Latest news with #Hou
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Small Malaita Constituency Launches Phase 2 Of Its Road Infrastructure Program
The Small Malaita Constituency (SMC) officially launched Phase II of its Road Infrastructure Program on July 9th, 2025, at Ou'oumatawa, Small Malaita. This milestone was made possible through the active involvement of the Member of Parliament for SMC, Honourable Rick Nelson Houenipwela. Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Brown Honimae explained that the original Phase 2 road project, which aimed to connect Rorongo to Tawaro in Asimeuri Ward, was not completed due to land issues. This is now focused on a new road segment from Mwenio'a to Ro'one, marking the second attempt to develop infrastructure in Asimeuri Ward. Mr. Honimae highlighted that the event was attended by key stakeholders, including MP Hon. Rick Hou, The Right Reverend Rickson Maomaoru, Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Malaita and Sikaiana (DOSMS), chiefs, church leaders, community representatives, landowning groups, resource owners, and constituents from Asimae and Asimeuri Wards. The ceremony commenced with the escorting of Hon. Rick Hou, Bishop Maomaoru and other invited guests by the Tapa'atewa Women's Singing Band and followed on with a short church service officiated by Bishop Maomaoru. In his address, Honourable Hou emphasized that the primary goal of SMC's development plan is to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of rural communities by providing access to government services and creating an enabling environment for economic opportunities. Hon. Hou stated that the road infrastructure program has achieved its primary objective as the highland communities such as Ou'oumatawa, Tapa'atewa, Ruru'uhe, and Rorongo now have direct road access to Matangasi Port. This is a major achievement; villagers can now travel and transport goods by motor vehicle from the seaport to their homes and vice versa. Hon. Hou also appealed to land and resource owners from Iolairamo, Ueniusu, Loutowa and the Port Adam area to uphold their commitments under the MOU signed with SMC regarding road construction. 'The road is passing through your land as you have intended, and the SMC Office pledges to ensure the successful completion of this phase,' Hon. Hou assured. Hon. Hou further highlighted that once Phase II is completed, residents of Asimeuri Ward on the eastern side of the island will also gain improved access to essential government services, aligning with the primary goal of improving connectivity and service delivery. 'So, we have every reason to celebrate this day,' he said. According to CDO Honimae, the main highlight of the program was the dedication and blessing of the machineries and the project team as officiated by Bishop Maomaoru. A cutting of a ribbon by Hon. Hou, Bishop Maomaoru, and landowner representatives, officially initiated the phase two of the construction work from Mwenio'a to Ro'one. On congratulating SMC and Hon Hou, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), John Misite'e congratulated SMC on this fine achievement and call on all communities to support the road development and expand their social and economic opportunities created by this infrastructure. PS Misite'e emphasized the importance of improving rural livelihoods and ensuring people's meaningful participation in development activities, aligning with the ministry's vision to supporting, all rural Solomon Islanders to improve their social and economic livelihood. PS Misite'e also acknowledged the ongoing active commitment of MP Houenipwela, his project team, and officers, recognizing their efforts in establishing essential infrastructure that will enable rural communities to access government services and economic opportunities. The road project was constructed by a project team that was directly employed by the Constituency Development Office, in accordance with Section 17 of the CDF Act 2023. The SMC Road Infrastructure Project dates back to 2012, beginning with land consultations, public awareness and mobilization of project teams. Technical work, including surveys, scoping, design, costing, and procurement of machineries, started from 2015 to 2016, with actual construction starting in mid-2017. To date, the constituency has made an investment cost including works and machineries over SBD$20 million to the project. The Solomon Islands Government through the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), is funding the project under its Constituency Development Fund (CDF) program.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Do Analysts See More Upside in NIO Stock After the Recent Rally?
Nio (NIO) stock has risen 21% over the past month, as investors cheered the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker's efforts to improve margins, new launches, and resilient deliveries. However, NIO stock is still down 2.5% year-to-date amid intense competition in the Chinese EV market, macro challenges, and an uncertain path to profitability. Despite improved investor sentiment, most Wall Street analysts remain cautious on NIO stock and see a modest upside potential from current levels. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Analysts Are Cautious on NIO Stock Nio delivered 24,925 vehicles in June 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 17.5%. Overall, the company's Q2 deliveries grew 25.6% year-over-year to 72,056 units. The company is optimistic about its upgraded models, including the ET5 Sedan and ET5 Touring, the recently launched ONVO L90, and upcoming launches, such as the L80 in Q4 2025. However, profitability concerns continue to weigh on Nio. Despite higher sales, the company reported a wider-than-anticipated loss for Q1 2025. Recently, Morgan Stanley analyst Tim Hsiao reiterated a Buy rating on NIO stock with a price target of $5.90. Reacting to the launch of the ONVO L90 SUV, Hsiao noted that the deliveries for this model will commence on August 1. He also noted the various features of the L90 and stated that although he 'strongly' recognizes the new model's advantages in a competitive market, 'beating market expectations isn't without challenges considering ONVO's unsatisfactory track record of execution and inferior brand awareness.' Hsiao believes that it would require additional effort for ONVO to leverage L90 and the upcoming L80 to overcome these shortcomings. Last month, Goldman Sachs analyst Tina Hou upgraded NIO stock to Hold from Sell and slightly increased the price target to $3.80 from $3.70. The 4-star analyst upgraded the rating on NIO stock on early signs that the Chinese EV maker's operating cost cuts may help address margin pressures. Hou noted that the company is targeting 20% to 25% of operating expenses savings through various initiatives, including integration across business units and headcount reductions. However, Hou remains sidelined on NIO stock due to cash flow concerns, high debt levels, and volume growth amid rising competition in the EV industry. Is Nio Stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell? Overall, Wall Street is sidelined on NIO stock based on six Holds, two Buys, and one Sell recommendation. The average NIO stock price target of $4.50 indicates a 6% upside potential from current levels.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Dad of crypto king mysteriously vanished in LA. Then ‘creepy texts' from him started to arrive in the family group chat
Suspicious text messages on a family group chat have sparked an investigation into the disappearance of the father of a well-known crypto investor – with relatives fearing he may have been kidnapped. Naiping Hou, 74, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, was last seen on March 18. His family was alerted after the semi-retired grandpa began dodging phone calls and declining visits to see his grandchildren. Hou is the father of Wen Hou, a hedge fund and cryptocurrency investor who serves as the chief investment officer at Coincident Capital. The younger Hou told The Los Angeles Times that his father had become oddly detached on a family group chat since March, but that concerns over his father's wellbeing came to a head on his birthday on May 3. Naiping Hou had been invited to spend his birthday at his son's Las Vegas residence, but he declined. After his son sent him a birthday gift of handmade Chinese noodles, whoever was controlling the phone did not answer any calls. Instead of thanks for the gift, as they expected, a text message was sent reading simply: 'Yes I receive it.' Naiping Hou, a 74-year-old grandpa from southern California has been missing since May 4. His family was first alerted to his disappearance by strange text messages on the family group chat. ( The next morning, the family went to his home and found the noodle package still on the stoop. Inside, they said the furniture was missing and it appeared a new paint job had been done. The cars were missing from the garage, as well. Naiping Hou was in China at the time. She also received a strange text message from her husband that told her to cancel her flight home and he would join her in Asia. 'We really are devastated, really sad, and we want him back if possible,' Wen Hou told The Times. 'We are pretty upset about how this was discovered so late and a bit upset about ourselves that we didn't find these clues earlier.' San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, which is now investigating the disappearance, confirmed they believed the elder Hou's phone was being 'used by an unknown individual(s) who impersonated him to communicate with family members.' According to police, who investigated the home on May 4, evidence was found that 'indicated Naiping may have been kidnapped.' Naiping Hou's son, crypto investor Wen Hou, has offered a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to the safe return of his father, or the identification of those involved. A website – – has also been launched ( 'There has been unexplained and suspicious activity with Naiping's financial accounts and property; Draining of his accounts, unauthorized sales of his vehicles, gifting of items and the attempted renting of his home,' the sheriff's office said. The office added that evidence also suggested that individuals connected to the crime may have ties to both the Los Angeles area and the Inland Empire. 'The suspects are believed to be using sophisticated and deceptive tactics and are considered highly dangerous.' In addition, Wen Hou has offered a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to the safe return of his father, or the identification of those involved. A website – – has also been launched. 'We really are devastated, really sad, and we want him back if possible,' Wen Hou told The Times. 'We are pretty upset about how this was discovered so late and a bit upset about ourselves that we didn't find these clues earlier.'
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Creepy texts offer clues in disappearance of SoCal grandpa linked to crypto fortune
Weird texts were the first clue that something sinister had happened to an elderly Rancho Cucamonga man linked to a vast cryptocurrency fortune. They began with robotic responses in a family group chat, included an uncharacteristic refusal to visit his grandkids and were followed by complete silence. Now, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is investigating the mysterious disappearance of 74-year-old Naiping Hou, father of noted cryptocurrency investor Wen Hou. Detectives believe that someone used the elder Hou's cellphone to impersonate him. Extensive fraudulent transactions were also made using his bank account around the time of his disappearance, according to the Sheriff's Department. Wen Hou said that more than $1 million was siphoned from his father's savings and used to purchase gold bars online. The younger Hou believes his father has been kidnapped and is personally offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information that leads to his father's return or identifies those responsible for his disappearance. 'We really are devastated, really sad, and we want him back if possible,' Wen Hou told The Times. 'We are pretty upset about how this was discovered so late and a bit upset about ourselves that we didn't find these clues earlier.' Wen Hou last saw his father in March when they rented a boat at the San Pedro Pier and went on a family fishing trip. The bizarre texts began in April, but it wasn't until Naiping Hou's birthday on May 3 that his son began to suspect someone else was controlling his father's phone. The elder Hou had declined via text to come visit his son and grandchildren at their Las Vegas residence on his birthday, so Wen Hou overnighted him a traditional gift of handmade Chinese noodles. Whoever was controlling his phone refused to answer any calls on the birthday and, instead of thanking Wen Hou for the gift, simply texted at 9:18 p.m.: 'Yes I receive it.' The following morning, Wen Hou asked family friends to go check in on his father in Rancho Cucamonga. They found the noodle package sitting on the stoop and made an even more shocking discovery inside. The home was stripped of all its furniture and had a shoddy new paint job on the interior walls, Wen Hou said. His father's cars were missing from his garage, and the man himself was nowhere to be seen. Wen Hou reported his father's disappearance to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on May 4. The elder Hou's wife was visiting family in China when he is believed to have gone missing, according to his family. While abroad she received a text from Hou's phone telling her to cancel her flight home, saying that he would come join her in Asia. Detectives say they are currently following several leads but are unable to share further information as the investigation is ongoing. They are asking the public to keep an eye out for the 5-foot-7 Asian male, who has black hair, black eyes, a birthmark on his left upper shoulder and weighs around 170 pounds. They are also seeking information about a silver Toyota Yaris in connection to Hou's disappearance. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Det. Vanayes Quezada at (909) 890-4848. Frustrated by the lack of updates in the investigation, Wen Hou launched a website this week dedicated to raising awareness about his father's disappearance. The family is asking the public to share information via text, WhatsApp or Signal to their personal tip line at (213) 564-9366. 'We're really sad and it feels terrible to wait and very devastating to experience this,' said Wen Hou. Although Wen Hou doesn't know who is behind the possible crimes against his father, he fears that contractors who performed work on Hou's home at the beginning of the year may have preyed on his father or even kidnapped him. 'I hope this serves as a caution for elderly people,' he said, adding that his father's disappearance has opened his eyes to how common it is for criminals to take advantage of the elderly. Wen Hou is a well-known hedge fund and cryptocurrency investor who serves as the chief investment officer at Coincident Capital. In 2021, he spent $9.7 million on a Bel-Air home, according to reporting from the Real Deal. In 2022, he and his wife gifted $1.1 million in cryptocurrency to the USC Keck School of Medicine to support research on heart disease. Wen Hou credits much of his success to the lessons taught to him by his father, who was born in the Shaanxi province of China and immigrated to the San Gabriel Valley in pursuit of a better life for his children. 'My journey has been a long one, and it started with my father's decision to move to the U.S.,' Hou told USC in 2022. 'I am thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to thrive in the U.S. and allowing me to reach my potential, which has resulted in this gift.' Through shrewd business decisions, Naiping Hou did well financially and retired comfortably — achieving what Wen Hou considers the American dream, he said. The elder Hou is a family man and enjoys hobbies such as ping-pong, woodworking and fishing.
The Star
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
‘Honeytrap' among foiled spy plots
The government announced it had cracked three spying plots, including one in which a public servant was lured by the 'seductive beauty' of a foreign agent, urging government workers to remain vigilant against overseas threats. Its state security ministry said yesterday that foreign spooks 'have been increasingly active in infiltrating and stealing secrets from China' and were targeting public officials. It did not name the countries alleged to be behind the plots. 'Individual officials have caused the damaging effects of leaking secrets due to a lack of belief, a weakened sense of discipline and a loosened awareness of rules ... harming national security and interests,' the ministry said. It described a case in which a provincial government employee surnamed Li fell into a 'meticulously designed honeytrap' while travelling overseas for work. 'Unable to resist the seductive beauty of the foreign intelligence agent,' Li was then blackmailed with 'intimate photos' and forced to hand over official documents. He was sentenced to five years in prison for espionage, according to the statement. Another case involved a municipal cadre called Hou, who secretly photographed confidential documents and sold them to foreign spy agencies to recover lost savings from a gambling addiction. Hou was later held 'criminally responsible', the ministry said, without specifying his punishment. The ministry also detailed a third case in which a high-flying young official lost his job after sharing confidential information with a relative who photographed and sent it to overseas spy agencies. 'Leaks are often hidden in the small details of our work lives,' the ministry said. 'If our ideals and beliefs are not strong ... they may eventually plummet into the criminal abyss designed by foreign spy agencies.' Beijing and Washington have long traded accusations of spying, punishable by death in China. Last month, Beijing accused the US Central Intelligence Agency of an 'absurd' attempt to recruit Chinese citizens via 'amateurish' videos posted on social media. In April, Chinese security officials said they had implicated three US 'secret agents' in cyberattacks during February's Asian Winter Games. The state security ministry also said in March that it had sentenced to death a former engineer for leaking state secrets to a foreign power. — AFP
