In earthquake-prone Japan, 20 seconds could make a difference in minimising loss of life among train passengers who experience traumatic shaking during a major seismic event. The operator of the Shinkansen line between Osaka and Fukuoka in southern Japan is upgrading its earthquake early warning system to give trains operating at speeds of up to 300km/h (186 miles/h) an additional 20 seconds to sl...
In earthquake-prone Japan, 20 seconds could make a difference in minimising loss of life among train passengers who experience traumatic shaking during a major seismic event. The operator of the Shinkansen line between Osaka and Fukuoka in southern Japan is upgrading its earthquake early warning system to give trains operating at speeds of up to 300km/h (186 miles/h) an additional 20 seconds to slow down and avert catastrophe in an area that experts warn could be hit by a megaquake at any moment. In a statement issued last week, the West Japan Railway Company said it had been working with the Railway Technical Research Institute and the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention and that its existing earthquake detection system would be upgraded from April 1. Advertisement JR West is linking its warning system to the Nankai Trough Submarine Earthquake and Tsunami Observation Network, also known as N-net, a 1,640 fibre-optic cable network completed in June on the seabed off Shikoku and the eastern seaboard of Kyushu. The US$120-million project was designed to fill a gap in seismic monitoring in the area, as concerns have grown about the inevitability of a massive earthquake in the Nankai Trough, which spans 900km (559 miles) parallel to the south coast from Suruga Bay in the east to Kyushu in the west. Advertisement Alerts are automatically sent out when monitoring equipment detects the primary wave of a quake, which moves faster and causes less damage than secondary waves, giving a few crucial seconds’ warning. That information will now be shared with trains.
The UK could produce nearly twice as much oil and gas over the next 25 years from its aging North Sea basin compared to current projections, if fiscal and regulatory regimes change, according to an industry lobby group. The UK can unlock an additional 3.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent across 111 projects if the government revises its licensing approach, scraps a controversial windfall tax and ...
The UK could produce nearly twice as much oil and gas over the next 25 years from its aging North Sea basin compared to current projections, if fiscal and regulatory regimes change, according to an industry lobby group. The UK can unlock an additional 3.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent across 111 projects if the government revises its licensing approach, scraps a controversial windfall tax and replaces it with a permanent price-triggered mechanism sooner rather than waiting until March 2030, according to Offshore Energies UK’s annual Business Outlook Report. Within about a year of removing the windfall tax and licensing barriers, “there will be an immediate uptick” in production, Ben Ward, market intelligence manager at OEUK, told reporters. “Significant benefits come after two, three, four years.” British oil and gas companies are intensifying their calls for reforms as the Middle East conflict, now in its fourth week, highlights energy supply vulnerabilities and the nation’s exposure to geopolitical shocks. The UK relies on imported energy for around 40% of its total energy needs. Earlier this month, as the Iran war pushed up commodities prices, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves backtracked on plans to scrap the windfall tax on oil and gas producers. The Energy Profits Levy — introduced by the previous Conservative government after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove up energy prices in 2022 — has since been extended and increased several times, pushing the headline tax rate to 78%. The Labour Party also remains committed to its 2024 manifesto not to issue any new exploration licenses. In the reform scenario, more than a third of the additional reserves and resources — around 1.3 billion barrels — would come from gas projects. According to the report, this could reduce the UK’s reliance on LNG imports to 6% of gas supply by 2035, compared with 46% without any changes. Overall, the 111 projects — infill wells, enhanced oil recovery, and new fields and ...
Extension of dosing interval: Approximately 86% of participants in the IBI302 8 mg group achieved a dosing interval of Q12W or above during the maintenance period; 72.8% of participants achieved a dosing interval of Q16W . At Week 52, approximately 95% of the participants receiving the Q12/16W dosing maintained their interval without requiring retreatment. Furthermore, 56.3% of the participants sh...
Extension of dosing interval: Approximately 86% of participants in the IBI302 8 mg group achieved a dosing interval of Q12W or above during the maintenance period; 72.8% of participants achieved a dosing interval of Q16W . At Week 52, approximately 95% of the participants receiving the Q12/16W dosing maintained their interval without requiring retreatment. Furthermore, 56.3% of the participants showed no disease activity at Week 24, demonstrating the potential to extend the dosing interval to Q20W. Visual acuity improvement non-inferior to aflibercept: The study met the primary endpoint. At Week 52, the least squares mean estimate (SE) of the mean BCVA change from baseline in the IBI302 8 mg and aflibercept 2 mg groups was 10.37 (0.547) and 10.11 (0.545) ETDRS letters, respectively. STAR (NCT05972473) is a Phase 3 clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of IB302 8 mg in Chinese participants with nAMD. A total of 600 participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the IBI302 8 mg group and the aflibercept 2 mg group. Both groups received 3 loading doses administered every 4 weeks. After the completion of the loading doses, participants in the IBI302 8 mg group were administered at Q16W, Q12W, or Q8W intervals based on the disease activity assessment at Weeks 16 and 20. Participants in the aflibercept 2 mg group completed the subsequent treatment at Q8W intervals. The study lasts for 100 weeks, and the primary endpoint is the change from baseline in the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the study eye at Week 52. The randomization stratification factors in this study were: the presence or absence of Type 2 choroidal neovascularization (CNV) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the study eye, and whether the study eye had previously received anti-VEGF treatment. SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and comm...
Key Points CFO John Alexander Young sold 7,615 ordinary shares over two days (March 17 and March 19, 2026) for a transaction value of approximately $406,000, with an average sale price of around $53.32 per share. This transaction represented 6.0% of Young's direct holdings at the time, reducing his direct ownership to 119,594 shares post-sale. All shares were disposed of through direct ownership; ...
Key Points CFO John Alexander Young sold 7,615 ordinary shares over two days (March 17 and March 19, 2026) for a transaction value of approximately $406,000, with an average sale price of around $53.32 per share. This transaction represented 6.0% of Young's direct holdings at the time, reducing his direct ownership to 119,594 shares post-sale. All shares were disposed of through direct ownership; the transaction followed an exercise of 3,556 options immediately prior to the sale. The trade was larger than Young's historical median sell size (2,614 shares per event since March 2025) and reflects continued capacity utilization as his available share count declines. 10 stocks we like better than Ambarella › John Alexander Young, Chief Financial Officer of Ambarella (NASDAQ:AMBA), reported the sale of 7,615 ordinary shares for a total of approximately $406,000, according to the SEC Form 4 filing. Transaction summary Metric Value Shares sold (direct) 7,615 Transaction value ~$406,000 Post-transaction shares (direct) 119,594 Post-transaction value (direct ownership) ~$6.68 million Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($53.32); post-transaction value based on March 19, 2026 market close ($55.86). Key questions How does the size of this sale compare to Young's prior sell transactions? The 7,615 shares sold is meaningfully larger than Young's median direct sale of 2,614 shares since March 2025, representing a higher-than-typical percentage of his holdings (5.99% versus a historical median of 1.87% per event). The 7,615 shares sold is meaningfully larger than Young's median direct sale of 2,614 shares since March 2025, representing a higher-than-typical percentage of his holdings (5.99% versus a historical median of 1.87% per event). What was the mechanism for acquiring the shares sold in this filing? The transaction involved the exercise of options prior to the sale, indicating that shares sold originated from recently vested awards rather th...
California attorney general Rob Bonta said he has sued the US energy department to stop it from using a cold-war era law to restart the long-disputed Sable Offshore pipeline system linking the Santa Ynez offshore platform to California refineries. US energy secretary Chris Wright earlier this month restarted the pipelines using powers granted to him by Donald Trump through an executive order that ...
California attorney general Rob Bonta said he has sued the US energy department to stop it from using a cold-war era law to restart the long-disputed Sable Offshore pipeline system linking the Santa Ynez offshore platform to California refineries. US energy secretary Chris Wright earlier this month restarted the pipelines using powers granted to him by Donald Trump through an executive order that invoked the Defense Production Act to supersede state laws. “We won’t let this outrageous federal overreach go without a fight,” Bonta said in a Monday press conference. Bonta alleged Wright’s restart order violates state law, state court orders and a settlement approved by a federal court. Spokespersons for the US energy department and Sable Offshore did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit, which was filed in San Francisco federal court. California is asking the court to rule that Wright’s restart order violated federal law and the US constitution, and to prohibit the energy department from relying on the order to operate the Santa Ynez platform and its pipelines. The Santa Ynez platform was shut down due to a 2015 spill that dumped more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean and on to beaches near Santa Barbara. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of conflicts between Trump, who wants to supercharge domestic fossil-fuel production, and the California governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has championed his state’s ambitious climate change agenda. Wright’s order came as fuel prices have surged across the globe due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Sable said earlier this month it began shipping hydrocarbons from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station on 14 March, and that it expects to sell 50,000 barrels per day by 1 April. “Donald Trump started a war, admitted it would spike gas prices nationwide, and told Americans it was a small price to pay,” said Newsom in a 13 March statement about Wright’s order. “Now he’s using this crisi...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil futures plunged Monday, with Brent settling below $100/bbl for the first time in nearly two weeks, after President Trump postponed threatened attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days following "productive" talks with Iran, although Tehran denied it was in talks with the U.S. Trump's announcement on Truth Social kicked off another highly ...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil futures plunged Monday, with Brent settling below $100/bbl for the first time in nearly two weeks, after President Trump postponed threatened attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days following "productive" talks with Iran, although Tehran denied it was in talks with the U.S. Trump's announcement on Truth Social kicked off another highly volatile trading session; in fact, four of the six largest swings ever seen in Brent futures have come since the Middle East started on February 28, according to Bloomberg. " It is unclear how far back-channel talks have progressed or if the IRGC is in any mood to settle at this stage when they remain in firm control of the Strait of Hormuz," RBC Capital analysts including Helima Croft said in a note, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The International Energy Agency is considering the release of more oil reserves and is speaking with member countries to determine whether it is necessary, executive director Fatih Birol said on Monday. However, U.S. Energy Secretary Wright said it is " highly unlikely " that the U.S. will release more barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve than recently announced plans for 172M barrels; he said the U.S. release started Friday afternoon, sooner than expectations that the first oil could take three weeks to start flowing. Goldman Sachs raised its oil price forecast for the year because of what it called the "largest oil supply shock ever," now expecting Brent crude to average $85/bbl in 2026, up from a previous forecast of $77, while U.S. WTI crude is seen at $79/bbl, compared to $72/bbl previously. Goldman estimated losses in crude output in the Middle East will increase from ~11M bbl/day to a peak of 17M bbl/day before fully recovering over four weeks once production resumes, leaving total losses just above 800M barrels. Front-month Nymex crude ( CL1:COM ) for May delivery plummeted 10.3% to $88.13/bbl, and front-month...
Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview The S&P 500 Index increased by 2.66% (total return, in USD) in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the Russell 2000 Index rose by 2.21% (total return, in USD). The fourth quarter demonstrated broad resilience, as the major US indices achieved widespread gains despite softening labor market data, a record government shutdown, and increasing scruti...
Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview The S&P 500 Index increased by 2.66% (total return, in USD) in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the Russell 2000 Index rose by 2.21% (total return, in USD). The fourth quarter demonstrated broad resilience, as the major US indices achieved widespread gains despite softening labor market data, a record government shutdown, and increasing scrutiny of heightened artificial intelligence-related expenditures. While initial concerns regarding the sustainability of the artificial intelligence growth theme and elevated valuations led to some volatility and sector rotation, this shift broadened market leadership, further underpinned by robust corporate earnings that indicated fundamental strength. Concurrently, the Federal Open Market Committee continued its path of monetary easing, which further contributed to a broadly positive market outlook. The best performing sectors within the S&P 500 were Health Care, Communication Services, and Financials, while the worst performing sectors were Real Estate, Utilities, and Consumer Staples. For the Russell 2000, the best performing sectors were Health Care, Materials, and Communication Services, while the worst performing sectors were Consumer Staples, Information Technology, and Consumer Discretionary. Portfolio Attribution The Goldman Sachs VIT Mid Cap Value Fund underperformed its benchmark, the Russell Midcap Value Index (net), during the quarter. The Industrials and Energy sectors contributed to returns, while the Materials and Health Care sectors detracted from returns. Western Digital Corporation ( WDC ) (1.5%) was a top contributor to relative returns during the quarter. The company is a global provider of solutions for digital content collection, storage, management, protection, and use. Western Digital Corporation's stock price rose throughout the quarter as the company benefitted from continued strong demand within its cloud segment, alongside increasing needs for art...
The blurring of the lines between the traditional financial sector and the blockchain financial sector continues. In March, credit card giant Mastercard (MA +0.90%) unveiled a massive new blockchain payment initiative that will feature 85 different crypto industry partners. One of those partners is Ripple, the fintech company behind the XRP (XRP +3.17%) crypto token. That's good news for XRP inves...
The blurring of the lines between the traditional financial sector and the blockchain financial sector continues. In March, credit card giant Mastercard (MA +0.90%) unveiled a massive new blockchain payment initiative that will feature 85 different crypto industry partners. One of those partners is Ripple, the fintech company behind the XRP (XRP +3.17%) crypto token. That's good news for XRP investors everywhere. In a best-case scenario, this partnership could become the next catalyst to send the price of XRP soaring. Mastercard's crypto initiative The new Crypto Partner Program from Mastercard is the latest sign that blockchain technology is gaining a real foothold in the traditional financial services sector. The new strategic initiative is based on one core idea: connecting blockchain technology with Mastercard's existing global payments infrastructure to make payments faster, cheaper, and more efficient. To make that possible, Mastercard will run a series of blockchain payment pilots with top fintech companies, including both Ripple and PayPal. At some point, if the pilots prove successful, more of Mastercard's transaction volume will run on blockchain rails. That includes cross-border payments, business-to-business payments, and global payouts. The long-term outlook for XRP This new strategic initiative dovetails nicely with Ripple's five-year strategy for XRP, which is focused on institutional adoption. Ripple is trying to find as many partners as possible, as quickly as possible, to use the XRP blockchain. Currently, over 300 banks and financial institutions use the XRP blockchain for cross-border payments and liquidity management. Signing up Mastercard as a partner certainly highlights that things are headed in the right direction. Ripple made its name by offering faster and cheaper cross-border transactions to big financial institutions and banks. Now it's offering the same efficiencies and cost savings to Mastercard. Expand CRYPTO : XRP XRP Today's Change ...
Key Points Mastercard recently unveiled a massive new blockchain payment initiative that features Ripple (XRP). Signing up Mastercard as a partner is more proof that institutional adoption of XRP is growing. While price targets for XRP can be sky-high, it has never traded higher than $4 in more than a decade. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › The blurring of the lines between the traditional fin...
Key Points Mastercard recently unveiled a massive new blockchain payment initiative that features Ripple (XRP). Signing up Mastercard as a partner is more proof that institutional adoption of XRP is growing. While price targets for XRP can be sky-high, it has never traded higher than $4 in more than a decade. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › The blurring of the lines between the traditional financial sector and the blockchain financial sector continues. In March, credit card giant Mastercard (NYSE: MA) unveiled a massive new blockchain payment initiative that will feature 85 different crypto industry partners. One of those partners is Ripple, the fintech company behind the XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) crypto token. That's good news for XRP investors everywhere. In a best-case scenario, this partnership could become the next catalyst to send the price of XRP soaring. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Mastercard's crypto initiative The new Crypto Partner Program from Mastercard is the latest sign that blockchain technology is gaining a real foothold in the traditional financial services sector. The new strategic initiative is based on one core idea: connecting blockchain technology with Mastercard's existing global payments infrastructure to make payments faster, cheaper, and more efficient. To make that possible, Mastercard will run a series of blockchain payment pilots with top fintech companies, including both Ripple and PayPal. At some point, if the pilots prove successful, more of Mastercard's transaction volume will run on blockchain rails. That includes cross-border payments, business-to-business payments, and global payouts. The long-term outlook for XRP This new strategic initiative dovetails nicely with Ripple's five-year strategy for XRP, which is focused on institutional adoption. ...