The government of Laos has issued warnings about hazardous air pollution, especially concerning high PM2.5 concentrations, which pose significant health risks.
Laos Faces Dangerous Air Pollution Levels, Health Risks Increase

Ping An Enhances Recruitment Experience with “Ping An Talent” AI System
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter “Ping An“, “the Company” or the “Group” HKEX: 2318 / 82318; SSE: 601318) recently launched its 2025 Spring Campus Recruitment offering over 2,000 positions, highlighted by Ping An’s self-developed “Ping An Talent” recruitment system. This platform integrates AI-driven job matching, AI interviews, and AI salary negotiation to provide campus recruits with a fair, convenient, and efficient recruitment experience.
“Ping An Talent” uses natural language processing and machine learning technology to perform keyword matching and semantic analysis on resumes, accurately identifying students who meet the job requirements. These AI innovations not only reduce the workload of HR staff and avoid screening error and evaluate resumes efficiently to match graduate talent with suitable positions faster than before.
The AI interviewer function provides students with a flexible interview experience. Students can communicate with the company by simply tapping the screen, regardless of their location. The AI interviewer efficiently assesses students’ comprehensive abilities and personality traits based on facial expressions, speech rate, tone, and the logical structure of their answers.
The AI salary negotiation technology improves the efficiency of salary discussions with recruits. It can help campus recruits clearly understand salary information through smart outbound calls based on student backgrounds and job requirements.
Based on its technology-driven “integrated finance + healthcare and senior care” strategy, Ping An together with more than 10 of its subsidiaries, offers over 2,000 positions across eight major categories, including business, investment & financing, technology, product, operations, and other functions, providing comprehensive career development paths for students from diverse academic backgrounds. There are also a large number of positions provided member companies in AI, big data, algorithms, and product operations to support Ping An Technology, Ping An Health Insurance, and other businesses.
About Ping An Group
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318 / 82318; SSE:601318) is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. It strives to become a world-leading provider of integrated finance, health and senior care services. Under the technology-driven “integrated finance + health and senior care” strategy, the Group provides professional “financial advisory, family doctor, and senior care concierge” services to its 240 million retail customers. Ping An advances intelligent digital transformation and employs technologies to improve financial businesses’ quality and efficiency and enhance risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As of the end of September 2024, Ping An had more than RMB12 trillion in total assets. The Group ranked 29th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2024 and 53rd in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2024.
For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn – PING AN.
Aetina and Axelera AI Partner to Advance Computer Vision at the Edge
![]() |
TAIPEI, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Aetina, a subsidiary of Innodisk Group and an expert in edge AI solutions, and Axelera AI, a leading edge-inference company, have partnered to deliver high-performance, power-efficient AI inference solutions for industries such as smart transportation, surveillance, and retail.
With growing demand for compact, high-performance AI at the edge, this collaboration introduces a comprehensive portfolio of AI-optimized systems that seamlessly integrate Axelera AI’s powerful AI accelerator cards with Aetina’s advanced hardware platforms. These solutions excel in complex tasks such as object recognition, multi-camera analysis, and AI-driven decision-making while effectively addressing space and power constraints.
Unmatched Edge Inference Performance: From Entry-Level to High-End Solutions
Aetina delivers a diverse portfolio of AI systems designed to meet the full spectrum of edge inference requirements, from compact edge devices to high-performance platforms. Offering both M.2 systems with x86 and ARM architectures for space-conscious, power-efficient solutions, as well as PCIe systems for higher performance needs, Aetina ensures scalability and versatility across all industries.
Among the offerings, the AIE-KR1B-B1-AXE, an ARM-based system, integrates Axelera AI’s M.2 inference accelerator card, delivering up to 214 TOPS of AI computing in a compact, energy-efficient form factor. The MegaEdge AIP-MURE-A1AXE system, an industry-first x86 AI platform supporting up to three M.2 AI accelerator cards, provides up to 642 TOPS in a robust, fanless design. For high-performance needs, the AIP-FR68-A1AXE system supports up to four Axelera PCIe AI accelerator cards, reaching up to 856 TOPS—ideal for the most demanding AI vision applications. With Axelera AI’s M.2 inference accelerator delivering industry-leading performance, these solutions offer streamlined deployment and scalable AI efficiency.
Seamless Integration Powers Edge AI across Diverse Industries
All pre-validated Aetina-Axelera AI systems ensure seamless integration with centralized support spanning hardware, accelerator cards, and software. Pre-installed with the Voyager™ SDK, they support an extensive AI model zoo, including advanced capabilities in image classification, object detection, and pose estimation.
Designed to empower a wide range of industries, these AI solutions enhance smart transportation and surveillance with multi-camera analysis for security and traffic monitoring. In retail and robotics, they enable advanced object recognition, gesture control, and AI-driven decision-making. Additionally, sectors such as medical imaging and agriculture technology benefit from real-time diagnostics, crop analysis, and automated quality control.
“Innodisk group is proud to strengthen our position in the edge AI market alongside such a valuable AI partner.” said Randy Chien, Chairman of Aetina and Innodisk. “With Aetina’s expertise in edge AI computing, the group’s extensive service implementation experience and Axelera AI’s cutting-edge inference acceleration, we will jointly assist industries in unlocking new levels of AI-driven innovation and efficiency.”
“By combining our expertise, we enable businesses to overcome power and space limitations while maximizing AI capabilities.” added Joe Lo, General Manager at Aetina.
“The Metis AI processing unit is bringing advanced inference capabilities to the edge in partnership with leading system providers. We are proud to be furthering our partnership with Aetina – uniting the Aetina ecosystem with the Axelera AI inference performance and software suite, companies around the globe can bring advanced intelligence anywhere their data is created.” said John Wilkins, Director of Strategic Channel Partnerships at Axelera AI.
Experience the Future of Edge AI in Action
Join Aetina at Embedded World 2025, in Hall 1, Booth 370, to experience first-hand the power of Axelera AI’s M.2 inference accelerator card performing real-time analysis of sixteen multi-live video streams on Aetina’s AIP-MURE system. All Aetina-Axelera products will be available starting March 2025. For more information on the Aetina-Axelera AI solutions, visit https://www.aetina.com/solution.php?t=23
Is foreign capital really withdrawing from China?
BEIJING, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily:
Lately, there has been much talk about foreign investors withdrawing from China on a large scale. Official data show that in 2024, foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland in actual use dropped by 27.1 percent year on year, while the number of new foreign-invested firms increased by 9.9 percent from a year ago.
Are these two figures in conflict with each other?
To answer this question, let’s first delve into a story about Walmart’s development in the Chinese market.
Over the past few years, retail giant Walmart has been actively closing locations across China. Many people just feel like that “Walmart is withdrawing from China.” But is this the whole picture? Certainly not.
On Dec. 18, 2024, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club opened its 52nd store in Wenzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province. More strikingly, in the third quarter of 2024, Walmart’s net sales in China climbed 17 percent year on year.
So how could a company that is allegedly “pulling out of China” maintain steady sales growth in the Chinese market?
Walmart’s story highlights important shifts in the Chinese market: as personalized and diversified consumption has emerged as a new trend among Chinese consumers, and with the rapid development of Chinese domestic retailers, traditional business models are struggling to survive in the country. Only those foreign companies that adapt quickly to the evolving Chinese market can succeed.
Simply put, the times have changed. The Chinese market is no longer what it used to be, and China’s relationship with foreign investment has also changed.
Does China still need foreign investment?
Before discussing whether foreign investment is leaving the Chinese market, it is essential to clear up one question: Does China still need foreign investment?
China has entered a new stage of high-quality development and has moved from capital scarcity to capital abundance. The country is shifting its focus from attracting foreign investment to a new strategy with equal emphasis on both “bringing in” and “going global.”
However, some argue that “China no longer needs foreign investment as before” or even hyped up their narrative that “China is no longer welcoming foreign investors.”
Apparently, capital abundance and “going global” do not mean that China no longer needs foreign investment. In fact, foreign capital remains crucial in China’s “dual circulation” paradigm – the new development pattern that China adopted in 2020, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while allowing domestic and foreign markets to reinforce each other.
Over the past few years, China has introduced a range of measures for voluntary and unilateral opening up on a larger scale and at a higher level. For instance, it has hosted the China International Import Expo and the China International Supply Chain Expo, reduced negative lists for foreign investment, and granted national treatment to foreign-funded enterprises.
With lower entry barriers, more small- and medium-sized foreign-invested enterprises are entering the Chinese market, which can explain the rapid increase in the number of new foreign-funded enterprises in the country.
Why has the scale of foreign direct investment declined?
Industrial investment is a long-term, rational economic decision influenced by multiple factors in the medium and long term. Therefore, fluctuations in investment align with economic patterns.
In the medium term, China has attracted over one trillion yuan ($136.85 billion) each year in foreign investment for three consecutive years since 2021. The large foreign capital inflow has unleashed investment demand in the country, and the drop in foreign direct investment in 2024 falls within normal economic cycles.
From a long-term perspective, global cross-border investment is shifting toward service-oriented and asset-light industries, thereby leading to a periodic discrepancy between the scale of foreign investment in actual use and the number of new foreign-invested enterprises.
Currently, around 70 percent of foreign investment in China flows into the services sector, which is characterized by asset-light business models, thereby significantly impacting the overall scale of foreign investment.
The next ” China ” is still China.
How do foreign-invested enterprises view the Chinese market?
“The next ‘China‘ is still China.” This is a sentiment widely shared by global investors.
Today’s China is experiencing technological breakthroughs and a talent boom, which have led to a substantial increase in total factor productivity and more added value for the “world factory.” The huge Chinese market has become a “global market,” stimulating domestic demand and providing immense opportunities for foreign companies.
Undoubtedly, a constantly developing China with strong growth momentum remains highly attractive to foreign investors. At the same time, in China’s highly competitive open market, foreign-funded enterprises must bring their best expertise to secure a foothold.
In recent years, some foreign enterprises that failed to keep up with the changing Chinese market have withdrawn, while more high-tech foreign investors have come in.
As always, China remains firmly committed to opening up and win-win cooperation with foreign investors.
No matter what, this remains true: partnering with China means embracing future opportunities, and investing in China is investing in the future.
Bybit Joins Industry Leaders to Advance SME Cross-Border Payments at Inclusive FinTech Forum
![]() |
DUBAI, UAE, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, was represented at the Inclusive FinTech Forum, the global platform for financial inclusion and fintech for good. Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Robert MacDonald joined leading industry figures as a featured speaker in the “Driving Inclusive Access for SME Cross-Border Currency Flows” roundtable, held at the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC).
The session explored how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can better leverage cross-border business opportunities in Africa and beyond while managing financial risks such as currency fluctuations, liquidity constraints, and payment security.
Robert was joined by an esteemed panel of speakers, including representatives from the South African Reserve Bank, Bank of Ghana, I&M Bank Rwanda, NALA, Liquid Group, and the Africa Fintech Network. Moderated by Valence Kimenyi, Director of Financial Sector Development and Inclusion at the National Bank of Rwanda. The discussion highlighted the latest innovations in digital payments, regulatory frameworks, and financial tools designed to enhance SME growth and economic inclusion.
Robert MacDonald emphasized the importance of regulatory clarity and industry collaboration in supporting SME expansion: “SMEs are the backbone of economic growth, making up approx. 90% of businesses in Rwanda, yet many still face significant hurdles in accessing reliable, efficient access to financial products and cross-border payment solutions. By working together – regulators, fintech providers, and financial institutions – we can create a more inclusive financial ecosystem that fosters secure, seamless international transactions while ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.”
The Inclusive FinTech Forum is a unique collaboration between Kigali International Financial Centre, the National Bank of Rwanda, and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a not-for-profit organization established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The forum brings together global leaders, investors, and fintech innovators to advance policies, regulations, and partnerships that drive financial inclusion and digital transformation.
Bybit’s participation in the roundtable reinforces its commitment to enhancing financial accessibility and shaping the future of digital assets and cross-border payments.
#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk/ #IFF2025
//ENDS
About Bybit
Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 60 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.
For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press
For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com
For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media
Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube
ZKH Group Limited to Announce Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results on Tuesday, March 18, 2025
SHANGHAI, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ZKH Group Limited (“ZKH” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ZKH), a leading maintenance, repair and operations (“MRO”) procurement service platform in China, today announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, before the open of the U.S. markets.
The Company’s management will hold an earnings conference call on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 8:00 A.M. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 P.M. Beijing/Hong Kong Time) to discuss the financial results. Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
United States (toll free): |
+1-888-317-6003 |
International: |
+1-412-317-6061 |
Mainland China (toll free): |
400-120-6115 |
Hong Kong (toll free): |
800-963-976 |
Hong Kong: |
+852-5808-1995 |
Access Code: |
2393351 |
A replay of the conference call will be accessible by phone one hour after the conclusion of the live call at the following numbers, until March 25, 2025:
United States: |
+1-877-344-7529 |
International: |
+1-412-317-0088 |
Replay Access Code: |
5969362 |
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available on the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.zkh.com.
About ZKH Group Limited
ZKH Group Limited (NYSE: ZKH) is a leading MRO procurement service platform in China, dedicated to propelling the MRO industry’s digital transformation to drive cost reduction and efficiency improvement industry-wide. Leveraging its outstanding product selection and recommendation capabilities, ZKH provides digitalized, one-stop MRO procurement solutions that enable its customers to transparently and efficiently access a wide selection of quality products at competitive prices. The Company also facilitates timely and reliable product delivery with professional fulfillment services. By catering specifically to the needs of MRO suppliers and customers through its unmatched digital infrastructure, the Company empowers all participants in the value chain to achieve more.
For more information, please visit https://ir.zkh.com.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
ZKH Group Limited
IR Department
E-mail: IR@zkh.com
Piacente Financial Communications
Hui Fan
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: zkh@thepiacentegroup.com
In the United States:
Piacente Financial Communications
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: zkh@thepiacentegroup.com
Yalla Group Limited to Report Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results on March 10, 2025 Eastern Time
DUBAI, UAE, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Yalla Group Limited (“Yalla” or the “Company”) (NYSE: YALA), the largest Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-based online social networking and gaming company, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 after the U.S. market closes on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Yalla Group Limited will hold a conference call on Monday, March 10, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, 4:00 AM Dubai Time on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, or 8:00 AM Beijing Time on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, to discuss the financial results. Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
United States Toll Free: |
+1-888-317-6003 |
International: |
+1-412-317-6061 |
United Arab Emirates Toll Free: |
80-003-570-3589 |
Mainland China Toll Free: |
400-120-6115 |
Hong Kong Toll Free: |
800-963-976 |
Access Code: |
6915264 |
The replay will be accessible through March 17, 2025, by dialing the following numbers:
United States Toll Free: |
+1-877-344-7529 |
International: |
+1-412-317-0088 |
Access Code: |
9444173 |
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.yalla.com.
About Yalla Group Limited
Yalla Group Limited is the largest MENA-based online social networking and gaming company, in terms of revenue in 2022. The Company operates two flagship mobile applications, Yalla, a voice-centric group chat platform, and Yalla Ludo, a casual gaming application featuring online versions of board games, popular in MENA, with in-game voice chat and localized Majlis functionality. Building on the success of Yalla and Yalla Ludo, the Company continues to add engaging new content, creating a regionally-focused, integrated ecosystem dedicated to fulfilling MENA users’ evolving online social networking and gaming needs. Through its holding subsidiary, Yalla Game Limited, the Company has expanded its capabilities in mid-core and hard-core games in the MENA region, leveraging its local expertise to bring innovative gaming content to its users. In addition, the growing Yalla ecosystem includes YallaChat, an IM product tailored for Arabic users, WeMuslim, a product that supports Arabic users in observing their customs, and casual games such as Yalla Baloot and 101 Okey Yalla, developed to sustain vibrant local gaming communities in MENA. Yalla is also actively exploring outside of MENA with Yalla Parchis, a Ludo game designed for the South American markets. Yalla’s mobile applications deliver a seamless experience that fosters a sense of loyalty and belonging, establishing highly devoted and engaged user communities through close attention to detail and localized appeal that profoundly resonates with users.
For more information, please visit https://ir.yalla.com.
Investor Relations Contact
Yalla Group Limited
Investor Relations
Kerry Gao – IR Director
Tel: +86-571-8980-7962
Email: ir@yalla.com
Piacente Financial Communications
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
Email: yalla@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
Piacente Financial Communications
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
Email: yalla@tpg-ir.com
FinVolution Group to Report Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results on Monday, March 17, 2025
-Earnings Call Scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on March 17, 2025–
SHANGHAI, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — FinVolution Group (“FinVolution”, or the “Company”) (NYSE: FINV), a leading fintech platform, today announced that it will report its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024 unaudited financial results, on Monday, March 17, 2025, after the close of U.S. markets.
The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time on March 17, 2025 (8:30 AM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on March 18, 2025).
Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:
United States (toll free): |
+1-888-346-8982 |
Canada (toll free): |
+1-855-669-9657 |
International: |
+1-412-902-4272 |
Hong Kong, China (toll free): |
800-905-945 |
Hong Kong, China: |
+852-3018-4992 |
Mainland, China: |
400-120-1203 |
Participants should dial-in at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for “FinVolution Group.”
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.finvgroup.com.
A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until March 24, 2025, by dialing the following telephone numbers:
United States (toll free): |
+1-877-344-7529 |
Canada (toll free): |
+1-855-669-9658 |
International: |
+1-412-317-0088 |
Replay Access Code: |
2187762 |
About FinVolution Group
FinVolution Group is a leading fintech platform with strong brand recognition in China, Indonesia and Philippines, connecting borrowers of the young generation with financial institutions. Established in 2007, the Company is a pioneer in China’s online consumer finance industry and has developed innovative technologies and has accumulated in-depth experience in the core areas of credit risk assessment, fraud detection, big data and artificial intelligence. The Company’s platform, empowered by proprietary cutting-edge technologies, features a highly automated loan transaction process, which enables a superior user experience. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had 199.2 million cumulative registered users across China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
For more information, please visit https://ir.finvgroup.com.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
FinVolution Group
Head of Capital Markets
Jimmy Tan, IRC
Tel: +86 (21) 8030 3200- Ext 8601
E-mail: ir@xinye.com
Piacente Financial Communications
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
E-mail: finv@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
Piacente Financial Communications
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: finv@tpg-ir.com