged for heavy-duty trucks and a long lifespan of 10 years or 2 million kilometers, while light commercial EV batteries can support an upgraded mileage of over 350 kilometers. The “ZHIJIU” 588Ah/684Ah cells achieve zero degradation for 3 years and 15,000+ cycles, with an energy density of 450Wh/L.Significant breakthroughs were made in next-generation battery technologies, specifically in hybrid solid-liquid and solid-state batteries. The 400Wh/kg hybrid solid-liquid battery took the lead in powering new energy commercial vehicles with batch installations. The 450Wh/kg “Boundless” solid-state battery completed its original system prototype verification with industry-leading performance. Meanwhile, the commercialization process in emerging sectors such as low-altitude economy and robotics is accelerating, which is expected to help the Company further expand its global market share. In addition, the Company will continue to be driven by the dual engines of “technological innovation and management innovation,” forging systematic competitiveness for the future by pursuing excellence in both performance and cost management.“AI + Energy” Strategy: Empowering Industrial UpgradingBuilding on technological breakthroughs and guided by the “AI + Energy” strategy, CALB is driven by technological innovation and guided by the “AI + Energy” strategy, adhering to the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation. Propelled by a future-oriented R&D layout, the Company has established a positive feedback loop of “new technology and product development – multi-market application – scaled delivery – refined operations – technological iteration and upgrade”—fully aligning with the current industrial trend of convergence between AI and new energy.Currently, CALB has established global industrial clusters across China, Europe, and ASEAN, providing a solid foundation for its global business expansion and long-term high-quality development.As the global energy transition accelerates, global demands are poised for sustained and rapid growth, with emerging application scenarios continuously surfacing. It is anticipated that the Company’s market share and profitability will enter a phase of accelerated expansion, further bolstering its global competitiveness and industry influence.About CALBCALB is a new energy enterprise specializing in the research, production, sales, and market application development of lithium batteries, battery management systems, and related integrated products and lithium battery materials. As Battery Expert, we aim to build a comprehensive energy operation system, to provide complete product solutions and full life-cycle management for the new energy application market, represented by power and energy storage.Currently, CALB has completed an all-round layout in domestic by setting up industrial bases in Changzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hefei, Jiangmen and Meishan. Meanwhile, CALB has set up bases in Europe and ASEAN, vigorously expanding the layout all over the world to become a global leading enterprise with large-scale intelligent manufacturing capabilities. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
Ausnutria 2025 Annual Results: Revenue Powered by International Business and Family Nutrition, Lean Management Underpins Operational Resilience
HONG KONG, Mar 28, 2026 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - On 27 March, Ausnutria Dairy Corporation Ltd (Stock Code: 1717.HK, hereinafter referred to as "Ausnutria" or the "Company") officially released its 2025 annual results announcement. According to the announcement, Ausnutria achieved revenue of approximately RMB7.488 billion in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.2%. The Company recorded EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) of approximately RMB518 million. Excluding the impact of one-off non-recurring items, core EBITDA reached approximately RMB616 million, demonstrating the Company's steady progress in navigating industry cycles. In 2025, driven by the dual engines of Family Nutrition and International Business, Ausnutria achieved resilient revenue growth while making significant breakthroughs in product category mix and regional market expansion. Notably, the international business of Kabrita has approached the RMB1 billion mark, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 50% for three consecutive years, as its new global business ecosystem continues to take shape at an accelerated pace.Over the past year, the global economy has been marked by complexity and volatility, with heightened uncertainties arising from geopolitical tensions, inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. Compounded by intensifying competition amid a contracting domestic infant milk formula (IMF) market, the industry has faced multiple severe challenges. Against this backdrop, Ausnutria has maintained its strategic resolve, deepening its core strengths. The Company's international business has continued to unleash its growth momentum, while the Family Nutrition business has flourished across multiple fronts. Market share in core milk powder categories has steadily increased, and the level of refined management has improved significantly. Through these multi-dimensional efforts to enhance operational resilience, Ausnutria has laid a solid foundation for its long-term development.Kabrita International Business Approaches RMB1 Billion Mark with CAGR Exceeding 50% for Three Consecutive YearsIn 2025, Ausnutria further accelerated its internationalization efforts, continuously strengthening its comprehensive capabilities in global supply chain deployment, localised operations and digital collaboration, driving continued explosive growth in its overseas business. During the reporting period, revenue from the international business of Ausnutria's goat milk formula brand Kabrita recorded a year-on-year increase of 50.7% to approximately RMB974 million, making it the first infant goat milk formula brand from a Chinese dairy company to approach RMB1 billion in overseas sales. With a compound annual growth rate exceeding 50% for three consecutive years, the growing contribution of overseas markets has become increasingly prominent.Revenue from the Middle East market recorded a year-on-year increase of 65.5%, accounting for 45.7% of total overseas revenue and maintaining its position as Ausnutria's largest overseas sales market. Growth in this region was primarily driven by strong performance across established markets including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, where the Company strengthened its promotion through medical and healthcare professional channels, continuously enhancing the medical endorsement of its goat milk formula products in these markets. Saudi Arabia delivered a particularly outstanding performance, leveraging deep collaborations with local maternity, infant care and medical institutions to effectively boost consumer acceptance and market penetration. Notably, Kabrita was awarded the "Fastest Growing Brand" accolade by Nahdi, the largest pharmacy retailer in the country. The newly entered Oman market in 2025 also exceeded expectations, injecting fresh momentum into the Company's growth.Revenue from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) market recorded a year-on-year increase of 40.1%, accounting for 23.9% of total overseas revenue. As one of the Company's earliest overseas markets, the CIS market has achieved full product category coverage for Kabrita, encompassing infant formula, cereals, fruit purees, biscuits and more, comprehensively meeting the diverse consumer needs in the region. Through its "360° Omni-channel Marketing" strategy and "DTC Loyalty Program", the Company has engaged target consumers in a distinctive manner, building high value-added brand recognition and continuously consolidating and strengthening its core competitiveness in this market.Revenue from the North American market recorded a year-on-year increase of 39.5%, accounting for 22.2% of total overseas revenue. In 2025, Kabrita successfully entered Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, and has now expanded into 780 stores, progressively developing both online and offline channels to reach a broader consumer base. In the newly entered Canadian market, the Company has been deepening its presence through the core Walmart channel while gradually building momentum on Amazon.In addition, the Company achieved 100% year-on-year growth in the Southeast Asian market by strengthening product differentiation through formula upgrades, with a particular focus on advancing digital community engagement and deepening collaboration with e-commerce channels and local platforms.Family Nutrition Achieves Steady Growth, Building Multi-dimensional Foundations for Future SuccessAs the Company's continuously nurtured "second growth curve" business, Ausnutria's nutrition products business achieved steady growth in 2025, with revenue recording a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. According to the announcement, this revenue growth was primarily attributable to continuous innovation in star probiotic strains and products, precise execution of channel strategies, and the sustained release of brand equity.Research-driven brand development. Ausnutria entered into a six-year strategic partnership with Jiangnan University, establishing the Joint Innovation Centre for Microecology and Functional Dairy as well as the Collaborative Innovation Centre for Probiotics, embarking on a new chapter of full-chain innovation collaboration. In the B2B segment, the Company achieved several key breakthroughs in probiotic strains: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis YLGB-1496 was approved by the National Health Commission (NHC) for inclusion in the list of edible bacterial strains for infants and young children. With this approval, Ausnutria now possesses two nationally approved infant probiotic strains, earning its distinction as the "double champion" in China's infant probiotics field. Additionally, the independently developed Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CP-9 obtained the U.S. FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) certification, marking Ausnutria's achievement of world-leading standards in research innovation and quality control. The continuous breakthroughs in strain technology provide strong and enduring core momentum for brand development. In the B2C segment in 2025, NC Stomach Care Powder and NC Nasal Comfort Probiotics maintained top rankings in category search popularity on Xiaohongshu. As certified by Euromonitor International, NC was awarded the title of "No.1 in National Sales of Australian Brand Nasal Sensitivity Probiotics".Innovation in response to emerging consumer demands. Bio(R) (Baoyichang(R)) Active Lactic Acid Bacteria Powder introduced a mini space capsule design, setting new aesthetic standards for probiotic products. Yili Changshi Probiotics, formulated with the patented BL-99 strain, achieved a top position on e-commerce bestseller lists. Diversified dosage form solutions, including instant-dissolve powder and micro-effervescent tablets, have effectively enhanced the product competitiveness of business partners. Throughout the year, NC launched 17 new products including G13 Growth Capsules and Sleep Well Probiotics, building a precision nutrition matrix covering gastrointestinal health, nasal sensitivity, sleep, growth, eye and brain health, liver and kidney health, and women's health.Channel upgrades fueling business development. The Company continued to deepen its presence in pharmaceutical channels, achieving simultaneous growth in both scale and pace of expansion. Collaboration with leading platforms was further strengthened, driving rapid growth in private domain e-commerce. The application of star probiotic strains was reinforced, enabling continued expansion of brand clientele. The Company also made breakthroughs in overseas market reach by expanding into European and North American markets. NC achieved steady growth on mainstream e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, with the Stomach Care and Nasal Comfort product lines becoming leading brands in the cross-border health supplement category through channels such as Sam's Club and China Duty Free (CDF). The Company partnered with XKA and Fengxiangjia to develop its private domain presence, building an incremental online growth matrix. Offline, the Company consolidated its core client base, expanded into potential customer segments, and achieved initial results from pharmaceutical channel pilot programmes, laying a solid foundation for diversified business development.Domestic Milk Powder Business Steadily Increases Market Share, Solidifying Core FundamentalsChina's infant milk formula (IMF) industry is currently undergoing a period of deep structural adjustment, facing multiple pressures including overall market contraction, intensifying competition, and channel transformation, while birth rate fundamentals and channel structure remain under sustained pressure. During the reporting period, Ausnutria solidified its core fundamentals amid cyclical industry challenges, achieving steady growth in market share for its self-owned milk powder brands and recording overall revenue of approximately RMB5.321 billion.According to NielsenIQ and Syntun data, Kabrita's market share in China's all-channel Goat Milk formula market increased by 2.6 percentage points to 30.2% in 2025. NielsenIQ data further shows that Kabrita has maintained a market share of over 60% in China's imported infant and child goat milk formula market for eight consecutive years (2018–2025). Confirmed by Frost & Sullivan research, Kabrita continues to hold the undisputed position of "No.1 in Global Goat Milk Formula by Both Sales Volume and Sales Value", underscoring its unassailable market leadership.NielsenIQ data also indicates that the Company's cow milk formula business has stabilised its market share, marking the full conclusion of the transitional impact arising from earlier internal integration and channel restructuring. As of the date of this announcement, Ausnutria's Hyproca brand has been awarded dual certifications by iiMedia Research, namely "No.1 in National Sales of Comprehensive Nutrition Infant Formula in 2025" and "Pioneer of Comprehensive Nutrition Infant Formula in China", marking the third consecutive year that Hyproca has topped the comprehensive nutrition formula sales rankings.In 2025, the Company successfully completed the registration of 24 products across 8 series under the New National Standard 2.0 and launched 6 infant formula products across 2 series as well as 25 modulated milk powder products, offering consumers a wider range of functionalised and differentiated product choices. Kabrita was awarded the First Prize for Technological Advancement at the Science and Technology Awards for its research and development project titled "Research and Development of an Infant Formula that Supports Immune Regulation and Alleviates Immune Stress". Meanwhile, Hyproca 1897 was recognized as a "100% Quality Product", with the Company's product strength receiving authoritative endorsement.Lean Management Enhances Quality and Efficiency, Organizational Vitality Continues to FlourishIn 2025, Ausnutria continued to solidify the foundation for long-term development and achieve simultaneous improvements in organizational efficiency and development quality through a series of initiatives, including fully leveraging the momentum of its global supply chain, strengthening internal management effectiveness, establishing the cultural foundation for global collaboration, advancing the construction of its digital intelligence system, and enhancing its sustainable development governance capabilities.Global supply chain momentum unlocks new value growth opportunities. Following Ausnutria's acquisition of Amalthea Group, a Dutch goat cheese company, the Company achieved self-sufficiency in goat whey, a core ingredient for goat milk formula, while also adding cheese to its product portfolio. In 2025, the Company's Goat Cheese business recorded revenue of RMB1.006 billion, further deepening the moat of its internationalization strategy. Concurrently, the Company launched four major goat-based ingredients: goat cheese protein hydrolysate, hydrolyzed goat whey protein powder, goat lactoferrin, and goat colostrum powder. Several of these core goat milk ingredients achieved breakthroughs in commercially viable global applications from scratch, opening up new avenues for value creation for the Company.Internal management effectiveness strengthened to systematically drive sound operations. In 2025, the Company's inventory impairment provisions decreased by 0.9 percentage points year-on-year. Overall asset turnover ratio continued to improve, with inventory turnover days declining by 16 days. The Company continued to advance refined cost management, achieving a notable optimization in its expense ratio, which decreased by 1.4 percentage points year-on-year, with the selling and marketing expense ratio declining by 2.4 percentage points year-on-year.Global systematization of business philosophy to strengthen global strategic synergy. To better align with the pace of business development and reinforce Ausnutria's "one global chessboard" strategic approach, the Company officially released the "Ausnutria Business Philosophy (Overseas Edition)". Co-created through multiple rounds of in-depth discussions among over 60 core managers from Ausnutria's global operations, this business philosophy systematically establishes the core values and management principles for Ausnutria's overseas business. It serves as a tailor-made cultural compass and behavioral benchmark for overseas teams, laying a solid ideological foundation for future business development.Full-chain digital intelligence upgrade, empowering both business and management. The Company has introduced digital intelligence across all stages, from demand research and process design to implementation and execution, enabling traceable decision-making, monitorable processes and quantifiable results. Through the establishment of a data middle platform, intelligent analytical models and other tools, data has become the core enabler for optimising management and supporting business operations, fundamentally safeguarding the sustained and healthy development of the business.Upholding sustainable development principles and actively fulfilling corporate social responsibility. The Company has always adhered to a long-term vision for sustainable development, actively responding to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Centred on three strategic pillars "Better Life, Better Nutrition, Better Environment” the Company has embedded sustainability principles into its operational management framework and across all stages of the value chain. In 2025, Ausnutria organized the "Hyproca Gesang Flower Charity Campaign" for the ninth consecutive year and launched the "Kabrita Care · Worry-free Pregnancy" maternal mental health charity initiative, among other activities. The Company has continued to contribute its corporate strengths in areas such as rural revitalization, education support, national nutrition enhancement and natural disaster relief.In 2025, with the support of consumers, shareholders and all sectors of society worldwide, together with the dedicated efforts of all employees, the Company successfully navigated the multiple challenges arising from economic and industry cyclical adjustments. Looking ahead to 2026, the internal and external environment remains complex and challenging. Ausnutria will continue to put consumers at the center, stay anchored to its operational objectives, accelerate systematic organizational development, drive growth through innovation, enhance efficiency through management excellence, and deliver superior products and performance to reward the trust of all stakeholders, in pursuit of long-term sustainable and high-quality development. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com












