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Cybersecurity Market Forecast: Top Trends for Cybersecurity in 2025

January 9, 2025

In today’s digital world, cybersecurity is not just important — it’s essential.

The alarming rise in cyberattacks is fueling the demand for cybersecurity solutions; in 2024, we witnessed data breaches targeting large corporations such as AT&T (NYSE:T), Fidelity, Dell (NYSE:DELL) and Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW), and on January 1, 2025, the US accused China of hacking into the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Office of the Treasury Secretary.

Not only is the frequency of cyberattacks growing, but they are costing companies more. In 2023, an IBM (NSE:IBM) research report found that the average data breach cost in the previous year was US$4.45 million. A 2024 report reveals that the price of a data breach had risen to US$4.88 million between March 2023 and February 2024, attributed primarily to business disruption and post-breach recovery efforts.

As a result, 23.5 percent of organizations surveyed for IBM’s report said they would increase security investments following a breach, and 63 percent said they would raise the price of goods and services as a result of increased cybersecurity spending.

With cyber threats becoming increasingly sophisticated and the cost of breaches skyrocketing, what investment opportunities are available for those looking to capitalize on this critical and growing market?

Market research paints a compelling picture. MarketsAndMarkets projects the global cybersecurity market size will reach US$298.5 billion by 2028, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4 percent from 2022. Grand View Research sets the bar even higher, projecting a market value of US$500.7 billion by 2030.

Both firms highlight emerging opportunities in areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for threat detection and response.

North America, currently dominating the cybersecurity market, is poised for continued growth. In the US, Statista projects revenue growth at a CAGR of 7.12 percent between 2025 and 2029. Meanwhile, Mordor Intelligence estimates Canada’s cybersecurity sector will reach US$24.23 in value.

AI: Cybersecurity’s double-edged sword

AI advancements are changing the threat landscape, requiring AI-powered cybersecurity solutions. While AI offers powerful tools to combat cybercrime, it also empowers malicious actors with new and sophisticated methods of attack.

The IBM report highlighted a concerning trend: customer personally identifiable information (PII) remains the most common target for cybercriminals. AI amplifies the potential damage caused by PII breaches, as attackers now have more tools to leverage this information. The report also determined that, despite the benefits of AI and automation in reducing breach costs, only 12 percent of organizations say they have fully recovered from a data breach. Experts foresee AI-powered attacks — along with ransomware, supply chain attacks, deepfakes, and cloud jacking — as major cybersecurity threats in the coming years.

The ‘weaponization of AI’, such as the use of deepfakes and AI-replicated voices, also poses a growing threat, as Mark Fernandes, Global Chief Information Security Officer at CAE, emphasized at the Toronto Global Forum. This trend was substantiated in a report published by The Financial Times on January 1, 2025, that examined AI-generated phishing attempts targeting corporate executives.

Additionally, IBM found that shadow data, the unmanaged data within organizations, was involved in 35 percent of breaches and led to higher costs and longer breach lifecycles. To combat this, a multi-layered approach combining various technologies and strong data governance practices is crucial for effectively managing shadow data risks.

Modern cybersecurity programs leverage a combination of AI-powered solutions. AI-driven Attack Surface Management (ASM) provides continuous visibility into potential vulnerabilities, while AI-powered Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) automates threat detection. AI also enhances posture management by enabling automated red-teaming exercises to proactively identify weaknesses.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW), for example, offers a platform approach with Prisma Cloud, integrating AI across various security domains, including network security, cloud security and security operations. The company projects its security offerings will lead to continued growth in the second quarter of 2025 after expanding its offerings to the industrial sector and acquiring a cloud-based version of IBM’s AI-enabled QRadar SIEM

CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) progressively incorporated AI into its SIEM offering throughout 2024. The company unveiled new AI-powered functions for its Falcon Next-Gen SIEM platform in May 2024, then upgraded the model in July by integrating generative AI with its Falcon Complete Next-Gen MDR service, which co-monitors the IT environment with data collected by its SIEM system. Despite experiencing a major outage in July caused by a faulty update to the Falcon sensor software, CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform and AI integration earned the company the distinction of being named a leader and outperformer in the 2024 GigaOm Radar Report for Ransomware Prevention, with multiple research firms also recognizing CrowdStrike as an innovator in this sector.

Furthermore, AI can now automate red-teaming exercises, simulating attacks to identify vulnerabilities before real attackers do. In May 2024, IBM announced new X-Force Red testing services that leverage generative AI techniques to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.

AI-driven automation that continuously analyzes security posture and recommends improvements helps ensure optimized defenses. However, organizations must extend their security posture management to encompass the AI models themselves. In AI-powered applications, a rising security risk is prompt injection attacks, where attackers insert malicious instructions to control AI models. Recognizing this need, Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) acquired Robust Intelligence, a company specializing in protecting AI systems from vulnerabilities and attacks, in September 2024. According to a press release announcing the deal, the acquisition will “serve as a safety layer for Cisco Security Cloud, providing AI applications and models with default protection.”

While AI provides powerful tools for threat detection and response, its effectiveness can be further amplified by integrating it with other technologies.

The power of blockchain in cybersecurity

Blockchain offers unique capabilities for securing data, building trust, and enhancing resilience through its secure and immutable record of transactions. Each block in the chain contains transaction data and a unique hash, relying heavily on cryptography to ensure data integrity and prevent tampering. This is particularly crucial in the realm of cryptocurrencies, where encryption prevents double-spending and secures the transfer of funds.

This gives blockchains major applications in securing digital identities, transactions and supply chains. Recognizing its potential, tech companies are investing in blockchain cybersecurity.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), and IBM are all making significant contributions to the field of blockchain cybersecurity. Microsoft’s Azure Confidential Ledger provides a highly secure environment for storing sensitive data, while Amazon, IBM and Oracle all offer enterprise-grade blockchain platforms and services to facilitate the development of secure applications for various use cases, including supply chain management and data sharing.

Companies like privately-held Guardtime are developing solutions to address existing challenges to implementing blockchain with cybersecurity, such as scalability issues faced by traditional blockchains like Bitcoin. Guardtime’s Keyless Signature Infrastructure (KSI) is based on a special kind of Merkel Tree — a data structure that allows for efficient verification of data integrity without needing to download the entire blockchain — called a hash calendar, which only records the hashes of data at specific time intervals.

Not only does this drastically reduce storage requirements, KSI doesn’t rely on a Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism, eliminating the need for energy-intensive computations without compromising the speed of transaction processing.

The quantum leap in cybersecurity

Quantum computing, an emerging technology, utilizes the principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations beyond the capabilities of traditional computers.

Quantum computing is based on qubits, which can exist in a state of superposition (being in multiple states at once until measured), unlike classical bits, which can be expressed as either 0 or 1. This allows quantum computers to process more data in less time than it would take traditional computers, giving them the potential to revolutionize cryptography.

Although NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang suggested that “very useful quantum computers” are likely still 20 years away, quantum computing poses both a risk and an opportunity for cybersecurity. Dr. Michele Mosca from the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing argues that while quantum computing may initially appear to threaten cybersecurity by potentially breaking current encryption, it also presents an opportunity to establish stronger and more resilient security foundations for the digital economy.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), a leader in quantum computing research since 2014 and the first to claim quantum supremacy in 2019, achieved a breakthrough with its Willow quantum processor at the end of 2024 when it demonstrated significantly improved error correction and scalability in quantum computing.

This brought the possibility of potentially breaking current encryption methods closer to reality and underscored the urgency of developing and implementing quantum-resistant solutions.

While established players such as IBM continue to advance quantum computing with platforms like Qiskit, new entrants like Quantinuum, backed by investors including JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM), are emerging to build quantum computers and develop applications for them.

Other companies like PQShield, ISARA Corporation and SandboxAQ are developing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions using mathematical algorithms that are believed to be resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers. Sandbox AQ, which began as a team within Google, held its latest US$300 million funding round in December, bringing its valuation to US$5.3 billion.

Investor takeaway

The cybersecurity market is a compelling area to watch in 2025. Investors should focus on companies that are adapting to emerging trends, driving innovation and fostering collaboration to protect the future of the digital landscape.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Justice Alito says he spoke with Trump about former clerk before hush-money filing to high court

January 9, 2025

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed to Fox News Wednesday that he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump the day before Trump’s high court appearance but said they did not discuss an emergency application the former president’s legal team planned to file to delay the sentencing.

Alito told Fox News’ Shannon Bream he was asked if he would accept a call from Trump regarding a position that his former clerk, William Levi, is being considered for, and praised Levi’s ‘outstanding resume.’

‘William Levi, one of my former law clerks, asked me to take a call from President-elect Trump regarding his qualifications to serve in a government position. I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday afternoon,’ said Alito.

Alito said he did not speak with Trump about the emergency application, nor was he ‘even aware at the time of our conversation that such an application would be filed.’

‘We also did not discuss any other matter that is pending or might in the future come before the Supreme Court or any past Supreme Court decisions involving the President-elect,’ Alito said.

Alito told Fox News that he is often asked to give recommendations to potential employers for former clerks and that it was common practice.

Levi once served in the Justice Department during the President-elect’s first term and also clerked for Alito from 2011 to 2012.

Alito, speaking to Trump the day before Trump’s appearance in high court regarding his New York hush-money case, is causing some to call him out, saying the conversation was an ‘unmistakable breach of protocol.’

‘No person, no matter who they are, should engage in out-of-court communication with a judge or justice who’s considering that person’s case,’ Gabe Roth, executive director of the nonpartisan group Fix the Court, said in a statement.

Alito said he was unaware there was an emergency request being readied by the Trump legal team with respect to the New York State case, and there was no discussion of it.

He confirmed to Fox News that the call was solely about Levi, and that there was no discussion of any matter involving a Trump legal issue – past, present or future.

He also said there was no discussion of any issue before the Court or potentially coming before the Court.

ABC News was the first to report the Trump-Alito call.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Investing

Cygnus increases highly prospective, under-explored ground position by 50%

January 9, 2025

Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project, Canada

Two diamond drill rigs about to arrive on site as part of strategy to grow the resource and test brownfield exploration targets

HIGHLIGHTS:

Cygnus has secured additional ground next to its Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project, increasing its total land holding to 282km ²

The newly staked areas add to a highly prospective land position which has seen limited modern exploration in the past 20 years
Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project has a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 3.6Mt at 3.0% CuEq and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 7.2Mt at 3.8% CuEq ¹
The Chibougamau district is a world-class mineral terrane with strong potential for additional discovery; Historical production totals more than 945,000t of copper and 3.5Moz of gold across 16 former producing mines ²
Two diamond drill rigs are set to start this week, targeting both resource growth and priority brownfield exploration targets, underpinning strong news flow
The Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project includes a 900,000tpa processing facility – the only milling infrastructure within a 250km radius
The district also has excellent infrastructure with a local mining town, a modern mining workforce training centre, sealed highway, airport, regional rail infrastructure and 25kV hydro power to the processing site

Cygnus Executive Chairman, David Southam said : ‘Our immediate strategy is to create value through exploration at Chibougamau and we are wasting no time executing this aspect of our plan.

‘Expanding our ground position increases the upside at the project and reflects our strong belief in the immense exploration and resource growth potential.

‘All of this newly staked land is adjacent to the high-grade Chibougamau mining camp which has an incredible production record dating back over 65 years, producing almost 1 million tonnes of copper and 3.5 million ounces of gold’.

TORONTO, Jan. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cygnus Metals Limited (ASX: CY5; TSXV: CYG) (‘Cygnus’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that it has expanded its land holding by 50 per cent at the Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project in Quebec, Canada and is about to start drilling.

Cygnus recently completed its transformative merger with Doré Copper Mining Corporation, creating a new leading player in the critical minerals sector with a strategic focus on high-grade copper and lithium assets in Quebec, Canada. A key motivation behind the merger was to advance the Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project which has established high-grade mineral resources of:

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 3.6Mt at 3.0% CuEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 7.2Mt at 3.8% CuEq (refer to Appendix A) ¹

The multi-pronged value creation strategy has a strong focus on resource growth and brownfield exploration with significant potential for additional discovery in the region. Part of that strategy was to bolster the ground position and provide additional exploration opportunity in a world-class mineral terrane that has historically produced nearly 1Mt of copper and 3.5Moz of gold over a 65 year history. ² This large and well-endowed mineral system is driven by the central Chibougamau Pluton with the recently acquired ground adding more of this highly prospective geology to the combined project.

The new claims have been acquired at minimal cost to Cygnus, being newly staked and open ground immediately surrounding the existing project, and are principally in the anorthosite band that surrounds the Chibougamau Pluton, which typically host mineral deposits in the Chibougamau mining camp. In total, 174 claims have been staked for 97km ² taking the combined Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project to 282km ² . This provides an excellent platform to drive growth through exploration in a highly prospective district.

In line with the Company’s resource growth strategy, drilling is about to start with two diamond drill rigs. This initial program will focus on resource growth opportunities surrounding some of the existing deposits aiming to build upon the existing high-grade resources. The Company looks forward to a high volume of news flow during 2025 with ongoing drilling updates and results.

Figure 1: Newly staked ground over the highly prospective Chibougamau Pluton and surrounding anorthositic host rock.

About the Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project

The Project is located in central Quebec, Canada approximately 480km due north of Montreal. The province of Quebec has been recognised as a top ten global mining investment jurisdiction in the 2023 Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies. The Project has excellent infrastructure with a local mining town, sealed highway, airport, regional rail infrastructure and access to hydro power via installed powerlines.

The Project is centred on the Chibougamau Pluton with historic production in the Chibougamau mining district of 53.5Mt @ 3.4% CuEq ² from periodic mining between the early 1900s and 2008. Over this long mining history, the district has produced nearly 1Mt of copper and 3.5Moz of gold from 16 former producing mines. ²

The Project has high-grade resources including Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 3.6Mt at 3.0% CuEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 7.2Mt at 3.8% CuEq with significant potential to grow (refer to Appendix A). ¹

The Company has a clear strategy to:

Grow the current resource through brownfield exploration and investment in drilling, modern geophysics and other exploration activities
Advance the project towards development through study work and utilising existing infrastructure

The Company sees substantial opportunity to create shareholder value by an established high-grade resource with opportunity for growth, excellent infrastructure, 900ktpa processing facility and clear pathway to production, all within a quality endowed mineral terrane that has seen minimal modern exploration.

Figure 2: Location of the Chibougamau Project relative to other major deposits and processing facilities. ³

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of Directors of Cygnus.

David Southam	Ernest Mast	Media:
Executive Chair	President & Managing Director	Paul Armstrong
T: +61 8 6118 1627	T: +1 647 921 0501	Read Corporate
E: info@cygnusmetals.com	E: info@cygnusmetals.com	T: +61 8 9388 1474

About Cygnus Metals

Cygnus Metals Limited (ASX: CY5, TSXV: CYG) is a diversified critical minerals exploration and development company with projects in Quebec, Canada and Western Australia. The Company is dedicated to advancing its Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project in Quebec with an aggressive exploration program to drive resource growth and develop a hub-and-spoke operation model with its centralised processing facility. In addition, Cygnus has quality lithium assets with significant exploration upside in the world-class James Bay district in Quebec, and REE and base metal projects in Western Australia. The Cygnus team has a proven track record of turning exploration success into production enterprises and creating shareholder value.

Forward Looking Statements

This document contains ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ which are based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of Cygnus believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘plans’, ‘believes’, ‘estimates’, ‘seeks’, ‘intends’, ‘targets’, ‘projects’, ‘forecasts’, or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘would’ and ‘could’. Although Cygnus and its management believe that the assumptions and expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Cygnus to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual results of current or future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, changes in laws, regulations and practices, the geopolitical, economic, permitting and legal climate that Cygnus operates in, as well as those factors disclosed in Cygnus’ publicly filed documents. No representation or warranty is made as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information, and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information or rely on this document as a recommendation or forecast by Cygnus. Cygnus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

End Notes

The Mineral Resource estimate at the Chibougamau Project is a foreign estimate prepared in accordance with CIM Standards. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimate as a mineral resource in accordance with the JORC Code, and it is uncertain whether further evaluation and exploration will result in an estimate reportable under the JORC Code. Refer to Appendix A for a breakdwon of the Mineral Resource Estimate and a summary of the assumptions.
Sources for historic production figures: Economic Geology, v. 107, pp. 963–989 – Structural and Stratigraphic Controls on Magmatic, Volcanogenic, and Shear Zone-Hosted Mineralization in the Chapais-Chibougamau Mining Camp, Northeastern Abitibi, Canada by François Leclerc et al. (Lac Dore/Chibougamau mining camp).
For regional resources in Quebec: (a) at Monster Lake and Nelligan, refer to IAMGOLD Corporations’ news release dated 15 February 2024; (b) at Windfall, refer to Osisko Mining’s NI 43-101 Technical Report filed with SEDAR on 10 January 2023; (c) at Canadian Malartic, refer to Agnico Eagle’s 2023 Annual Information Form; (d) at Opemiska, refer to XXIX’s news release dated 8 January 2024; (e) at Roger, refer to the SOQUEM and Enforcer Gold Corp’s NI 43-101 Technical Report dated 9 October 2018; and (f) at Chevrier, refer to Northern Superior Resources’s NI 43-101 Technical Report filed with SEDAR on 7 October 2022.

Qualified Persons and Compliance Statements

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ms Laurence Huss, the Quebec In-Country Manager of Cygnus, a ‘qualified person’ as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The Company first announced the foreign estimate of mineralisation for the Chibougamau Project on 15 October 2024. The Company confirms that the supporting information included in the announcement of 15 October 2024 continues to apply and has not materially changed. Cygnus confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. Cygnus confirms that its is not in possession of any new information or data that materially impacts on the reliability of the estimates or Cygnus’ ability to verify the foreign estimates as mineral resources in accordance with the JORC Code. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons’ findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

APPENDIX A – Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project – Foreign Estimate Disclosures as at 30 March 2022

Deposit	Category	Tonnes (k)	Cu Grade (%)	Au Grade (g/t)	Cu Metal (kt)	Au Metal (koz)	CuEq Grade (%)
Corner Bay (2022)	Indicated	2,700	2.7	0.3	71	22	2.9
Corner Bay (2022)	Inferred	5,900	3.4	0.3	201	51	3.6
Devlin (2022)	Measured	120	2.7	0.3	3	1	2.9
	Indicated	660	2.1	0.2	14	4	2.3
	Measured & Indicated	780	2.2	0.2	17	5	2.4
	Inferred	480	1.8	0.2	9	3	2.0
Joe Mann (2022)	Inferred	610	0.2	6.8	1	133	5.5
Cedar Bay (2018)	Indicated	130	1.6	9.4	2	39	8.9
Cedar Bay (2018)	Inferred	230	2.1	8.3	5	61	8.5
Total	Measured & Indicated	3,600	2.5	0.6	90	66	3.0
Total	Inferred	7,200	3.0	1.1	216	248	3.8

Notes:

Cygnus Metals Ltd cautions that Mineral Resources for the Chibougamau Copper Project, incorporating Corner Bay, Devlin, Cedar Bay and Joe Mann, are reported in accordance with the requirements applying to foreign estimates in the ASX Listing Rules and, as such, are not reported in accordance with the JORC Code (2012 Edition). A Competent Person has not yet completed sufficient work to classify the resources as Mineral Resources that satisfy the guidelines provided in the JORC Code (2012 Edition). It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration work that the Mineral Resources will be able to be reported as Mineral Resources in accordance with the JORC Code (2012 Edition).
All resources have been prepared in accordance with CIM Standards. Please refer to Cygnus’ announcement on 15 October 2024 for additional technical information relating to the foreign estimate.
The Mineral Resource estimates include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorised as Mineral Reserves. There is also no certainty that Inferred Mineral Resources will be converted to Measured and Indicated categories through further drilling, or into Mineral Reserves once economic considerations are applied.
Numbers may not reconcile precisely due to rounding.

¹ The Mineral Resource estimate at the Chibougamau Project is a foreign estimate prepared in accordance with CIM Standards. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimate as a mineral resource in accordance with the JORC Code, and it is uncertain whether further evaluation and exploration will result in an estimate reportable under the JORC Code.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c232825e-b414-4476-bfbb-922828189faa

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c5a2c23-3e19-429c-9a31-064227e84b29

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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Top 5 NASDAQ Cybersecurity Stocks (Updated January 2025)

January 9, 2025

Security is becoming a growing global concern, both online and off.

Diverse companies are stepping up to provide solutions for individuals and businesses, and some of them are seeing impressive share price gains as they meet increasing demand for consumer safety.

Emerging quantum computing technology is a rising source of concern for cybersecurity, as quantum computers may be able to break the cryptographic methods currently used for encryption.

1. SEALSQ (NASDAQ:LAES)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 475.91 percent
Market cap: US$767.01 million
Share price: US$7.89

SEALSQ specializes in semiconductors, public key infrastructure and post-quantum technology. Its parent company is WISeKey International, another security technology company on this list. SEALQ is developing post-quantum cryptography methods that will be secure against threats from quantum computers. The company plans to launch its quantum-resistant hardware platform QS7001 in 2025.

After trading rather flat for much of 2024, SEALSQ has seen its share price really take off in the final weeks of the year and into the new year. The stock reached a yearly high of US$9.08 on December 27.

The company has reached a number of milestone events that have increased its value in the eyes of investors. In mid- December, SEALSQ announced several partnerships for its technology, including one with distributed ledger technology company Hedera, which will use the cybersecurity company’s quantum-resistant chips for long-term security of Hedera’s blockchain network.

The partners’ technology will also be a part of a January satellite launch with another WISeKey subidiary, WISeSat.Space, which is discussed further in the next entry.

2. WISeKey International Holding (NASDAQ:WKEY)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 449.04 percent
Market cap: US$101 million
Share price: US$10.04

WISeKey International Holding is a global cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) technology company.

WISeKey also traded sideways for most of 2024 before a seeing a substantial share price rally to close out the year. The stock hit a yearly high of US$13 on December 26.

Like its subsidiary SEALSQ, WISeKey made some important announcements in December that brought them to the attention of the marketplace. The company confirmed on December 13 that its subsidiary WISeSat.Space’s WISeSat satellites will be a part of the January 14, 2025, SpaceX satellite launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellites are equipped with SEALSQ’s post-quantum chips and partner Hedera’s blockchain technology.

Early in 2025, WISeKey plans to bring to market its Quantum RootKey advanced cryptographic technology “designed to secure digital identities, systems, and communications against the imminent threat posed by quantum computing.”

3. Allot (NASDAQ:ALLT)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 346.45 percent
Market cap: US$265.44 million
Share price: US$6.91

Allot offers network intelligence and security-as-a-service (SECaaS) solutions for service providers around the world. This includes network and application analytics, traffic control and shaping, and network-based security services.

Shares in Allot experienced a gradual rise over the past year before really heating up in the fourth quarter and into 2025. The stock’s yearly high of US$6.90 came on January 6.

In its Q3 2024 financial report, Allot highlighted revenues of US$23.2 million, up 5 percent over the previous quarter and up 3 percent year-over-year. This was led by growth in its SECaaS segment, which saw revenue of US$4.7 million, a 69 percent year-over-year jump.

In recent weeks, the company has inked service agreements with key broadband providers including Japan’s Asahi Net, Portugal’s MEO and British telecommunications firm Vodafone UK.

4. Arqit Quantum (NASDAQ:ARQQ)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 258.14 percent
Market cap: US$480.03 million
Share price: US$38.30

Arqit Quantum is a quantum-safe encryption technology company that supplies an encryption platform-as-a-service “which makes the communications links of any networked device, cloud machine or data at rest secure against both current and future forms of attack on encryption – even from a quantum computer.”

After seeing a share price bump in the first quarter of 2024, Arqit’s stock traded on a gradual downward slope until the fourth quarter. The stock reached a yearly high of US$43.83 on December 26.

Arqit garnered the distinction of a 2024 International Data Corp (IDC) Innovator for post-quantum cryptography in September, joining one of only five vendors recognized by IDC for providing potential quantum cyberattack solutions.

In its 2024 fiscal year report ended 30 September, Arqit reported revenue of US$293,000. Heading into 2025, the company is set to begin revenue generation through a multi-year enterprise license contract with a government end user, with annual recurring revenue totaling seven figures.

5. OneSpan (NASDAQ:OSPN)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 90.8 percent
Market cap:US$716.13 million
Share price: US$18.85

OneSpan is a cybersecurity company that provides security, identity, electronic signature and digital workflow solutions to secure digital agreements and business transactions. Its customers include global blue-chip enterprises and more than 60 percent of the world’s largest 100 banks.

OneSpan’s share price has climbed steadily upward over the past year to reach a yearly high of US$19.38 on December 16.

In October 2024, the company introduced a new phishing-resistant transaction security solution, VISION FX. It’s designed to “strengthen protection against phishing and account takeover threats (ATO), setting a standard for banking security.”

The following month, OneSpan announced a partnership with Ping Identity in which Ping Identity will offer OneSpan’s password-free authentication solutions through its partner program.

“By partnering with Ping Identity, we’re making it easier for organizations to leverage high assurance hardware-based authentication with Ping Identity’s market-leading identity management solutions,” said Giovanni Verhaeghe, OneSpan senior vice president of corporate and business development.

In its Q3 2024 financials report, OneSpan reported a subscription revenue increase of 29 percent year-over-year to US$33.6 million. Annual recurring revenue increased 9 percent year-over-year to US$163.9 million. Overall, total revenue was down 4 percent year-over-year to US$56.2 million. In mid-December, the company declared that a quarterly cash dividend of US$0.12 per share will be paid on February 14, 2025.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Robotics Market Forecast: Top Trends for Robotics in 2025

January 9, 2025

2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for the robotics industry, driven by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).

AI technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing and reinforcement learning empower robots with unprecedented capabilities for autonomous action. Advanced AI functionalities like simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), robotic swarms and explainable AI further enhance robots’ ability to perceive, learn and act intelligently.

The fusion of robotics and AI redefines what’s possible and opens up vast investment opportunities across diverse sectors, from healthcare to neuro-robotics to environmental sustainability and space exploration.

Where investment dollars are flowing

The robotics industry’s growth is also being fueled by substantial research and development investments.

Global advisory firm Benchmark International estimates that the global robotics market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.1 percent to reach US$169.8 billion by 2032.

James Lambert, a leading expert on the economic impact of technology and director of economic consulting, Asia, at Oxford Economics, offers a retrospective analysis of the firm’s 2019 study How Robots Change the World:

“Our prediction of rapid robotics adoption in manufacturing was on target. The economic promise of productivity gains and long-term growth have attracted sustained investment.’

Industrial robotics, used in assembly and material handling, is also expanding. Analysis from Statista reveals that costs to deploy industrial robots have been declining over the last decade as new players increase competition and technology improves. The projected cost per robot in 2025 is as low as US$10,856, down from US$27,000 in 2017.

Companies leading the charge in this subsector include Swiss-Swedish ABB (OTC Pink:ABLZF), one of the world’s largest robotics companies, and FANUC (OTC Pink:FANUY), a Japanese-based robotics company.

Lambert also highlights the growth of collaborative robots (cobots) and the surprising pervasiveness of robots in service sector jobs: “The use of cobots…has expanded dramatically, with cobots operating alongside human workers in environments ranging from Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) warehouses to surgical suites.”

Amazon is expanding its robotics sector beyond warehouses with a pilot project for automated grocery stores.

The sales volume of collaborative robots (cobots) is projected to increase by 6,100 percent between 2025 and 2045, according to market research by IDTechEx. Packaging and palletizing are experiencing especially rapid growth in the food and beverage industry.

“AI-driven robots are increasingly visible, providing concierge services, delivering groceries, and caring for the elderly. Humanoid robots like Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Optimus and SoftBank’s Pepper are blurring the line between tools and colleagues.”

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), the leading provider of GPUs, is playing a crucial role in this robotic revolution. The company’s advanced chips are powering the next generation of robots, including Tesla’s Optimus bot and its autonomous robotaxi service.

At the GPU Technology Conference in March 2024, NVIDIA revealed its ambitious plans to accelerate the development of humanoid robots with the introduction of Project GR00T, a foundation model designed to enable robots to understand natural language, learn from human demonstrations and perform complex tasks.

NVIDIA also launched a powerful computer, Jetson Thor, equipped with advanced AI capabilities and designed for humanoid robots. Jetson Thor will reportedly hit the market in H2 2025.

“The ChatGPT moment for physical AI and robotics is around the corner,” Deepu Talla, NVIDIA’s vice-president of robotics, told the Financial Times in a report exploring NVIDIA’s pivot into robotics as competition in the semiconductor industry heats up.

Beyond NVIDIA, other companies are also making significant contributions to the robotics field. In April 2024, Boston Dynamics shared that the newest version of its advanced humanoid robot Atlas eventually be available for purchase. Boston Dynamics is further expanding its reach through its research partnership with the Toyota Research Institute. Hyundai, through its controlling stake in Boston Dynamics, offers indirect exposure to the private company.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is another key enabler of the current generation of robotics, having played a pivotal role in the development of 5G technology, which has enabled a new level of performance and autonomy for robots. The Robotics RB5 platform is Qualcomm’s hardware and software development kit specifically designed for robots.

Robotics in healthcare

While still in early stages, robotic integration in healthcare is becoming more widespread. A Grandview Research report estimates the global market for medical service robots will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.5 percent between 2025 to 2030, reaching US$84.8 billion by 2028.

Expected to reach US$7.42 billion by 2030, surgical robotics is a burgeoning field, thanks to advancements in medical robot technology that enable procedure-specific tools and capabilities.

Surgical robots can enhance patient safety and, in some cases, reduce recovery times, ultimately improving surgery outcomes, especially for precision surgeries involving the heart, brain and spine, for example.

Progress in the field continues with a recent breakthrough by researchers from Johns Hopkins and Stanford Universities, who have developed robots capable of learning surgical procedures such as suturing by observing and mimicking actions in a video. This breakthrough, presented at the Conference on Robot Learning in Munich in September, marks the first time robots have been trained in this manner.

This rapid advancement in robotic surgery has attracted a growing number of companies developing innovative surgical systems. Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) has been a pioneer in the field of robotic surgery. Best known for creating the da Vinci surgical system, the company’s tools were designed to allow surgeons to perform operations through smaller incisions.

Its newest iteration, the da Vinci 5, builds upon its groundbreaking lineup with enhanced tactile feedback and an upgraded 3D vision system. The system was granted FDA clearance in March of this year.

However, after years at the top of this niche industry, Intuitive Surgical is encountering competition from players like Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), who launched the Hugo RAS system in 2021 and began US clinical trials in May 2024 for hernia repair and gynecological procedures.

Additionally, newer market entrant Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) medical devices subsidiary, JNJ MedTech, received investigational device exemption (IDE) approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its robotic surgical system OTTAVA on November 12 and can now begin trials.

Beyond general surgery, the robotic surgery field is expanding into specialized areas. For example, Procept BioRobotics (NASDAQ:PRCT), a medical technology company specializing in urology, announced FDA clearance of its HYDROS robotic system in August. HYDROS uses AI to help doctors perform personalized aquablation therapy. The company issued an offering of common stock on October 29 priced at US$91.00 per share, a strong indication of investor confidence in future prospects.

This trend towards specialization is also evident in orthopedic surgery, where robotic systems are being increasingly adopted for knee and hip replacements. Stryker (NYSE:SYK) and Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN) (S&N) are both key players here. Stryker has achieved widespread adoption of its early entrant, the MAKO system, for knee and hip replacements. S&N, while entering the market later with its handheld CORI system, affords surgeons greater flexibility and tactile feedback during procedures and offers a broader range of implant compatibility.

S&N’s newer system, the CORIOGRAPH Pre-Op Planning, complements the CORI for total hip arthroplasty by creating and importing a pre-operative plan to help guide surgeons during the procedure. The system received FDA clearance on December 19, 2024.

Johnson & Johnson is also positioning itself as a contender in this growing market with its DePuy Synthes VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution, a system designed to enhance the precision and accuracy of knee replacement procedures by providing surgeons with real-time data and guidance during surgery. The system was showcased at 2024’s American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons 2024 Annual Meeting in Dallas, and studies have suggested that the system may lead to lower knee-related healthcare costs within 90 days of surgery compared to other robotic-assisted technologies.

Robotics in defense technology

Governments worldwide are increasing their military spending, with the US Department of Defense investing heavily in autonomous systems and drone technology. The Replicator initiative, for instance, aims to deploy thousands of AI-powered unmanned aerial vehicles and robots, highlighting the growing importance of robotics in defense.

Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) and Anduril are two key players in this space, securing major contracts for data integration and autonomous systems development. Both companies are also involved in developing software integration architectures for the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle program. Their collaboration on AI-powered solutions for national security and Anduril’s research partnership with OpenAI further solidify their positions in the defense sector.

Another major player, AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV), released a software update to its uncrewed aircraft systems with a visual navigation system that allows the drones to ‘see’ and understand their surroundings, even in challenging environments when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable.

Beyond defense applications, advancements in areas like autonomous navigation, sensor technology and data analysis have applications in space exploration, a transformative sector dominated by companies pushing the boundaries of space exploration with innovative technologies, such as reusable rockets and advanced navigation systems. SpaceX and Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) are two key players in this space.

During SpaceX’s fifth test flight of its Starship, intended for lunar and Martian missions, on October 13, giant robotic arms were used to catch the reusable Super Heavy booster during the Mechazilla “chopstick” landing. Rocket Lab has at least three launches planned for 2025 and is a strong contender for a major contract to build and launch satellites for the Space Development Agency.

Other companies utilizing robotic technology to advance aerospace, satellite technology and Earth observation, such as Planet Labs (NYSE:PL), BlackSky (NYSE:BKSY), and Spire Global (NYSE:SPIR), have all experienced year-over-year growth.

Meanwhile, on the surface of Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently testing AI-powered software designed to autonomously identify rocks that may hold clues to the planet’s potential for past life. Government funding, which NASA relies on to fund the projects it contracts to private companies, is crucial to advancing space exploration. The proposed budget for NASA in 2025 is US$25.4 billion, two percent higher than last year’s budget.

And while NASA focuses on lunar exploration, Elon Musk — with a newfound influence on economic policy — has his sights on a more ambitious target: Mars. In September, Musk tweeted his plans to send two Starships to Mars in 2026 and 2028, the next two upcoming launch windows for Mars missions this decade.

Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy for The Planetary Society, raises questions about how Trump’s re-election could impact the space industry and NASA, potentially leading to increased uncertainty and changes in funding priorities.

“The reality of canceling (lunar programs), many of which have enjoyed rock-solid support from Congress over the past decade, will be no easy task, and it is unclear that the Trump Administration would want to pick a fight with members of its own party, particularly given the narrow advantage Republicans hold in both congressional chambers,” he wrote in an op-ed following the election results. “This is an area to watch closely.”

Investor takeaway

The robotics sector is undergoing a period of rapid change. Startups like Figure AI and Physical Intelligence have managed to secure backing from high-profile investors like Jeff Bezos and tech’s heaviest hitters NVIDIA, Microsoft and OpenAI.

The involvement of such high-profile investors and established tech giants underscores the growing recognition of the immense potential within the robotics industry. As this landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and adaptable will be essential for investors navigating the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Top 5 Small-cap Biotech Stocks (Updated January 2025)

January 9, 2025

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) is trading at three-year highs in response to breakthrough innovations and increased deals for biotech stocks on the NASDAQ.

After dropping to a low of 3,637.05 in October 2023, the index climbed to a high of 4,954.813 on September 19, 2024. While the NBI is trading down at 4,399.36 as of January 7, 2025, further growth could be in store in the future. However, the current economic environment means the biotech sector may have a complex road ahead.

According to a recent report from Precedence Research, the global biotech market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.5 percent from now to 2034, reaching a valuation of US$4.61 trillion.

Driving that growth will be favorable government policies, investment in the sector, increased demand for synthetic biology and a rise in chronic disorders such as cancer, heart disease and hypertension.

The top NASDAQ biotech stocks have seen sizeable share price increases over the past year. For those interested in investing in biotech companies, the best-performing small-cap biotech stocks are outlined below.

Data was gathered on January 7, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener, and all top small-cap biotech stocks in the list had market caps between US$50 million and US$500 million at that time.

1. Bright Minds Biosciences (NASDAQ:DRUG)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 2,232.41 percent
Market cap: US$281.1 million
Share price: US$40.22

Bright Minds Biosciences is developing novel treatments for pain and neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder and difficult-to-treat depression.

The company’s platform includes serotonin agonists designed to provide powerful therapeutic benefits while minimizing the side effects.

Bright Minds is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for its BMB-101, a highly selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist, in adult patients with classic absence epilepsy and developmental epileptic encephalopathy.

Bright Minds Biosciences’ stock rocketed upwards in the fourth quarter, shooting up from US$2.49 to US$38.49 in one day on October 15. The company issued a press release stating it was ‘unaware of any material changes in the company’s operations’ that would have contributed to such a rally. The outperformance instead appears to be related to the October 14 announcement of Danish pharma company Lundbeck acquiring Longboard Pharma, another biotech company developing a 5-HT2C receptor agonist, for US$60 per share.

A few days later, Bright Minds announced a non-brokered private placement of US$35 million, which sent shares up to US$47.21 on October 18.

That same month the company shared its collaboration with Firefly Neuroscience (NASDAQ:AIFF) to use the latter’s advanced artificial intelligence, FDA-cleared BNA technology platform to provide a full analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) data from Bright Minds’ BMB-101 Phase 2 clinical trial. This follows the pair’s previous successful collaboration to analyze data from Bright Mind’s first-in-human Phase 1 study of BMB-101.

Bright Minds’ share price reached their highest yearly peak of US$55.77 on November 6.

2. Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 518.52 percent
Market cap: US$371.37 million
Share price: US$8.35

Candel Therapeutics is a biotech company focused on developing oncology treatments. The company’s pipeline includes two clinical stage multimodal biological immunotherapy platforms.

Candel’s lead product candidate CAN-2409 is in a Phase 2 clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, as well as Phase 2 and 3 trials for localized, non-metastatic prostate cancer. Positive interim data for the trial on pancreatic cancer, released on April 4, 2024, sent the company’s share price spiking upwards. It ultimately climbed to a year-over-year high of US$14.30 on May 16.

More recently, in December 2024, the company released positive topline data for CAN-2409 viral immunotherapy, achieving the primary endpoint in its Phase 3 prostate cancer trial.

Its second lead product candidate is CAN-3110, which is in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial in recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG).

The company had a number wins with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024. In February, Candel’s CAN-3110 received regulatory approval for a fast-track designation for the treatment of recurrent HGG. The agency also granted Candel orphan drug designation for CAN-2409 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in April and CAN-3110 for HGG in May.

3. Rezolute Bio (NASDAQ:RZLT)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 467.04 percent
Market cap: US$314.63 million
Share price: US$5.43

Late-stage biopharma company Rezolute is developing novel therapies targeting rare and chronic metabolic diseases. At the top of the company’s drug pipeline is RZ358, called ersodetug, which is being studied for the treatment of congenital hyperinsulinism and tumor hyperinsulinism. The company also has RZ402, which is targeted for patients with diabetic macular edema.

Ersodetug is currently in global Phase 3 clinical studies for congenital hyperinsulinism, with topline data expected in mid-2025. It opened to US participation in September after the FDA removed partial clinical holds.

In March, Rezolute shared results from a preclinical study that validated ersodetug’s potential to treat patients with non-islet cell tumors that have uncontrolled hypoglycemia. Rezolute announced positive topline results for its Phase 2 study of RZ402 in May.

The biotech stock had a great run up in the second quarter this year, climbing to an H1 2024 high of US$6.799 on June 5. Since then, Rezolute shares have managed to retain much of that value with a series of positive news releases.

The company closed on a public offering with net proceeds of about US$56.4 million later in June, which will help to fund post-Phase 3 planning for its ersodetug program in congenital hyperinsulinism as well as a potential late-stage, registrational, clinical study of ersodetug in patients with tumor hyperinsulinism associated with islet cell and non-islet cell tumors.

In August, the FDA granted clearance for Rezolute’s investigational new drug application for a Phase 3 study of ersodetug in tumor hyperinsulinism. Patient enrollment is slated to begin in the first half of 2025. In December, the FDA granted ersodetug orphan drug status for the treatment of hypoglycemia due to tumor HI.

Rezolute kicked off the new year with another FDA approval, this time garnering the breakthrough therapy designation for ersodetug for the treatment of hypoglycemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism.

4. Entera Bio (NASDAQ:ENTX)

Company Profile

Year-over-year gain: 301.52 percent
Market cap: US$97.61 million
Share price: US$2.65

Entera Bio’s proprietary N-Tab technology oral delivery platform allows for the development of therapies based on peptides and therapeutic proteins. The company is targeting a variety of indications, including osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism and short bowel syndrome.

The company released a series of significant updates in March and April. This included the announcement of positive pharmacokinetic data for GLP-2 peptide tablet treatment for patients with short bowel syndrome as part of a joint study combining OPKO Health’s (NASDAQ:OPK) proprietary long acting GLP-2 agonist with Entera’s N-Tab technology.

In April, Entera announced the publication of Phase 2 clinical trial data from its EB613 program for osteoporosis. Unlike available osteoanabolic treatments, which are injections, EB613 is a once daily treatment administered through oral PTH(1-34) peptide tablets. According to the release, ‘Significant gains in bone mineral density of the spine and hip were observed at the end of the 6-month study and there were no significant safety concerns.’

Entera Bio’s share price reached its yearly peak of US$2.98 on April 12, 2024.

5. Benitec Biopharma (NASDAQ:BNTC)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 251.42 percent
Market cap: US$258.63 million
Share price: US$11.14

California-based Benitec Biopharma is advancing novel genetic medicines via its proprietary “Silence and Replace” DNA-directed RNA interference platform. The company is currently focused on developing therapeutics for chronic and life-threatening conditions including oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Its drug candidate BB-301 was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency.

In April, Benitec reported positive interim clinical trial data for its first OPMD subject treated with BB-301 in its Phase 1b/2a study. Following the report, Benitec’s share price began trending upward, and reached US$10.47 on May 10.

Benitec is well-funded to advance its BB-301 clinical development program through the end of 2025. The company reported additional positive interim safety and efficacy data in mid-November. The company’s share price hit its highest yearly value on December 11 at US$13.08.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Alleged Yakuza leader admits trafficking nuclear materials from Myanmar

January 9, 2025

An alleged leader from Japan’s Yakuza crime syndicates has pleaded guilty to trafficking nuclear materials from Myanmar as part of a global web of trades in drugs, weapons and laundered cash, according to the US Department of Justice.

During an undercover investigation by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2021, Takeshi Ebisawa tried to sell the materials – including uranium and weapons-grade plutonium – to someone he believed was an Iranian general who wanted them for a nuclear weapons program, the department said in a statement.

The 60-year-old Japanese national on Wednesday pleaded guilty in a New York court to conspiring with a network of associates to traffic the nuclear materials out of Myanmar, the department said in a statement.

He also admitted to international narcotics trafficking and weapons charges.

In 2021, Ebisawa told an undercover DEA agent that an unnamed leader of an insurgent group in Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, could sell nuclear material through Ebisawa to the fictitious Iranian general, to fund a large weapons purchase, the indictment says.

A year later, US authorities arrested Ebisawa on charges of plotting to distribute drugs in the United States and purchase American-made surface-to-air missiles. Early last year he was also hit with charges over the purported Iranian sale.

“As he admitted in court today, Takeshi Ebisawa brazenly trafficked nuclear material, including weapons-grade plutonium, out of Burma,” said acting US attorney Edward Y. Kim for the Southern District of New York.

“At the same time, he worked to send massive quantities of heroin and methamphetamine to the United States in exchange for heavy-duty weaponry such as surface-to-air missiles to be used in Burma and laundered what he believed to be drug money from New York to Tokyo.”

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been embroiled in a civil war since February 2021 when the Southeast Asian nation’s military ousted the democratically elected government. The country is awash with natural resources such as rare-earth metals and other materials vital for civilian and military technology, including uranium. It remains a major producer of narcotics and has long been a magnet for transnational crime.

During his dealings with the undercover DEA agent, Ebisawa sent pictures “depicting rocky substances with Geiger counters measuring radiation,” according to the indictment, as well as pages of what Ebisawa said were lab analyses “indicating the presence of the radioactive elements thorium and uranium.”

The Department of Justice said Ebisawa “unwittingly introduced an undercover DEA agent…, posing as a narcotics and weapons trafficker, to Ebisawa’s international network of criminal associates, which spanned Japan, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, and the United States, among other places, for the purpose of arranging large-scale narcotics and weapons transactions.”

International trafficking of nuclear materials carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to the department, which referred to Ebisawa as a leader in the Yakuza, the infamous network of Japanese crime families.

“This case demonstrates DEA’s unparalleled ability to dismantle the world’s largest criminal networks,” said administrator Anne Milgram of the DEA.

“Today’s plea should serve as a stark reminder to those who imperil our national security by trafficking weapons-grade plutonium and other dangerous materials on behalf of organized criminal syndicates that the Department of Justice will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Trump seizes on Los Angeles infernos to reopen his feud with Newsom

January 9, 2025

Walls of fire devoured neighborhoods, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee for their lives. But as a cataclysm fueled by windstorms charred swathes of Los Angeles, Donald Trump spotted an opportunity.

The president-elect responded to six massive blazes by reopening his long-term feud with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, landing an early jab on a Democratic governor and a state likely to emerge as a major opponent to his second term plans.

Trump and Newsom have clashed bitterly in the past, including over fire prevention, environmental policies, climate change, green vehicles and immigration.

And the incoming president wasted no time in laying the blame for simultaneous wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area that have so far killed at least five people.

Trump slammed “the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo,” in a post on his Truth Social network. He claimed that California environmental policies that divert fresh water to preserve wetlands and wildlife were to blame for hydrants running dry. “I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this,” Trump wrote as part of a flurry of social media posts, later writing that Newsom should resign.

In Trump’s misinformation game, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s true that Newsom is responsible for diverting water to protect the delta smelt – “a worthless fish” in Trump’s words – and that, as a result, homes of Angelenos were burned down. The president-elect just needs enough people to believe it might be the case to inflict political damage on the governor, who’s one of the nation’s most high-profile Democrats and a possible 2028 presidential hopeful.

California is also a perfect target as a liberal state that went for Vice President Kamala Harris in last year’s election. The conceit of a state and city inflicting self-defeating environmental policies is a perfect fit for Trump’s narrative that liberal governance in blue states and cities invites chaos, crime and misery.

“This is not Government. I can’t wait till January 20th!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Newsom: ‘This guy wanted to politicize it’

There will be legitimate questions about California’s and Los Angeles’ level of preparedness for the fires. Newsom and city officials will be called to account for any failures – like many politicians tested in the crucible of natural disasters. But in such dire situations, blame usually awaits the ebbing of the crisis.

“I have a lot of thoughts about what I want to say, and I won’t,” the governor added.

In this specific case, Trump’s complaints about the freshwater issue being to blame for difficulties in responding appeared to be at best a vast simplification of complex factors at play.

But after a meeting with Republican senators on Thursday, the president-elect doubled down.

“This is a true tragedy, and it’s a mistake of the governor,” Trump told reporters. “They don’t have any water. Millions and millions of gallons of water that they have, and they send it out into the Pacific.”

But water officials said that while hydrants in Pacific Palisades did run dry early Wednesday, there was sufficient water in Southern California to fight the fires. The logistics of getting enough of it to Pacific Palisades – and at the rate overwhelmed firefighters need to control the blazes – were prohibitive.

Trump again showcases erratic response to national crises

Normal practice for a national leader when disaster strikes is to bury partisan grievances, unite behind Americans in need and pledge to stand with the victims for as long as it takes.

Even Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has often locked horns with Newsom and California in the past – especially over pandemic lockdowns – offered prayers and assistance to California. “When disaster strikes, we must come together to help our fellow Americans in any way we can,” DeSantis wrote on X.

Newsom praised his fellow Democrat, President Joe Biden, for quickly bringing the might of the federal government to bear as the infernos gathered strength with a major disaster declaration.

“It’s impossible for me to express the level of appreciation and cooperation we received from the White House in this administration,” Newsom said, standing alongside the president in Santa Monica on Wednesday. “So on behalf of all of us, Mr. President, thank you for being here.”

Biden said the federal government was prepared to do “anything and everything” to contain the fires and listed multiple military deployments to fight the disaster. He, however, ended the media availability on a jarring tonal note by marking the arrival of a new family member, after his granddaughter Naomi gave birth at an area hospital. “The good news is, I am a great-grandfather as of today,” he said.

The White House announced late Wednesday that Biden will no longer travel to Rome, Italy, this week as scheduled, canceling the trip in the final days of his presidency to monitor the wildfires.

Trump’s attacks on Biden and Newsom are his latest attempt to portray the outgoing administration as incompetent, apparently designed to flatter his own incoming White House team by comparison.

His comments suggest that his second administration, which begins in 11 days, will be just as unorthodox and turbulent as his first, and will be punctuated by angry outbursts on social media against his opponents even during crises.

A long history of bitter clashes

Trump and Newsom have a deeply antagonistic relationship, which is exacerbated by their sharply differing ideologies and the fact that mighty California has the power to frustrate some of the president-elect’s political priorities.

Trump is also fixated on the management of forests and fire prevention, including his view that Democratic jurisdictions conduct insufficient clearance of fallen foliage, which he insists is to blame for many fires.

“The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management,” Trump wrote on what was then Twitter in November 2019. “I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers…..”

Trump’s tweet, during a previous California wildfire crisis, seemed incongruous at the time since it followed praise from Newsom for his efforts to help his state.

Environmentalists argue that the real problem that makes California so susceptible to worsening fire seasons is something that Trump refuses to accept exists – climate change. In the current crisis, parched earth and unseasonal heat made Los Angeles a tinderbox that was deeply vulnerable to the added catalyst of roaring high winds that spread fires.

During another California wildfires crisis, as millions of acres burned in 2020, Trump dismissed an appeal from Wade Crowfoot, the state’s natural resources secretary, to acknowledge the impact of global warming.

“It’ll start getting cooler. You just watch,” Trump said. When Crowfoot asked him to look at the science, he added: “I don’t think science knows, actually.”

Trump insisted on Capitol Hill Wednesday that he “got along well” with Newsom despite their differences.

But their renewed estrangement could be a problem for California as it will potentially soon be seeking hundreds of millions in dollars in federal disaster aid from the Republican-controlled White House and Congress.

“It looks like we are going to be the ones having to rebuild it,” Trump said after meeting the senators.

And Trump and Newsom will be at odds over more than fires. The governor has already pledged to act if Trump seeks to wipe out electric vehicle tax credits. And his state is likely to be at the vanguard of legal efforts to thwart Trump administration policies in many areas, including immigration and reproductive rights.

There are many previous examples of Trump politicizing national crises.

In 2017, he was criticized for his handling of Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico and killed nearly 3,000 people. There is blame to go around when relief efforts fall short, and the then-president was not solely responsible for the missteps in the federal and local responses. But he repeatedly blamed local leaders and complained about the level of aid that was required, falsely claiming that the operation was an “an incredible, unsung success.”

And Trump’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic contained multiple examples of him trying to preserve his political fortunes that ironically helped seal his defeat in the 2020 election.

More recently, Trump seized on the terror attack that killed 14 people in New Orleans on January 1, falsely implying on social media that the suspect was an undocumented migrant who recently crossed the southern border.

It was a reminder that in times of national stress, the president-elect’s first response has sometimes been to seek political gain instead of promoting unity and facts-based responses.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Top 5 Small-cap Biotech Stocks of 2025

January 9, 2025