Zerohedge

The artificial intelligence race to outperform Chinese DeepSeek intensified on Tuesday as Alibaba unveiled Qwen3, a family of open-source large language models. Goldman analysts told clients the new LLMs represent a continued boom in China’s AI space.

On Tuesday, the Qwen team published a blog post on its website announcing the results of Qwen3-235B-A22B, showing that the flagship model achieved competitive results in benchmark evaluations of coding, math, general capabilities, etc., when compared to other LLMs, including DeepSeek-R1, o1, o3-mini, Grok-3, and Gemini-2.5-Pro. 

According to Qwen, Qwen3-235B-A22B transitions between a “thinking mode” and a “non-thinking mode” in a hybrid approach to problem-solving. 

I seriously cannot believe this is a 0.6B LLM! 🤯@Alibaba_Qwen just released Qwen3, a series of hybrid reasoning models that allow you to control how much “thinking” the model does for a given task.

They can even run locally in your browser on WebGPU with 🤗 Transformers.js! pic.twitter.com/jnjWanObw9

— Xenova (@xenovacom) April 29, 2025

Goldman analysts Ronald Keung, Timothy Zhao, and colleagues commented on the rise of China’s AI models like Qwen, outlining seven key observations for clients after reviewing the Qwen3-235B-A22B:

1. Its leading benchmarking results for its flagship model (Qwen3-235B-A22B) in coding, math etc. vs. other top-tier models DeepSeek-R1, o1, etc.,

2. further improved performance alongside lower inference cost, with the smaller MoE model (Qwen3-30B-A3B) offering higher performance with much less activated parameters,

3. its smaller models allow for flexibility of local deployment and edge applications across mobile devices, smart glasses, autonomus vehicles, robotics etc.,

4. integrated thinking (complex reasoning) and non-thinking (instant responses) modes, offering users/enterprises to dynamically manage the inference costs.

5. expanded pre-training dataset for Qwen3 (36tn token, vs. 18tn token of Qwen2.5),

6. more AI agentic capabilities with support of MCP (model context protocol), and

7. global accessibility, supporting 119 languages and dialects. Separately, Alibaba Cloud announced earlier at its 2025 AI conference on April 9 where API calls for AI models on Alibaba Cloud surged nearly 100X in Jan 2025 vs. Dec 2024, while the number of enterprises integrated with the PAI model platform has also grown 100X to over 10k vs. last year

The analysts are “Buy” rated on BABA with a 12-month price target of $159 “on stabilizing domestic eCommerce profits and fast Alibaba Cloud revenue growth being China’s largest cloud hyperscaler, with leading AI models and diverse application scenarios.”

The race for more efficient LLMs will likely lead Washington to continue tightening chip exports to curb China’s advances, especially with developments from DeepSeek and Alibaba. US exports of Nvidia’s H20 AI chips were recently banned, while US-blacklisted Chinese Huawei Technologies said Monday that it’s testing its new powerful AI chips that exceed the performance of H100s. 

“Alibaba’s release of the Qwen 3 series further underscores the strong capabilities of Chinese labs to develop highly competitive, innovative, and open-source models, despite mounting pressure from tightened U.S. export controls,” Washington-based analyst Ray Wang told CNBC. 

Wang warned: “The U.S.-China AI race, the gap between American and Chinese labs has narrowed—likely to a few months, and some might argue, even to just weeks.” 

“With the latest release of Qwen 3 and the upcoming launch of DeepSeek’s R2, this gap is unlikely to widen—and may even continue to shrink,” he noted.

In markets, the Nasdaq 100 began spiraling lower just a week or so after DeepSeek’s R1 was launched in late January. 

What happens to the Nasdaq on a DeepSeek’s R2 launch? 

Well, for one thing, we know peak data center capacity has likely arrived:

• Wells Fargo Analysts Say Amazon Paused Some Data Center Lease Commitments

• Goldman Throws Cold Water On AI Hype, Moves Forward Datacenter Peak Forecast

. . .

Authored by Jihoon Yu via RealClearDefense,

North Korea’s recent unveiling of the Choe Hyon-class multipurpose destroyer signals a major transformation in its naval strategy, carrying profound and complex implications for regional and global security. The construction of this 5,000-ton warship marks a deliberate departure from Pyongyang’s traditional coastal defense doctrine, historically centered around small, fast attack craft optimized for littoral engagements. Instead, the new platform reflects an ambition to project power across broader maritime domains, signaling a strategic evolution towards an expeditionary, blue-water navy.

The enhanced operational radius provided by the Choe Hyon-class destroyer enables North Korea to extend its naval presence well beyond the Korean Peninsula, threatening key maritime routes and complicating the operational calculus of South Korea, Japan, and the United States. If this platform eventually secures the ability to launch nuclear-armed ballistic and cruise missiles, it would represent a transformative leap in Pyongyang’s deterrence posture. Equipped with vertical launch system (VLS), the destroyer could then field a diverse arsenal capable of targeting both land and sea-based assets across considerable distances, significantly elevating the strategic risks in the region.

If North Korea’s ongoing efforts to enhance its nuclear capabilities eventually lead to the deployment of nuclear warheads on this platform, the strategic landscape would be further destabilized. Sea-based nuclear platforms would introduce a new layer of strategic complexity. Unlike land-based missile systems, which are more readily tracked and targeted, mobile maritime platforms are inherently more elusive, complicating preemptive strike options and missile defense architectures. This mobility would grant North Korea a potent second-strike capability, eroding confidence in the stability of existing deterrence frameworks. As a result, adversaries may face greater difficulty in distinguishing between conventional and nuclear threats during a crisis, increasing the risk of inadvertent escalation.

The strategic implications would become even more acute if North Korea succeeds in complementing this surface capability with the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) capable of launching submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Should Pyongyang succeed in fielding a credible SSBN (ballistic missile submarine) fleet, it would possess a survivable nuclear deterrent, fundamentally altering the strategic balance in Northeast Asia. Reports suggest that North Korea’s SSN program has received clandestine assistance, possibly from Russia, accelerating its timeline and technological sophistication.

The unveiling of the Choe Hyon-class destroyer must also be seen within the broader context of North Korea’s doctrinal shift toward proactive military operations. Moving away from a historically reactive defense posture, Pyongyang appears increasingly willing to embrace preemptive, offensive maritime strategies aimed at undermining U.S. and allied freedom of navigation in the region. This trajectory raises the possibility of North Korea seeking to impose a regional anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy, leveraging both land- and sea-based assets to constrain allied operational flexibility in a crisis.

Such developments risk fueling a maritime arms race in Northeast Asia, prompting South Korea, Japan, and the United States to accelerate investments in naval modernization, undersea warfare capabilities, and integrated missile defenses. Yet simply matching North Korea platform-for-platform would be insufficient. Addressing the broader strategic challenge requires a comprehensive approach that enhances maritime domain awareness, strengthens alliance interoperability, and builds layered missile defenses capable of countering both conventional and nuclear threats. Enhanced investment in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, the deployment of more resilient undersea surveillance systems, the expansion of joint maritime exercises, and the establishment of rapid-reaction maritime forces will also be critical to preempt and deter potential provocations. In particular, South Korea should seriously consider pursuing its own nuclear-powered submarine program to enhance its underwater operational endurance and strategic deterrence, thereby reinforcing its ability to respond flexibly to the evolving undersea threat environment.

Ultimately, the deployment of advanced platforms like the Choe Hyon-class destroyer reflects not merely a technical upgrade, but a profound recalibration of North Korea’s strategic ambitions. Pyongyang is no longer content to deter adversaries solely through the threat of land-based nuclear retaliation; it seeks to establish itself as a maritime power capable of projecting coercive influence across the Indo-Pacific. If left unaddressed, North Korea’s evolving naval capabilities could significantly erode regional stability and embolden Pyongyang’s broader strategic calculus. A coordinated, multidimensional response from the United States, South Korea, Japan, and other regional stakeholders—encompassing deterrence, defense, diplomacy, and sustained pressure on North Korea’s illicit networks—is urgently required to mitigate these emerging threats and preserve a credible deterrence posture.

Jihoon Yu is a research fellow and the director of external cooperation at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. Jihoon was the member of Task Force for South Korea’s light aircraft carrier project and Jangbogo-III submarine project. He is the main author of the ROK Navy’s Navy Vision 2045. His area of expertise includes the ROK-US alliance, the ROK-Europe security cooperation, inter-Korean relations, national security, maritime security, and maritime strategy. He earned his MA in National Security Affairs from the US Naval Postgraduate School and PhD in Political Science from Syracuse University.

Authored by Daniel Y. Teng and Naziya Alvi Rahman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Australia’s population is now more multicultural than ever, with over 8.6 million residents born overseas—about 31.5 percent of the total population.

The biggest surge came from India, which is expected to surpass the UK as the top country of birth for migrants later this year.

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that in 2025, there were 963,560 migrants from the UK, 916,330 from India, 700,120 from China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), 617,960 from New Zealand, and 394,380 from the Philippines.

This was followed by Vietnam (318,760), South Africa (224,160), Nepal (197,800), Malaysia (183,490), and Sri Lanka (172,800).

Overall, the proportion of overseas migrants has steadily increased over recent decades from 23.8 percent in 2004 to 31.5 percent in 2024.

Globally, Australia ranked eighth in terms of the number of international migrants. The United States topped the list with 52.4 million overseas-born residents.

How It Breaks Down

Migration from Europe has steadily declined over the years, with Asian countries becoming the dominant source of new arrivals.

India migration has continued to surge with an additional 505,000 people entering Australia in the decade from 2014 to 2024, followed by China (234,000), the Philippines (164,000), and Nepal (155,000).

“India’s demographics, coupled with its skilled workforce and a high demand for international education, have made Australia a preferred destination,” said Annathurai Gnanasambandam, director of Visa Help Australia, in an interview with The Epoch Times.

On the flipside, the UK recorded the largest decrease in migrants, with 47,000 fewer individuals entering Australia from 2014 to 2024, followed by Italy (44,000), Greece (28,000), and Germany (18,000).

The average median age of European migrants is 60 years and over, reflecting the post-World War II migration trend.

Which Cities?

The demographic make-up of each state and territory differs as well.

In New South Wales, Chinese migrants were the largest source of overseas residents, followed by the British and Indians, according to the 2021 Census.

In Victoria, Indian migration was the largest by far, outstripping Chinese migration by about 90,000 individuals.

In Queensland, New Zealanders and British were the largest overseas communities, followed by Indians and Chinese.

The British were the biggest contributors to Western Australia and Tasmania.

Population Growth a Contentious Issue

Migration has continued to be a sensitive subject as Australians struggle with housing affordability.

The Coalition has accused the Albanese government of mismanaging immigration, with net overseas migration for 2023–24 forecast to reach 340,000—80,000 higher than initial estimates.

Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan blamed Labor for “consistently overshooting” forecasts and pledged to cut permanent migration from 185,000 to 140,000 if elected.

But Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended the government’s position, pointing out that net migration was declining.

“It’s now at its lowest point since the pandemic,” he said, adding the system is being rebalanced to serve Australia’s national interest.

Just one week ago, China seemingly couldn’t get enough of gold, and the price of spot briefly touched a record $3500 as a result of, among other things, staggering inflows into Chinese gold ETFs such as the Huaan Yifu, Bosera and Guotai gold ETFs.

But, as with all things momentum-based in China, it’s easy come, easy go in the land of Dragons, and as Goldman commodity trader Adam Gillard writes, China liquidated what it bought last week ahead of the Labor Day holiday, resulting in total onshore positioning now 5% off the ATH. And while China’s share of total open interest remains on the highs at ~40%, upward momentum may have peaked for the time being.

Here is the story of Chinese gold buying… and then selling, in five charts.

Last Tuesday (22nd April) gold made an ATH as China added 1.2mn oz of positioning across SGE and SHFE, on record volume….

… so fast forward to today, when China liquidated a near-record 1mn oz across SHFE and SGE, reversing the entire April 22 blow-off top.

… although the ETF was largely unchanged

… Resulting in total Chinese positioning now ~5% off the ATH .

And the paper (spec) import arbitrage ~$20/oz off the highs

According to Gillard, who confirms our recent observation that all recent price moves take place exclusively around the time China opens…

China opens and gold soars to new record high https://t.co/z61bLLj4Y9 pic.twitter.com/bwLH49On8X

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 16, 2025

… China is having a disproportionate impact on price because they execute during an illiquid part of the day (Asia morning) which likely triggers ex China CTA trading signals. Sure enough, gold is dumping in early Asian trading to the lowest level in 2 weeks.

More int the full Goldman note available to pro subs.

Authored by Sam Dorman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 29 over whether the FBI should be protected from a civil suit over its mistaken raiding of a Georgia couple’s home in 2017.

In the early morning hours of Oct. 18, 2017, FBI Special Agent Lawrence Guerra mistakenly believed he had arrived at a gang member’s home to execute a search warrant. Instead, he smashed through the door of a different home—that of Hilliard Toi Cliatt and his partner, Curtrina Martin.

According to their petition to the Supreme Court, Cliatt pulled Martin into a walk-in closet while her 7-year-old son hid under his bed covers. Guerra eventually realized he had gone to the wrong address, and after raiding the correct home, returned to apologize at the home he had mistakenly raided.

Although Guerra had conducted a pre-dawn drive-by in preparation, court filings state that the GPS directed them to a different home. The address of Cliatt’s and Martin’s home was not on the house itself but was instead on the mailbox and “is not visible from the street,” according to the Justice Department’s filing.

During oral arguments on April 29, the Supreme Court weighed whether Martin and Cliatt should be able to sue the government. A law known as the Federal Tort Claims Act generally allows individuals to sue the government for certain acts, such as assault, false arrest, or abuse of process. It includes an exception, however, for legal claims involving the government’s discretion in performing a particular duty or function.

This was the caveat the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit cited in refusing to allow the couple’s lawsuit to proceed. Martin and Cliatt, however, pointed to a provision added to the law in 1974 after mistaken raids in Collinsville, Illinois. That provision allowed legal arguments by plaintiffs based on “acts or omissions of investigative or law enforcement officers of the United States Government.”

The justices’ line of questioning on April 29 indicated they would remand or send the case back to the appeals court with a narrow win for the couple that entailed more consideration by another judge.

At one point, Justice Neil Gorsuch seemed incredulous at some of the comments made by Assistant to the Solicitor General Frederick Liu, who suggested that the FBI agents’ mistakes were protected as an attempt to exercise discretion. Liu argued that because there was no specific policy directing the FBI agent not to search a house other than the suspect’s, he retained some level of legal protection.

“No policy says don’t break down the wrong house—door of a house … don’t traumatize its occupants, really?” Gorsuch asked.

Liu said that while the United States’ policy “of course” is to execute warrants at the correct house, “stating the policy at that high level of generality doesn’t foreclose or prescribe any particular action and how an officer goes about identifying the right house.” He went on to suggest that officers may need to consider things such as public safety and efficiency when determining whether to take an “extra precaution” to ensure they’re at the right house.

Gorsuch interjected, saying, “You might look at the address of the house before you knock down the door.”

“Yes,” Liu responded, adding, “that sort of decision is filled with policy tradeoffs.”

Gorsch interrupted, asking, “Really?”

After Liu said that checking the house number at the end of the driveway could expose agents to potential lines of fire, Gorsuch asked, “How about making sure you’re on the right street … checking the street sign? Is that too much?”

Liu told Justice Sonia Sotomayor that the 1974 addition removed one layer of protection for officers but allowed another layer to stay in place.

“That is so ridiculous,” Sotomayor said. “Congress is looking at the Collinsville raid and providing a remedy to people who have been wrongfully raided, and you’re now saying, no, they really didn’t want to protect them fully.”

An increasing number of “zombie” or “phantom” oil tankers—vessels that assume the identities of scrapped ships—have emerged off Venezuela’s coast, allowing dark fleet operators to circumvent U.S. trade restrictions on global oil transport. 

According to a Bloomberg report, one of these zombie tankers was recently spotted off the waters of Malaysia after a two-month voyage from Venezuela, raising many red flags. 

The report describes how dark fleet operators transform tankers into floating zombies:

The vessel raised some red flags: it was 32 years old, past the age at which it would normally have been scrapped, and it was sailing under the flag of Comoros, a popular flag of convenience that makes ships harder to monitor.

For all intents and purposes, though, it seemed like any other so-called dark fleet tanker that carries barrels of sometimes sanctioned oil from producers like Russia, Iran and Venezuela. Except it wasn’t.

The real Varada, which wasn’t sanctioned, had actually been demolished in Bangladesh in 2017. This vessel was what’s known as a zombie or phantom ship, which take on the identities of scrapped tankers to appear legitimate and avoid scrutiny from authorities in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Bloomberg investigators obtained ship-tracking data and satellite imagery showing that at least four zombie tankers have been involved in the Venezuelan oil trade with Asia. At the same time, the Trump administration ramped up maximum pressure, forcing Western oil firms to withdraw from the country. 

Last week, John Hurley, a hedge fund veteran who’s been nominated to lead the Treasury Department’s terrorism and financial intelligence arm, warned about “consequences” for any nation that purchases Venezuelan oil.

Hurley would enforce President Trump’s executive order, which could impose 25% tariffs on countries that purchase crude from Venezuela.

“President Trump is sending a clear message that access to our economy is a privilege, not a right, and countries importing Venezuelan oil will face consequences,” Hurley wrote in responses to questions from the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. 

Bloomberg first reported zombie tankers in September and November last year, and maritime intelligence analysts have been paying attention.

“Zombie ships are the third way,” Starboard analyst Mark Douglas said, adding, “The thinking is like: ‘I can’t afford to run my own system, so I’ll use another ship’s identity to get that oil from point A to point B.'”

Using a dark fleet network and zombie tankers, China has quietly become the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil. Perhaps tariffs alone will fall short—maybe Hurley’s strategy will involve slapping Beijing in the face with sanctions. 

Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Mexico’s delinquent water deliveries, in violation of an 81-year-old treaty with the United States, have exposed years of “blind eye” policies, rapid population growth, and hydrological changes, according to an expert at the U.S. Army War College.

Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American studies at the college’s Strategic Studies Institute, told The Epoch Times that recent tensions over Mexico’s delinquent water deliveries have come from “years of looking the other way” on the part of the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump has requested that the United States’ southern neighbor honor its obligation to deliver 1.3 million acre-feet of water to Texas. The amount totals almost 70 percent of a five-year water commitment that’s due in October.

“Just last month, I halted water shipments to Tijuana until Mexico complies with the 1944 Water Treaty,” Trump wrote in an April 10 post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Under the reciprocal agreement, Mexico is expected to send the United States 1.75 million acre-feet of water over a five-year cycle. That’s an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water each year. The water deliveries primarily come from six tributaries of the Rio Grande, and are stored in the Amistad and Falcon international reservoirs along the river.

One acre-foot of water—one acre of water at a depth of one foot—is roughly enough to fill half of an Olympic-size swimming pool. Mexico’s average annual obligation is enough water to supply 700,000 to 1 million Texas households for a year.

In exchange, the United States agreed to provide Mexico with 1.5 million acre-feet of water from the Colorado River each year—differing from Mexico’s five-year cycle.

The Tijuana shipments that Trump said were halted were part of a non-treaty water request from Mexico.

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere affairs said the United States denied such a request for the first time since the treaty was signed because of Mexico’s noncompliance with its water obligations.

“Mexico’s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture—particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley,” the State Department wrote in a statement on social media platform X on March 20.

According to the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), which handles issues related to the 1944 treaty, Mexico has failed to meet its five-year delivery obligations three times since 1992. Each of those debts was carried over to the following cycle and ultimately paid.

Mexico also fell short in average minimum annual deliveries within the 2002–2007 and the 2015–2020 cycles. Those shortfalls were met very close to the end of the cycles—in 2020, within just three days of the deadline.

Although the deliveries were ultimately fulfilled, the unpredictable nature of water deliveries from the Rio Grande has impacted water users on both sides of the border.

The current cycle for both countries ends in October, but according to IBWC data, by March 29, just 28 percent—or less than 500,000 acre-feet of water—of Mexico’s water obligation had been delivered.

In response to a query about how much of the United States’ water commitment to Mexico has been met, IBWC public affairs chief Frank Fisher cited an agency graph showing that the United States had met about half of its 2025 commitment as of April 19.

In November 2024, the two countries agreed to a treaty amendment that would give Mexico more ways to meet its water obligation. Those options include providing water from the San Juan and Alamo rivers, which are not part of the Rio Grande tributaries specified in the treaty. The agreement also set up a working group to explore other sources of water.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a news conference on April 11, the day after Trump’s social media post announcing a delivery stoppage, that she expected an agreement in the coming days “that will allow the treaty to be fulfilled.” She called the treaty “fair.”

Sheinbaum told reporters that there would be “an immediate delivery of a certain number of millions of cubic meters that can be provided according to the water availability in the Rio Grande.”

In response to a query about whether Mexico had made that delivery, the State Department confirmed that Mexico had committed to making an immediate transfer of water, but it did not confirm that the delivery had been made.

The State Department stated on April 28 that the two countries had committed to developing “a long-term plan to reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts—including through additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on water deliveries that take into consideration the needs of Texas users.”

Sheinbaum has blamed her country’s increasingly delinquent water shipments on extended periods of drought that have affected the Rio Grande.

“Talks are underway with the governors of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Chihuahua to reach a joint agreement to determine how much water can be delivered … without affecting Mexican producers, while also complying with the 1944 treaty,” Sheinbaum said during a news conference on April 15, referring to three Mexican states that border Texas. The Rio Grande serves as the international boundary.

Historically, Mexican farmers have contested attempts to increase water deliveries to the United States for fear of losing their crops.

In September 2020—before an October delivery deadline—farmers in Mexico’s Chihuahua state, which borders New Mexico and Texas, were involved in heated protests over government attempts to deliver 378 cubic meters of water to the United States, claiming that their livelihoods were at stake amid severe drought conditions. One protester was killed in clashes with the Mexican National Guard.

Downstream Dilemma

Maria-Elena Giner, then-commissioner of the IBWC’s U.S. division, told The Epoch Times on April 18 that the division is “in close contact with the administration regarding the need for Mexico to commit to predictable and reliable Rio Grande water deliveries.”

“We have continued to request that Mexico make monthly deliveries and provide a specific plan outlining how they intend to make up their historic shortfall in the next five-year cycle,” Giner said.

“At the same time, we are doing everything we can to assist impacted south Texas stakeholders, including alerting growers and irrigation districts about available federal and local resources and sharing our historical data on Rio Grande hydrology.”

Giner, a Biden appointee, resigned on April 21. She will be succeeded by William “Chad” McIntosh, who previously served as acting deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under administrator Lee Zeldin.

The 1944 water agreement between the United States and Mexico was struck at a time when groundwater was abundant, and droughts weren’t as lengthy. Both nations agreed to share water from two rivers that help define the international border: the Colorado River and the Rio Grande.

Like the Rio Grande in Mexico, the Colorado River in the United States has faced extreme drought in recent years.

Since 2000, the Colorado River, which originates in the Rockies and joins Mexico at the California–Arizona border, has experienced a “historic, extended drought” that has taken a heavy toll on regional water supplies.

At the same time, population and agricultural growth in Colorado River Basin states have grown exponentially over the two decade period.

Currently, the Colorado River Basin provides water to an estimated 40 million residents in seven U.S. states and irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland.

Read the rest here…

A “superbike for the skies” has officially emerged from stealth mode, drawing striking parallels to the iconic speeder bikes from the early 1980s sci-fi classic Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

Poland-based startup Volonaut unveiled a single-seater jet-powered hoverbike that clocks in speeds in excess of 124 mph. 

“The futuristic single occupant vehicle is a realization of a bold concept often portrayed in science-fiction movies – this is where the inspiration came from many years ago and with time became the obsession to its creator,” the company wrote in an emailed response. 

Volonaut noted, “Thanks to Airbike’s extremely compact size and no spinning propellers it can travel through most confined areas with ease.”

The startup dripped a teaser video ahead of the release on Tuesday…  

Getting ready to unveil the world’s first real-world speeder bike.
Airbike transforming science-fiction into reality.

Stay tuned for the official launch video soon. pic.twitter.com/FMRqCtVXZY

— Volonaut (@Volonaut) April 26, 2025

Followed by the official launch video on Wednesday, titled “Meet the Airbike.” 

Meet the Airbike – Your personal hoverbike straight from the Future!

The Volonaut Airbike flying motorbike is a breakthrough in personal air mobility. pic.twitter.com/ofa744ZYSG

— Volonaut (@Volonaut) April 30, 2025

What’s better than electric spinning blades?  Volonaut demonstrates how jet propulsion will be the future. 

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zevaskyn, a gene therapy for a rare skin disorder, the company that makes the product said on April 29.

Regulators approved Zevaskyn for adults and children with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a disorder that leaves skin fragile and prone to blistering.

Severe cases of the disorder can result in loss of vision and other serious medical issues, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa has no cure.

Zevaskyn is the first cell-based gene therapy to receive approval for the condition. Abeona Therapeutics, which makes the therapy, said it only requires one application.

“Through a single surgical application, Zevaskyn can now offer people with [the condition] the opportunity for wound healing and pain reduction in even the most severe wounds,” Vish Seshadri, Abeona’s CEO, said in a statement.

Seshadri thanked participants in the company’s clinical studies, including a phase 3 trial that showed people who received the therapy experienced statistically significant improvement in healing, compared with a control group that received the standard of care.

Adverse events included itching.

“Zevaskyn was well-tolerated and efficacious in clinical studies, providing clinically meaningful improvements in wound healing, pain reduction, and other associated symptoms,” Dr. Jean Tang, a professor of dermatology who was the trial’s principal investigator, said in a statement.

Zevaskyn involves taking a patient’s skin cells and genetically modifying the cells to produce collagen. Up to 12 of the resulting cellular sheets are then surgically applied to a patient’s wounds.

The FDA did not return a request for comment.

Brett Kopelan, the executive director of Debra of America, which advocates for people with epidermolysis bullosa, expressed support for Zevaskyn, saying in a statement released by Abeona that the therapy “can significantly increase the quality of life of patients.”

Abeona said it expects Zevaskyn to be available starting in the third quarter of 2025. Patients seeking the therapy can receive it through Zevaskyn-qualified treatment centers.

About 3.3 per million people are affected by recessive and dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, according to the National Library of Medicine. The condition is caused by mutations in a gene called COL7A1. The mutations disrupt the body’s production of type VII collagen. That’s the collagen that Zevaskyn produces.

Two treatments are currently available. The Food and Drug Administration approved Vyjuvek, a gene therapy from Krystal Biotech, in 2023. The gel is applied to wounds regularly, typically once a week.

Filsuvez, also approved in 2023, and made by Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, can also be used. The gel, which contains birch bark, is also applied to wounds.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled 100 actions the agency has undertaken since Trump’s inauguration to “power the American comeback.”

“The Trump Administration’s first one hundred days have been historic. The American public made themselves heard last November, and we are delivering on this mandate. Promises made, promises kept. At EPA, we are doing our part to Power the Great American Comeback. To mark this momentous day, we are proudly highlighting 100 environmental actions we have taken since January 20th to protect human health and the environment,” Zeldin said in a video post reported by Breitbart.

To mark the 100th day of President Trump’s second term, @EPA is proudly highlighting 100 environmental actions we have taken since January 20th to protect human health and the environment.

Clean air, land, and water for ALL Americans! pic.twitter.com/CdTX1w6bJZ

— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) April 30, 2025

The EPA was established by President Richard Nixon in 1970, tasking the agency with two missions; promoting clear air and water, and reducing pollution from waste disposal and other hazards. According to Zeldin, the agency has refocused on its primary mission of ensuring clean air and water instead of pushing “climate change religion.”

“Here are a few top highlights: To protect our nation’s waters, we updated water quality standards for 38 miles of the Delaware River to protect critical fish species and keep the river clean. We approved a plan to further restore and protect the Long Island Sound over the next decade. We also developed a method to detect 40 different PFAS in surface water, ground water and wastewater,” Zeldin said, adding “Our team completed one of three in-water cleanups at the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site and revised the 2025 Idaho Water Quality Performance Partnership with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. To ensure clean air for all Americans, we demanded answers from an unregulated geoengineering start-up, Make Sunsets, that has been launching sulfur dioxide into the air to receive ‘cooling credits.'”

According to Taylor Rogers, an assistant White House press secretary, the Trump administration and Zeldin have “taken monumental steps to quickly remove toxins from our water and environment, provide clean land for Americans, and use common-sense policies to Power the Great American Comeback.”

Here are the 100 actions the EPA has undertaken via Breitbart;

1. Issued immediate action items for Mexico to permanently end the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

2. Responded quickly to a citizen complaint about discharges into New York’s Hutchinson River; inspected and ordered corrective action.

3. Developed a Clean Water Act permit for hotels, condominiums, and apartment complexes to protect water quality in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

4. Finalized Arkansas 2022 Section 303(d) list assessing statewide water quality.

5. Approved Kansas Triennial Water Quality Standards Package.

6. Approved Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan in South Dakota to protect Big Sioux River quality from E. coli.

7. Announced plans to finalize outdated clean water standards for 38 miles of the Delaware River.

8. Approved removal of the Drinking Water Beneficial Use Impairment in Wisconsin’s Green Bay and Fox River Area of Concern.

9. Advanced Navajo Nation’s first in the country water permitting (“Treatment as a State”) authority.

10. Completed Phase 1 hazardous materials clean up after the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires. EPA cleared 13,612 residential properties and 305 commercial properties, and removed 645 electric and hybrid vehicles and 420 energy storage systems in under 30 days.

11. Supported redevelopment at 21 Superfund sites across 13 states.

12. Completed a contaminated site cleanup in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, and Stratford, Connecticut.

13. Oversaw U.S. Navy’s time-critical removal of 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil at the Naval Education Training Center Superfund Site in Newport, Rhode Island.

14. Cleared all or a portion of 4 sites from the Superfund National Priorities List.

15. Cut two years from the cleanup timeline at West Lake Landfill, a Superfund site in St. Louis, Missouri.

16. Completed 55 property cleanups at Region 8 Brownfields. This is 31% of the national goal and 131% of Region 8’s Fiscal Year 2025 goal.

17. Completed laboratory work required for selecting a remedy at Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site in Pennsylvania. EPA collected 1500 sediment and water samples.

18. Responded to a mercury incident in Fremont, Ohio; safely removed and disposed of a 60-pound overpack and 15-pound bucket containing jars of elemental mercury and mercury containing devices.

19. Provided air monitoring support at the Chicago Magnesium Casting Co. after a large magnesium fire.

20. Completed Emergency Removal Action at the Marion Ohio Mercury Spill site in Ohio.

21. Oversaw Navy cleanup operations at Red Hill Fuel Facility in Hawaii, including removal of all sludge and pressure washing at two 12.5 million-gallon tanks.

22. Developed a method to detect 40 PFAS compounds in water sources.

23. Finalized eight Water Quality Standard Actions for Region 6 states.

24. Completed a second round of PFAS sampling at Region 7 Tribal Drinking Water Systems.

25. Provided interim PFAS lab certification for Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC).

26. Signed an agreement to connect Joint Base Lewis-McChord residences to municipal water system if PFAS exceeds standards.

27. Started Final Remedial Actions for Jackson Ceramix Superfund in Falls Creek Borough, Pennsylvania, with construction to begin in the Spring of 2025.

28. Provided training to help New Mexico administer the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, a permit program established by EPA under the Clean Water Act to regulate water pollution by controlling point sources that discharge pollutants into U.S. waters.

29. Coordinated PFAS drinking water well sampling around Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

30. Utilized EPA lab Method 522 to test tribal drinking water systems for PFAS; performed 62 analyses.

31. Completed lead testing assistance (3T’s Protocol) for Puerto Rico schools and childcare facilities.

32. Reviewed 29 public water systems that had lead action level exceedance notifications in Region 4.

33. Completed 25 State Implementation Plans allowing environmental requirements to go into effect faster, 16 of which were backlogged from the previous Administration.

34. Finalized air quality rulemaking in the Washington D.C. Area ensuring ozone compliance.

35. Conducted ambient air monitoring technical system audits (TSAs) across Region 9.

36. Upgraded the RadNet monitoring station in Edison, New Jersey, to detect airborne radioactivity.

37. Awarded $165,000 to San Diego Air Pollution Control District for air filters and $1.26M for hydrogen sulfide monitoring to address air quality at the border and concerns with sulfur odors from Tijuana River sewage.

38. Promoted clean air quality compliance for new chip manufacturing projects in Phoenix, Arizona.

39. 27 Brownfields sites were made Ready for Anticipated Use, boosting property values and economic opportunities in Hartshorne, Oklahoma, Minden, Louisiana, West Memphis, Arkansas, and more.

40. Completed 107 assessments of Brownfield properties in Region 7, which is 82% of their Fiscal Year 2025 goal.

41. Achieved 21 contaminated Brownfield redevelopment successes in Region 9.

42. Held a Superfund Job Training at Missouri’s Ozark Correctional Center.

43. Completed review of 81 New Chemicals to ensure they are safe for human health and the environment.

44. Conducted a safety review of 14 pesticides to set tolerances to support a safe and reliable food supply.

45. Approved 48 pesticides to provide growers with necessary tools while ensuring appropriate restrictions were imposed to protect human health, the environment, and endangered species.

46. Proposed 35 significant new use rules (SNURs) for chemical oversight to ensure chemicals do not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment.

47. Led a Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Week-In-Residence Enforcement Training event for newly hired state inspectors to equip new inspectors with the knowledge necessary to uphold consistent inspection standards.

48. Blocked illegal pesticide imports totaling over 200,000 pounds across multiple regions.

49. Announced approval of Texas’s clean-air plan to address vehicle emissions and improve air quality in the San Antonio area.

50. Issued amended PCB risk-based disposal approvals to expedite repairs at public schools.

51. Led a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) State Authorization Conference to strengthen the hazardous waste program across all states.

52. Sent mobile drinking water lab to flood-impacted Eastern Kentucky.

53. Cleared more than 1,700 orphan containers of oil, propane, and other hazardous materials from land and waterways around the French Broad River after Hurricane Helene.

54. Tested over 1,500 private wells in North Carolina’s Buncombe and Watauga counties.

55. Assisted in restoring drinking water service to 150,000 people in North Carolina.

56. Concluded 297 enforcement cases reducing 15 million pounds of pollution.

57. Superfund enforcement secured $296 million worth of cleanups addressing more than 700,000 cubic yards of contamination.

58. Completed cleanup at Metals Refining Co. hazardous waste site in Indiana after discovering thirty-two, 55-gallon drums most of which were damaged and some leaking and an additional 200 to 300 miscellaneous containers of hazardous waste.

59. Removed approximately 10,000 tons of soil and debris contaminated with asbestos containing material from an unsecured 10-acre property in Indiana.

60. Collaborated to replace lead-contaminated soil at Atlanta’s Lindsay Street Park.

61. Analyzed children’s blood lead data to improve South Dakota lead prevention efforts.

62. Supported tribal waste management programs with multiple trainings to address dangerous materials like refrigerants, mercury switches, PCBs, and petroleum components.

63. Conducted 6,000 1-on-1 engagements with communities impacted by fires.

64. Held 104 public meetings or community events for fire response updates.

65. Provided training, guidance, and support to monitor and cleanup Underground Storage Tanks on Navajo Nation lands.

66. Started cleanup of radium-contaminated soil at the Silbert Watch Co. Superfund Site in Elgin, Illinois.

67. Developed EPA Method TO-15 to analyze 65 toxic Volatile Organic Compounds in indoor and outdoor air in support of Superfund and Clean Air Act.

68. Supported Los Alamos National Lab in transporting hazardous tritium containers for cleanup.

69. Conducted lead contamination studies at the Bunker Hill Superfund site.

70. Completed the review of the Houston area Ozone Exceptional that allows the state to proceed with their Air Program planning and implementation.

71. Worked with U.S. Customs to stop illegal pesticide imports at multiple ports.

72. Blocked over 56,000 pounds of unregistered pesticide products from entering through Region 4 ports.

73. Provided technical assistance support to communities at 31 Superfund sites across the country.

74. Cleanup of the HPI Chemical Products in Missouri, where thousands of containers of pesticide and herbicide containing hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants were housed.

75. Began a Remedial Investigation of the Historic Potteries site in Trenton, New Jersey.

76. Completed 7 property cleanups in Brownfields in the First 100 Days in Region 7.

77. Approved updated Comprehensive Conservation & Management plan for the Long Island Sound Partnership, to further restore and protect the Sound.

78. Initiated sediment removal projects at the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site removing approximately 13,700 cubic yards of contaminated sediment.

79. Oversaw cleanups at tribal and local jurisdictions under CERCLA and Clean Water Act.

80. Supported redevelopment at the Mississippi Phosphate Superfund site with a new treatment plant.

81. Completed analysis for wood treating contaminants at 181 residential properties around the Union Pacific Railroad Superfund site in Houston, Texas, with seventy four percent found to be safe for use.

82. Managed post-disaster hazardous materials spills in Ohio and North Carolina.

83. Inspected and mitigated vapor intrusion impacting Los Angeles from a former Superfund site.

84. Obtained court settlement for cleanup work at the San Fernando Valley Superfund Site located in North Hollywood-Burbank to restore a critical drinking water supply for the city of Los Angeles.

85. Responded to hydraulic oil spill into a creek in Whitehouse, Ohio.

86. Supported voluntary cleanups under consent decrees.

87. Began a removal action in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to excavate and dispose of contaminated soil at three residential properties as part of a larger ongoing cleanup effort.

88. Approved eight plans for cleanup and disposal of toxic Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) materials to facilitate reuse and economic development across properties in New England.

89. Finalized Native Green Grow Air Permit for large greenhouse facility in North Dakota, providing the Tribe with food security.

90. Advanced Native American environmental oversight efforts.

91. Granted a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, for drinking water infrastructure to over 20% of Utah’s population while creating local jobs to support the projects.

92. Supported grant programs to monitor and clean up abandoned USTs.

93. Provided federal funds to conduct Highway 24 lead and arsenic clean up in Colorado.

94. Helped prevent spread of hazardous materials from warehouse fires including sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite, potassium cyanide, sodium cyanide, and lead.

95. Collaborated with fire rescue teams in North Carolina to retrieve containers from flooded rivers.

96. Provided technical guidance to local water operators, supporting efforts to restore and maintain drinking water systems and other essential services during Hurricane Helene Recovery efforts.

97. Completed all residential soil and indoor dust cleanup at the Colorado Smelter Superfund site.

98. Completed the 5-Year Review for Puerto Rico’s Corozal Superfund Site, paving the way for its deletion from the CERCLA Superfund National Priority List.

99. Submitted a demand for information to a start-up company called “Make Sunsets,” which is launching balloons filled with sulfur dioxide (SO2) seeking to geoengineer the planet and generate “cooling” credits to sell.

100. Announced major actions to combat PFAS contamination.