Category: Flash News

On April 15th, according to the Houthi armed group in Yemen, on the evening of the 14th local time, the US military launched 15 airstrikes on multiple areas in Marib Province, Yemen. Earlier, the Houthis claimed that the US military launched a series of airstrikes on Kamaran Island in Hodeidah Province, Yemen. At present, the US military has not responded to the above attacks.

On April 15th, the police in Minnetoka, Minnesota, USA, announced that there were reports of an intruder entering the United Health Group campus that morning, and the suspect has been arrested by the police. At present, there is no threat to the public. The police stated that they are closely monitoring the development of the situation.

On April 15th, Harvard University stated that it will not accept the demands made by the Trump administration and vowed not to “negotiate on its own independence or constitutional rights”. Two weeks ago, the US government threatened to suspend $9 billion in funding for the university. The school’s lawyer wrote in a letter to the US Department of Education and other federal agencies on Monday that “neither Harvard nor any other private university will allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.” The Trump administration had previously stated that if Harvard did not make changes to its governance structure, end diversity, fairness, and inclusivity (DEI) programs, and so on, funding would be revoked.

On April 15th, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States finally welcomed a day of litigation against Meta Platforms Inc., accusing the company of illegally monopolizing the social media market after acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp more than a decade ago, and therefore must be split. This case, which has been brewing for many years, will be heard in Washington on Monday under the supervision of Chief Justice James Boasberg. In the opening statement, FTC lawyers cited the long-standing tradition of advocating for the maintenance of competitive markets in the United States, and its lead trial lawyer Daniel Matheson accused Meta of violating this principle. If the FTC wins the lawsuit and Instagram and WhatsApp are forcibly spun off, the integration of these two apps over the years will be in vain, and the world’s two most popular digital consumer products will be impacted, potentially wiping out Meta’s market value of billions of dollars. This will also raise serious questions from the outside world about how the government evaluates and approves corporate mergers and acquisitions. The trial of this case is expected to take about two months, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former executive Sheryl Sandberg will testify in court as early as this week. On the first day of the trial, Meta argued that it is facing fierce competition from multiple service providers, especially in the current era where social media is increasingly focused on entertainment rather than just interacting with friends and family. In addition, the company has brought significant benefits to users.

On April 15th, CBS and YouTubing recently conducted a joint public opinion survey. The survey results show from multiple perspectives that the American people are increasingly dissatisfied with the policy of imposing tariffs, and at the same time, they are becoming less optimistic about the economic situation in the United States. The results show that 75% of respondents expect that the US government’s policy of imposing tariffs will cause prices to rise in the short term. In the long run, 48% of respondents believe that imposing tariffs will lead to price increases in the United States. The survey also shows that 65% of respondents expect the US economy to deteriorate in the short term due to the imposition of tariffs. In addition, the poll also reflects that the confidence of the American people in the US economy is declining.

On April 14th, it was reported that South Korea has officially joined the highly competitive humanoid robot research and development track of global technology giants. According to the Central Daily News on the 10th, the South Korean Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources held the launch ceremony of the “K-Humanoid Robot Alliance” on the 10th, which is jointly participated by the South Korean government, academia and robot manufacturing enterprises. About 350 people, including South Korean Minister of Industry, Trade and Resources Ahn Deok geun and President of Seoul National University Yoo Hong lin, attended the event on that day. The alliance has gathered more than 40 industry university research institutions to participate, including artificial intelligence (AI) development teams from Seoul National University, Korea Academy of Science and Technology, Pohang University of Technology, robot manufacturing companies such as Rainbow Robotics and A Robot, as well as large enterprises such as Doosan Robotics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Robotics. According to a report by the Korean Economic Journal on the 10th, this move aims to cultivate an ecosystem focused on the research and production of humanoid robots, and seize the upcoming market of “one humanoid robot at a time”. (Global Times)

On April 14th, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) research group visited Zhejiang from April 11th to 13th to conduct research and hold a symposium on “promoting artificial intelligence to better serve the ‘four orientations'”. Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Zhu Yongxin, led the team. The research team went deep into Yushu Technology, Youke Interactive, Qunhe Technology, Yunshen Technology, and QiangBrain Technology to understand the cutting-edge dynamics and research and development achievements of enterprises in the field of artificial intelligence; Go to the Future Science and Technology City Exhibition Hall of Hangzhou Chengxi Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, Zhejiang University Run Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang Geely Holding, Sihuang Technology, Ant Technology Group, and investigate the application of artificial intelligence scenarios, the creation of innovative source areas, and the construction of smart factories.

① At 10:00, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the import and export situation in the first quarter. At 20:30, Canada’s wholesale sales monthly rate in February. At 23:00, the United States’ New York Fed’s one-year inflation forecast for March. The time is yet to be determined. OPEC releases its monthly crude oil market report. The next day, at 00:00, the Federal Reserve’s Barkin delivers a speech on crossing the economic fog. The next day, at 06:00, the Federal Reserve’s Hak delivers a speech on the role played by the Federal Reserve

On April 14th, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States held its latest media conference on April 13th local time regarding the 10th Hudson River helicopter crash in New York City, reporting on the progress of the investigation. The NTSB stated that they have obtained a video of the helicopter crash, which shows that the helicopter was intact before crashing and subsequently crashed at high speed. In addition, the pilot reported a go around before the crash, and ground personnel attempted to contact the pilot three times before the crash, but received no response and the pilot did not send a distress signal. The NTSB stated that investigators will stay at the crash site for at least a week, and the agency will release a preliminary investigation report within the next 30 days and a complete investigation report within 12 to 24 months.

On April 14th, the A-share market has recently experienced a wave of buybacks. Last week (April 6th to April 12th), a total of 134 A-share listed companies implemented repurchases, with a total repurchase amount of 4.973 billion yuan. In the same period of 2024, 72 A-share listed companies implemented buybacks, with a total amount of only 955 million yuan. The number of A-share listed companies that implemented repurchases last week was 1.86 times that of the same period last year, and the total repurchase amount was 5.21 times that of the same period last year.