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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 21 May 2025 Departmental update Message by the Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO – May 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Kate O’Brien, Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO

    In a time when vaccine preventable disease outbreaks are surging and the health of millions is in jeopardy, World Immunization Week 2025 served as a powerful reminder of what is “Humanly Possible”. Vaccines stand as proof that less disease, more life, is achievable through collaboration. Decades of collective efforts between governments, aid agencies, scientists, healthcare workers, communities and parents got us to where we are today –– a world where vaccines save at least 6 lives every minute and protect people of all ages against more than 30 life-threatening diseases.  

    Despite incredible progress, we must confront a painful reality: trust in vaccines is under threat, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are rising, and funding reductions, may leave millions without vital immunizations. 

    There is a growing issue of misinformation and misrepresentation about vaccines. False claims, distortion of scientific evidence, and vaccine revisionism are undermining decades of progress. This is not just wrong — it’s dangerous. It threatens public trust, puts lives at risk, and jeopardizes the immunization programmes that have protected millions for decades.  

    WHO is a scientific organization, committed to using high-quality scientific evidence to inform vaccine development and recommendations. High-quality clinical trials and rigorous safety assessments are at the core of vaccine development and authorization for use. We call on the global immunization community – including world leaders, national governments and medical providers – to stand firm in following the evidence to inform policies and decisions. It is vital that parents and people who are due for vaccination have accurate information about disease vaccines are designed to prevent and about the safety, performance and impact of vaccinations. 

    WHO is actively supporting countries and partners on vaccine confidence by developing tools to counter misinformation, promoting the proven safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and strengthening the bridge between science and public trust. But this is not a task for WHO alone. Leaders across sectors — from ministries of health to faith leaders and community influencers — should speak clearly and consistently about why vaccines matter and how they are safe. 

    This week, WHO Member States are gathering for the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA), where the progress report on the Global Road Map for Defeating Meningitis by 2030, will be discussed by all Member States. This marks an important moment to reaffirm our collective commitment to eliminating meningitis as a public health threat, with a focus on equitable vaccine access, rapid diagnostics, early detection, and outbreak prevention. 

    On May 20, Member States at the 78th WHA formally adopted the world’s first Pandemic Agreement—a milestone after three years of negotiations prompted by the global impacts of COVID-19. The agreement aims to strengthen global cooperation, equity, and preparedness, including fair access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. But its success depends on more than commitments—it must reinforce what already works: public trust, science, strong immunization systems, and timely, accurate information. As recent outbreaks of measles, cholera, and polio remind us, no agreement can protect us if confidence in vaccines falters or health systems are too fragile to respond. 

    Over 100 side events are being held on the remits of the WHA including: 

    • “Outsmarting Outbreaks: Innovation, Integration, and Investment” – Tuesday, 20 May 2025, will explore how smarter systems, better surveillance, and collective action can stop outbreaks before they start. 
    • “Integrating Solutions to Defeat Malaria, Meningitis, and Polio” – Tuesday, 20 May 2025, will highlight how disease programs can work together to maximize efficiency and reach vulnerable communities. 
    • “New perspectives for the world without tuberculosis” – Wednesday, 21 May 2025, will review progress toward the End TB Strategy, highlight national innovations in TB care, and emphasize the need for integration, funding, and political commitment to eliminate TB by 2030. 
    • “Tuberculosis in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations” – Thursday, 22 May 2025, will spotlight the challenges of TB programming in crisis settings and explore innovative, integrated approaches to strengthen TB responses in fragile contexts. 
    • “The Power of Prevention: Immunizing for a Safer, Healthier World” – Friday, 23 May 2025, will emphasize the urgent opportunity to eliminate measles and rubella through system strengthening and the introduction of universal rubella vaccination. 
       

    A common thread connects these critical issues: sustained progress relies on strong, equitable, and trusted immunization systems. The stakes are high. Misinformation is on the rise. WHO is undergoing reform. And the immunization community is being asked to do more with fewer resources. 

    But we are prepared. We have the knowledge. We have the tools. Now, we need unity — to act together, grounded in evidence — to safeguard vaccines and the future they enable. 

    Let’s use this World Health Assembly as a moment to double down on what works, confront the threats that risk reversing our hard-won gains, and reaffirm the promise of immunization for all. 

    It is humanly possible to ensure even more children, adolescents, adults – and their communities – are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.  

    Click here for the full list of official side events, and here for other side events and convenings occurring around the 78th World Health Assembly.

    Click here to subscribe to the Global Immunization Newsletter.

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    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Towards Safer Communities: Co-ordinated action to end violence against women and domestic violence

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Towards Safer Communities: Co-ordinated action to end violence against women and domestic violence

    The meeting brought together key institutional actors to identify urgent measures, align mandates, and ensure co-ordinated engagement of ministries, parliaments, relevant institutions, and international partners. (OSCE) Photo details

    SARAJEVO, 21 May 2025 – In a decisive step toward strengthening protections for survivors of domestic violence and violence against women, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Mission) convened a meeting today in Sarajevo to advance the implementation of the new legal framework in the Federation of BiH (FBiH).
    The meeting brought together key institutional actors to identify urgent measures, align mandates, and ensure co-ordinated engagement of ministries, parliaments, relevant institutions, and international partners. Participants included representatives from the FBiH Ministries of Justice, Interior, Labour and Social Policy, and Health, as well as the FBiH Parliament’s Committees for Security and Gender Equality.
    The FBiH Government has recently enacted critical legislation, including the Strategy for Prevention and Fight against Domestic Violence (2024–2027) and the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence and Violence against Women. These measures represent a major advancement in aligning domestic policies with international standards and improving protection and support services for survivors.
    “We welcome the Government’s commitment to amending the Criminal Code to strengthen protections for women and children and hope to see its swift adoption by the FBiH Parliament,” said Thomas Busch, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “Despite this progress, serious acts of violence persist. That’s why we must now focus on full implementation—to prevent abuse, protect victims, and ensure accountability.”
    To ensure effective implementation of the law, the following actions were agreed:

    Development and adoption of the relevant bylaws

    Given the mid-September 2025 deadline for the adoption of 14 bylaws as stipulated by the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence and Violence against Women in Federation of BiH (Law), and recognizing that the development and adoption processes will require close coordination and cooperation among various stakeholders at Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and cantonal levels of governance, as well as the need to ensure coherence and alignment between the bylaws and the relevant laws;
    Given the planned or requested support in the development of the bylaws provided by international organizations, including, inter alia, Delegation of European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina including UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovinian, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and recognizing that certain key ministries have already initiated the drafting or consultation processes regarding the bylaws; and
    Given existing coordination mechanisms amongst ministries in the context of implementing the GREVIO recommendations, the FBiH Strategy for Prevention and Protection Against Domestic Violence 2024–2027, and/or establishment of the Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of this Law as stipulated by the Law, which could be leveraged for technical-level coordination, and that the first coordination meeting at the technical level is planned for end of the May.

    The following are recommended for:

    Relevant ministries:
    Establish a body or task force, composed of representatives from key FBiH ministries, to formalize existing co-ordination and oversee the process of drafting, reviewing, and harmonizing the bylaws;
    Ensure efficient, transparent and inclusive consultation processes with relevant cantonal ministries, experts and professionals on bylaws; and
    Secure timely adoption of coherent, bylaws that align with international standards and ensure the effective operationalization of the Law.

    Chairs of committees:
    By the end of 2025, organize a joint committees’ session to share experiences and practices in the implementation of the Law including to present prepared bylaws and share plans for capacity building of professionals;
    Engage in promotional activities related to the implementation of the Law and bylaws, including with relevant cantonal committees.

    The Mission:
    Provide support to relevant ministries for the horizontal and vertical harmonization of the bylaws within and with the relevant legal framework(s); and
    Facilitate regular dialogue amongst key stakeholders including organizations and members of the international community, particularly ministers and chairs of committees, to review progress, ensure consistency, efficiency, and alignment throughout the process.

    2. Capacity building of professionals on the Law and relevant bylaws

    Given existing and planned support provided by various international organizations, including various project of European Union such as EU4Police, UN Agencies including UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the continuous support of the Mission, to Ministries of Interior and the and FBiH Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) in strengthening the capacities of professionals;
    Given planned budget allocations by the FBiH Ministry of Interior (MoI) for the development of the capacity of the FBiH Police Academy and by the FBiH MLSP for the capacity building of professionals engaged in the institutional response to domestic and gender-based violence, as well as additional capacity-building activities planned under the FBiH Strategy for Prevention and Protection against Domestic Violence 2024–2027; and
    Given the validated training modules and programs developed by the FBiH MoI, FBiH MLSP, and the FBiH Minsitry of Health (MoH), as well as opportunities to ensure budget and institutional sustainability of these programs at FBiH and cantonal level where appropriate,

    The following are recommended for:

    Relevant ministries:
    Assess existing capacity-building programs, including training modules and materials, to determine their adaptability, validation, and suitability for training professionals on the Law and relevant bylaws;
    Identify the number and ranks of professionals to be trained, estimate the necessary costs, and develop an implementation timeline in co-ordination with relevant cantonal ministries; and
    Propose mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of mandatory training programs and the necessary budget, targeting an adequate timeframe for the training of professionals working on prevention and response in cases of violence, based on improved validated training programs, in order to achieve comprehensive, unified, and harmonized procedures in cases of domestic and violence against women, and
    Secure funding for the implementation of those programs through public budgets and with the international project support.

    Chairs of committees:
    Advocate with relevant committees’ counterparts at the cantonal level to secure institutional and budgetary support for the implementation of the Law;
    Advocate for the allocation of necessary funding for the work of parliamentary committees, which would include support for field visits, sessions and debates relevant to the committees’ respective legislative and oversight activities;
    Advocate for strengthening of co-operation and co-ordination of the FBiH Parliament’s committees with corresponding committees across different levels of government, which contributes to expanding committees’ capacities, positive dialogue and safeguarding stability. 

    The Mission:

    Continue to provide programmatic and political support to key ministries and institutions across different levels of governance, focusing on building the capacity of professionals and advocating for sustainable policy solutions; and
    Continue to provide programmatic and political support to relevant parliamentary committees across different level of governance, including in relation to their legislative and oversight mandates as well as co-operation and co-ordination among parliamentary committees.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Shine a light’: responding to challenges facing the charity sector

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    ‘Shine a light’: responding to challenges facing the charity sector

    Charity Commission Chief Executive David Holdsworth delivers keynote speech at Charity Times’ Annual Conference 2025.

    Thank you Srabani and good morning everyone / bore da pawb.

    It’s a privilege to be speaking to at this conference for the first time as the Commission’s CEO, after rejoining the organisation last summer.

    I probably don’t need to explain to this audience why I returned to work with the charity sector.

    Current operating environment and challenges 

    The Charity Commission stands at a unique vantage point, where the perspectives of charities, government, the public and donors meet.

    From this position, we see three trends.

    First, an incredibly challenging economic environment for the sector.

    Like other sectors, charities face inflationary pressures and rising operational costs.

    But charities are also dealing with increased demands for their services.

    The cumulative impact of these trends on charities is, in some cases, extremely challenging.

    Second, charities, like other organisations, are contending with rapid technological and social change.

    Some tech innovations, notably in the space of AI, offer tools that can help charities do more with less and increase their impact.

    But looking ahead, these technologies potentially challenge the very role of organisations and institutions in the traditional sense.

    Notably when coupled with changing attitudes, especially among younger people, whose allegiances are increasingly to causes, not ‘bricks and mortar’ or brands and institutions and where technology platforms offer alternatives of direct giving to those in need.  

    Thirdly – global conflicts, geo political shifts and instability. The shocking invasion of Ukraine and conflicts in the middle east have seen demands on and need of charity increase significantly. Whilst at the same time the once seemingly immovable, solid post war geo political system is shifting, creating uncertainty and instability. This makes responding to increased global need more difficult and challenging to navigate.

    Impact and Potential

    Despite those challenges the sector has never been more important – and let’s be clear what charities achieve for society is astonishing, both in terms of scale and impact.

    Based on Annual Returns submitted to the Commission for 2023’s accounts, the sector had an annual income of over £96 billion – up around 7% on the previous year.

    We registered just over 5,000 new charities last year, having assessed a record 9,840 applications – a 9% increase on the previous year.

    And there are around 700,000 trustees who collectively steward the sector though good times and bad, and whose work often goes unrecognised and uncelebrated – though we at the Commission are all too aware of their service and contribution.

    But numbers alone don’t tell of the human impact of charity. Of the positive difference charities make in transforming or enriching communities, our environment, our wildlife, heritage, culture as well as saving and improving countless individual lives.

    It is that impact that charities, their amazing trustees, volunteers and employees have – that we must not lose sight of – nor let the challenges shroud.

    There are so many examples to tell.

    Like the Felix Project which had a landmark year, providing 38 million meals through its network of 1,264 community organisations and schools by growing its network of collaborations. Building on that success it has launched its Multibank, which has seen 1.46 million non-food essential items distributed to try and ensure no Londoner in need goes without.

    Welsh Women’s Aid and its partners helped 739 survivors access refuge-based support. That is life-saving intervention happening every day, across the country – offering not just physical shelter but a sense of home and safety when people need it most.

    That the osprey – that magnificent bird of prey – which was once driven to near extinction in the UK – is now thriving, with over 250 nesting pairs living in Britain today, is thanks to charities.

    And it is thanks to charity that, on average, two lives are saved at sea every single day by RNLI volunteers.  

    Also I know from my last CEO role at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, thanks to animal welfare charities’ campaigning work over decades, the UK now has one of the most advanced legal frameworks protecting animal health and welfare.

    These a just a few examples of what has been made possible by the charity sector.

    Potential and Opportunity

    So whilst I don’t underestimate for one moment the challenges charities face – and which I have seen first hand on my many visits – I would urge you not to let those challenges dim nor shroud the huge impact you are having, everyday.

    I also firmly believe that as Albert Einstein once said:

    in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

    Arguably, the bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity. Ideas previously rejected as too radical; innovation that once felt too big; conversations which felt too challenging can suddenly feel possible – and necessary.

    Take for example, the city I call home, Liverpool. Which is incidentally also the Commission’s main home, where most of our staff are based.

    I grew up in Liverpool in the 1980s. It was a time when the city felt like it had lost its way, with ever increasing challenges and ever dwindling opportunity and resources.

    Today my home city is transformed. And that transformation happened through collaboration – a combination of philanthropic investments, national and local government investment, alongside renewed community action notably in the arts, culture and tourism which acted as catalysts for wider renewal.

    Each individual project mattered, but what made for game-changing transformation was the cumulative impact of collaborative and complementary efforts from a number of actors. And that is true across the sector today.

    Take for example, Fareshare. Working collaboratively, supporting other charities in their network, they’ve helped distribute 92% more food over the last year, and made their budgets go 78% further.

    This resulted in them distributing a whopping 135 million meals, reaching nearly 1 million people.

    If you’ll allow me to return once more to my hometown.

    In late 2024, Zoe’s Place, a hospice in Liverpool which provides care to children, faced an uncertain future. The community of Liverpool, supported by business leaders and politicians, as well as a fellow charity the Institute of our Lady of Mercy, fellow hospice Claire’s Place and regional media collectively rallied to save Zoe’s Place, with the Commission playing a key facilitating role.

    Now, ownership has been transferred to the newly registered Liverpool Zoe’s Place. The charity’s trustees have also finalised plans to build the charity’s new home, securing the continuation of the former charity’s legacy.

    The hospice had been helping families through the unimaginable since 1995 – to see that vital service disappear would have been gutting for the community, and a huge blow to the families who rely on the organisation’s support.

    Instead, by reawakening their community’s passion and pride in the service, the charity will now continue to provide that support for years to come.

    In addition to this kind of public appeal, forging new corporate partnerships is another option being explored by many charities. Indeed, the Charities Aid Foundation estimates that UK businesses contribute around £4 billion to the sector.

    Take one example – a mere stone’s throw from here: national homelessness charity, Shelter.

    The organisation has partnered with clothing brand, Lucy and Yak. Last year they held a successful pop-up shop in Kings Cross, and now, they’ve launched donation boxes in several Lucy and Yak shops across the country encouraging customers to donate clothing.

    Shelter has responded to competition facing charity shops with the rise of preloved selling platforms in an agile and innovative way. Through this partnership, they’ve added a funding stream to their ‘bow’ and potentially reached new supporters.

    But I appreciate that public appeals and new corporate partnerships won’t work for everyone.  

    As a result of the Covid pandemic, many charities needed to re-evaluate their financial resilience and ability to weather further storms – many had dipped into their reserves, while others had little to fall back on.

    With the same desire to ensure services do not come to an end, some charities with similar goals turned to mergers – combining resources to create something more sustainable.

    For example, Community Integrated Care, one of the largest social care providers in the UK, merged with Inspire, a social care provider based in Scotland, in 2023. The charities saw how funding shortfalls, economic pressures and workforce shortages were impacting social care more broadly and chose to secure their future together rather than struggle through apart. And it paid off.

    Community Integrated Care’s income increased by £22 million in the year after the merger, and the charities reported publicly that the merger was a good strategic fit. These charities found strength in unity while continuing to provide that sense of belonging their beneficiaries depend on.

    Mergers are not the answer for all – and I don’t underestimate the work that can be involved in navigating a successful transition. But where you decide a merger is the best way forward, the Commission is on hand.

    Conclusion: strength in collaboration

    I’ve touched upon a few examples today to evidence my underlying confidence in this sector’s collective power. Just as no home is built by a single pair of hands, no lasting social change comes from isolated efforts.

    Our dear late Queen, Elizabeth II, once said:

    On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.

    In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory in Japan we should remember those words and that out of darkness can come something brighter and better than before.

    From the darkness of tyranny, fascism and unfathomable loss came a renewed determination for peace, democracy and equality. That which charities had long fought for then came forward in the form of the NHS, welfare state, expansion of access to higher education, and workers’ rights.

    While the challenges facing society may be less existential, I believe this sector can again play a transformational role across communities, across government, local and national, with businesses and philanthropists to once again tackle our biggest issues with joint purpose.

    There is no greater charity sector in the world than here and my message is clear.

    Keep shining a light, charities.

    Shine a light on your charitable purpose.

    Shine a light of hope, and of refuge to those in need.

    Shine a light on your innovation and impact.

    And always remember that you not only stand on the shoulders of giants, but you too are now building that better brighter future for the next generation.

    Thank you. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and taking your questions.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Diamond Equity Research Releases Update Note on BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: BHST)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamond Equity Research, a leading equity research firm with a focus on small capitalization public companies has released an Update Note on BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: BHST). The update note includes detailed information on the BioHarvest Sciences’ financial results, operational updates, business model, management commentary, valuation, and risks.

    The update note is available below.

    BioHarvest Sciences May 2025 Update Note

     Highlights from the note include:      

    • Q1 Results Surpass Expectations on VINIA Strength and Operating Efficiencies:  BioHarvest Sciences reported robust financial performance for the first quarter of 2025, with revenue rising 47% year-over-year to $7.9 billion, surpassing both management guidance and our estimates of $7.82 million. The growth was primarily driven by continued momentum in the VINIA product line, which exceeded 50,000 active subscribers as of February 2025. Gross Profit rose 53% to $4.6 million, with gross margins improving to 58.5% from 56.2% in Q1 2024, benefiting from increased manufacturing scale and better yields. Operating expenses increased to $6.3 million from $4.4 million due to higher marketing spend and expanded CDMO operations, though marketing as a percentage of revenue declined to 46.8% from 48.0% in Q1 2024. General and administrative expenses increased 67% year-over-year but declined 6% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting improved operating efficiency. The company reported a net loss of $2.3 million, or $0.13 per share, representing a notable improvement over the prior-year loss of $6.6 million and exceeding our expectation of a loss of $0.16 per share. The company concluded the quarter with an improved cash position of $3.4 million, compared to $2.4 million at the end of 2024, supported by $3.9 million in debt financing secured primarily from existing investors. Looking ahead, management guided for second quarter 2025 revenues of at least $8.5 million and anticipates reaching adjusted EBITDA break-even in the second half of the year.
    • Expanding VINIA® Product Lines and Accelerating CDMO Pipeline with Robust Near-term Targets: BioHarvest plans to further extend its “VINIA® Inside” strategy by introducing new product lines, including VINIA® SuperFood Tea in K Cup® compatible pods, VINIA® Espresso in Nespresso®-compatible pods, and the forthcoming VINIA® 2X Formula Daily Chews, aimed at capturing incremental revenues from a younger, high-growth consumer segment. To support these launches, the company is expanding into new marketing channels, such as podcast integrations, TikTok, and Health & Wellness influencer programs. The company is also progressing its Olive Cell initiative, which has shown promising in vitro results in reducing liver fat accumulation, with commercial launch as a nutraceutical product targeted for 2026. Within its CDMO division, BioHarvest is advancing projects rapidly, leveraging robust laboratory infrastructure and proprietary AI-driven R&D processes to develop sustainable, plant-based, non-GMO biologic compounds for pharma, nutraceutical, nutrition, and cosmetics industries. Recent achievements include the progression of a pharma CDMO contract into Stage 2 and the initiation of Stage 1 tissue-culture activities with Tate & Lyle to co-develop next-generation plant-based sweeteners. BioHarvest anticipates signing several additional CDMO agreements by year-end, supported by a strong near-term contract pipeline across targeted industry verticals. In our view, BioHarvest’s clearly defined roadmap for new product launches and an active CDMO pipeline enhance visibility on near-term growth drivers, reinforcing our confidence in the company’s ability to execute its strategic vision effectively.
    • BioHarvest Sciences Successfully Completes Stage 1 of Key CDMO Contract with Nasdaq-Listed Pharmaceutical Company, Validating Versatile Botanical Synthesis Platform: BioHarvest Sciences announced the successful completion of Stage 1 of its previously disclosed CDMO contract with a Nasdaq-listed pharmaceutical client, advancing the project into Stage 2. Stage 1 involved isolating and multiplying the target plant cells required to produce an approved drug compound, leveraging BioHarvest’s proprietary Botanical Synthesis technology. Progression to Stage 2 involves optimizing biomass growth conditions in liquid media and delivering biomass samples suitable for client testing, ultimately paving the way for commercial-scale production. Contract size and commercial potential typically increase significantly in Stage 2 of CDMO engagements. This development significantly validates the versatility and commercial applicability of BioHarvest’s Botanical Synthesis platform across diverse molecule types, positioning the company as a trusted provider of scalable, cost-effective solutions in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors. The successful transition to Stage 2 notably reduces technical risks, significantly increases the probability of success, and demonstrates BioHarvest’s strengthened analytical and AI capabilities developed through this engagement. In our view, this milestone emphasizes the strategic value and broad applicability of BioHarvest’s technology, potentially accelerating additional CDMO opportunities and providing a robust validation of its ability to execute technically demanding pharmaceutical projects.
    • Valuation: The company is well-positioned for continued growth, driven by expansion in the VINIA product line, a growing subscriber base, and new CDMO partnerships. Its proprietary Botanical Synthesis platform is well-positioned to benefit from rising global demand for health and wellness solutions. With a strategic focus on profitable growth, the company’s scalable model provides meaningful opportunities for margin expansion supported by inherent operating leverage. Reflecting the strong Q1 2025 financial performance and encouraging management guidance, we have marginally adjusted our operating expense estimates and reassessed our comparable company analysis, yielding a valuation of $18.45 per share, contingent on successful execution by the company.

    About BioHarvest Sciences Inc.  

    BioHarvest Sciences Inc. specializes in botanical and cellular-based health solutions through its patented Botanical Synthesis technology, focusing on nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and CDMO services.

    About Diamond Equity Research

    Diamond Equity Research is a leading equity research and corporate access firm focused on small capitalization companies. Diamond Equity Research is an approved sell-side provider on major institutional investor platforms.

    For more information, visit https://www.diamondequityresearch.com.

    Disclosures:

    Diamond Equity Research LLC is being compensated by BioHarvest Sciences Inc. for producing research materials regarding BioHarvest Sciences Inc. and its securities, which is meant to subsidize the high cost of creating the report and monitoring the security, however the views in the report reflect that of Diamond Equity Research. As of 05/21/25, Diamond Equity Research LLC has been paid $35,000 ($34,980 post bank charges) for research services, which commenced 04/30/24, payable in two installments for the initial year and not applicable to renewals. The first installment of $17,500 ($17,490 post bank charges) was paid within a month after signing the agreement. The second installment of $17,500 ($17,490 post bank charges) was paid after a management content draft version of the initiation of coverage report was provided electronically to BioHarvest Sciences Inc., but prior to the release of the actual initiation of coverage. No further research payments have been made after the first-year term as of the date of this note. Diamond Equity Research LLC may be compensated for non-research related services, including presenting at Diamond Equity Research investment conferences, press releases and other additional services. The non-research related service cost is dependent on the company, but usually do not exceed $5,000. The issuer has not paid us for non-research related services as of 05/21/2025. Issuers are not required to engage us for these additional services. Additional fees may have accrued since then. Although Diamond Equity Research company sponsored reports are based on publicly available information and although no investment recommendations are made within our company sponsored research reports, given the small capitalization nature of the companies we cover we have adopted an internal trading procedure around the public companies by whom we are engaged, with investors able to find such policy on our website public disclosures page. This report and press release do not consider individual circumstances and does not take into consideration individual investor preferences. Statements within this report may constitute forward-looking statements, these statements involve many risk factors and general uncertainties around the business, industry, and macroeconomic environment. Investors need to be aware of the high degree of risk in small capitalization equities including the complete loss of their investment. Investors can find various risk factors in the initiation report and in the respective financial filings for BioHarvest Sciences Inc. Please review update report attached for full disclosure page.    

    Contact:

    Diamond Equity Research
    research@diamondequityresearch.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Proto Hologram Inventor named to TIME100 Health List

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, New York, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TIME has named David Nussbaum, Founder and Chairman of Proto Inc., to its 2025 TIME100 Health list in the “Innovators” category, recognizing his pioneering work creating hologram and AI technology to expand access to healthcare. The annual list honors the 100 most influential figures shaping global health.

    Featured in the May 26 print edition, TIME praised Proto Hologram for its impact on rural healthcare access by “beaming” doctors into clinics, its real-time AI translation tools, HIPAA-compliant systems, and newly reduced cost—making the technology more accessible than ever. Read the story here.

    Nussbaum shares the honor with leaders such as Alice Walton, Bill Nye, and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

    “Nothing is more important than connecting with your doctor in person to create that emotional, physical connection—especially when you’re talking about something as important as cancer or Parkinson’s or life-altering news,” Nussbaum told TIME.

    Dr. Sylvia Richie of West Cancer Center beams live across the country to talk with Proto Founder David Nussbaum. West Cancer and Proto launched the first real doctor-patient hologram appointments in 2024. 

    The first company to install Proto technology to beam doctors to patients for real appointments was West Cancer Center in Tennessee. Since then many major clinics have launched pilot programs to bring the solution to the shortage of caregivers to more underserved populations. Proto is also in use in higher education medical and healthcare programs including the University of Central Florida CHPS program, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Minnesota’s Hormal Institute and the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. 

    “This honor of being on the Time100 Health list really belongs to the entire Proto team,” said Nussbaum.”Their belief, talent, hustle and heart have built this company and this incredible technology. A spotlight on any of us is a reflection on all of us. I’m so grateful that I get to work with this team every single day. This is also a tribute to the companies and organizations that have been brave and imaginative enough to take the leap – the doctors and nurses and patients and executives who are putting Proto’s hologram communication and AI tools in action to help people everywhere.” 

    West Cancer Center’s Dr. Sylvia Richie demonstrates live hologram medical appointments by beaming from Tennessee to Los Angeles to be present in a Proto Luma. 

    Proto is the original, patented hologram communications and AI spatial compute platform in use around the world by dozens of Fortune 500 companies, 50 universities, and stadiums, airports, hospitals and malls everywhere. In addition to healthcare, Proto is active in education, finance, retail, hospitality, sports and entertainment. Proto has been recognized previously as the inventor of the technology by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, the Today Show, CNN and the BBC.

    The full 2025 TIME100 Health list appears in the May 26, 2025 print issue of TIME and at time.com/time100health.

    See Proto in action on Instagram.

    Media inquiries: owen@protohologram.com

    About Proto Inc.: Proto Inc. is the patented leader in hologram technology and AI spatial computing. Proto devices and its platform are in use across enterprise, finance, healthcare, education, retail, hospitality, sports and entertainment. Invented in Los Angeles and with showrooms and distribution partners around the globe, Proto distributes the large Proto Epic and Proto Luma, the desktop-sized Proto M2, and a suite of hologram AI and spatial computing services. Learn more at protohologram.com

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EUROPE/LATVIA – New Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies appointed

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 21 May 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On April 10, 2025, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), appointed, Rev. Jēkabs Rodions Doļa, of the Diocese of Rēzekne-Aglona, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Latvia.The new director is 36 years old and has been ordained a priest for 10 years. He obtained a Doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He is parish priest in two parishes in Ludza and Rudēni and Dean of the Deanery of Ludza. He is postulator of the cause of Beatification and Canonization of the diocesan priest Vladislavs Litaunieks.Finally he leads pilgrimages to Rome, the Holy Land and Turkey. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 21/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Priest dies after being found seriously injured along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 21 May 2025

    Nyahururu (Agenzia Fides) – The Diocese of Nyahururu in Kenya mourns the loss of Fr. John Ndegwa Maina, parish priest of St. Louis Church in Igwamiti.”The Catholic Diocese of Nyahururu announces the passing to eternal glory of Reverend John Maina Ndegwa. He passed away while receiving treatment at St. Joseph Hospital in Gilgil. Further information will be provided in due course. We pray for his soul and his family during this difficult time,” reads an official statement from the diocese.According to local media reports, the priest was found seriously injured on Friday, May 15, on the side of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, several kilometers from his parish, and was taken to a hospital, where he died upon arrival.According to reconstructions and rumors, which have not yet been officially confirmed, the priest may have been fatally wounded somewhere other than where he was found. The results of the autopsy ordered by the competent authorities to determine the cause of death are expected in the coming hours.Meanwhile, the Catholic community of Igwamiti has gathered in mourning and prayer. Several ceremonies were held last weekend in memory of Father John Ndegwa Maina. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 21/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 78th World Health Assembly: UK National Statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    78th World Health Assembly: UK National Statement

    The UK’s National Statement for the WHO’s World Health Assembly. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

    Vice President,

    The UK is committed to supporting WHO and its critical leadership role across global health. Only the WHO has the mandate to set global standards in health.

    Even amidst our current challenges, there is a clear opportunity for the WHO to emerge more focused, more agile and more effective. We therefore support the WHO’s vital work on its Transformation Agenda and are pleased to endorse the increase in Assessed Contributions.

    Let me thank the DG and WHO staff for their critical work. And let me pay a particular tribute to the staff on the increasingly dangerous front line of health emergencies, from Kyiv to Khartoum, and from Kivu to Khan Younis.

    This week’s adoption of the Pandemic Agreement is a truly historic milestone for which we have all worked so hard. We must remain just as committed to tackling Anti-Microbial Resistance, which is already directly responsible for over a million deaths annually.

    Chair,

    The quality of WHO’s scientific and technical expertise is fundamental to its effectiveness. We are proud in the UK to host 48 WHO Collaborating Centres. We call for Taiwan to have meaningful access to all relevant technical WHO meetings, and for it to be allowed to observe the WHA as it did from 2009 to 2016.

    Vice President,

    Stronger health systems are at the heart of delivering health services for all and we can – and must – learn from one another. In the UK, we are on the cusp of launching our 10-year health strategy.

    We are committed to tackling non-communicable diseases, including the challenge of obesity, and creating a healthier, fairer food environment. We look forward to working together at the High-Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases.

    Vice-President,

    In the UK, we are proud to work as partners of the WHO and with our fellow Member States. Working together, we can, must, and will drive better health across the globe.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Agency scientists seek new ways to save mussel power

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Environment Agency scientists seek new ways to save mussel power

    Mussel samples are a yardstick for coastal water quality. But with mussel numbers in decline, scientists are inventing new ways to sample waters.

    An Environment Agency officer collects Blue Atlantic Mussels.

    Mussels are one of nature’s yardsticks for coastal water quality, and they even help filter it. But with mussel numbers declining from Western Europe to the Arctic due to climate change, Environment Agency scientists are exploring new ways to sample water. 

    Each spring, Environment Agency officers collect samples of Atlantic Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Camel estuary in Cornwall as part of their routine water quality monitoring. The Camel is one of around twenty sites in a national network. 

    The mussel flesh is removed from the mussels and then sent to the Environment Agency laboratories at Starcross and Leeds where it is analysed for a range of chemical contaminants found in the shellfish. 

    Mussels are perfect bioindicators of pollution as they are relatively long-lived, filter large amounts of water and absorb a wide range of pollutants in the water, accumulating them in their tissues. This makes them useful in understanding water quality. 

    But Atlantic Blue Mussels are facing a worrying decline, suspected to be caused by climate change. 

    In response, Environment Agency scientists are working with CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) to evaluate new innovations which may help us sample water whilst protecting and conserving mussels. 

    Passive monitoring techniques use thin film membranes to absorb chemicals and pollutants present in the water and, if successful, may replace the need for using mussels. 

    Passive monitoring devices may offer an alternative to mussel sampling.

    Paul Elsmere, from the Cornwall Analysis and Reporting Team, said: 

    Passive monitoring techniques are a promising development which may allow us to move away from mussel sampling.

    Wildlife is a great barometer of environmental health and none more so than the Atlantic Blue Mussel.

    But with these amazing creatures in worrying decline we need to focus on new innovations to measure water quality.

    Two types of passive sampler device have been trialled on the Itchen Estuary in Hampshire, as part of the UK government’s HM Treasury funded Coastal Health, Livelihoods and Environment Shared Outcomes Fund project. 

    The effectiveness of passive sampler devices compared to traditional spot water sampling methods such as mussel samples are being evaluated, and if successful this technology could transform our approach to monitoring chemicals in our coastal waters. 

    Passive sampling may also have other benefits, such as when investigating coastal health where pressures may not be constant across time or when the threshold for potential effects is low. 

    Background

    The passive sampling project was in collaboration with the Environment Agency’s Solent and South Downs’ marine team who identified the deployment location, obtained the necessary permission, and helped to coordinate the successful deployments. 

    Future monitoring on the River Itchen in 2025 will be coordinated with local citizen science groups managed by Solent and South Downs’ analysis and reporting team.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Gordon Campbell: NZ’s silence over Gaza genocide, ethnic cleansing

    COMMENTARY: By Gordon Campbell

    Since last Thursday, intensified Israeli air strikes on Gaza have killed more than 500 Palestinians, and a prolonged Israeli aid blockade has led to widespread starvation among the territory’s two million residents.

    Belatedly, Israel is letting in a token amount of food aid that UN Under-Secretary Tom Fletcher has called a “a drop in the ocean”.

    Meanwhile, the IDF is intensifying its air and ground attacks on the civilian population and on the few remaining health services. Al Jazeera is also reporting that the IDF has issued “a forward displacement order” for the entirety of Khan Younis, the second largest city in Gaza.

    The escalation of the Israeli onslaught has been condemned by UN human rights chief Volker Türk, who has likened the IDF campaign as an exercise in ethnic cleansing:

    “This latest barrage of bombs … and the denial of humanitarian assistance underline that there appears to be a push for a permanent demographic shift in Gaza that is in defiance of international law and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing,” he said.

    If the West so wished, it could be putting more economic pressure on Israel to cease committing its litany of atrocities. Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war has been sparking mass demonstrations across Europe.

    In the Netherlands at the weekend, a massive demonstration culminated in calls for the Netherlands government to formally ask the EU to suspend its free trade agreement with Israel.

    Until now, the world’s relative indifference to the genocide in Gaza has been mirrored by Palestine’s Arab neighbours. As Gaza burned yet again, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates were lavishly entertaining US President Donald Trump — Israel’s chief enabler — and showering him with gifts.

    In the wake of these meetings, Trump and his hosts have signed arms deals and AI technology transfers that reportedly contain no guard rails to prevent these AI advances being passed on to China.

    In addition, Qatar has bought $96 billion worth of Boeing aircraft. Reportedly, this purchase has huge potential implications for the airline industry in our part of the world.

    In all, economic joint ventures worth hundreds of billions of dollars were signed and sealed last week between the US and the Middle East region, despite the misery being inflicted right next door.

    Footnote: Directly and indirectly, Big Tech firms such as Microsoft and Intel continue to enable and enhance the IDF war machine’s actions in Gaza. This is an extension of the long time support given to Israel by Silicon Valley firms via the supply of digital infrastructure, advanced chips, software and cloud computing facilities.

    Yesterday, several Microsoft staff had the courage to interrupt a speech by their CEO to protest about how the company’s Azure cloud computing platform was being used to enable Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

    The extinction of hope
    As the Ha’aretz newspaper reported this week, “The three pillars of hope for the Palestinians have collapsed: armed struggle has lost legitimacy, state negotiations have stalled, and faith in the international community has faded. Now, they face one question: ‘Where do we go from here?’

    As Ha’aretz concluded, the Palestinians seem to have vanished into a diplomatic Bermuda Triangle. What would it take, one wonders, for the New Zealand government — and Foreign Minister Winston Peters — to wake up from their moral slumber?

    Whenever the Luxon government does talk about this conflict, it still calls for a “two state solution” even though, as a leading Israeli journalist Gideon Levy says, this ceased to be a viable option more than 25 years ago.

    “We crossed the point of no return a long time ago. We crossed the point at which there was any room for a Palestinian state, with 700,000 settlers who will not be evacuated, because nobody will have the political power to do so. The West Bank is practically annexed for many, many years . . . Nobody can take this discourse seriously anymore. But, you know, those who want to believe in it, believe in it.”

    Conveniently, the two state waffle does provide Peters and Luxon with cover for their reluctance to — for example — call in, or expel the Israeli ambassador. Or impose a symbolic trade boycott. Or impose targeted sanctions on the extremists within the Netanyahu Cabinet who are driving Israeli policy.

    Instead of those options, the “negotiated two state” fantasy has been encouraged to take on a life of its own. Yet do we really think that Israel would entertain for a moment the expulsion of the hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers illegally occupying the land on the West Bank required for a viable Palestinian state?

    The Netanyahu government has long had plans to double that number, with the settler influx growing at a reported rate of about 12,000 a year.

    The backlash
     Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon is finally creating a backlash, in Europe at least. The public outrage being expressed in demonstrations in the UK, France and Germany finally seems to be making some governments feel a need to be seen to be doing more.

    Not before time. At the drop of a hat, Western nations — New Zealand included — will bang on endlessly about the importance of upholding the norms of international law. So you have to ask . . . why have we/they chosen to remain all but mute about the repeated violations of human rights law and the Geneva Conventions being carried out by the IDF in Gaza on a daily basis?

    “In [Khan Younis’] Nasser Hospital, Safaa Al-Najjar, her face stained with blood, wept as the shroud-wrapped bodies of two of her children were brought to her: [18 month old] Motaz Al-Bayyok and [six weeks old] Moaz Al-Bayyok.

    “The family was caught in the overnight airstrikes. All five of Al-Najjar’s other children, ranging in ages from 3 to 12, were injured, while her husband was in intensive care. One of her sons, 11-year-old Yusuf, his head heavily bandaged, screamed in grief as the shroud of his younger sibling was parted to show his face.

    Ultimately, Israel’s moral decline will be for its own citizens to reckon with, in future. For now, New Zealand is standing around watching in silence, while a blood-soaked campaign of ethnic cleansing unmatched in recent history is being carried out.

    Republished with permission from Gordon Campbell’s column in partnership with Scoop.

    Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Clinic licensing arrangements set

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Government announced today that commencement notices for the implementation of the regulatory regime for clinics and small practice clinics (SPCs) under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance will be published in the Government Gazette this Friday.

    Regulating premises where registered medical practitioners or dentists practise, the ordinance stipulates that a licence is required to operate a clinic, and that licensees must at all times comply with the ordinance, licence conditions and codes of practice (CoP) issued by the Director of Health (DoH).

    The Department of Health will begin accepting applications for licences and requests for letters of exemption for SPCs from October 13 onwards.

    To tie in with the licence application arrangements, the department will also publish the CoP for clinics in the Gazette this Friday, specifying October 13 as the day on which it comes into effect.

    Given that they may require substantial alterations to meet the licensing requirements, clinics that were already in operation on November 30, 2018 will have until April 13 next year to apply for a licence.

    The DH may issue a provisional licence allowing these clinics to continue their operations before a full licence is issued.

    From October 13, operators of SPCs must ask the department for a letter of exemption from holding a licence in order to continue operating.

    The commencement notices will be tabled at the Legislative Council meeting for negative vetting on May 28. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai hosts state banquet for President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Republic of Palau

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai and President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. of Palau hold bilateral talks and witness signing of cooperation agreements  
    On the afternoon of May 20, following a welcome ceremony with military honors for President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. of the Republic of Palau and his wife, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, held bilateral talks with President Whipps at the Presidential Office. The two leaders also jointly witnessed the signing of a technical cooperation agreement and an agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation. In remarks, President Lai thanked Palau for standing firm in its backing of Taiwan’s international participation as geopolitical tensions continue to increase in the Pacific region. He added that he looks forward to the cooperative ties between Taiwan and Palau continuing to expand into even broader areas, allowing our economies and societies to further progress as we jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I welcome our guests to Taiwan once again. Last year on May 20, President Whipps led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Hsiao. I am delighted, on the anniversary of my first year in office, to meet with old friends of Taiwan again, as President Whipps returns for this visit. Taiwan-Palau relations have grown even closer in recent years thanks to the strong support of President Whipps. In 2022, during my term as vice president, I led a delegation to Palau as a demonstration of how our nations were together boosting tourism development as we jointly faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every time I visit Palau, and every time I meet with President Whipps, I feel very deeply that Taiwan and Palau are like family. We are both maritime nations and share a common Austronesian heritage and culture. We are also staunch partners in upholding such values as freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. Last December, when I went on my first overseas trip since taking office, one of the nations I visited was Palau. We celebrated the 30th anniversary of Palau’s independence and 25 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring our friendly ties. Taiwan and Palau enjoy close exchanges and cooperation in a range of areas, including climate change, education, agriculture and fisheries, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, sports, and culture. After this meeting, President Whipps and I will witness the signing of a technical cooperation agreement and an agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation, demonstrating once again our diverse collaboration and strong friendship. I believe that by working together, Taiwan and Palau can contribute to each other’s development and overcome the regional and global challenges we currently face. In particular, as geopolitical tensions continue to increase in the Pacific region, Palau has wisely and courageously upheld democratic values and stood firm in its backing of Taiwan’s international participation. Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan, including at the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, and the UN Ocean Conference. We have been deeply moved by this support. I thank President Whipps again for his high regard and support for Taiwan. I look forward to the cooperative ties between our nations continuing to expand into even broader areas. This will allow our economies and societies to further progress as we jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. President Whipps then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor for him to be here, standing in this historic place – a symbol of strength, resilience, and the democratic spirit of the Taiwanese people. On behalf of the government of Palau, President Whipps extended heartfelt gratitude to President Lai and the people of Taiwan for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality toward him and his delegation. President Whipps then extended sincere thanks for President Lai’s visit to Palau in December – his second visit to Palau – and for having Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) attend his inauguration as a special envoy. He added that this also marks his third visit to Taiwan since President Lai took office, saying that this demonstrates the strength of our growing relationship. President Whipps indicated that the increased engagements and numerous entrepreneurs that President Lai has brought from Taiwan to Palau have resulted in fruitful visits, and that President Lai’s leadership represents hope, unity, and continued advancement of democracy and freedom, not only for Taiwan, but for the broader Indo-Pacific region. President Whipps went on to say that this visit to Taiwan reaffirms our deep friendship and shared values between our two nations. He emphasized that Palau and Taiwan are bound not by proximity, but by purpose, in that both are island nations and believe in human dignity, the rule of law, and the right of our people to determine their own futures. President Whipps stated that although we are celebrating 26 years of diplomatic relations, Taiwan has been a steadfast partner of Palau for decades, and that one of the MOUs they are signing further extends the relationship that began in December of 1984. From healthcare and medical missions, to education, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, the private sector, tourism development, and climate resilience, he said, our cooperation has improved lives and strengthened our communities. The president also indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan stood with Palau, noting that both sides began the tourism bubble, and that President Lai came to Palau to reopen the two weekly direct flights that have now been increased to four. That solidarity will never be forgotten, he said. As the world faces growing uncertainty and complex challenges from climate change to global tensions, President Whipps said, this friendship becomes even more vital. The president concluded his remarks by expressing hope that both nations continue to stand together, work together, and advocate together for peace, prosperity, and for the right of small nations to be seen, heard, and respected. After the bilateral talks, President Lai and President Whipps witnessed the signing of the technical cooperation agreement and the agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation by Minister Lin and Palauan Minister of State Gustav Aitaro. The delegation also included Palauan Minister of Public Infrastructure and Industries Charles Obichang, Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Senate Floor Leader Kerai Mariur, House of Delegates Floor Leader Warren Umetaro, High Chief of Ngiwal State Elliot Udui, Governor of Peleliu State Emais Roberts, and Governor of Koror State Eyos Rudimch.  

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

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    2025-05-13
    President Lai interviewed by Japan’s Nikkei  
    In a recent interview with Japan’s Nikkei, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions regarding Taiwan-Japan and Taiwan-United States relations, cross-strait relations, the semiconductor industry, and the international economic and trade landscape. The interview was published by Nikkei on May 13. President Lai indicated that Nikkei, Inc. is a global news organization that has received significant recognition both domestically and internationally, and that he is deeply honored to be interviewed by Nikkei and grateful for their invitation. The president said that he would like to take this rare opportunity to thank Japan’s government, National Diet, society, and public for their longstanding support for Taiwan. Noting that current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio have all strongly supported Taiwan, he said that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan also have a deep mutual affection, and that through the interview, he hopes to enhance the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan, deepen the affection between our peoples, and foster more future cooperation to promote prosperity and development in both countries. In response to questions raised on the free trade system and the recent tariff war, President Lai indicated that over the past few decades, the free economy headed by the Western world and led by the US has brought economic prosperity and political stability to Taiwan and Japan. At the same time, he said, we have also learned or followed many Western values. The president said he believes that Taiwan and Japan are exemplary students, but some countries are not. Therefore, he said, the biggest crisis right now is China, which exploits the free trade system to engage in plagiarism and counterfeiting, infringe on intellectual property rights, and even provide massive government subsidies that facilitate the dumping of low-priced goods worldwide, which has a major impact on many countries including Japan and Taiwan. If this kind of unfair trade is not resolved, he said, the stable societies and economic prosperity we have painstakingly built over decades, as well as some of the values we pursue, could be destroyed. Therefore, President Lai said he thinks it is worthwhile for us to observe the recent willingness of the US to address unfair trade, and if necessary, offer assistance. President Lai emphasized that the national strategic plan for Taiwanese industries is for them to be rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. Therefore, he said, while the 32 percent tariff increase imposed by the US on Taiwan is indeed a major challenge, we are willing to address it seriously and find opportunities within that challenge, making Taiwan’s strategic plan for industry even more comprehensive. When asked about Taiwan’s trade arrangements, President Lai indicated that in 2010 China accounted for 83.8 percent of Taiwan’s outbound investment, but last year it accounted for only 7.5 percent. In 2020, he went on, 43.9 percent of Taiwan’s exports went to China, but that figure dropped to 31.7 percent in 2024. The president said that we have systematically transferred investments from Taiwanese enterprises to Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US. Therefore, he said, last year Taiwan’s largest outbound investment was in the US, accounting for roughly 40 percent of the total. Nevertheless, only 23.4 percent of Taiwanese products were sold to the US, with 76.6 percent sold to places other than the US, he said.  The president emphasized that we don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket, and hope to establish a global presence. Under these circumstances, he said, Taiwan is very eager to cooperate with Japan. President Lai stated that at this moment, the Indo-Pacific and international community really need Japan’s leadership, especially to make the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) excel in its functions, and also requested Japan to support Taiwan’s CPTPP accession. The president said that Taiwan hopes to sign an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan to build closer ties in economic trade and promote further investment, and that we also hope to strengthen relations with the European Union, and even other regions. Currently, he said, we are proposing an initiative on global semiconductor supply chain partnerships for democracies, because the semiconductor industry is an ecosystem. The president raised the example that Japan has materials, equipment, and technology; the US has IC design and marketing; Taiwan has production and manufacturing; and the Netherlands excels in equipment, saying we therefore hope to leverage Taiwan’s advantages in production and manufacturing to connect the democratic community and establish a global non-red supply chain for semiconductors, ensuring further world prosperity and development in the future, and ensuring that free trade can continue to function without being affected by dumping, which would undermine future prosperity and development. The president stated that as we want industries to expand their global presence and market internationally while staying rooted here in Taiwan, having industries rooted in Taiwan involves promoting pay raises for employees, tax cuts, and deregulation, as well as promoting enterprise investment tax credits. He said that we have also proposed Three Major Programs for Investing in Taiwan for Taiwanese enterprises and are actively resolving issues regarding access to water, electricity, land, human resources, and professional talent so that the business community can return to Taiwan to invest, or enterprises in Taiwan can increase their investments. He went on to say that we are also actively signing bilateral investment agreements with friends and allies so that when our companies invest and expand their presence abroad, their rights and interests as investors are ensured.  President Lai mentioned that Taiwan hopes to sign an EPA with Japan, similar to the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, or the Enhanced Trade Partnership arrangement with the United Kingdom, or similar agreements or memorandums of understanding with Canada and Australia that allow Taiwanese products to be marketed worldwide, concluding that those are our overall arrangements. Looking at the history of Taiwan’s industrial development, President Lai indicated, of course it began in Taiwan, and then moved west to China and south to Southeast Asia. He said that we hope to take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Japan to the north, across the Pacific Ocean to the east, and develop the North American market, making Taiwan’s industries even stronger. In other words, he said, while Taiwan sees the current reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US as a kind of challenge, it also views these changes positively. On the topic of pressure from China affecting Taiwan’s participation in international frameworks such as the CPTPP or its signing of an EPA with Japan, President Lai responded that the key point is what kind of attitude we should adopt in viewing China’s acts of oppression. If we act based on our belief in free trade, he said, or on the universal values we pursue – democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights – and also on the understanding that a bilateral trade agreement between Taiwan and Japan would contribute to the economic prosperity and development of both countries, or that Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP would benefit progress and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, then he hopes that friends and allies will strongly support us. On the Trump administration’s intentions regarding the reciprocal tariff policy and the possibility of taxing semiconductors, as well as how Taiwan plans to respond, President Lai said that since President Trump took office, he has paid close attention to interviews with both him and his staff. The president said that several of President Trump’s main intentions are: First, he wants to address the US fiscal situation. For example, President Lai said, while the US GDP is about US$29 trillion annually, its national debt stands at US$36 trillion, which is roughly 124 percent of GDP. Second, he went on, annual government spending exceeds US$6.5 trillion, but revenues are only around US$4.5 trillion, resulting in a nearly US$2 trillion deficit each year, about 7 percent of GDP. Third, he said, the US pays nearly US$1.2 trillion in interest annually, which exceeds the US$1 trillion defense budget and accounts for more than 3 percent of GDP. Fourth, President Trump still wants to implement tax cuts, aiming to reduce taxes for 85 percent of Americans, he said, noting that this would cost between US$500 billion and US$1 trillion. These points, President Lai said, illustrate his first goal: solving the fiscal problem. President Lai went on to say that second, the US feels the threat of China and believes that reindustrialization is essential; without reindustrialization, the US risks a growing gap in industrial capacity compared to China. Third, he said, in this era of global smart technology, President Trump wants to lead the nation to become a world center of AI. Fourth, he aims to ensure world peace and prevent future wars, President Lai said. In regard to what the US seeks to achieve, he said he believes these four areas form the core of the Trump administration’s intentions, and that is why President Trump has raised tariffs, demanded that trading partners purchase more American goods, and encouraged friendly and allied nations to invest in the US, all in order to achieve these goals. President Lai indicated that the 32 percent reciprocal tariff poses a critical challenge for Taiwan, and we must treat it seriously. He said that our approach is not confrontation, but negotiation to reduce tariffs, and that we have also agreed to measures such as procurement, investment, resolving non-tariff trade barriers, and addressing origin washing in order to effectively reduce the trade deficit between Taiwan and the US. Of course, he said, through this negotiation process, we also hope to turn challenges into opportunities. The president said that first, we aim to start negotiations from the proposal of zero tariffs and seek to establish a bilateral trade agreement with the US. Second, he went on, we hope to support US reindustrialization and its aim to become a world AI hub through investment, while simultaneously upgrading and transforming Taiwan’s industries, which would help further integrate Taiwan’s industries into the US economic structure, ensuring Taiwan’s long-term development.  President Lai emphasized again that Taiwan’s national industrial strategy is for industries to stay firmly rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. He repeated that we have gone from moving westward across the Taiwan Strait, to shifting southbound, to working closer northward with Japan, and now the time is ripe for us to expand eastward by investing in North America. In other words, he said, while we take this challenge seriously to protect national interests and ensure that no industry is sacrificed, we also hope these negotiations will lead to deeper Taiwan-US trade relations through Taiwanese investment in the US, concluding that these are our expectations. The president stated that naturally, the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US will have an impact on Taiwanese industries, so in response, the Taiwanese government has already proposed support measures for affected industries totaling NT$93 billion. In addition, he said, we have outlined broader needs for Taiwan’s long-term development, which will be covered by a special budget proposal of NT$410 billion, noting that this has already been approved by the Executive Yuan and will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review. He said that this special budget proposal addresses four main areas: supporting industries, stabilizing employment, protecting people’s livelihoods, and enhancing resilience. As for tariffs on semiconductors, President Lai said, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has committed to investing in the US at the request of its customers. He said he believes that TSMC’s industry chain will follow suit, and that these are concrete actions that are unrelated to tariffs. However, he said, if the US were to invoke Section 232 and impose tariffs on semiconductors or related industries, it would discourage Taiwanese semiconductor and ICT investments in the US, and that we will make this position clear to the US going forward. President Lai indicated that among Taiwan’s exports to the US, there are two main categories: ICT products and electronic components, which together account for 65.4 percent. These are essential to the US, he said, unlike final goods such as cups, tables, or mattresses. He went on to say that what Taiwan sells to the US are the technological products required by AI designers like NVIDIA, AMD, Amazon, Google, and Apple, and that therefore, we will make sure the US understands clearly that we are not exporting end products, but the high-tech components necessary for the US to reindustrialize and become a global AI center. Furthermore, the president said, Taiwan is also willing to increase its defense budget and military procurement. He stated that Taiwan is committed to defending itself and is strongly willing to cooperate with friends and allies to ensure regional peace and stability, and that this is also something President Trump hopes to see. Asked whether TSMC’s fabs overseas could weaken Taiwan’s strategic position as a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, and whether that could then give other countries fewer incentives to protect Taiwan, President Lai responded by saying that political leaders around the world including Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba and former Prime Ministers Abe, Suga, and Kishida have emphasized, at the G7 and other major international fora, that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential for global security and prosperity. In other words, he explained, the international community cares about Taiwan and supports peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait because Taiwan is located in the first island chain in the Indo-Pacific, directly facing China. He pointed out that if Taiwan is not protected, China’s expansionist ambitions will certainly grow, which would impact the current rules-based international order. Thus, he said, the international community willingly cares about Taiwan and supports stability in the Taiwan Strait – that is the reason, and it has no direct connection with TSMC. He noted that after all, TSMC has not made investments in that many countries, stressing that, on that point, it is clear. President Lai said that TSMC’s investments in Japan, Europe, and the US are all natural, normal economic and investment activities. He said that Taiwan is a democratic country whose society is based on the rule of law, so when Taiwanese companies need to invest around the world for business needs, the government will support those investments in principle so long as they do not harm national interests. President Lai said that after TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) held a press conference with President Trump to announce the investment in the US, Chairman Wei returned to Taiwan to hold a press conference with him at the Presidential Office, where the chairman explained to the Taiwanese public that TSMC’s R&D center will remain in Taiwan and that the facilities it has already committed to investing in here will not change and will not be affected. So, the president explained, to put it another way, TSMC will not be weakened by its investment in the US. He further emphasized that Taiwan has strengths in semiconductor manufacturing and is very willing to work alongside other democratic countries to promote the next stage of global prosperity and development. A question was raised about which side should be chosen between the US and China, under the current perception of a return to the Cold War, with East and West facing off as two opposing blocs. President Lai responded by saying that some experts and scholars describe the current situation as entering a new Cold War era between democratic and authoritarian camps; others assert that the war has already begun, including information warfare, economic and trade wars, and the ongoing wars in Europe – the Russo-Ukrainian War – and the Middle East, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. The president said that these are all matters experts have cautioned about, noting that he is not a historian and so will not attempt to define today’s political situation from an academic standpoint. However, he said, he believes that every country has a choice, which is to say, Taiwan, Japan, or any other nation does not necessarily have to choose between the US and China. What we are deciding, he said, is whether our country will maintain a democratic constitutional system or regress into an authoritarian regime, and this is essentially a choice of values – not merely a choice between two major powers. President Lai said that Taiwan’s situation is different from other countries because we face a direct threat from China. He pointed out that we have experienced military conflicts such as the August 23 Artillery Battle and the Battle of Guningtou – actual wars between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. He said that China’s ambition to annex Taiwan has never wavered, and that today, China’s political and military intimidation, as well as internal united front infiltration, are growing increasingly intense. Therefore, he underlined, to defend democracy and sovereignty, protect our free and democratic system, and ensure the safety of our people’s lives and property, Taiwan’s choice is clear. President Lai said that China’s military exercises are not limited to the Taiwan Strait, and include the East China Sea, South China Sea, and even the Sea of Japan, as well as areas around Korea and Australia. Emphasizing that Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines are all democratic nations, the president said that Taiwan’s choice is clear, and that he believes Japan also has no other choice. We are all democratic countries, he said, whose people have long pursued the universal values of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights, and that is what is most important. Regarding the intensifying tensions between the US and China, the president was asked what roles Taiwan and Japan can play. President Lai responded that in his view, Japan is a powerful nation, and he sincerely hopes that Japan can take a leading role amid these changes in the international landscape. He said he believes that countries in the Indo-Pacific region are also willing to respond. He suggested several areas where we can work together: first, democracy and peace; second, innovation and prosperity; and third, justice and sustainability. President Lai stated that in the face of authoritarian threats, we should let peace be our beacon and democracy our compass as we respond to the challenges posed by authoritarian states. Second, he added, as the world enters an era characterized by the comprehensive adoption of smart technologies, Japan and Taiwan should collaborate in the field of innovation to further drive regional prosperity and development. Third, he continued, is justice and sustainability. He explained that because international society still has many issues that need to be resolved, Taiwan and Japan can cooperate for the public good, helping countries in need around the world, and cooperating to address climate change and achieve net-zero transition by 2050. Asked whether he hopes that the US will continue to be a leader in the liberal democratic system, President Lai responded by saying that although the US severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, for the past few decades it has assisted Taiwan in various areas such as national defense, security, and countering threats from China, based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. He pointed out that Taiwan has also benefited, directly and indirectly, in terms of politics, democracy, and economic prosperity thanks to the US, and so Taiwan naturally hopes that the US remains strong and continues to lead the world. President Lai said that when the US encounters difficulties, whether financial difficulties, reindustrialization issues, or becoming a global center for AI, and hopes to receive support from its friends and allies to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Taiwan is willing to stand together for a common cause. If the US remains strong, he said, that helps Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world as a whole. Noting that while the vital role of the US on the global stage has not changed, the president said that after decades of shouldering global responsibilities, it has encountered some issues. Now, it has to make adjustments, he said, stating his firm belief that it will do so swiftly, and quickly resume its leadership role in the world. Asked to comment on remarks he made during his election campaign that he would like to invite China’s President Xi Jinping for bubble tea, President Lai responded that Taiwan is a peace-loving country, and Taiwanese society is inherently kind, and therefore we hope to get along peacefully with China, living in peace and mutual prosperity. So, during his term as vice president, he said, he was expressing the goodwill of Taiwanese society. Noting that while he of course understands that China’s President Xi would have certain difficulties in accepting this, he emphasized that the goodwill of Taiwanese society has always existed. If China reflects on the past two or three decades, he said, it will see that its economy was able to develop with Taiwan as its largest foreign investor. The president explained that every year, 1 to 2 million Taiwanese were starting businesses or investing in China, creating numerous job opportunities and stabilizing Chinese society. While many Taiwanese businesses have profited, he said, Chinese society has benefited even more. He added that every time a natural disaster occurs, if China is in need, Taiwanese always offer donations. Therefore, the president said, he hopes that China can face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence and understand that the people of Taiwan hope to continue living free and democratic lives with respect for human rights. He also expressed hope that China can pay attention to the goodwill of Taiwanese society. He underlined that we have not abandoned the notion that as long as there is parity, dignity, exchange, and cooperation, the goodwill of choosing dialogue over confrontation and exchange over containment will always exist. Asked for his view on the national security reforms in response to China’s espionage activities and infiltration attempts, President Lai said that China’s united front infiltration activities in Taiwan are indeed very serious. He said that China’s ambitions to annex Taiwan rely not only on the use of political and military intimidation, but also on its long-term united front and infiltration activities in Taiwanese society. Recently, he pointed out, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office of the Ministry of Justice prosecuted 64 spies, which is three times the number in 2021, and in addition to active-duty military personnel, many retired military personnel were also indicted. Moreover, he added, Taiwan also has the Chinese Unification Promotion Party, which has a background in organized crime, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, which was established by retired military personnel, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government, which is also composed of retired generals. He explained that these are all China’s front organizations, and they plan one day to engage in collaboration within Taiwan, which shows the seriousness of China’s infiltration in Taiwan. Therefore, the president said, in the recent past he convened a high-level national security meeting and proposed 17 response strategies across five areas. He then enumerated the five areas: first, to address China’s threat to Taiwan’s sovereignty; second, to respond to the threat of China’s obscuring the Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity; third, to respond to the threat of China’s infiltrating and recruiting members of the ROC Armed Forces as spies; fourth, to respond to the threat of China’s infiltration of Taiwanese society through societal exchanges and united front work; and fifth, to respond to the threat of China using “integration plans” to draw Taiwan’s young people and Taiwanese businesses into its united front activities. In response to these five major threats, he said, he has proposed 17 response strategies, one of which being to restore the military trial system. He explained that if active-duty military personnel commit military crimes, they must be subject to military trials, and said that this expresses the Taiwanese government’s determination to respond to China’s united front infiltration and the subversion of Taiwan. Responding to the question of which actions Taiwan can take to guard against China’s threats to regional security, President Lai said that many people are worried that the increasingly tense situation may lead to accidental conflict and the outbreak of war. He stated his own view that Taiwan is committed to facing China’s various threats with caution. Taiwan is never the source of these problems, he emphasized, and if there is an accidental conflict and it turns into a full-scale war, it will certainly be a deliberate act by China using an accidental conflict as a pretext. He said that when China expanded its military presence in the East China Sea and South China Sea, the international community did not stop it; when China conducted exercises in the Taiwan Strait, the international community did not take strong measures to prevent this from happening. Now, he continued, China is conducting gray-zone exercises, which are aggressions against not only the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, but also extending to the Sea of Japan and waters near South Korea. He said that at this moment, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and even the US should face these developments candidly and seriously, and we must exhibit unity and cooperation to prevent China’s gray-zone aggression from continuing to expand and prevent China from shifting from a military exercise to combat. If no action is taken now, the president said, the situation may become increasingly serious. Asked about the view of some US analysts who point out that China will have the ability to invade Taiwan around 2027, President Lai responded that Taiwan, as the country on the receiving end of threats and aggression, must plan for the worst and make the best preparations. He recalled a famous saying from the armed forces: “Do not count on the enemy not showing up; count on being ready should it strike.” This is why, he said, he proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, he said, we must strengthen our national defense. Second, he added, we must strengthen economic resilience, adding that not only must our economy remain strong, but it must also be resilient, and that we cannot put all our eggs in the same basket, in China, as we have done in the past. Third, he continued, we must stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies such as Japan and the US, as well as the democratic community, and we must demonstrate the strength of deterrence to prevent China from making the wrong judgment. Fourth, he emphasized, as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China and seek cross-strait peace and mutual prosperity through exchanges and cooperation. Regarding intensifying US-China confrontation, the president was asked in which areas he thinks Taiwan and Japan should strengthen cooperation; with Japan’s Ishiba administration also being a minority government, the president was asked for his expectations for the Ishiba administration. President Lai said that in the face of rapid and tremendous changes in the political situation, every government faces considerable challenges, especially for minority governments, but the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Ishiba has quite adequately responded with various strategies. Furthermore, he said, Japan is different from Taiwan, explaining that although Japan’s ruling party lacks a majority, political parties in Japan engage in competition domestically while exhibiting unity externally. He said that Taiwan’s situation is more challenging, because the ruling and opposition parties hold different views on the direction of the country, due to differences in national identity. The president expressed his hope that in the future Taiwan and Japan will enjoy even more comprehensive cooperation. He stated that he has always believed that deep historical bonds connect Taiwan and Japan. Over the past several decades, he said, when encountering natural disasters and tragedies, our two nations have assisted each other with mutual care and support. He said that the affection between the people of Taiwan and Japan is like that of a family. Pointing out that both countries face the threat of authoritarianism, he said that we share a mission to safeguard universal values such as democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights. The president said that our two countries should be more open to cooperation in various areas to maintain regional peace and stability as well as to strengthen cooperation in economic and industrial development, such as for semiconductor industry chains and everyday applications of AI, including robots and drones, adding that we can also cooperate on climate change response, such as in hydrogen energy and other strategies. He said our two countries should also continue to strengthen people-to-people exchanges. He then took the opportunity to once again invite our good friends from Japan to visit Taiwan for tourism and learn more about Taiwan, saying that the Taiwanese people wholeheartedly welcome our Japanese friends.  

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    2025-05-09
    President Lai extends congratulations on election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV  
    Following the successful election of the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, on May 8, President Lai Ching-te extended sincere congratulations on behalf of the people and government of Taiwan, including its Catholic community. The president stated that he looks forward to working with Pope Leo XIV to continue deepening cooperation in the area of humanitarian aid and jointly defend the universal value of religious freedom, expanding and strengthening the alliance between Taiwan and the Vatican. Upon learning of the election results, President Lai directed the Republic of China (Taiwan) Embassy to the Holy See to convey a message of congratulations. In the message, President Lai extended sincere congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on behalf of the people and government of Taiwan, including its Catholic community, expressing confidence that His Holiness will lead the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion followers worldwide with profound wisdom. President Lai also emphasized that Taiwan looks forward to continuing to work alongside the Holy See in the shared pursuit of peace, justice, religious freedom, solidarity, friendship, and human dignity. This year marks the 83rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Vatican. Enjoying a strong alliance, Taiwan and the Vatican share such universal values as freedom of religion, respect for human rights, peace, and benevolence, and conduct close exchanges. Taiwan will continue to engage in exchanges and cooperation with the Holy See, further strengthen bilateral relations, and work alongside the Holy See to contribute even more to the world.  

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    2025-05-05
    President Lai meets Japanese Diet Member and former Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi
    On the afternoon of May 5, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from Japan led by House of Representatives Member and former Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi. President Lai thanked the government of Japan for continuously speaking up for Taiwan at international venues and reiterating the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The president stated that to address China’s gray-zone aggression against neighboring countries, Taiwan and Japan, both located in the first island chain, should strengthen cooperation and respond together. He said he looks forward to bilateral industrial cooperation in fields including semiconductors, hydrogen energy, AI, and drones, jointly strengthening the resilience of non-red supply chains, and promoting mutual prosperity and development.    A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I would like to welcome all the members of the Japanese Diet who are using their valuable Golden Week vacation to visit Taiwan, especially House of Representatives Member Nishimura Yasutoshi, whom former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deeply trusted and relied on, and who for many years held important cabinet positions. This is his first visit after a hiatus of 17 years, so I am sure he will sense Taiwan’s progress and development. House of Representatives Member Tanaka Kazunori has long promoted local exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, and I hope that our visitors will all gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan through this visit.  Yesterday, several of our distinguished guests made a special trip to Kaohsiung to pay their respects at the statue of former Prime Minister Abe, a visionary politician with a broad, international perspective. The former prime minister pioneered the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and once said that “if Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem,” demonstrating strong support for Taiwan and making a deep and lasting impression on the hearts of Taiwanese. Over the past few years, China has continuously conducted military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, East and South China Seas, and carried out acts of gray-zone aggression against neighboring countries, severely undermining regional peace and stability. Taiwan and Japan, both located in the first island chain, should strengthen cooperation and respond together. Especially since Taiwan and Japan are democratic partners who share values such as freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, if we can strengthen cooperation in areas such as maritime security, social resilience, and addressing gray-zone aggression, I am confident we can demonstrate the strength of deterrence, ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and safeguard our cherished democratic institutions. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Japanese government for continuously speaking up for Taiwan at international venues, including this year’s US-Japan leaders’ summit, the G7 foreign ministers’ joint statement, and the Japan-NATO bilateral meeting, reiterating the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and expressing opposition to unilaterally changing the status quo by force or coercion. In the face of global economic and trade changes, economic security is becoming increasingly important, and Taiwan looks forward to further deepening economic cooperation with Japan. In addition to actively seeking to participate in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Taiwan hopes to sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan as soon as possible. This will expand our cooperation in industries such as semiconductors, hydrogen energy, AI, and drones, establish a closer economic partnership, jointly strengthen the resilience of non-red supply chains, and promote mutual prosperity and development. Once again, I welcome all of our guests. I am deeply grateful for your taking concrete action to deepen Taiwan-Japan relations and show support for Taiwan. I wish you a successful and rewarding visit.  Representative Nishimura then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with the visiting delegation. He also expressed admiration for the performance of President Lai’s government, which has allowed Taiwan to develop smoothly amidst the current complex international situation. Representative Nishimura mentioned that when former Prime Minister Abe unfortunately passed away in 2020, President Lai, who was vice president at the time, personally visited the former prime minister’s residence to offer his condolences. The representative said that including that meeting, today is the second time he and President Lai have met. This delegation’s visit to Taiwan, he said, carries on the legacy of former Prime Minister Abe. He said that Taiwan and Japan are countries that share universal values and have close ties in terms of economic cooperation and mutual visits. Notably, he highlighted, in 2024, business travelers from Taiwan made over six million visits to Japan, and based on population, Taiwan has the highest percentage of visitors to Japan. He also expressed hope that more Japanese people will visit Taiwan for tourism.   Representative Nishimura stated that the delegation visited Kaohsiung yesterday to pay their respects at the statue of former Prime Minister Abe. Then, he said, they traveled to Tainan to sample a wide variety of fruits and local delicacies, during which time they also discussed the Wushantou Reservoir, built by Japanese engineer Hatta Yoichi. Since May 8 is the anniversary of Mr. Hatta’s birth, Representative Nishimura said he hopes to use this opportunity to continue Mr. Hatta’s concern and love for Taiwan, and further deepen the friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Representative Nishimura said that when he served as Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, he welcomed Taiwan’s application to join the CPTPP on behalf of the Japanese government. He also said that his government has also provided substantial assistance for the establishment of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) fab in Kumamoto, Japan. He said he believes that mutual cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in the semiconductor sector can further promote semiconductor industry development, and build a more resilient supply chain system. Representative Nishimura pointed out that former Prime Minister Abe once said, “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” Currently, many European countries are also very concerned about peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, because it is crucial to peace and stability in the entire international community. It can therefore be said that “if Taiwan has a problem, the world has a problem.” He said he believes that in order to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, like-minded countries and allied nations must all cooperate closely and definitively proclaim that message. He then said he looks forward to exchanging views with President Lai on issues such as strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations and changes in the international situation. The delegation also included Chairman of Kanagawa Prefecture Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association Matsumoto Jun, Japanese House of Representatives members Nishime Kosaburo, Sasaki Hajime, Yana Kazuo, and Katou Ryusho, and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki. 

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Aid instrumentalised and health system under fire: Gaza is being deliberately asphyxiated by Israeli forces

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • While Israeli authorities let an insufficient amount of aid into Gaza to pretend the siege is over, ground operations continue to damage and put medical facilities out of service.
    • On 19 May, a strike hit Nasser hospital’s compound, damaging the Ministry of Health’s pharmacy store at a time when supplies are already running low.
    • Attacks on medical care must stop now and aid must enter Gaza in sufficient quantities.

    Jerusalem – The insufficient amount of aid being allowed into the Gaza Strip, Palestine, is merely a smokescreen to pretend the siege is over. Meanwhile, at least 20 medical facilities in Gaza have been damaged, or forced partially or completely out of service, in the past week by advancing Israeli ground operations, intensified airstrikes, and widespread evacuation orders. As people remain in desperate need of medical care and aid, Israeli authorities must stop the deliberate asphyxiation of Gaza and the annihilation of its healthcare system, that is underpinning their campaign of ethnic cleansing.

    “The Israeli authorities’ decision to allow a ridiculously inadequate amount of aid into Gaza after months of an air-tight siege signals their intention to avoid the accusation of starving people in Gaza, while in fact keeping them barely surviving,” says Pascale Coissard, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) emergency coordinator in Khan Younis. “This plan is a way to instrumentalise aid, making it a tool to further Israeli forces’ military objectives.” 

    Before October 2023, 500 aid trucks were entering Gaza every day, according to the UN. The current authorisation for 100 per day, when the situation is so dire, is woefully inadequate.

    Meanwhile, evacuation orders are continuing to uproot people, while Israeli forces are still subjecting health facilities to intensive attacks. 

    On 19 May, between 6 and 6.30am, MSF teams reported hearing almost one strike per minute in Khan Younis. One of these strikes hit the Nasser hospital compound, 100 metres away from the intensive care unit and the inpatient department that are run by MSF. This is the third time in two months that Nasser hospital compound has been struck, once again depriving people of treatment and care. To reduce exposure, our teams were forced to temporarily close both the outpatient department and sedation room for patients awaiting or recovering from surgery, as well as suspend physiotherapy and mental health activities, which are essential for burn patients – most of whom are children.

    The strikes on 19 May also severely damaged the Ministry of Health pharmacy store in Nasser hospital. This puts additional pressure on supplies at a time when medical stocks are running critically low due to the siege.  

    A strike that hit the Nasser hospital compound severely damaged the Ministry of Health pharmacy store. Gaza, Palestine, 20 May 2025.
    MSF

    As part of the expansion of their ground operations, Israeli forces have issued widescale evacuation orders, further limiting people’s access to medical care and MSF’s ability to provide it. On 19 May, for example, an evacuation order covering almost the entire eastern part of Khan Younis, at the edge of Nasser hospital, forced people to immediately move towards Al-Mawasi area.

    The Site Management Cluster estimates that over 138,900 people were forcibly displaced between 15-20 May. The intensified Israeli bombardments and evacuation orders across Khan Younis have forced MSF to maintain only lifesaving activities in the emergency rooms of Al-Attar and Al-Mawasi clinics. Since yesterday, Al-Hakker clinic, in Deir Al-Balah, has also been closed. Before that, MSF teams had been providing more than 350 consultations per day for paediatric, antenatal and post-natal care, psychological first aid and outpatient nutrition treatment among other things.

    A few days earlier, on 15 May, Israeli authorities issued an evacuation order to Sheikh Radwan basic healthcare centre in Gaza City, which led to the closure of the facility. Before that, with MSF’s support, the Ministry of Health teams were providing around 3,000 consultations per day in an area with estimated 250,000 people. This was the last fully functional public basic healthcare clinic in the area.

    According to the Ministry of Health, following the besiege of the Indonesian hospital, all public hospitals in North Gaza are now out of service. The MSF field hospital in Deir Al-Balah has seen its bed capacity rise to 150 per cent over the last few days, forcing us to add additional staff and increase our baseline by 20 beds. According to the UN, there are currently around 1,000 functional hospital beds across the Strip, while bed capacity before the war was 3,500.

    Attacks on civilians and healthcare must stop now and aid must enter Gaza in sufficient quantities and in a way that allows it to reach those who need it. Israel’s allies must exert all their pressure to make this happen as a matter of extreme urgency. Every day that is lost reinforces their complicity in the annihilation of the people of Gaza.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: Asbestos cement pipes

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ9: Asbestos cement pipes 
    Question:
     
         According to government information, the use of asbestos cement pipes in Hong Kong has been discontinued since January 1986, but such pipes still exist in the existing water supply systems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the length of asbestos cement pipes in Hong Kong’s water supply systems at present and the districts in which such pipes are mainly located;
     
    (2) given the potential danger of asbestos to human health, whether the authorities will consider giving priority to replacing the existing asbestos cement pipes; if so, of their plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) as it is learnt that the authorities need to carry out works involving asbestos-containing materials in a safe manner pursuant to the law, whether the authorities engage outsourced contractors to handle works involving asbestos cement pipes; of the costs incurred by the Government in handling works involving asbestos cement pipes in the past three years?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         When designing the water supply network, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) would use various types of pipe materials according to the needs at the material time. Among them, asbestos cement (AC) pipes has been widely used in Hong Kong and other countries in the past because they could withstand greater internal water pressure and have good heat resistance and chemical corrosion resistance. Asbestos containing materials pose no health risk as long as they remain intact and undisturbed. The WSD later found that pipes made of this materials were relatively more brittle when serving as external wall and were more likely to burst or leak when impacted by external forces (such as arising from nearby road excavation works). Therefore, the WSD has discontinued to use AC pipes in pipe laying and maintenance since January 1986, and progressively replaced them with more durable ductile iron pipes or steel pipes under the relevant water main improvement programmes or during repairing works for water main burst incidents, with a view to reducing the risk of water main bursts or leaks.
     
         The replies to various parts of the Hon Lam’s question are as follows:  

    (1) As of now, there are about 130 kilometres long AC pipes still in service, accounting for about 1.5 per cent of Hong Kong’s 8 500 km long water supply network. They are distributed in different districts in Hong Kong as follows:
     

    District(2) According to the Health Information about Asbestos published by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, asbestos fibres are generally bound into the base material matrix. Under normal circumstances, only extremely small quantity of asbestos fibres, if any, can be released.
     
         The use of asbestos-containing cement pipes has been more common in earlier decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2021 that there was no evidence to support that ingesting asbestos in drinking water poses potential risk to human health. Therefore, the WHO has not established a guideline value for asbestos fibres in drinking water, and considers such standards to be neither appropriate nor necessary.
     
         The WSD is implementing a risk-based asset management programme for water mains by introducing factors such as age of use, materials, past records of bursts or leaks, surrounding environment, consequences of bursts or leaks, for assessing the risk of water main bursts or leaks so as to accord priority to improving specific sections of water mains with higher risk, including replacement or rehabilitation of them, with a view to reducing the risk of water main bursts or leaks for the water supply network overall. As mentioned above, since AC pipes are relatively brittle and more likely to burst or leak when impacted by external forces, the WSD has increased the risk weighting factor for AC pipes in order to speed up the replacement or rehabilitation of these water mains, aiming to reducing the risk of water main bursts and the impact on the community. The above improvement measures are based on considering the risk of pipe bursting rather than health or drinking water safety risks posed by AC pipes.
     
         Those AC pipes currently assessed as higher-risk are mainly located on busy traffic routes. To expedite the replacement of ageing water mains, including AC pipes, the WSD has set up an inter-departmental task force headed by the Director of Water Supplies and composed of representatives from departments including the Development Bureau, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Environmental Protection Department, the Home Affairs Department, etc, to discuss and formulate temporary traffic arrangements and implementation programme for the replacement of water mains, so as to formulate plans as early as possible to minimise the impacts of the projects on traffic and the public.

    (3) The handling, removal, transportation and disposal of AC pipes in the water supply network are regulated under relevant ordinances, including the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Cap. 59) and the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311), to safeguard the occupational safety and health of workers engaged in asbestos-related works. The WSD mandates through works contract provisions that contractors must fully comply with all asbestos-related legislation and codes of practice, ensuring the AC pipes are safely handled, removed, transported, and disposed of in accordance with statutory requirements. All contractors and their workers must comply with the requirements of the relevant ordinances and the safety and health codes of practice and practical guidelines issued by the Labour Department when carrying out the works related to asbestos. This includes requiring the contractors to adopt control measures and provide personal protective equipment at the workplace, and employing competent persons to supervise the effective implementation of these measures.
     
         During the implementation of the above works, the WSD will monitor the contractor’s construction procedures to ensure that the relevant ordinances and codes in carrying out AC pipe works are followed.
     
         Over the past three years, the project cost of the WSD in handling AC pipes (including the costs of handling, removal, transportation and disposal, etc) was about $31.7 million per year on average.
    Issued at HKT 17:48

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First detection of West Nile virus in UK mosquitoes

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    First detection of West Nile virus in UK mosquitoes

    UKHSA says there is no evidence to suggest ongoing circulation of the virus in birds or mosquitos in the UK and the risk to the general public is very low

    A research programme by the  UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)  has identified fragments of West Nile Virus (WNV) genetic material in mosquitoes collected in Britain for the first time.

    West Nile Virus is a vector borne disease belonging to the Flaviviridae family, which also includes the viruses that cause dengue and yellow fever. It is usually found in birds, and typically circulates through bird-biting mosquitoes. In rare cases mosquitoes can transmit the virus to humans or horses.

    The fragments were detected through the Vector-Borne RADAR (Real-time Arbovirus Detection And Response) programme by APHA, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, in 2 samples of Aedes vexans mosquitoes collected by UKHSA from wetlands on the River Idle near Gamston (Retford), Nottinghamshire, during July 2023. The mosquitoes were pooled into groups of 10 for testing, and fragments of West Nile Virus genetic material were identified in 2 of the pools. The other 198 were negative. This is the first evidence of West Nile Virus detected in a mosquito in the UK. A further 198 pools from the same site tested negative for the virus.

    West Nile virus (WNV) is endemic in various regions across the globe, including  Europe, Africa, the Middle East, West and Central Asia, and North America, as well as South America, USA and Australia. The geographic range of West Nile Virus has expanded in recent years to more northerly and western regions of mainland Europe.

    The UKHSA has assessed the risk to the general public as very low, but is issuing advice to healthcare professionals so that patients with encephalitis of unknown cause can be tested as a precaution through UKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory.  

    There have been no cases of locally acquired West Nile Virus detected in humans or horses in the UK to date, although 7  travel-associated cases have occurred since 2000. Based on available surveillance, there is no evidence to suggest ongoing circulation of the virus in birds or mosquitos in the UK. Disease surveillance and control activities are being enhanced in light of the findings. Currently, the main risk of West Nile Virus for UK residents continues to be travel to endemic areas overseas. 

    Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Deputy Director for travel health, zoonoses, emerging infections, respiratory and tuberculosis, said:

    While this is the first detection of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in the UK so far, it is not unexpected as the virus is already widespread in Europe.

    The risk to the general public is currently assessed as very low. Vector research of this kind is designed to give us early warning of potential threats so that we can enhance our disease surveillance and control activities and ensure patients receive appropriate testing.

    Dr Arran Folly, Arbovirologist at APHA and lead of the Vector-Borne RADAR project concluded:

    The detection of West Nile virus in the UK is part of a wider changing landscape, where, in the wake of climate change mosquito-borne diseases are expanding to new areas. Only through continued surveillance can we assess the risk to animal and public health.  

    Our primary focus is to understand how viruses move into the country and how they are transmitted. Combined this can help us identify areas that may be at increased risk of outbreaks.

    The Vector-Borne RADAR project brings together a wealth of expertise across government and wildlife charities, to enhance the surveillance we undertake in the United Kingdom for mosquito-borne diseases.

    Aedes vexans are native to the UK and although they can be found widely at very low densities, in a few locations in England they can occur at high densities associated with summer flooded river landscapes. While uncommon, they are known to cause nuisance biting in a small number of areas in the country, including in villages along the River Idle near Retford, Nottinghamshire, where summer flooding and poor drainage is experienced. Recent efforts have taken place to manage the mosquito populations and to minimise suitable habitats for the main nuisance biting mosquito.

    As temperatures warm due to climate change, tick and mosquito species not currently native to the UK will begin to find the UK’s climate more bearable making it easier for them to survive, reproduce and establish a local population. Other species of mosquito, some of which have the potential to transmit infectious disease, can arrive in the UK in several ways, such as by becoming trapped in cars and lorries crossing the border into the UK. They may also be transported through trade channels in containers which are shipped internationally. UKHSA’s wider vector surveillance programmes involve monitoring transport hubs such as motorway service stations and truck stops, as well as other high-risk sites, to ensure that these invasive insects can be detected and eradicated before they disseminate more widely.

    Dr Jolyon Medlock, Head of Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology at UKHSA, added:

    Our surveillance, which led to this discovery, monitors for mosquitoes across Britain to understand the distribution, density and activity across the country. We also monitor mosquito nuisance biting, so anyone experiencing this can contact our mosquito surveillance scheme and provide an image or sample.

    Mosquitoes breed in a range of natural wetlands, but can also be common in gardens, breeding in container habitats like water butts and buckets. Reducing opportunities for some mosquito species to access these containers with lids, or turning them over, can reduce mosquitoes numbers around our homes.

    Mosquitoes in the UK are also commonly found in wet woodland areas and various aquatic habitats, including ponds, ditches, marshes, and even garden water butts or cisterns. To avoid being bitten by a mosquito when in these types of areas, wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers to cover your arms and legs, use insect repellent on your skin (ideally one that contains the ingredient DEET),  close windows and doors whenever possible, or use blinds or screens.

    The Vector-Borne RADAR (Real-time Arbovirus Detection And Response) programme, funded by the UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was created to help understand the emergence and transmission of zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses in the United Kingdom, and is also supported by ZSL’s Institute of Zoology and the British Trust for Ornithology. Part of its research has involved testing mosquito samples, both newly collected and archived from use in previous research, for the presence of West Nile Virus genetic material. A total of 32,000 mosquitoes have been tested through the scheme, with the latest samples tested submitted in 2024. Other types of mosquitoes tested include Culex modestus and Culex pipiens as the principal bridge and enzootic vectors.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 17 NSU postgraduate students became holders of Presidential scholarships

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The 500 winners of the second competitive selection for the Russian Presidential Scholarship for postgraduate and adjunct students have been announced. The monthly scholarship is 75 thousand rubles. The payment is assigned for a period of 1 to 4 years. Last year, the first recipients of the scholarship included eight NSU postgraduate students: three from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Physics, and one from the Faculty of Economics and the Institute of Humanities. In 2025, their number increased to 17.

    This year, the Presidential Scholarship was awarded to 8 postgraduate students. Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU, 4 postgraduate students Physics Department of NSU, 2 postgraduate students Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of NSU and 3 postgraduate students Humanitarian Institute of NSU.

    Scholarships for postgraduate and adjunct students conducting scientific research within the framework of the implementation of the country’s scientific and technological development priorities were awarded to:

    Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU:

    Olga Bakunina (3rd year of study), scientific supervisor – senior lecturer of the Department of Physics of the Specialized Scientific Center of NSU Mikhail Yuryevich Ivanov;

    Ekaterina Butikova (1st year student), scientific supervisor – head of the laboratory of cellular technologies of the Department of Experimental Lymphology of the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymphology – branch of the ICG SB RAS Olga Vladimirovna Poveshchenko;

    Alexander Nashivochnikov (3rd year of study), scientific supervisor – senior researcher at the Laboratory of Quantum Optical Technologies of the Physics Department of NSU Anton Ivanovich Kostyukov;

    Tamara Rakhmanova (3rd year of study), scientific supervisor – head of the cryopreservation and reproductive technologies sector of the Federal Research Center of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences Sergei Yakovlevich Amstislavsky;

    Arkady Samsonenko (2nd year of study), scientific supervisor – senior lecturer of the Department of Chemical and Biological Physics of the Physics Faculty of NSU Sergei Leonidovich Weber;

    Sergey Sviyazov (3rd year of study), scientific supervisor – assistant of the Department of Physical Chemistry of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU Dudari Bairovna Burueva;

    Egor Sosnin (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – senior lecturer of the Department of General Physics of the Physics Faculty of NSU Stanislav Albertovich Trubachev;

    Artem Urlukov (3rd year of study), scientific supervisor – Associate Professor of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU Dmitry Igorevich Potemkin.

    NSU Faculty of Physics:

    Alexandra Borodulina (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – senior lecturer of the Department of Chemical and Biological Physics of the Physics Faculty of NSU Sergei Leonidovich Weber;

    Stepan Karmushin (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – director of the Advanced Engineering School of NSU Sergey Valerievich Golovin;

    Natalia Osik (2nd year of study), scientific supervisor – chief researcher of the International Tomography Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Pavlovich Tsentalovich;

    Andrey Cherepanov (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – Associate Professor of the Department of General Physics of the Physics Faculty of NSU Denis Anatolyevich Knyazkov.

    Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of NSU:

    Mark Ignatov (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – senior lecturer of the Department of Physical Methods for Solid State Research of the Physics Faculty of NSU Sergey Vladimirovich Rashchenko;

    Alexey Tarasov (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – senior researcher of the laboratory of lithospheric mantle and diamond deposits of the V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Viktorovich Golovin.

    Humanitarian Institute of NSU:

    Dmitry Lebedkin (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – head of the Department of Fundamental and Applied Linguistics of the Humanities Institute of NSU Alexander Nikolaevich Savostyanov;

    Valeria Mikhienko (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – professor of the Department of Archeology and Ethnography of the Humanities Institute of NSU Mikhail Vasilyevich Shunkov;

    Vasily Sokolovsky (1st year of study), scientific supervisor – associate professor of the Department of Archeology and Ethnography of the Humanities Institute of NSU Andrey Vladimirovich Tabaev.

    In total, more than 4.6 thousand applications from 73 subjects of Russia were submitted to the competition. The winners were representatives of all federal districts, including 2 postgraduate students from new regions. The largest number of applications were submitted in the direction of “Engineering Sciences”.

    Candidates for the presidential scholarship were nominated by their scientific supervisors. As specified on the official website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the research of scholarship applicants must be based on the priorities defined by the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation, approved by Vladimir Putin on February 28, 2024.

    Valeria Mikhienko (NSU Humanitarian Institute):

    — As part of my dissertation research, it is planned to study the main techniques of chipping on the archaeological materials of the Upper Paleolithic of the Altai Mountains, obtained from sites with an established chronology and with the involvement of experimental data. The identification and substantiation of a new additional criterion for differentiating the Upper Paleolithic industries of the Altai Mountains will allow us to determine the main trends at different stages of the Upper Paleolithic and better understand their specificity. In the Upper Paleolithic (about 50 thousand years ago), changes in stone processing occur everywhere, which are associated with the production of new types of blanks (plates, blades, microplates) and typologically expressed tool forms (leaf-shaped bifaces). At first, man in ancient times mastered new methods of obtaining standardized stone blanks – plates within the framework of volumetric thinking, then moved on to the manufacture of smaller forms – plates, and at the end of the Upper Paleolithic he already mastered the technique of pressing and was already able to obtain microplates. All this took place against the backdrop of changes in the natural environment and the development of human cognitive abilities, which can be traced in the archaeological materials of the multi-layered sites of the Altai Mountains (from 50 to 20 thousand years ago).

    Ekaterina Butikova (FEN NSU):

    — I am researching the effects of terahertz radiation on normal and tumor human cells. As part of the project, we study how irradiation at terahertz frequencies affects cellular metabolism and the viability of various cell types. These data are important for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of terahertz radiation and may be useful for understanding safety limits.

    Stepan Karmushin (FF NSU):

    — My scientific research is devoted to a relevant and complex area of modern hydrodynamics — the mechanics of viscoelastic (non-Newtonian) fluids, including issues of unsteady flows and rheology of complex structured polymer and colloidal systems. The relevance of this topic is due to the wide range of applications of such materials in advanced technologies, including the oil and gas industry, biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry and the development of new composites. Particular attention is paid to the development of nonlinear mathematical models and analysis of the internal structure of the flow, which allows for reliable calculation of the rheology of viscoelastic fluids, as well as reproducing their behavior in real conditions. The results of the work are of both fundamental importance for modern hydrodynamics and practical value for the real sector of the economy, including cooperation with leading oil and gas companies to solve specific technological challenges.

    Alexey Tarasov (GGF NSU):

    — The topic of my project is “Melt inclusions in minerals of mantle xenoliths from kimberlites: reconstruction of mantle melt compositions”. Kimberlites are igneous rocks, which are associated with more than 90% of diamond deposits. Kimberlites are formed by the crystallization of kimberlite magmas. Kimberlite melts are formed by partial melting of mantle rocks at a depth of 160-300 kilometers. In my work, I try to reconstruct the composition of kimberlite melts. To do this, I study melt inclusions in various minerals from kimberlites.

    Dmitry Lebedkin, (NSU GI):

    — I study neural indicators in the cognitive processing of syntactic errors in the process of perceiving sentences in natural languages and arithmetic formulas.

    The aim of the study is to identify similarities and differences between the neural processes that occur during the processing of linguistic and arithmetic syntax, in order to subsequently conclude whether this process is the same or not. If not, what are the differences between them).

    To answer this question, a series of experiments will be conducted with electroencephalogram recordings. During them, participants will read arithmetic formulas and sentences in Russian, which may contain syntactic and semantic errors. The obtained indicators of brain activity will be compared both between arithmetic and Russian, and within these categories of stimuli (with or without syntactic or semantic errors).

    The results of the conducted research can be used in the development of complex educational methods intended for more productive joint study of mathematical and language disciplines. Also in the future it is possible to create therapeutic methods for supporting students with dyscalculia and related developmental disorders based on the results of this work.

    Reference:

    Scholarships for postgraduate students and adjuncts conducting research within the framework of implementing the priorities of scientific and technological development of the country were introduced in 2024. The corresponding Decree “On the scholarship of the President of the Russian Federation for postgraduate students and adjuncts conducting research within the framework of implementing the priorities of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation” was signed by the head of state Vladimir Putin on November 27, 2023. Up to 500 scholarships in the amount of 75 thousand rubles will be allocated annually based on the results of competitive selection. They will be paid to postgraduate students and adjuncts until they complete their studies at the university. These payments are financed from the federal budget. The first recipients of the scholarship last year included eight NSU postgraduate students: three each from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Physics, and one each from the Faculty of Economics and the Humanities Institute. This year their number has increased to 17.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Quick march to the Leeds Armed Forces Festival

    Source: City of Leeds

    The Leeds Armed Forces Festival is back for a second year with an extravaganza of themed activities taking place leading up to Armed Forces Day itself at the end of next month.

    The festival, hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, is a chance for everyone to show their support for the men and women who make up our armed forces community, from currently serving troops and service families, to reservists, veterans, and cadets.

    Everyone in Leeds is invited to participate, and there is something to suit all tastes.

    Highlights of the festival include the Lotherton Hall 1940’s weekend, special exhibitions at the Royal Armouries; a Commonwealth War Graves tour; Tea and Talk at Temple Newsam; a curator talk and object handling event at Leeds Discovery Centre, and various social history club events at Leeds Museum at various time s and dates in June, July and August.

    Returning for a second year is the popular special tour of the Thackray Museum of Medicine, focusing on the building’s role as a military hospital in the First World War and the ever-popular singing group, the D-Day Darlings, will also be presenting their explosive new show for VE and VJ Day at City Varieties.

    The centrepiece of the festival will be the main Armed Forces Day event on Sunday, June 29.

     The event will start with the raising of the Armed Forces Day flag in Victoria Gardens at 10:30am, before military personnel, veterans, and cadets, parade through the city’s streets to the main event space on Briggate, where the Lord Mayor will take the salute, all accompanied by the West Yorkshire Police band.

    The day’s main activities will be on Briggate between 11am-4pm, and will be packed with family-friendly activities, parades, stalls, exhibitions, and music. Weather permitting, there will also be a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s (BBMF) C47 Dakota/Skytrain aircraft.

    Lord Mayor Elect, Councillor Dan Cohen, said: “Leeds has a long tradition of supporting our armed forces in both war and peace, and I look forward to continuing that tradition during my year as Lord Mayor.

    “This year, Armed Forces Day has added significance as we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day; remembering, reflecting, and commemorating those who fought, worked, and sacrificed to allow us our way of life today.

    “While a fun and engaging day for all the family, the Armed Forces Festival is also an incredible way to say thank you to the men and women of the armed forces community, past, present, and future.

    “I would like to extend an invitation to everyone in Leeds, and I look forward to seeing as many people at the different events as possible.”

    For more information on the Armed Forces Festival and Armed Forces Day, visit: https://www.millsqleeds.com/leeds-armed-forces-day/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Margaret Flynn reappointed as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Margaret Flynn reappointed as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum

    The Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care have approved the reappointment of Dr Margaret Flynn as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum.

    The Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care have approved the reappointment of Dr Margaret Flynn as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum (NMCF) for 3 years from 7 March 2025.

    The NMCF was established by the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care in 2015, in response to the 2014 House of Lords Select Committee post-legislative scrutiny report of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

    The NMCF aims to raise awareness of the MCA and improve its implementation by joining up stakeholders from a wide range of sectors where the MCA applies, such as health and social care, banking, legal and third sector organisations.

    The Chair of the NMCF is appointed by the Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care. Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

    Dr Margaret Flynn biography

    Since 2019, Dr Flynn has been a Trustee of Anheddau Cyf, a not-for-profit charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism and mental health challenges across North Wales. She has been a Director of Flynn and Eley Associates Ltd since 2009 and has held various editorial roles for the Journal of Adult Protection since 1999.

    Dr Flynn has chaired and written several reviews concerning people with compromised mental capacity, in particular a review into Winterbourne View Hospital during 2011. In 2013, she was commissioned by the First Minister of Wales to undertake a review of the neglect of older people living in care homes investigated as Operation Jasmine. More recently, Dr Flynn chaired Wales’ inaugural National Independent Safeguarding Board and wrote the review concerning Cawston Park Hospital. She is currently coordinating research activities for TIDE (together in dementia everyday) and is supporting its contributions to the SPIN Dementia Network (Sustainable Prevention, Innovation and involvement).

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First MHRA Board meeting held in Scotland, underlining agency’s commitment to regional health equality and growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    First MHRA Board meeting held in Scotland, underlining agency’s commitment to regional health equality and growth

    The meeting, which took place at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, centred on the MHRA’s commitment to delivering the agency’s priorities in Scotland

    From left: Greig Chalmers, Prof. Anthony Harnden, Alison Strath and Lawrence Tallon

    The Board of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has met in Scotland for the first time ever, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to delivering its health and innovation priorities across the UK.

    The meeting took place at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, which is the oldest surgical college in the world.

    Alongside the MHRA’s new CEO Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chair Professor Anthony Harnden and the board members, the meeting was attended by a number of important Scottish representatives from healthcare and government, including Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Alison Strath and Head of the Chief Medical Officer’s Policy Division Greig Chalmers.

    The discussions centred on the MHRA’s commitment to delivering the agency’s priorities in Scotland and served as an opportunity for the MHRA to listen to the experiences and ideas of those in attendance.

    Tour of the Institute of Regeneration and Repair with hosts and Usher Institute staff

    The MHRA Board was one of several engagements between leading MHRA officials and Scottish representatives across the country as part of the trip, including with the Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute Professor Cathie Sudlow, NHS Lothian Research and Development Director Professor Alasdair Gray, and officials from DataLoch and Research Data Scotland.

    MHRA Chair, Professor Anthony Harnden, said:

    This isn’t just a change of location — it’s a meaningful step in our commitment to being a truly national regulator.

    The MHRA’s work serves the whole of the UK, and that means we must spend time in every part of it, listening, learning, and building partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared ambition.

    MHRA Chief Executive, Lawrence Tallon, said:

    It is absolutely vital that the voices of all four nations and regional partners are involved in discussions about the MHRA’s strategic direction.

    Strong regional and national engagement helps ensure that the work the MHRA does to protect public health, drive innovation and boost growth serves not just England but the whole of the UK.

    This isn’t a ‘one-off’, it’s a step change. I look forward to meeting other regional partners in due course.

    The board meeting fell on International Clinical Trials Day and is another example of how the MHRA is driving forward innovation and growth throughout the UK.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.  
    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.  
    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The 44th Young Designers’ Exhibition Kicks Off in 2025: Diverse Creativity Envisions the Future

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    The opening ceremony of the 44th Young Designers’ Exhibition (YODEX) 2025, was held on May 9 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2, Mr. Chin-Tsang Ho, the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs and other distinguished guests are officially opening the events. The exhibition, running from May 9 (Friday) to May 12 (Monday), is jointly guided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Ministry of Education (MOE), and organized by the Industrial Development Administration (IDA), and executed by the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI).

    With the theme “Preferred Future”, YODEX 2025 presents a rich woven tapestry of perspectives on future living through the lens of design. This year’ s events feature participation from 59 domestic schools, 122 departments, nearly 10,000 young designers, and approximately 3,500 design works. Additionally, 10 schools from seven countries- including the United States, Thailand, Japan, Mexico, India, and Australia-have joined the showcase. The event also highlights the outcomes of 11 industry-academia cooperation projects, emphasizing the interwoven synergy between design talents and industry. The public is warmly invited to experience firsthand the bold yet pragmatical imagination and creativity of Taiwan’ s next generation of designers.

    Beyond an exhibition, YODEX is also a key platform for industry-academia cooperation and a talent pipeline for enterprises seeking outstanding creatives. This year’ s YODEX Industry-Academia Collaboration Program features participation from seven companies and institutions-including Gamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., FAMICA INTERNATIONAL CO. LTD., and the NEW TAIPEI CITY DESIGN CENTER-under the themes of “Future Education”, “Future Health”, and “Future Entertainment”. A total of 365 student teams submitted proposals, with 19 teams selected for six months of co-creation with industry partners.

    To promote regional talent development, this year also witnessed the expansion of YODEX Industry-Academia Cooperation, with four companies-YEE CHAIN INTERNATIONAL CO., Ltd., Tair Chu Enterprise Co, Ltd, KENDA RUBBER INDUSTRIAL Co.,Ltd. and SLICETHINNER MANUFACTURING COMPANY Ltd.-partnering with nine universities. A total of 105 students worked on solutions tailored to local industry needs, encouraging local employment and retention of design talent.

    This year’ s upgraded Professional Day features cross-disciplinary professionals, student pitch sessions, and corresponding matchmaking. A record of 14 industry forums cover topics like IP licensing, packaging, education, sustainability, and tech, deepening industry-academia collaboration.

    The 2025 44th Young Designers’ Exhibition gathers Taiwan’s design schools and industry resources to explore the future of design. Through cross-disciplinary collaborations and international exchanges, it showcases diverse aspects of design education and practice. Welcome to this events from May 9 to May 12 to eyewitness how the young designers creatively imagine and project the issues like environment, technology, and humanity while exploring the possible future living.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi briefs the Media on HIV Funding

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)

    Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi briefs the Media on HIV Funding

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-F8TXJDMEg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Pedestrian in critical condition after Devonport crash

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Pedestrian in critical condition after Devonport crash

    Wednesday, 21 May 2025 – 4:56 pm.

    A 75-year-old woman seriously injured when hit by a car in Devonport on Wednesday morning remains in a critical condition in Royal Hobart Hospital.
    The crash happened about 8.55am at the intersection of William and Best streets, Devonport, with initial investigations indicating the female pedestrian was attempting to cross the intersection at the lights when she was struck by a black Lexus.
    The crash was witnessed by a several people, who provided assistance at the scene.
    The woman was initially transported to Launceston General Hospital for treatment however, her condition deteriorated and she was then transported by helicopter to RHH.
    Any witnesses who saw the incident or drove past the area and may have dash-cam footage are asked to call police on 131 444 or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information to Crime Stoppers can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia sole company recognized as a Champion, Market Momentum Leader in Omdia’s 2025 Private 5G Market Radar report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia sole company recognized as a Champion, Market Momentum Leader in Omdia’s 2025 Private 5G Market Radar report

    • Nokia private wireless portfolio, edge AI capabilities, segment blueprints, and global partner ecosystem recognized for accelerating Industry 4.0 transformation.

    21 May 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that it is the sole company recognized as a Champion and a Market Momentum Leader in Omdia’s Market Radar: E2E Private 5G Networks Vendors – 2025. The report highlights Nokia’s 5G Private Wireless vision, strong product portfolio, and continued investment in mission-critical connectivity solutions tailored for industrial enterprises in multiple verticals, including manufacturing, mining, ports, airports, utilities, public safety, and railways.

    Omdia’s Private 5G Market Radar report provides comprehensive analyses of the private 5G vendor landscape, while discussing partnerships, market trends, and strategic insights. According to Omdia, the Market Leader category represents leading vendors that provide advanced capabilities across six areas explored and which Omdia believes is worthy of a place on most technology selection shortlists. Nokia was the only vendor cited as a Champion in the report for “jump starting the market to exploring opportunities in the mission-critical edge where the connectivity at OT world are merging.”

    At a time when private wireless networks have become essential for industries seeking secure, reliable, and high-performance connectivity to support their digital transformation, Nokia’s leadership in the sector is recognized for being the first company to identify the private networks opportunity and engage with the ecosystem to drive market adoption, having already deployed 890 private 4G and 5G networks worldwide as of Q1 2025.

    Omdia highlights Nokia’s evolving its private wireless solutions beyond connectivity to an edge compute and AI platform for industries, verticalized solutions built on years of research, testing, and validation through segment blueprints, as well as a rich ecosystem of applications and partners such as Kyndryl, Telefonica Tech and Verizon.

    “Nokia’s continued leadership in the private 5G market is underpinned by its comprehensive and forward-looking approach to industrial connectivity. By offering an integrated platform that benefits an array of industries, Nokia is setting the pace for Industry 4.0 transformation,” said Pablo Tomasi, Principal Analyst, Private Networks and Enterprise 5G at Omdia.

    “Omdia’s recognition reflects our commitment to delivering robust, scalable, and intelligent networks that meet the demanding needs of industrial environments. From our MX Industrial Edge platform to our vertical blueprints, Nokia is helping enterprises accelerate their digital transformation journeys,” said Raghav Sahgal, President of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia.

    Nokia’s portfolio supports both campus and wide-area networks, including private wireless solutions such as Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW), and Core Enterprise Solutions. It also features patented innovations like MX Industrial Edge (MXIE), Nokia MX Boost, and AI-powered solutions including Nokia MX Grid, MX Workmate, Visual Position and Object Detection (VPOD), and MX Context.

    Some of Nokia’s most notable private network customer references include Southern California Edison, British Sugar, Husky Terminals, Sociedad Portuaria Puerto Bahia, Butachimie, Lufthansa Technik, Dow Chemical, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Hola Oulu Hospital, and Carrix.

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. 

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About Omdia
    Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a global analyst and advisory leader that helps you connect the dots across the technology ecosystem. Now joined by Canalys, Enterprise Strategy Group and Wards Intelligence, our deep knowledge of tech markets combined with our actionable insights empower organizations to make smart growth decisions.

    Multimedia, technical information and related news
    Product Page: DAC private wireless
    Web Page: Industries
    Web Page: Omdia

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow Nokia on social media
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    The MIL Network –

  • WHO members adopt global pandemic accord, but US absence casts doubts

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Members of the World Health Organization adopted an agreement on Tuesday intended to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19, but the absence of the U.S. cast doubt on the treaty’s effectiveness.

    After three years of negotiations, the legally binding pact was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO member countries welcomed its passing with applause.

    The pact was touted as a victory for members of the global health agency at a time when multilateral organisations like the WHO have been battered by sharp cuts in U.S. foreign funding.

    “The agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

    The pact aims to ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20% of their vaccines, medicines and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access.

    However, U.S. negotiators left discussions about the accord after President Donald Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. – by far the WHO’s largest financial backer – from the agency when he took office in January.

    Given this, the U.S., which poured billions of dollars into vaccine development during the COVID pandemic, would not be bound by the pact. And WHO member states would not face penalties if they failed to implement it.

    U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed the World Health Organization in a video address to the Assembly, saying it had failed to learn from the lessons of the pandemic with the new agreement.

    “It has doubled down with the pandemic agreement which will lock in all of the dysfunction of the WHO pandemic response… We’re not going to participate in that,” he said.

    LATE CHALLENGE

    The deal was reached after Slovakia called for a vote on Monday, as its COVID-19 vaccine–sceptic prime minister demanded that his country challenge the adoption of the agreement.

    One hundred and twenty-four countries voted in favour, no countries voted against, while 11 countries, including Poland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Slovakia and Iran, abstained.

    Some health experts welcomed the treaty as a step towards greater fairness in global health after poorer nations were left short of vaccines and diagnostics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “It contains critical provisions, especially in research and development, that — if implemented — could shift the global pandemic response toward greater equity,” Michelle Childs, Policy Advocacy Director at Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, told Reuters.

    Others said the agreement did not meet initial ambitions and that, without strong implementation frameworks, it risked falling short in a future pandemic.

    “It is an empty shell… It’s difficult to say that it’s a treaty with firm obligation where there is a strong commitment… It’s a good starting point. But it will have to be developed,” said Gian Luca Burci, an academic adviser at the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, an independent research and education organisation.

    Helen Clark the co-Chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, described the accord as a foundation to build from.

    “Many gaps remain in finance, equitable access to medical countermeasures and in understanding evolving risks,” she added.

    The pact will not go into effect until an annex on sharing of pathogenic information is agreed. Negotiations on this would start in July with the aim of delivering the annex to the World Health Assembly for adoption, WHO said. A Western diplomatic source suggested it may take up to two years to be agreed.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI: Jeito Capital Leads a USD 65 million Financing in ReproNovo to Develop Transformational Treatments in Reproductive Medicine and Women’s Health

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Jeito Capital Leads a USD 65 million Financing in ReproNovo to Develop Transformational Treatments in Reproductive Medicine and Women’s Health

    • Proceeds from the financing will advance ReproNovo’s lead candidates RPN-001 (leflutrozole) and RPN-002 (nolasiban), through Phase 2 clinical trials in male infertility and in the treatment of adenomyosis and embryo implantation, respectively
    • In the context of increasing infertility across the world, this investment reflects Jeito’s interest in highly promising clinical-stage biopharma companies developing breakthrough innovations with strong value-creation potential for patients and society

    Paris, France, May 21, 2025 – Jeito Capital (“Jeito”), a global leading independent Private Equity fund dedicated to biopharma, announced today it is leading a USD 65 million (EUR 57 million1) Series A financing round in ReproNovo, a company dedicated to developing innovative treatments for reproductive medicine and women’s health.

    AXA IM Alts and M Ventures co-led the financing round alongside a syndicate of healthcare funds: Ysios Capital and ALSA Ventures.

    Ksenija Pavletic, Jeito Partner and Chief Commercial Officer with 25 years of experience in reproductive medicine and women’s health, will join ReproNovo’s Board of Directors.

    Founded in 2021, ReproNovo is developing novel approaches to address critical gaps in reproductive medicine and women’s health, including male and female infertility as well as uterine health. The company, led by a team of experts in this space – Jean Marie Duvall, Chief Executive Officer, Joan-Carles Arce, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Officer, and BingMei Hao, Chief Financial Officer – brings a proven track record in successful clinical development and commercial launches.

    Since its inception, ReproNovo has rapidly built a pipeline comprising two Phase 2 clinical-stage assets across three disease areas, and the company plans to use the proceeds from this financing to advance this pipeline across multiple programs:

    • With its lead candidate, RPN-001 (leflutrozole), the company will focus on the development of an oral therapy for male infertility due to low testosterone levels. Low testosterone is becoming more prevalent, including in younger men, highlighting the urgent need for an efficacious treatment option.​ This trend coincides with a broader decline in male reproductive health, now recognized as a major public health problem2.
    • RPN-002 (nolasiban), also orally administered therapy, is a first-in-class compound to manage adenomyosis, an overgrowth of endometrial tissue into the uterus that can result in severe menstrual bleeding and pain. Similar to endometriosis, this is a common gynecological condition, with recent imaging studies identifying features of adenomyosis in nearly one in four women undergoing gynecological evaluation3.

    RPN-002 will also be explored for improving success rates in assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

    The global decline in fertility rates, coupled with the rising incidence of male infertility (sperm counts have fallen by 50% to 60% over the last four decades4) and the significant health risks women endure during fertility treatments underscore the urgent and underserved need for innovative reproductive solutions that address both genders and these global challenges comprehensively.

    Through this investment, Jeito reaffirms its commitment to highly promising companies with transformational science that has the potential to deliver strong value for patients and society. By tackling male infertility and women’s health at a global scale, ReproNovo is addressing not only a significant patients’ concern but also a major societal issue.

    Dr. Rafaèle Tordjman, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Jeito Capital, said:
    “ReproNovo combines strong innovative potential, a seasoned team, and a clear ambition to address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time: declining birth rates. At Jeito, we are committed to advancing breakthrough innovations with significant value for both patients and society. This investment reflects that commitment. We are proud to support the acceleration of ReproNovo’s clinical development and help unlock its potential to become a future market leader.”

    Ksenija Pavletic, Partner and Chief Commercial Officer at Jeito Capital, added:
    “As approximately one in six people worldwide will face infertility issues, we are proud to support ReproNovo, whose commitment to advancing novel therapies in reproductive health aligns well with our focus on accelerating cutting-edge technologies and the commercialization of treatments with transformative benefits for patients. We are highly impressed by the ReproNovo team, whose members have a strong track record in this field, having brought a number of compounds successfully through clinical development and onto the market. Their deep understanding of the field will enable them to effectively address critical unmet needs that have a strong impact on society.”

    Jean Marie Duvall, Co-founder and CEO of ReproNovo, concluded:
    “We are focused on innovative therapeutic solutions for male and female infertility and pioneering management options for conditions like adenomyosis. Our aim is to address critical gaps in the landscape of infertility and women’s health worldwide. We are thrilled to announce the successful closing of our $65 million Series A funding round with this strong, sector specialized group of investors, marking a significant milestone in our journey to becoming a leading reproductive medicine and women’s health company.”

    About Jeito Capital
    Jeito Capital is a global leading Private Equity fund with a patient benefit driven approach that finances and accelerates the development and growth of ground-breaking medical innovation. Jeito empowers and supports managers through its expert, integrated, multi-talented team and through the investment of significant capital to ensure the growth of companies, building market leaders in their respective therapeutic areas with accelerated patients’ access globally, especially in Europe and the United States. Jeito has built a diversified portfolio of clinical biopharmas with cutting-edge innovations addressing high unmet needs. Jeito Capital is based in Paris with a presence in Europe and the United States.
    For more information, please visit www.jeito.life or follow us on LinkedIn.

    About ReproNovo

    ReproNovo is a cutting-edge biopharmaceutical company identifying and developing innovative solutions to address critical gaps in reproductive medicine and women’s health. Our team is composed of proven experts with deep experience in reproductive medicine, drug development, regulatory affairs and business development who have throughout their careers successfully brought multiple therapies to market. Lead clinical compound, RPN-001 (leflutrozole), is initially being developed to treat male infertility. RPN-002 (nolasiban) is a first-in-disease and first-in-class molecular entity to manage adenomyosis and increase the probability of embryo implantation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. Both assets are Phase 2 ready. ReproNovo is financed by Jeito Capital, AXA IM Alts, founding investor M Ventures, Ysios Capital and ALSA Ventures. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the company has its primary development team in Copenhagen, Denmark, and an additional development site in Barcelona, Spain. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.repronovo.com.

    Contacts:

    Jeito Capital                                        
    Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder & CEO
    Jessica Fadel, EA
    Tel: +33 6 33 44 25 47

    Maior                                                ICR Healthcare
    Stéphanie Elbaz                                Mary-Jane Elliott / Davide Salvi / Kris Lam
    Tel: +33 6 46 05 08 07                        Jeito@icrhealthcare.com
    Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

                                                    Sean Leous
                                                    sean.leous@icrhealthcare.com  
    Tel: +1 (646) 866 4012

    1EUR/USD exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.1343 USD date May 5, 2025 (source: Banque de France)
    2Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of samples collected globally in the 20th and 21st centuries. Human Reproduction Update. 2022; https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmac035
    3Alson S, et al. Prevalence of adenomyosis features in women scheduled for assisted reproductive treatment, using the Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) group definitions. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103:1142–1152.
    4 Fortune “The global ‘spermpocalypse’ proves infertility is no longer just a women’s problem, says male fertility CEO” (May 2024)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Wix Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Strong start to year with Q1’25 total bookings of $511 million, up 12% y/y, with very robust top of funnel demand in the quarter and new cohort strength continuing through April and early May
    • Q1’25 total revenue of $474 million exceeded expectations, up 13% y/y, driven by accelerating Self Creators growth accompanied by solid Partners momentum as Studio adoption continued to ramp healthily
    • Launched Wixel, a new standalone AI-powered visual design platform that brings the most advanced creative tools into a single intuitive interface and puts complete visual editing control into the hands of everyone – marking Wix’s milestone foray into creation beyond websites
    • Achieved FCF margin of 30% in Q1’25 as we continued to maintain a resilient operating cost structure amidst robust top-line performance
    • Increased share repurchase board authorization to a total of $400 million under current program

    NEW YORK — Wix.com Ltd. (Nasdaq: WIX) (the “Company”), the leading SaaS website builder platform1, today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2025. In addition, the Company provided its outlook for the second quarter and an updated outlook for full year 2025. Please visit the Wix Investor Relations website at https://investors.wix.com to view the Q1’25 Shareholder Update and other materials.

    “This year we are setting out to reimagine and expand the online creation experience and have set the bar high with the milestone release of Wixel, which I believe will democratize digital creation,” said Avishai Abrahami, Wix Co-founder and CEO. “We have been transforming web development since 2006 and are now organically extending our user-first design expertise, AI leadership and focus on accessibility to beyond websites. What you see today is the first version of our standalone next-gen visual design platform, representing the culmination of years of development in advanced design and AI and unifying the best models, intuitive UI, and powerful high-end features into one cohesive platform. Importantly, with Wixel, anyone, regardless of skill level, can now create beautiful visuals with just a few clicks. We have an ambitious roadmap for Wixel ahead and I’m excited to see how Wixel starts to reshape the design world.”

    Lior Shemesh, CFO at Wix, added, “Our strong first quarter results demonstrate the critical value of the Wix platform to anyone and everyone requiring an online presence globally amid an ever evolving macro environment, particularly SMBs. Top of funnel demand was very strong with Q1’25 new user cohort bookings finishing 12% higher than the bookings generated by the Q1’24 cohort in its first quarter. This acceleration in new cohort growth was almost entirely driven by better fundamentals, particularly an increased number of users, as well as product innovation. Encouragingly, these strong cohort trends have continued through April and early May, bolstering confidence in 2H bookings and revenue growth acceleration as additional cohorts layer on through the year. As a result of this new cohort strength and healthy existing user behavior, bookings grew a solid 12% y/y and revenue growth of 13% y/y finished above expectations in Q1. Durability was broad based across our segments with our Partners business delivering 24% y/y revenue growth, fueled by ongoing market share gains driven by Studio, as well as another consecutive quarter of Self Creators growth acceleration as AI continued to remove friction for more users in the website creation journey.”

    Q1 2025 Financial Results

    • Total revenue in the first quarter of 2025 was $473.7 million, up 13% y/y
    • Creative Subscriptions revenue in the first quarter of 2025 was $337.7 million, up 11% y/y
      • Creative Subscriptions ARR increased to $1.373 billion as of the end of the quarter, up 10% y/y
    • Business Solutions revenue in the first quarter of 2025 was $136.0 million, up 18% y/y
      • Transaction revenue2 was $58.9 million, up 19% y/y
    • Partners revenue3 in the first quarter of 2025 was $171.6 million, up 24% y/y
    • Total bookings in the first quarter of 2025 were $510.9 million, up 12% y/y
      • Creative Subscriptions bookings in the first quarter of 2025 were $369.5 million, up 10% y/y
      • Business Solutions bookings in the first quarter of 2025 were $141.4 million, up 15% y/y
    • Total gross margin on a GAAP basis in the first quarter of 2025 was 68%
      • Creative Subscriptions gross margin on a GAAP basis was 83%
      • Business Solutions gross margin on a GAAP basis was 30%
    • Total non-GAAP gross margin in the first quarter of 2025 was 69%
      • Creative Subscriptions gross margin on a non-GAAP basis was 84%
      • Business Solutions gross margin on a non-GAAP basis was 31%
    • GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2025 was $33.8 million, or $0.61 per basic share and $0.57 per diluted share
    • Non-GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2025 was $93.9 million, or $1.69 per basic share and $1.55 per diluted share
    • Net cash provided by operating activities for the first quarter of 2025 was $145.5 million, while capital expenditures totaled $3.1 million, leading to free cash flow of $142.4 million
    • In January, we completed $200 million of share repurchases, repurchasing 868,026 Wix ordinary shares in total at an approximate volume-weighted average price per share of $230.41
    • Total employee count at the end of Q1’25 was 5,275

    Increase to Share Repurchase Program

    Wix’s Board of Directors has authorized an increase to its program to repurchase the Company’s securities (ordinary shares and/or convertible notes) by an additional amount of up to $200 million, on top of the $200 million previously approved by the Board on February 26th, 2025 (which has not been used to date). This approval brings the repurchase authorization under the program to a total amount of up to $400 million.

    ____________________
    1 Based on number of active live sites as reported by competitors’ figures, independent third-party data and internal data as of Q3 2024.
    2 Transaction revenue is a portion of Business Solutions revenue, and we define transaction revenue as all revenue generated through transaction facilitation, primarily from Wix Payments, as well as Wix POS, shipping solutions and multi-channel commerce and gift card solutions.
    3 Partners revenue is defined as revenue generated through agencies and freelancers that build sites or applications for other users (“Agencies”) as well as revenue generated through B2B partnerships, such as LegalZoom or Vistaprint (“Resellers”). We identify Agencies using multiple criteria, including but not limited to, the number of sites built, participation in the Wix Partner Program and/or the Wix Marketplace or Wix products used (incl. Wix Studio). Partners revenue includes revenue from both the Creative Subscriptions and Business Solutions businesses.

    Financial Outlook

    Healthy first quarter results demonstrate impactful product innovation and disciplined execution of our key growth initiatives, including Studio, AI and our focus empowering Self Creators. Notably, new cohort strength remains robust through April and early May against a dynamic macro backdrop. We expect new cohort strength to continue and drive top-line growth acceleration in 2H as additional cohorts layer on throughout the year.

    While we are encouraged by our strong Q1 results and robust top of funnel, we are maintaining full year bookings outlook of $2,025 – 2,060 million, up 11-13% y/y. This reflects conservatism due to macro uncertainty, specifically in our Business Solutions segment, with potential volatility offset by fully dissipating FX headwinds.

    With these same considerations, we are also maintaining our full year revenue outlook of $1,970 – 2,000 million, up 12-14% y/y.

    We expect total revenue in Q2 2025 to be $485 – 489 million, up 11-12% y/y.

    For the full year 2025, we continue to expect non-GAAP total gross margin of ~70% and non-GAAP operating expenses to be 47-48% of revenue for the full year.

    We continue to expect to generate free cash flow of $590 – 610 million, or ~30-31% of revenue.

    As a result, we remain on track to achieve Rule of 45 in 2025 at the high end of our outlook.

    Conference Call and Webcast Information

    Wix will host a conference call to discuss the results at 8:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025. A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be accessible from the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website at https://investors.wix.com/.

    About Wix.com Ltd.

    Wix is the leading SaaS website builder platform1 to create, manage and grow a digital presence. Founded in 2006, Wix is a comprehensive platform providing users – self-creators, agencies, enterprises, and more – with industry-leading performance, security, AI capabilities and a reliable infrastructure. Offering a wide range of commerce and business solutions, advanced SEO and marketing tools, the platform enables users to take full ownership of their brand, their data and their relationships with their customers. With a focus on continuous innovation and delivery of new features and products, users can seamlessly build a powerful and high-end digital presence for themselves or their clients.

    For more about Wix, please visit our Press Room
    Media Relations Contact: PR@wix.com

    Share Repurchase Program

    Under the Board authorized repurchase program, Company securities may be repurchased from time to time using a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, all in accordance with U.S. securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Company may also, from time to time, enter into plans that are compliant with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act to facilitate repurchases of its securities under this Board authorization. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of securities, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the Company’s discretion. Repurchases under the repurchase program may begin after conclusion of the 30-day period for creditors of the Company to object to the Company’s intent to perform the distribution by way of repurchase in accordance with the Israeli Companies Regulations (Relief for Public Companies Whose Securities are Traded on Stock Exchanges Outside of Israel), 5760-2000 and the Israeli Regulations (Approval of Distribution), 5761–2001. The actual timing, number and value of securities repurchased depend on a number of factors, including the market price of the Company’s ordinary shares, general market and economic conditions, any objections received by the Company from its creditors, the Company’s financial results and liquidity, and other considerations. The Company expects to fund repurchases with cash on hand and future cash generated from its operations.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Operating Metrics

    To supplement its consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Wix uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: bookings, cumulative cohort bookings, bookings on a constant currency basis, revenue on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, free cash flow, free cash flow on a constant currency basis, free cash flow, as adjusted, free cash flow margins, non-GAAP R&D expenses, non-GAAP S&M expenses, non-GAAP G&A expenses, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP cost of revenue expense, non-GAAP financial expense, non-GAAP tax expense (collectively the “Non-GAAP financial measures”). Measures presented on a constant currency or foreign exchange neutral basis have been adjusted to exclude the effect of y/y changes in foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Bookings is a non-GAAP financial measure calculated by adding the change in deferred revenues and the change in unbilled contractual obligations for a particular period to revenues for the same period. Bookings include cash receipts for premium subscriptions purchased by users as well as cash we collect from business solutions, as well as payments due to us under the terms of contractual agreements for which we may have not yet received payment. Cash receipts for premium subscriptions are deferred and recognized as revenues over the terms of the subscriptions. Cash receipts for payments and the majority of the additional products and services (other than Google Workspace) are recognized as revenues upon receipt. Committed payments are recognized as revenue as we fulfill our obligation under the terms of the contractual agreement. Bookings and Creative Subscriptions Bookings are also presented on a further non-GAAP basis by excluding, in each case, bookings associated with long term B2B partnership agreements. Non-GAAP gross margin represents gross profit calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related expenses and amortization, divided by revenue. Non-GAAP operating income (loss) represents operating income (loss) calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, amortization, acquisition-related expenses and sales tax expense accrual and other G&A expenses (income). Non-GAAP net income (loss) represents net loss calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, amortization, sales tax expense accrual and other G&A expenses (income), amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs and acquisition-related expenses and non-operating foreign exchange expenses (income). Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share represents non-GAAP net income (loss) divided by the weighted average number of shares used in computing GAAP loss per share. Free cash flow represents net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures. Free cash flow, as adjusted, represents free cash flow further adjusted to exclude one-time cash restructuring charges and the capital expenditures and other expenses associated with the buildout of our new corporate headquarters. Free cash flow margins represent free cash flow divided by revenue. Non-GAAP cost of revenue represents cost of revenue calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related expenses and amortization. Non-GAAP R&D expenses represent R&D expenses calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related expenses and amortization. Non-GAAP S&M expenses represent S&M expenses calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related expenses and amortization. Non-GAAP G&A expenses represent G&A expenses calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related expenses and amortization. Non-GAAP operating expenses represent operating expenses calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related expenses and amortization. Non-GAAP financial expense represents financial expense calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for unrealized gains of equity investments, amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs and non-operating foreign exchange expenses. Non-GAAP tax expense represents tax expense calculated in accordance with GAAP as adjusted for provisions for income tax effects related to non-GAAP adjustments.

    The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. The Company believes that these measures provide useful information about operating results, enhance the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision making.

    For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the reconciliation tables provided below. The accompanying tables have more details on the GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures and the related reconciliations between these financial measures. The Company is unable to provide reconciliations of free cash flow, free cash flow margin, free cash flow, as adjusted, bookings, cumulative cohort bookings, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP tax expense to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort because items that impact those GAAP financial measures are out of the Company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. Such information may have a significant, and potentially unpredictable, impact on our future financial results.

    Wix also uses Creative Subscriptions Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) as a key operating metric. Creative Subscriptions ARR is calculated as Creative Subscriptions Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) multiplied by 12. Creative Subscriptions MRR is calculated as the total of (i) the total monthly revenue of all Creative Subscriptions in effect on the last day of the period, other than domain registrations; (ii) the average revenue per month from domain registrations multiplied by all registered domains in effect on the last day of the period; and (iii) monthly revenue from other partnership agreements including enterprise partners.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This document contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements may include projections regarding our future performance, including, but not limited to revenue, bookings and free cash flow, and may be identified by words like “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “aim,” “forecast,” “indication,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “subject”, “project,” “outlook,” “future,” “will,” “seek” and similar terms or phrases. The forward-looking statements contained in this document, including the quarterly and annual guidance, are based on management’s current expectations, which are subject to uncertainty, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, our ability to attract and retain registered users and partners, and generate new premium subscriptions and additional business solutions as we continuously adjust our marketing strategy and customer care; maintenance of our brand and reputation, and generation of revenue from sources other than premium subscriptions; risks associated with international operations and the use of platform in various countries; risks related to the macroeconomic environment and ongoing global conflicts; security risks and payment risks and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; failures of third-party hardware, software and infrastructure on which we rely, or failure to manage the operation of our infrastructure; adverse market conditions, including inflation, interest rates and other adverse developments that may adversely affect our cash balances and investment portfolio; our history of operating losses and inability to achieve sustained profitability; downturns or upturns in sales are not immediately reflected in full in our operating results; our ability to repurchase our ordinary shares and/or 0.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 pursuant to our repurchase program; our ability to raise capital when needed or on acceptable terms; risks related to acquisitions and investments, pricing decisions, pandemics, natural disasters and other catastrophic events; our ability to develop and introduce new products and services, as well as maintain third-party products and are ability to keep up with rapid changes in design and technology; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; our ability to attract a diversified customer base and increased competition; our ability to maintain compatibility of our platform and solutions with changes in third-party applications and changes to technologies used in our solutions; our ability to acquire and service small business users; risks related to security breaches and unauthorized access to data, cyberattacks; our expectation regarding the uncertain future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, taxes, government regulations, and tariffs; our ability to comply with the regulations applicable to our operations, including new governmental regulations regarding the internet, consumer protection, artificial intelligence (“AI”), privacy and data protection laws and regulations, as well as contractual privacy and data protection obligations; risks relating to intellectual property, including infringements, litigation and claims, and our ability to maintain and protect our intellectual property rights and proprietary information; our expectations regarding the outcome of any regulatory investigation or litigation, including class actions; risks related to the development and integration of AI, generative AI, agentic AI, machine learning, and similar tools into our offerings, and comply with the regulatory environment impacting AI and AI-related activities; risks related to activities of registered users or content of their websites, and risks related to domain names and industry regulations; risks related to compliance with laws and regulations, including those related to economic sanctions, tariffs, export controls, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering, anti-trust, and consumer protection, and changes in these laws and regulations; risks related to tax, including application of indirect taxes, tax laws, changes in tax laws or changes in provision for income tax and examination of income tax returns; risks related to ordinary shares, activist shareholders, and our status as a foreign private issuer; risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel, including conflicts in the area; our expectations regarding future changes in our cost of revenues and our operating expenses on an absolute basis and as a percentage of our revenues; our planned level of capital expenditures and our belief that our existing cash and cash from operations will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months and for the foreseeable future; and our ability to enter into new markets and attracting new customer demographics, including our ability to successfully attract new partners and large enterprise-level users and to grow our activities, including through the adoption of our Wix Studio product, with these customer types as anticipated and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 21, 2025. The preceding list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all of our forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date hereof. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

     
    Wix.com Ltd.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS – GAAP
    (In thousands, except loss per share data)
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Revenues      
    Creative Subscriptions $ 337,676     $ 304,293  
    Business Solutions   135,975       115,483  
        473,651       419,776  
           
    Cost of Revenues      
    Creative Subscriptions   56,067       54,803  
    Business Solutions   95,725       82,494  
        151,792       137,297  
           
    Gross Profit   321,859       282,479  
           
    Operating expenses:      
    Research and development   127,497       124,245  
    Selling and marketing   111,563       107,234  
    General and administrative   45,394       41,330  
    Total operating expenses   284,454       272,809  
    Operating income   37,405       9,670  
    Financial income, net   5,832       18,884  
    Other income, net   64       211  
                   
    Income before taxes on income   43,301       28,765  
    Income tax expenses   9,535       4,763  
    Net income $ 33,766     $ 24,002  
           
    Basic net income per share $ 0.61     $ 0.43  
                   
    Basic weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share   55,708,670       56,098,997  
           
    Diluted net income per share $ 0.57     $ 0.41  
                   
    Diluted weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share   60,384,510       58,647,238  
           
    Wix.com Ltd. 
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 
    (In thousands) 
           
      Period ended
      March 31,   December 31,
        2025       2024  
    Assets (unaudited)   (audited)
    Current Assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 653,276     $ 660,939  
    Short-term deposits   112,078       106,844  
    Restricted deposits   793       773  
    Marketable securities   304,555       338,593  
    Trade receivables   47,328       44,674  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   59,132       128,577  
     Total current assets   1,177,162       1,280,400  
           
    Long-Term Assets:      
    Prepaid expenses and other long-term assets   31,343       27,021  
    Property and equipment, net   125,450       128,155  
    Marketable securities   6,183       6,135  
    Intangible assets, net   20,680       22,141  
    Goodwill   49,329       49,329  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets   395,513       399,861  
     Total long-term assets   628,498       632,642  
           
     Total assets $ 1,805,660     $ 1,913,042  
           
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Deficiency      
    Current Liabilities:      
    Trade payables $ 38,032     $ 47,077  
    Employees and payroll accruals   78,983       143,131  
    Deferred revenues   698,343       661,171  
    Current portion of convertible notes, net   573,674       572,880  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   79,546       63,246  
    Operating lease liabilities   29,369       27,907  
    Total current liabilities   1,497,947       1,515,412  
    Long Term Liabilities:      
    Deferred revenues   96,461       89,271  
    Deferred tax liability   1,066       1,965  
    Other long-term liabilities   19,414       16,021  
    Operating lease liabilities   359,389       369,159  
    Total long-term liabilities   476,330       476,416  
           
     Total liabilities   1,974,277       1,991,828  
           
    Shareholders’ Deficiency      
    Ordinary shares   107       107  
    Additional paid-in capital   1,923,576       1,840,574  
    Treasury shares   (1,225,165 )     (1,025,167 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   641       7,242  
    Accumulated deficit   (867,776 )     (901,542 )
    Total shareholders’ deficiency   (168,617 )     (78,786 )
           
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficiency $ 1,805,660     $ 1,913,042  
           
    Wix.com Ltd.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (In thousands)
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES:      
    Net income $ 33,766     $ 24,002  
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:      
    Depreciation   6,137       6,442  
    Amortization   1,461       1,483  
    Share based compensation expenses   60,261       58,142  
                   
    Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs   794       790  
    Changes in accrued interest and exchange rate on short term and long term deposits   (224 )     880  
    Amortization of premium and discount and accrued interest on marketable securities, net   3,557       597  
                   
    Remeasurement loss (gain) on Marketable equity   –       (3,367 )
    Changes in deferred income taxes, net   1       (5,011 )
    Changes in operating lease right-of-use assets   4,803       5,024  
    Changes in operating lease liabilities   (8,763 )     (3,652 )
    Loss (gain) on foreign exchange, net   (2,006 )     553  
    Decrease (increase) in trade receivables   (2,654 )     1,119  
    Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and other current and long-term assets   58,289       (12,568 )
    Decrease in trade payables   (9,338 )     (2,123 )
                   
    Decrease in employees and payroll accruals   (64,148 )     (2,429 )
                   
    Increase in short term and long term deferred revenues   44,362       41,319  
                   
    Increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities   19,193       2,635  
                   
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 145,491       113,836  
    INVESTING ACTIVITIES:      
                   
    Proceeds from short-term deposits and restricted deposits   107,780       823  
                   
    Investment in short-term deposits and restricted deposits   (112,810 )     (30,162 )
    Investment in marketable securities   (27,693 )     (27,847 )
    Proceeds from marketable securities   58,292       52,805  
                   
    Purchase of property and equipment and lease prepayment   (2,629 )     (7,715 )
    Capitalization of internal use of software   (421 )     (410 )
    Proceeds from sale of equity securities   –       22,148  
    Proceed from realization of investments in privately held companies   417       –  
                   
    Purchases of investments in privately held companies   (750 )     (550 )
                   
    Net cash provided by investing activities $ 22,186       9,092  
    FINANCING ACTIVITIES:      
                   
    Proceeds from exercise of options and ESPP shares   22,654       22,628  
    Purchase of treasury stock   (200,000 )     (241,302 )
                   
    Net cash used in financing activities $ (177,346 )     (218,674 )
    Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalent and restricted cash   2,006       (553 )
                   
    DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS   (7,663 )     (96,299 )
                   
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS—Beginning of period   660,939       609,622  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS—End of period $ 653,276     $ 513,323  
           
    Wix.com Ltd.
    KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS
    (In thousands)
         
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Creative Subscriptions   337,676       304,293  
    Business Solutions   135,975       115,483  
    Total Revenues $ 473,651     $ 419,776  
           
    Creative Subscriptions   369,469       334,637  
    Business Solutions   141,436       122,644  
    Total Bookings $ 510,905     $ 457,281  
           
    Free Cash Flow $ 142,441     $ 105,711  
                   
    Free Cash Flow excluding HQ build out $ 142,441     $ 111,073  
    Creative Subscriptions ARR   1,372,670     $ 1,244,264  
           
           
     
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF REVENUES TO BOOKINGS
    (In thousands)
         
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Revenues $ 473,651     $ 419,776  
    Change in deferred revenues   44,362       41,319  
    Change in unbilled contractual obligations   (7,108 )     (3,814 )
    Bookings $ 510,905     $ 457,281  
           
    Y/Y growth   12 %    
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Creative Subscriptions Revenues $ 337,676     $ 304,293  
    Change in deferred revenues   38,901       34,158  
    Change in unbilled contractual obligations   (7,108 )     (3,814 )
    Creative Subscriptions Bookings $ 369,469     $ 334,637  
           
    Y/Y growth   10 %    
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Business Solutions Revenues $ 135,975     $ 115,483  
    Change in deferred revenues   5,461       7,161  
    Business Solutions Bookings $ 141,436     $ 122,644  
           
    Y/Y growth   15 %    
     
     
     
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF COHORT BOOKINGS
    (In millions)
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
           
    Q1 Cohort revenues   9     $ 9  
    Q1 Change in deferred revenues   27       23  
    Q1 Cohort Bookings $ 36     $ 32  
           
           
     
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF REVENUES AND BOOKINGS EXCLUDING FX IMPACT
    (In thousands)
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Revenues $ 473,651     $ 419,776  
    FX impact on Q1/25 using Y/Y rates   4,225       –  
    Revenues excluding FX impact $ 477,876     $ 419,776  
    Y/Y growth   14 %    
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Bookings $ 510,905     $ 457,281  
    FX impact on Q1/25 using Y/Y rates   7,775       –  
    Bookings excluding FX impact $ 518,680     $ 457,281  
    Y/Y growth   13 %    
           
           
           
    Wix.com Ltd.
    TOTAL ADJUSTMENTS GAAP TO NON-GAAP
    (In thousands)
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
    (1) Share based compensation expenses: (unaudited)
    Cost of revenues $ 3,320     $ 3,590  
    Research and development   31,491       31,102  
    Selling and marketing   9,177       10,483  
    General and administrative   16,273       12,967  
    Total share based compensation expenses   60,261       58,142  
    (2) Amortization   1,472       1,483  
    (3) Acquisition related expenses   –       5  
    (4) Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs   794       790  
    (5) Sales tax accrual and other G&A expenses   699       121  
    (6) Unrealized loss (gain) on equity and other investments   (42 )     (3,367 )
    (7) Non-operating foreign exchange income   (3,079 )     (4,663 )
    (8) Provision for income tax effects related to non-GAAP adjustments   –       774  
    Total adjustments of GAAP to Non GAAP $ 60,105     $ 53,285  
           
           
           
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP GROSS PROFIT
    (In thousands)
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Gross Profit $ 321,859     $ 282,479  
    Share based compensation expenses   3,320       3,590  
    Amortization   667       667  
    Non GAAP Gross Profit   325,846       286,736  
           
    Non GAAP Gross margin   69 %     68 %
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Gross Profit – Creative Subscriptions $ 281,609     $ 249,490  
    Share based compensation expenses   2,367       2,669  
    Non GAAP Gross Profit – Creative Subscriptions   283,976       252,159  
           
    Non GAAP Gross margin – Creative Subscriptions   84 %     83 %
           
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Gross Profit – Business Solutions $ 40,250     $ 32,989  
    Share based compensation expenses   953       921  
    Amortization   667       667  
    Non GAAP Gross Profit – Business Solutions   41,870       34,577  
           
    Non GAAP Gross margin – Business Solutions   31 %     30 %
           
           
           
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING INCOME TO NON-GAAP OPERATING INCOME
    (In thousands)
         
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Operating income $ 37,405     $ 9,670  
    Adjustments:      
    Share based compensation expenses   60,261       58,142  
    Amortization   1,472       1,483  
    Sales tax accrual and other G&A expenses   699       121  
    Acquisition related expenses   –       5  
    Total adjustments $ 62,432     $ 59,751  
           
    Non GAAP operating income $ 99,837     $ 69,421  
           
    Non GAAP operating margin   21 %     17 %
           
           
     
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME AND NON-GAAP NET INCOME PER SHARE
    (In thousands, except per share data)
         
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Net income $ 33,766     $ 24,002  
    Share based compensation expenses and other Non GAAP adjustments   60,105       53,285  
    Non-GAAP net income $ 93,871     $ 77,287  
           
                   
    Basic Non GAAP net income per share $ 1.69     $ 1.38  
                   
    Weighted average shares used in computing basic Non GAAP net income per share   55,708,670       56,098,997  
           
    Diluted Non GAAP net income per share $ 1.55     $ 1.29  
                   
    Weighted average shares used in computing diluted Non GAAP net income per share   60,384,510       60,073,986  
           
           
           
    Wix.com Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO FREE CASH FLOW
    (In thousands)
         
      Three Months Ended
      March 31,
        2025       2024  
      (unaudited)
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 145,491     $ 113,836  
    Capital expenditures, net   (3,050 )     (8,125 )
    Free Cash Flow $ 142,441     $ 105,711  
           
           
    Capex related to HQ build out   –       5,362  
                   
    Free Cash Flow excluding HQ build out $ 142,441     $ 111,073  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – NZNO care and support workers at Parliament for Budget Day

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Care and support workers who had their pay equity claims dumped overnight after years of work will meet at Parliament tomorrow to voice their frustration at the Coalition Government’s changes.
    The workers are members of New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) and are some of the 3000 aged residential care health care assistants who were party to the claim.
    NZNO care and support delegate Tash Greig says care and support workers were devastated by the changes.
    “The Government chose not to prioritise low-paid women in this year’s Budget. They can find funding for landlords and the film industry, but not for women doing some of society’s toughest jobs.
    “The work we do has been underpaid and undervalued for generations because we are women. Our claim was almost finalised and would have meant our hard work was finally properly recognised.
    “To heap injustice on injustice, these changes were made without warning or consultation. That’s why we are joining the cross-union hui at Parliament tomorrow.
    “We want the Government to treat us with the same dignity and respect we treat our elderly and vulnerable patients with – and reverse these changes,” Tash Greig says.
    When: 1-2pm, Thursday 22 May 2025
    Where: Parliament Lawn.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CM discussed at WHO assembly

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau spoke at a panel discussion session and met World Health Organization (WHO) officials yesterday as he continued his attendance at the WHO’s 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

    In the morning, Prof Lo and Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam listened to remarks made by State Council Vice Premier Liu Guozhong at the assembly’s “High Level Segment”.

    Prof Lo commented: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government spares no efforts to complement the nation’s strategies to contribute to the building of a global community of health for all.”

    Prof Lo and Dr Lam also attended a side event themed “Improving Universal Health Coverage through the implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034”, which was hosted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine along with the health authorities of Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Seychelles.

    In a panel discussion, Prof Lo spoke about Hong Kong’s experiences in promoting high-quality and high-standard Chinese medicine (CM) development.

    He said: “The Hong Kong SAR Government will leverage Hong Kong’s strengths in its healthcare system, regulatory framework, standard-setting, clinical research, trade, and more to develop the city into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM.”

    In terms of CM practice, he explained that the Hospital Authority has accumulated extensive experience through its integrated Chinese-Western medicine services over the years. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong is developing a “Hong Kong model” that includes pure CM, CM-predominant, and integrated Chinese-Western medicine clinical services, with a view to promoting CM at an international level.

    With regard to CM drugs, Prof Lo said Hong Kong’s Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute is actively advancing scientific research, education and international exchanges on CM drug testing. This includes developing internationally recognised reference standards and testing methods for CM drugs, and promoting the commercial application of such methods, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for CM testing and quality control.

    Prof Lo and Dr Lam also met the WHO’s Director of Nutrition & Food Safety Luz María De Regil to discuss strategies and interventions for obesity and weight management. Prof Lo said that the Hong Kong SAR Government will strive to halt the rise of obesity by implementing life-course interventions.

    The delegation will arrive back in Hong Kong tomorrow.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Biotechnology and all living things: two natural science museums of VDNKh celebrate their third anniversary

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On May 21, VDNKh will celebrate three years since the opening of the modern biotechnology center “Biotech Museum” and the K.A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum in pavilions No. 30 and 31. Both exhibitions are located within the walls of restored cultural heritage sites of federal significance.

    Pavilion No. 30 “Microbiological Industry” was built in 1939. Initially, it was dedicated to oil crops, as evidenced by the surviving wooden carved pediment with images of oil plant flowers, including sunflowers. In 1954, the pavilion housed the “Cotton” exposition. In the mid-1960s, the pavilion was repurposed again and received its current name. The exposition told about the study and widespread use of microorganisms in the national economy and healthcare.

    In 2019–2022, a comprehensive restoration of the historic building was carried out. The fountain next to the pavilion, which had not worked for over 40 years and was almost completely destroyed, was also restored. During the restoration, specialists laid new utility lines and replaced the fountain equipment.

    The restored pavilion No. 30 “Microbiological Industry” now houses the center of modern biotechnology “Museum “Biotech”. Its exhibition is a visual story about biotechnology and its practical application in everyday life.

    Here you can get acquainted with the history of the development of the domestic microbiological industry, modern biotechnologies that are used in the food industry, medicine, agriculture, waste recycling and other industries that are no less important for humanity. Visitors can learn about the creation of vaccines, genetics, city farms, bioreactors, as well as other innovative and familiar technologies. Seminars, master classes, lectures, conferences and other educational events are regularly held for them. Since its opening, the museum has been visited by more than 62 thousand people.

    Pavilion No. 31 “Geology”, built in 1954, was called “Flax, Hemp and Other Bast Crops” until 1956. In 1956-1957, its name was “Bast and Wool Industry”, in 1958 – “Linen and Wool Industry” and only since 1959 – “Geology”. The author of the pavilion is one of the most versatile Soviet architects Leonid Pavlov. He also designed several stations of the Moscow metro and the V.I. Lenin Museum in Gorki Leninskiye.

    In 2017, during restoration work in the pavilion, archival films from the 1950s-1980s were discovered, telling about the achievements of Soviet science, technology and agriculture. At one time, these films were used as a support by local guides: after the end of the tour, they showed thematic films to guests in small cinema halls that were opened in many VDNKh pavilions.

    Three years ago, the K.A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum was opened in the restored pavilion. In May 2022, a permanent exhibition “12 Signs of Living Things” opened here, the creation of which was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the museum’s founding. Its exposition tells about what life is from a scientific point of view. The exhibition presents 12 sections that correspond to the 12 main signs of a living being. These are the unity of chemical composition, diversity of life, metabolism and energy, movement, reproduction and others. Here you can see works of contemporary art made specifically for the exhibition. Since the opening of the museum, it has been visited by more than 133 thousand people.

    The opening of new entertainment and museum facilities corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality”. The development of the Museum City at VDNKh is a key part of the strategy for promoting the capital’s hospitality industry and the strategy for developing VDNKh until 2030.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154119073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Assault reignites Christchurch Hospital parking woes

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) is concerned that after-hours attacks on Christchurch Hospital staff returning to their cars have continued without a proper long-term solution to parking in sight.
    It follows the recent assault on a student midwife going back to her car from Kurawaka Waipapa.
    NZNO Christchurch delegate Al Dietschin says staff have raised concerns about parking at the hospital for more than a decade, possibly longer, and while there has been some action from Te Whatu Ora, it is not nearly enough to prevent the assaults from persisting.
    “How many incidents do we need to have before the employer acts in the interest of staff in accordance with the Health and Safety Employment Act?
    “They have to provide a safe work environment. They always say health and safety of staff is important, but these after-hours assaults continue to happen.”
    Al Dietschin says the Tū Waka Waipapa building that opened opposite the hospital in November 2023 provides parking, but costs about $25 a day, which is unaffordable for most workers.
    In wake of many assaults in the past, the hospital provides a minibus shuttle between 9pm and 1am, but staff are often made to wait too long for this arrive.
    “Staff are reportedly walking to their cars because they’re made to wait 30 minutes or more after working the late shift for the shuttle to arrive. Staff don’t feel safe walking to cars after their shift or early morning in the dark, but they’re sometimes forced to.”
    Another shocking decision recently limits emergency department parking for lead maternity carers (community midwives) to five hours, he says.
    “This used to be available for unlimited time. Now they’re forced to ask core staff to relieve them in the middle of a patient’s labour so they don’t get fined. That’s not good for the safety of their patients.”
    Al Dietschin says the solution is simple from the staff’s perspective.
    “Staff only want safe after hours parking close to hospital, and we don’t want to break the bank for this to happen.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –