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Yeahka Obtains MTL Payment License in U.S., Accelerating Its Globalization Strategy

Yeahka has once again obtained a significant payment license.

HONG KONG, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, Yeahka (9923.HK), a leading payment-based technology platform, has been granted the Money Transmitter License (MTL) by the financial regulatory authorities in Arizona, USA. This marks another important milestone in Yeahka’s journey towards globalization since obtaining the Money Services Business (MSB) license.

Obtaining the MTL license in the United States requires a complex and time-consuming process, involving multiple procedures and rigorous evaluations. Typically, companies must firstly apply for the MSB license as a prerequisite before applying for MTL licenses in individual states to comply with local regulations.

Yeahka’s successful acquisition of the MTL license reflects the recognition of its products, compliance standards, and overall strength by U.S. financial regulators. With both MSB and MTL licenses in place, Yeahka can now offer secure, compliant, and efficient payment services to users, laying the foundation for further expansion in the American market.

Overseas expansion has been a key focus for Yeahka in recent years. Since commencing its overseas market exploration in 2021, Yeahka has prioritized compliance, actively pursuing licenses in various regions, including the MSO in Hong Kong, MPI in Singapore, and MSB in the United States. It has launched services such as local wallets, overseas wallets, credit cards, joint acquiring, foreign exchange, and cross-border remittances, providing secure, convenient, and efficient digital financial services to customers worldwide.

To accelerate market penetration and enhance customer loyalty, Yeahka has strengthened internal synergies while advancing its globalization strategy. This includes diversifying payment channels, efficient service delivery capabilities, and overseas investments, enabling the company to tap into new industries such as automotive, luxuries, beauty, and entertainment. Notable clients include Clinique, Arabica, Bose, and Leica Camera, among others, reflecting a more diversified client base and stronger business resilience.

In 2024, Yeahka’s overseas business experienced rapid growth. According to the latest financial data, the company’s overseas transactions for the year exceeded RMB 1.1 billion, a five-fold increase year-over-year, showcasing its robust market expansion capabilities and customer recognition.

Huawei Intelligent Operations Advances AI and Gen-AI in ICT

BARCELONA, Spain, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Operating telecommunications networks is getting more difficult. Networks are converging: fixed and mobile are often both required to provide a given service experience, whether it’s an IoT use case or end-to-end network slicing.

As networks become more software-driven, operating them requires different skills in maintenance, and assurance. Add to that complexity new technologies like enterprise-oriented APIs and agentic AI. These technologies can optimize network operations for granular service differentiation and prioritize business KPIs over simple uptime. With the right architecture and operational practices, networks can serve much more diverse use cases with a higher degree of reliability.

Huawei Can Help

Huawei Intelligent Operations works closely with its own network technology engineers as well as with industry standards bodies to guide the evolution of network services, and to ensure it supports all industry best practices. It works closely with the TM Forum, coordinating customer inputs and its own operational vision to create service-centric operational metrics. Thus, Huawei is expanding the boundaries of AI in telecoms operations, devoting intensive research into digital twins and telecoms-specific foundation models. Additionally, it feeds its substantial experience running telecoms networks back into its own operational best practices.

Key examples:

In the Asia-Pacific region, Huawei collaborated with a carrier to analyze the service impact of faulty sites. The work made use of Huawei’s Expected Demand Not Served algorithm, which identifies service usage that is lower than usual, identifies faults that may be leading to depressed usage, and prioritizes fixes to return the network to its designed functionality. This has reduced traffic loss by 15% for this carrier.

In the Middle East, Huawei Intelligent Operations significantly improved topology accuracy for an FTTx network, using delay-tolerant network architecture to reduce invalid work orders by 60%, and ultimately, led to a 10% decline in customer complaints.

In Europe, Huawei used Gen-AI to improve MTTR by 25%. Huawei’s work with the carrier on role-based copilots for field maintenance personnel and multi-agent collaboration to provide comprehensive treatment of complex scenarios.

Kevin Ye, President, Intelligent Operation Domain, Huawei
Kevin Ye, President, Intelligent Operation Domain, Huawei

“Huawei Intelligent Operations believes not only in helping its CSP partners conquer its existing operational challenges, but in helping them harness the latest technology to drive new business benefits across the company” – Kevin Ye, President, Intelligent Operation Domain, Huawei

Gen-AI Applications and Challenges

The dramatic rise of generative AI has led to two basic operational models: copilots and agents. Copilots help a human employee for coding, configuring systems, or managing a stream of service quality data and trouble tickets. Agents are more devoted to a specific set of tasks or operational concerns, and can operate independently under the supervision of a human employee.

In order to use Gen-AI, these tools must address the following concerns:

  • Hallucinations. Gen-AI can generally produce wrong information. Therefore, model training, retrieval-augmented generation, verification from other systems, and other guardrails are all required to minimize incorrect data and actions.
  • High cost. Gen-AI can become expensive. CSPs need an AI version of finops that minimizes the cost while still reaping the benefits of this new technology. For example, services partners can determine the lowest version of an LLM that still produces the desired output, and systems can be designed to minimize token usage.
  • Integration with existing systems. Agentic AI is already demonstrating that a Gen-AI interface couple with a digital twin of the network can produce powerful automation. Integrating data sources and BSS/OSS systems is complex work, however.
  • Data transformation and management. Building that digital twin requires breaking down data siloes, cleaning and normalizing bad data, and bringing together disparate data formats and sources in a single repository. This requires experience and strong professional services.
  • Training. Without training from a domain expert, LLMs can’t understand CSP’s documentation, trouble tickets, operational processes etc.

Huawei Intelligent Operations can help.

DeepSeek: The Next Generation of Gen-AI

The January 2025 introduction of DeepSeek proved that Gen-AI could provide all of its current capabilities with a much more efficient model. Huawei’s research indicates that DeepSeek provides advantages such as domain knowledge construction and application, code generation, data analysis, and intelligent ticket processing have direct application to CSP operations. Huawei is at the forefront of applying these new models to telecoms infrastructure.

Huawei’s Vision for ICT Operations

Huawei believes that ICT technology will continue to play an important role in driving the digital economy, with new technologies acting as intelligent accelerators. Reliable network operations and intelligent operations will continue to grow in importance. Huawei continues to invest heavily in R&D to support these advancements, and will continue to accelerate the transformation toward intelligent operation.

Recently, Huawei has collaborated with TM Forum and leading carriers to release annual versions of the New-Generation Intelligent Operations White Paper 3.0. which provides valuable insights into the latest business practices and applications of new technologies.

GAR and CIRAD Strengthen Commitment to Scientific Collaboration, Advancing Sustainable Palm Oil

JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Integrated palm oil producer Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) has announced a new agreement to accelerate innovation in sustainable palm oil, together with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).

Representatives from CIRAD and GAR (3rd and 4th from left) sign an MoU to advance sustainable palm oil research at the Indonesia-France Business Forum 2025
Representatives from CIRAD and GAR (3rd and 4th from left) sign an MoU to advance sustainable palm oil research at the Indonesia-France Business Forum 2025

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Jakarta, the two parties committed to extend their partnership, targeting a new phase of progress that will address critical challenges for the palm oil sector. The agreement builds on over 25 years of scientific collaboration between CIRAD and the SMART Research Institute (SMARTRI), GAR’s flagship agricultural research facility.   

The MoU was witnessed by Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Republic of Indonesia and Eric Lombard, Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France as part of the Indonesia-France Business Forum 2025, held on the sidelines of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Indonesia aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Building on a longstanding relationship

The relationship between GAR and CIRAD began in 1996 and has been strengthened over the years with successive agreements to cover topics including sustainable palm oil production, environmental management, and precision agriculture. Nearly IDR550 billion has been jointly invested in Research & Development since the start of this collaboration.

Together with WWF Indonesia; GAR and CIRAD have established the biennial International Conference on Oil Palm and the Environment (ICOPE). At the most recent event, held in February 2025, leading global researchers and early career academics showcased the latest research on critical topics such as climate resilience and protecting nature and biodiversity in palm oil.

The partnership has also contributed to high-profile international research initiatives, such as the Sustainable Palm Oil Production (SPOP) project funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), and the International Oil Palm Genome Projects (OPGP) Consortium.

Addressing critical issues

Through the MoU, the parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to developing practical, science-based solutions to advance sustainable palm oil practices, focused on enhancing scientific knowledge, improving climate change adaptation, and increasing productivity in the palm oil sector.

The renewed collaboration will include joint investments into research and development activities, including the modelling of plant functioning and climate change impact simulations, aimed at protecting and enhancing livelihoods for palm oil farmers in the face of growing climate risks.

“Our partnership with CIRAD brings together global scientific expertise with field research that addresses the realities of Indonesia’s palm oil landscape. It enables us to develop innovative, practical, and scalable solutions, with benefits not just for our plantations, but for independent smallholders across Indonesia,” explained The Biao Leng, President Director at Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food, GAR’s subsidiary in Indonesia.

The partnership also seeks to contribute to Indonesia’s national food security and self-sufficiency goals, while reducing carbon emissions, by developing new agroforestry approaches for the palm oil sector.

“Our collaboration with GAR demonstrates how international partnerships can combine scientific rigour with practical results. It enables us to address key sustainability challenges such as climate resilience, land-use efficiency, and smallholder inclusion. This is a truly integrated approach to transforming the sector,” said Jean-Marc Roda, CIRAD Regional Director for Southeast Asia Island Countries.

[ENDS]

About GAR

GAR is a leading fully-integrated agribusiness company. In Indonesia, it manages an oil palm plantation area of more than 500,000 hectares (including plasma smallholders) as of 31 March 2025. It has integrated operations focused on the technology-driven production and distribution of an extensive portfolio of palm-based products throughout its established international marketing network.

Founded in 1996, GAR was listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1999 and has a market capitalisation of US$ 2.6 billion as of 31 March 2025. Flambo International Limited, an investment company, is GAR’s largest shareholder, with a 50.56% stake. In addition, GAR’s subsidiary, PT SMART Tbk was listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 1992.

As an integrated agribusiness, GAR delivers an efficient end-to-end supply chain, from responsible production to global delivery. In Indonesia, its primary activities include cultivating and harvesting oil palm trees; the processing of fresh fruit bunch into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel; refining CPO into value-added products such as cooking oil, margarine, shortening, biodiesel and oleo-chemicals; as well as merchandising palm products globally.

GAR’s products are delivered to a diversified customer base in over 110 countries through its global distribution network with shipping and logistics capabilities, destination marketing, onshore refining and ex-tank operations. GAR also has complementary businesses such as soybean-based products in China, sunflower-based products in India, and sugar businesses.

About CIRAD

CIRAD is the French agricultural research and international cooperation organization working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions.

It works with its partners to build knowledge and solutions for resilient farming systems in a more sustainable, inclusive world. It mobilizes science, innovation and training in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its expertise supports the entire range of stakeholders, from producers to public policymakers, to foster biodiversity protection, agroecological transitions, food system sustainability, health (of plants, animals and ecosystems), sustainable development of rural territories, and their resilience to climate change. CIRAD works in some fifty countries on every continent, thanks to the expertise of its 1750 staff members, including 1200 scientists, backed by a global network of some 200 partners. It also supports French scientific diplomacy operations.

ITRI, MediaTek, and Chunghwa Telecom Advance Satellite-Ready B5G Infrastructure

HSINCHU, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At the 2025 COMPUTEX MOEA TECH HUB, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) showcased its latest innovations alongside other leading research institutes in Taiwan. A key highlight from ITRI is the debut of a world-leading B5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) base station system, which enables direct-to-cell satellite connectivity via software upgrades. Co-developed with MediaTek and Chunghwa Telecom, the solution has successfully passed multi-orbit satellite communication trials. This breakthrough is set to transform communication capabilities in remote and offshore areas and drew global attention at this year’s MWC Barcelona.

ITRI researchers present the B5G NTN wide-coverage base station system, which enables seamless high-speed communication across land, sea, and air.
ITRI researchers present the B5G NTN wide-coverage base station system, which enables seamless high-speed communication across land, sea, and air.

Pang-An Ting, ITRI Vice President and General Director of Information and Communications Research Laboratories, likened the integration of AI technologies to the human body’s systems: AI decision-making acts as the brain, logistics robots as the sensory system, NTN communications as the nervous system, and energy management systems as the circulatory system. He emphasized that the integration of these four systems is key to realizing the full potential of smart technologies.

The exhibition featured innovations in five areas: AI services, immersive experiences, AI for manufacturing, green energy, and next-gen communications. Notable solutions include:

  • B5G NTN Base Station System
    The solution enables direct-to-cell satellite connectivity via software upgrades, advancing Taiwan’s NTN technology and global standards.
  • AI Medical Logistics Robot
    The AI-powered robot uses vision and context awareness to improve logistics efficiency at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.
  • AI 3D Modeling via Smartphone
    ITRI’s AI technology allows fast creation of photorealistic 3D models using only a smartphone, reducing time and cost.
  • Transparent Display Open System
    The OpenXR-compliant system supports multi-brand devices, accelerating XR deployment in smart libraries and museums.
  • POXA Energy Management System
    The AI-driven POXA platform optimizes energy storage, cutting costs and expanding industrial applications. The system is slated to spin off into a startup by the end of 2025.

About ITRI
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world’s leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan’s industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap that focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society.

Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Japan, and Thailand in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

Avinox Unveils 2025 Major Firmware Updates, Setting New Heights of e-MTB Performance

More Power, More Control, More Customization

SHENZHEN, China, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Avinox, the e-bike drive system brand that enables riders to tackle complex rides with ease, today announces the rollout of significant 2025 firmware updates with its latest device version V00.11.03.04 and the new Avinox Ride App version v1.3.3, delivering enhanced power, greater control, and a suite of intelligent features designed to elevate the riding experience for eMTB riders worldwide.

Avinox Drive System
Avinox Drive System

“With our 2025 firmware releases, we’re not just increasing the adjustable peak power—we’re giving riders more freedom to shape how their drive system behaves,” said Ferdinand Wolf, Product Experience Director at Avinox. “These updates reflect our commitment to delivering meaningful innovations that enhance performance, protect components, and make the ride feel more intuitive, responsive, and personalized.”

More Power Where It Counts

Riders can now choose to adjust to 1,000 watts of peak power in Auto, Trail, and Turbo modes—a 17.6% increase over previous performance limits. The adjustable assistance range in Trail and Turbo modes has also been expanded, giving cyclists more control without affecting pre-set configurations.

Smarter Boosts and Quicker Starts

Boost mode is now adjustable from 10 to 60 seconds, offering flexible power bursts on climbs or during sprints. A new Quick Start function enables the motor to respond more rapidly when pedaling begins—ideal for technical inclines.

Advanced Control and Customization

The updates introduce Real-Time Tune, a feature allowing riders to use wireless controllers to increase or decrease assist levels on the fly within the current mode. Assist modes can now be reordered, hidden, or renamed, and the control display supports up to 8 data items, including bar and line charts, a stopwatch, and visualizations.

In addition, the system now supports:

  • SmoothShift (Sram X0 Eagle Transmission Derailleur required): allows gear shifting during coasting using the AXS controller, enhancing control without pedaling. When a gear shifting is detected, torque will be reduced to achieve chain protection and extend its lifespan (needs to be enabled manually).
  • Control Center: monitor bike status, record data, and manage accessories directly from the onboard display.
  • Custom charging limits: Users can now select battery charge thresholds of 70%, 80%, 95%, or 100%, balancing longevity and range.

Improved App Experience and Connectivity

The New Avinox Ride App v1.3.3 introduces enhanced UI consistency, the ability to delete ride data, improved Strava synchronization, and historical accident movement viewing. It also supports password security upgrades with six-digit authentication and a 30-second screen lock after multiple failed attempts.

Bluetooth compatibility has been refined, ensuring stability when setting drivetrain parameters and improving ride data consistency between the app and display.

Update Instructions

These updates are available through the New Avinox Ride App version v1.3.3, and are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Riders are encouraged to update their systems to take full advantage of these new features. For optimal performance, riders need to update both the app and drive unit simultaneously.

For more information and to download the latest firmware, please visit the Avinox download center: https://www.avinox-ebike.com/avinox-system/downloads

About Avinox

Avinox is dedicated to advancing electric mobility through innovative drive systems that offer superior performance and user-centric features. Our commitment to excellence drives us to continuously enhance our products, ensuring riders experience the best in e-mobility technology.

For more information, please visit our:
Website: www.avinox-ebike.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avinoxebike
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avinoxebike
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AvinoxeBike

The Brain Prize: HM The King of Denmark presents prestigious prize to US and German scientists for seminal discoveries in brain cancer

Two pioneering scientists received The Brain Prize 2025 for their discoveries that open an entirely new way of thinking about and understanding brain cancers, and the potential strategies to treat them.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — HM King Frederik of Denmark presented neuroscientists, Professors Michelle Monje (USA) and Frank Winkler (Germany), with their Brain Prize medals and a diploma at a ceremony in Copenhagen Wednesday evening. The Brain Prize is the world’s largest award for outstanding contributions to neuroscience worth EUR 1.3 million.

Thomas Tolstrup.
Thomas Tolstrup.

During the ceremony, HM The King gave a speech praising the two prize recipients for their discoveries:

“Your achievements in cancer neuroscience are truly extraordinary. You are an inspiration not only to your peers, but to generations of scientists yet to come. Thanks to your tireless efforts, there is hope that one day all types of brain cancer can be cured.”

Monje and Winkler have made transformative discoveries by showing that the everyday activity that takes place in the brain drives the development of cancers within it. Recent studies further show that the influence of the nervous system is not only limited to tumours in the brain, but also tumours throughout the body.

These remarkable findings have laid the foundation for an entirely new field of research called ‘Cancer Neuroscience’ that represents a paradigm shift in the understanding of these cancers, and which offers vital new opportunities for treatment. New treatments are critical since cancers that arise in the brain, particularly the ones known as gliomas, are extraordinarily difficult to treat, and are the leading cause of brain tumour-related deaths in both children and adults.

The Brain Prize has been awarded every year since 2011 by the Lundbeck Foundation. The celebration takes place in Copenhagen, and this year 360 invited guests attended. Guests of honor were the prize winners and their families, as well as patron of the prize, HM The King of Denmark.

The Brain Prize 2025 is awarded to:

Michelle Monje MD, PhD, the Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Stanford Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator,

and

Frank Winkler, MD, Professor of Experimental Neuro-Oncology,

Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Neurology, and German Cancer Research Center

for:

Pioneering Cancer Neuroscience: disease-driving interactions between the brain and brain tumours.

MORE INFO

A portrait film about the 2025 Brain Prize winners and their science (10 min.) is available at www.thebrainprize.org alongside various additional information on the prize.

Press kit available at https://brainprize.org/media

PRESS CONTACT

Martin Meyer | Director of The Brain Prize | Lundbeck Foundation mm@lundbeckfonden.com
Anne Sophie Tønnesen | Sr. Communications Partner | Lundbeck Foundation ast@lundbeckfonden.com

 

Musk to Exit US Government Role After Rare Break With Trump

(FILES) Co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk looks on as US President Donald Trump meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025. Billionaire Elon Musk on May 28, 2025 said he was leaving his position within the US government after leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in a controversial effort to slash federal spending. "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," he wrote on his social media platform X. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

By Danny KEMP/AFP – Billionaire Elon Musk on 28 May announced he was leaving his role in US government, intended to reduce federal spending, shortly after his first major break with President Donald Trump over his signature spending bill.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote on his social media platform X.

“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he added.

The South African-born tech tycoon had said Trump’s bill would increase the deficit and undermine the work of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has fired tens of thousands of people.

Musk, who was a constant presence at Trump’s side before pulling back to focus on his Space X and Tesla businesses, also complained that DOGE had become a “whipping boy” for dissatisfaction with the administration.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said in an interview with CBS News, an excerpt of which aired late Tuesday.

Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act”, which passed the US House last week and now moves to the Senate, offers sprawling tax relief and spending cuts and is the centerpiece of his domestic agenda.

But critics warn it will decimate health care and balloon the national deficit by as much as USD 4 trillion over a decade.

“A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion,” Musk said in the interview, which will be aired in full on 25 May.

The White House sought to play down any differences over US government spending, without directly naming Musk.

“The Big Beautiful Bill is NOT an annual budget bill,” Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said on Musk’s social network, X, after the tech titan’s comments aired.

All DOGE cuts would have to be carried out through a separate bill targeting the federal bureaucracy, according to US Senate rules, Miller added.

But Musk’s comments represented a rare split with the Republican president whom he helped propel back to power, as the largest donor to his 2024 election campaign.

‘Whipping boy’

Trump tasked Musk with cutting government spending as head of DOGE, but after a feverish start Musk announced in late April he was mostly stepping back to run his companies again.

Musk complained in a separate interview with the Washington Post that DOGE, which operated out of the White House with a staff of young technicians, had become a lightning rod for criticism.

“DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” Musk told the newspaper at the Starbase launch site in Texas ahead of Space X’s latest launch on Tuesday.

“Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it.”

Musk blamed entrenched US bureaucracy for DOGE’s failure to achieve all of its goals — although reports say his domineering style and lack of familiarity with the currents of Washington politics were also major factors.

“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he said. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.”

Musk has previously admitted that he did not achieve all his goals with DOGE even though tens of thousands of people were removed from government payrolls and several departments were gutted or shut down.

Musk’s own businesses suffered in the meantime.

Protesters against the cost-cutting targeted Tesla dealerships while arsonists even torched a few of the electric vehicles, and the firm’s profits slumped.

“People were burning Teslas. Why would you do that? That’s really uncool,” Musk told the Post.

Musk has also been focusing on Space X after a series of fiery setbacks to his dreams of colonizing Mars — the latest of which came on Tuesday when its prototype Starship exploded over the Indian Ocean.

The tycoon last week also said he would pull back from spending his fortune on politics, having spent around a quarter of a billion dollars to support Trump.


© Agence France-Presse

Jin Jiang Hotels China Region Grants RJJ Hotels Sdn Bhd Licensing Rights to drive Cross-Border Hospitality Collaboration

New Hotel Management Agreement signed with Sanher Investment & Development Co. Ltd. to build the first Metropolo Hotel in Laos

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — RJJ Hotels Sdn. Bhd (subsidiary of RIYAZ International Sdn. Bhd.,) a Malaysian-owned hospitality and lifestyle group, has entered into a landmark strategic licensing partnership with Jin Jiang Hotels China Region (Jin Jiang Hotels), the world’s second-largest hotel group. The first Hotel Management Agreement (HMA) was signed recently for a property in Luang Prabang, Laos, marking the inaugural milestone across Southeast Asia for RJJ Hotels Sdn Bhd.

From Left to Right: Yap Lip Seng - CEO RJJ Hotels Sdn. Bhd, Liu Hegeng - General Manager Hotel Department Sanher Investment & Development Co., Ltd, Zhou Ying - Director Sanher Investment & Development Co., Ltd, Amin Sidek - Executive Director RJJ Hotels Sdn. Bhd, Dato' Seri Shaheen Shah - Managing Director RIYAZ International Sdn. Bhd, Ng Kok Ming - Director NOVAC Hospitality Sdn. Bhd
From Left to Right: Yap Lip Seng – CEO RJJ Hotels Sdn. Bhd, Liu Hegeng – General Manager Hotel Department Sanher Investment & Development Co., Ltd, Zhou Ying – Director Sanher Investment & Development Co., Ltd, Amin Sidek – Executive Director RJJ Hotels Sdn. Bhd, Dato’ Seri Shaheen Shah – Managing Director RIYAZ International Sdn. Bhd, Ng Kok Ming – Director NOVAC Hospitality Sdn. Bhd

RJJ has been granted licensing rights to manage and expand five renowned brands under Jin Jiang Hotels across Southeast Asia. RJJ targets to sign around 200 hotel management agreements and to operate over 100 hotels within the next five years across key growth markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Laos.

Laos Marked as the First Milestone with RJJ Agreement

The first Hotel Management Agreement (HMA) signed in Luang Prabang, Laos, is by Sanher Investment & Development Co. Ltd. The hotel will carry one of Jin Jiang Hotels’ largest and most historic portfolios, The Metropolo, and is scheduled to open in early 2026. Metropolo properties are designed as 4- to 5- star equivalents, typically featuring 100 rooms or more, and are positioned in main cities with strong historical identity. The brand is known for delivering classic luxury while incorporating local cultural elements into its design and guest experience.

“This project reflects our confidence in the long-term potential of Southeast Asia’s tourism sector. We believe the Metropolo brand, under the guidance of RJJ Hotels, will deliver high-quality experiences that reflect the rich heritage of Luang Prabang,” said Liu Hegeng, General Manager, Hotel Department of Sanher Investment & Development Co. Ltd.

Malaysia as Southeast Asia’s Operational Headquarters

Jin Jiang Hotels mark the first large-scale international expansion, with Malaysia, currently serving as ASEAN Chair, selected as the headquarters for RJJ Hotels. In 2024, Malaysia welcomed over 25 million international tourists, and over the next three years, it will host major regional events including the ASEAN Summit, Visit Malaysia 2026, and the Southeast Asian Games, highlighting its role as a strategic hub for hospitality and investment.

“This partnership is a strong signal of confidence in the ASEAN hospitality market. RJJ is well placed to redefine cross-border hotel development by combining our regional management experience and local cultural insight with Jin Jiang Hotels’ sophisticated systems and brand strength,” said Mohammed Amin Mohammed Sidek, Executive Director of RJJ Hotels.

Through this collaboration, RJJ Hotels will manage five hotel brands under the Jin Jiang portfolio:

  • METROPOLO JINJIANG HOTELS – Upscale 4 & 5-star city hotels
  • GINCO HOTEL – Luxury 5-star resort
  • RENJOY HOTEL – Upscale 5-star resort
  • LAVANDE – Midscale business hotel
  • JINJIANG INN – Premium economy hotel

These brands are expected to anchor RJJ Hotels’ presence in key urban and leisure destinations, with discussions already underway with owners in Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Jakarta, Bali, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, and Manila.

Investor Conference and Launch Scheduled for August 2025

An investor conference launch event to mark the collaboration between RJJ Hotels and Jin Jiang Hotels is scheduled on 27th August, which will be held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), bringing together over 400 Chinese and regional investors, offering attendees a first-hand look at the quality of the Jin Jiang Hotel brands and learn of upcoming developments. Developers, hotel owners, suppliers, and investors are invited to attend and explore partnership opportunities. The event will also introduce the Jin Jiang Global Purchasing Platform (GPP) in Southeast Asia. Managed by NOVAC Hospitality Sdn. Bhd., GPP will provide streamlined access to Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) as well as Operating Supplies and Equipment (OS&E), offering cost savings, quality consistency, and faster rollouts to support regional expansion.

For more information about RJJ Hotels, please log on to http://www.rjjhotels.com. To express interest or request an invitation to the event, please send an email to enquiry@rjjhotels.com.

Jin Jiang Hotels China Region

Jin Jiang Hotels China Region forms part of Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels (Group) Company Limited—a leading hotel group in China. Jin Jiang Hotels oversee the operations and brand development of several of the group’s homegrown brands, including Metropolo, Lavande, and Jinjiang Inn, focusing on the select-service and mid- to upscale segments. As of its latest reporting, Jin Jiang Hotels owns and/or manages over 17,300 hotels with more than 1.64 million guest rooms over 55 countries, serving the high-end, mid-range, and economy markets. Through its network, which includes brands under Radisson Hotel Group, Groupe du Louvre, Plateno Group, and Vienna Hotel Group, the group supports a global loyalty programme exceeding 200 million members. For more information on the company, log onto https://www.jinjianghotels.com.cn/.   

About RJJ Hotels Sdn. Bhd.

RJJ Hotels is a subsidiary of RIYAZ International Sdn. Bhd – a full-service hotel management company – oversees the operations of a collection of signature resorts regionally, including the vibrant dash brand. Competently led by a team of versatile individuals, RJJ Hotels not only specializes in hotel management, but also incorporates an International standard design team to curate innovative spaces that go above and beyond the standard experiences. For more information on the group, log onto http://www.rjjhotels.com & www.riyaz-hotels.com