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  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seize Record Amounts of Illegal Drugs, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking Proceeds in International Operation Against Darknet Trafficking of Fentanyl and Opioids; 270 Arrested Across Four Continents

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    WASHINGTON — Today, the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, and international law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation RapTor, including the arrests of 270 dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Operation RapTor resulted in the highest number of seizures of any JCODE operation, including more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms.

    Operation RapTor was a global, coordinated effort by law enforcement in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sales of other illicit goods and services, on the darknet, or dark web. Operation RapTor builds on the successes of prior years’ operations and takedowns of marketplaces, which resulted in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, providing investigators across the world with investigative leads and evidence. JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today. In furtherance of Operation RapTor and in its first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web.

    “This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web – this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

    “By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

    “These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

    “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris. “Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

    “This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date—seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

    “This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

    “Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering.”

    “The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Deputy Director Chad Menster of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”  

    The impact of Operation RapTor can be attributed to the tireless work of U.S. and international law enforcement partners. For example:

    On Dec. 16, 2024, Rui-Siang Lin pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication for owning and operating Incognito Market, one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that started on the dark web in October 2020. Until it shut down in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics—including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” Incognito Market was designed to facilitate seamless narcotics transactions, incorporating many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below:

    Figure 1: Incognito Market homepage

    While concealing their identities with a unique username or “moniker,” users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, as well as misbranded prescription medication. An example of listings on Incognito market is below:

    Figure 2: Listings for various drugs on the Incognito Market.

    Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was falsely advertised as being authentic. For example, in November 2023, while operating in an undercover capacity on Incognito Market, a law enforcement agent purchased and received several tablets purported to be oxycodone. Testing revealed that these tablets were not oxycodone and were, in fact, fentanyl pills.

    The FBI, HSI, DEA, FDA OCI, and the New York Police Department investigated the case.

    In a second example, in January 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California secured a 17-year sentence for Adan Ruiz, of Orange County, and a 15-year sentence for Omar Navia, of Los Angeles, for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the darknet. In imposing the sentences, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter called this case “the most sophisticated fentanyl distribution ring that this court has seen.”

    Navia and Ruiz admitted in their plea agreements that, from at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Srinivasan and Ta used the “redlightlabs” darknet account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Srinivasan also used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers. Srinivasan received virtual currency as payment for the drugs and then routed that virtual currency through cryptocurrency exchanges.

    The court record also shows that Ta communicated with Srinivasan about drug orders, obtained fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine from sources of supply, stored those drugs in his residence, and mailed out packages with drugs to customers who had ordered them from Srinivasan on the “redlightlabs” account.

    Ta and Srinivasan admitted in their plea agreements to causing the fentanyl overdose deaths of three victims. Both defendants further admitted to distributing fentanyl-laced pills to two additional victims, both of whom suffered fatal drug overdoses shortly after they received the pills from Ta and Srinivasan. Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, “The five victims of defendants’ crimes ranged in age from 19 to 51. They lived across the country, from California to Florida, Colorado to Arkansas. Each of the five victims leaves behind a family that has been forever and fundamentally changed by defendants’ actions. [Ta and Srinivasan] also victimized countless others as part of an epidemic of addiction and despair plaguing our district and our country.”

    The FBI investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the DEA’s Fayetteville Resident Office, and the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force.

    In a third example, in February 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency under the monikers “NuveoDelux,” “Mrjohnson,” and “AllStateRx.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, these three prolific darknet vendors were collectively responsible for fulfilling over 13,000 drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10,000 pills. Joshua and Joseph Vasquez collectively ran the NuveoDeluxe and AllStateRx accounts. A fourth co-conspirator, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, who was arrested in October 2024, ran the Mrjohnson account. Roman assisted his co-conspirators by pressing counterfeit Adderall pills, packaging them, and distributing drug orders into the mail using the U.S. Postal Service. The conspiracy also laundered funds associated with darknet drug proceeds.

    While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, federal law enforcement officers seized more than $330,000, close to 80,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. Additionally, two vehicles and several pieces of property were seized during the search warrants. An additional 30 kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills were seized on May 2, 2024, in New York. Photographs of some of the seized items are below: 

    Figure 3: Counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine stored in 5-gallon buckets

    Figure 4: Bags ready to be shipped to customers nationwide.

    Figure 5: Illegal pill press machines used by drug traffickers to make counterfeit pharmaceutical pills.

    Figure 6: Trash bags full of counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine.

    Joshua Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, and was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to 12 years in prison. Joseph Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2024, to 10 years in prison. Roman pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and was sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024, to 10 years in prison. They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

    The FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from DEA, HSI, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Howell Township Police Department, the Lakewood Township Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Arlington County Police Department, and the New York Police Department.

    In a fourth example, a San Fernando Valley man, Brian McDonald, 23, was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison in the Central District of California for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose.

    From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.

    McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help package and ship the narcotics they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed and helped these accomplices package and ship the narcotics. McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.

    The FBI and DEA investigated this matter.

    Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Customs and Border Protection, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and OFAC, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTor. State, local, and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation RapTor investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships, as well as the multi-agency Special Operations Division.

    The investigations leading to Operation RapTor were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Fraud Section, and Office of International Affairs.

    Key international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), and German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); the Netherlands’ Team High Tech Crime (National Investigations and Special Operations (NIS) and Post Interventie Team (PIT), National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support (NIEO);  Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

    Federal investigations spanned the United States, and 26 United States Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting cases, including the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the District of Columbia, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Georgia, the District of Hawaii, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Western District of Washington.

    The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: WISeKey Updates on the Negotiations to Acquire 100% of IC’ALPS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WISeKey Updates on the Negotiations to Acquire 100% of IC’ALPS

    Geneva, Switzerland – May 22, 2025 – Ad-Hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 of SIX Listing Rules – WISeKey International Holding Ltd (NASDAQ: WKEY / SIX: WIHN) (“WISeKey” or “the Company”), a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT technologies, today shares an update on the exclusive negotiations entered into by its subsidiary, SEALSQ Corp (“SEALSQ”), a leading developer and provider of Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software solutions, to acquire 100% of the share capital and voting rights of IC’ALPS SAS (“IC’ALPS”), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”) design and supply specialist based in Grenoble, France (“the Acquisition”).

    These exclusive negotiations result from the execution of a Letter of Intent with IC’ALPS and its shareholders (the “Sellers”). This proposed strategic Acquisition (subject to the signing of a Share Purchase Agreement and satisfaction of closing conditions) is expected to reinforce SEALSQ’s commitment to advancing its ASIC development to meet the growing demand in the sector and would add approximately 100 highly skilled staff based out of IC’ALPS’ current centers in Grenoble and Toulouse.

    SEALSQ and the Sellers have reached an agreement in principle to sign a Share Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) based on the following elements:

    • A fixed purchase price of EUR 12.5 million (subject to a ‘No Leakage’ undertaking clause) comprised of EUR 10 million consideration payable in cash and EUR 2.5 million consideration to be paid to one of the Sellers in fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares of SEALSQ, the number of which would be calculated based on the volume weighted average price of an Ordinary Share of SEALSQ on the Nasdaq Stock Market during the ninety trading days ending on the trading day immediately prior to the closing of the Acquisition.
    • An earn-out payment in Ordinary Shares of up to EUR 4 million in value based on IC’ALPS achieving revenue in excess of EUR 11 million in the twelve months ending on December 31, 2025 (revenue to be accounted for in accordance with US GAAP and audited by SEALSQ’s statutory auditors).
    • The Ordinary Shares of SEALSQ to be issued as part of the equity consideration would be subject to a mandatory holding period of one hundred and eighty days from their date of issuance, during which the relevant Seller would be restricted from selling, transferring, or otherwise disposing of the SEALSQ Ordinary Shares.
    • Conditions precedent to the closing of the Acquisition include, among others, approval of the Acquisition by the French Ministry of the Economy in accordance with articles L.151-3 and R.151-1 et seq of the French Financial and Monetary Code (code monétaire et financier).

    During the year ended December 31, 2024, based solely on the draft unaudited revenue of IC’ALPS provided to SEALSQ using French GAAP was EUR9,756,000 with a net loss of EUR2,016,000. In the previous year, the audited revenue of IC’ALPS, based solely on the audited revenue of IC’ALPS provided to SEALSQ, using French GAAP was EUR 8,465,000 with a net income of EUR318,000. As further detailed below, upon completion of the Acquisition, it is anticipated that SEALSQ would prepare full audited financial statements using US GAAP for both years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and that this might lead to material adjustment to these numbers.

    We note that the net loss of IC’ALPS under French GAAP for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 included sales to SEALSQ in an amount of approximately EUR 615,000. Excluding the sales to SEALSQ, the net loss of IC’ALPS under French GAAP for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 would amount to a net loss in the amount of EUR (2,631,000), based on the draft unaudited revenue of IC’ALPS provided to SEALSQ. We note that the net income of IC’ALPS under French GAAP for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 included sales to SEALSQ in an amount of approximately EUR 1,168,000. Excluding the sales to SEALSQ, the net income of IC’ALPS under French GAAP for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 would amount to a net loss in the amount of EUR (850,000) based on the audited revenue of IC’ALPS provided to SEALSQ.

    Although the conversion of the financial information of IC’ALPS from French GAAP to US GAAP has not been initiated, we expect that material adjustments may arise upon conversion to US GAAP in relation to French GAAP based net sales, operating expenses and income tax income reflected in the IC’ALPS income statement for twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and in relation to French GAAP based intangible assets, current liabilities, and pension and debt liabilities reflected in the balance sheet as at December 31, 2024 and 2023, as reflected in the numbers provided by IC’ALPS to SEALSQ and disclosed in the preceding paragraphs.

    About IC’ALPS:
    IC’ALPS is your one-stop-shop ASIC partner. Based in France (HQ in Grenoble, two design centers in Grenoble and Toulouse), the company provides customers with a complete offering for Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) and Systems on Chip (SoC) development from circuit specification, mastering design in-house, up to the management of the entire production supply chain. Its 100+ engineers’ areas of expertise include analog, digital and mixed-signal circuits (sensor/MEMS interfaces, ultra-low power consumption, power management, high-resolution converters, high voltage, signal processing, ARM and RISC-V based multiprocessors architectures, hardware accelerators) on technologies from 0.18 µm down to 1.8 nm, and from multiple foundries (TSMC, Global Foundries, Tower Semiconductor, X-FAB, STMicroelectronics, Intel Foundry, etc.). The company is active worldwide in medical, industrial, automotive, IoT, IA, mil-aero, and digital identity & security sectors. IC’ALPS is ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, EN 9100:2018, Common Criteria certified, IATF16949-ready, member of TSMC Design Center Alliance (DCA), Intel Foundry Accelerator Design Services Alliance and Value Chain Alliance (DSA & VCA), ams Osram Preferred Partner and X-FAB’s partner network.
    More information: www.icalps.com and  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ic-alps

    About SEALSQ:
    SEALSQ is a leading innovator in Post-Quantum Technology hardware and software solutions. Our technology seamlessly integrates Semiconductors, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), and Provisioning Services, with a strategic emphasis on developing state-of-the-art Quantum Resistant Cryptography and Semiconductors designed to address the urgent security challenges posed by quantum computing. As quantum computers advance, traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) are increasingly vulnerable.

    SEALSQ is pioneering the development of Post-Quantum Semiconductors that provide robust, future-proof protection for sensitive data across a wide range of applications, including Multi-Factor Authentication tokens, Smart Energy, Medical and Healthcare Systems, Defense, IT Network Infrastructure, Automotive, and Industrial Automation and Control Systems. By embedding Post-Quantum Cryptography into our semiconductor solutions, SEALSQ ensures that organizations stay protected against quantum threats. Our products are engineered to safeguard critical systems, enhancing resilience and security across diverse industries.

    For more information on our Post-Quantum Semiconductors and security solutions, please visit www.sealsq.com.

    About WISeKey
    WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

    Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.

    Disclaimer

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would” or similar words. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the actual adjustments that arise upon conversion of the financial information of IC’ALPS to US GAAP in relation to net sales, operating expenses and income tax income in the income statement for twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and in relation to intangible assets, current liabilities, and pension and debt liabilities in the balance sheet as at December 31, 2024 and 2023, in comparison with the French GAAP ; the entering into of definitive documents, the authorization by French regulatory authorities and the successful closing of the Acquisition; ; and the risks discussed in WISeKey’s filings with the SEC. Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by WISeKey with the SEC.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd
    Company Contact:  Carlos Moreira
    Chairman & CEO
    Tel: +41 22 594 3000
    info@wisekey.com    		 WISeKey Investor Relations (US) 
    The Equity Group Inc.
    Lena Cati
    Tel: +1 212 836-9611
    lcati@theequitygroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: R3 signals strategic shift to lead the convergence of public and private blockchains to deliver internet capital markets through collaboration with Solana Foundation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    • Collaboration brings together R3’s leading private enterprise blockchain with Solana’s high performance public mainnet
    • Drives institutional adoption of public blockchain networks, capitalizing on greater regulatory clarity and growing institutional demand for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs)
    • Announcement marks new strategic direction for R3, signalling its leadership in driving the convergence of public and private networks to unlock the next era of internet capital markets
    • Enables regulated financial institutions to directly access the speed and scale of Solana for broader asset distribution, enhanced liquidity, and a decisive step in bringing TradFi to DeFi

    {{DATELINECITY_DATE_GLOBENEWSWIRE_BUG}R3 and Solana Foundation today announce a strategic collaboration to bring regulated financial institutions and their real-world assets onto Solana. It will deliver the first enterprise-grade, permissioned consensus service offered to the public directly on a Layer 1 network. This brings the institutional TradFi and DeFi worlds into true convergence, marrying the unparalleled reach of R3 into the TradFi ecosystem with the scale, liquidity, and innovation of internet capital markets. As the world’s most used public blockchain, the Solana blockchain offers unmatched performance, low fees, and a vibrant global ecosystem – making it the ideal foundation for the next generation of regulated digital finance.

    R3 has invited Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, to R3’s Board of Directors, marking a strategic shift for R3 that unites the strengths of public and permissioned blockchains.

    Solana and R3 will bring regulated assets onto a public blockchain at a time when the RWA sector is at a pivotal juncture: regulatory tailwinds are spurring investor confidence in digital assets, financial institutions are becoming increasingly comfortable with leveraging public networks, and the DeFi sector is maturing. These forces are driving growing demand for high-quality, tokenized assets on public networks.

    As the world’s largest collection of permissioned RWA networks, with over $10 billion in regulated assets on-chain across its platforms, the R3 ecosystem is ideally positioned to meet this demand. R3’s Corda has the most live, in-production use cases and millions of transactions processed daily by leading institutional players. Integrating with Solana’s blockchain will enable these assets to flow to meet the growing demand on public networks, and unlock new settlement options across these ecosystems, including using high-quality stablecoins. Unlike traditional interoperability approaches, this comprehensive integration means private transactions on Corda can be confirmed directly on Solana mainnet, inheriting the network’s performance and security, and enabling true transactional atomicity.

    The collaboration will create a consensus service deployed on Solana to enable native interoperability between R3’s existing Corda platform – as well as other private networks – and Solana, bridging the gap between permissioned and public blockchain ecosystems for the first time. This will enable regulated financial institutions – including banks, financial market infrastructure providers, and asset managers – to fully harness the openness and efficiency of Solana without re-writing their applications or compromising on compliance, security, or asset control.

    R3 chose Solana as its public Layer-1 substrate and the basis for its new consensus service following an extensive evaluation and technical review of decentralized protocols, selecting Solana for its low transaction fees, speed, scalability, as well as the Solana ecosystem’s robust developer community, and relationships with numerous regulated financial institutions, including Blackrock, Franklin Templeton, and Hamilton Lane which have all deployed regulated assets on the network.

    Critically, this collaboration simplifies the complexity of managing RWAs on public blockchains – bringing Corda’s proven strengths in identity, privacy, and compliance to a public and permissioned environment. This allows traditional financial institutions to operate with the same control and clarity they expect from enterprise-grade infrastructure, while unlocking the scale and flexibility of a public network. 

    “This is a major step forward for the institutional adoption of public blockchain,” said Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation. “R3’s decision to bring its regulated financial network onto Solana is powerful validation that public blockchains have reached institutional readiness. With Solana’s unmatched performance, enterprise-grade permissioning, and growing roster of regulated assets, we’re not just witnessing convergence between TradFi and DeFi – we’re enabling it. This collaboration signifies that the future of capital markets will be built on public infrastructure. We’re thrilled that the Solana ecosystem is leading the way.”

    David E. Rutter, Founder and CEO of R3 commented: “We’ve never pursued blockchain for its own sake – our mission is to solve real financial problems. After years of laying the groundwork, R3 is ready to bring our experience and our network of regulated financial institutions towards a new public future with one of the best and most trusted public ecosystems – Solana. This is more than a milestone; it’s a strategic realignment for the entire industry. We know DeFi isn’t coming to TradFi, so it’s up to us to build the connective infrastructure that links these two ecosystems. This is about adapting to deliver real-world utility, institutional-grade readiness, and shaping the long-term future of regulated markets.”

    Clearstream, a leading post-trade infrastructure provider at the forefront of digitizing financial markets, is a long-standing user of R3’s Corda which underpins its digital collateral solution. 

    Jens Hachmeister, Head of Issuer Services & New Digital Markets at Clearstream, commented: “Tokenization isn’t just about digitizing assets – it’s about building scalable, global infrastructure where real-world assets can interact directly and securely, no matter where investors are located. The convergence of public and private blockchains is no longer a future promise – it’s happening now. This is a generational shift in how value moves, and a compelling moment for any institution looking to enter the crypto space. We’re excited for what’s ahead.”   

    Media Contacts

    Eterna Partners for R3

    R3@eternapartners.com

    +44 (0)7442 230 170

    Solana

    press@solana.org

    About R3

    R3 is the leader in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and interoperability solutions, driving market digitization and bridging the largest on-chain RWA ecosystem with DeFi.

    Corda is an open, permissioned DLT platform powering the tokenization of assets and currencies connecting global markets. Corda enables tokenization with control, providing diverse asset mobility in a secure, trusted environment. 

    R3 is committed to progressing financial markets by enabling an open, trusted and advanced digital economy for real-world assets.  

    For further information, please visit www.r3.com.

    About Solana

    Solana is a blockchain built for mass adoption. It’s a high performance network that is utilized for a range of use cases, including finance, NFTs, payments, and gaming. Solana operates as a single global state machine, and is open, interoperable and decentralized. For more information, please visit https://solana.com.

    About Solana Foundation

    The Solana Foundation is a non-profit foundation based in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the decentralization, adoption, and security of the Solana network. For more information, please visit https://solana.org/.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae6d91e9-9bb4-4a47-b3e3-7a873993c009

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: WHO is finalizing a new treaty that prepares for the next pandemic − but the US isn’t signing

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicole Hassoun, Professor of Philosophy, Binghamton University, State University of New York

    The 78th World Health Assembly is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 19-27, 2025. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

    On March 20, 2025, members of the World Health Organization adopted the world’s first pandemic agreement, following three years of “intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The U.S., however, did not participate, in part because of its intention to withdraw from the WHO.

    Global health experts are hailing the agreement as a historic moment.

    What does the agreement mean for the world, and how can it make everyone safer and more prepared for the next pandemic?

    The Conversation asked Nicole Hassoun, a professor at Binghamton University and executive director of Global Health Impact, to explain the pandemic accord, its prospects for advancing global health, and the significance of the U.S.’s absence from it.

    What will the pandemic agreement do?

    The accord will bolster pandemic preparation within individual countries and around the world.

    Countries signing onto the agreement are committing to improve their disease surveillance and grow their heath care workforces, strengthen their regulatory systems and invest in research and development. It encourages countries to strengthen their health regulations and infrastructure, improve communication with the public about pandemics and increase funding for preparation and response efforts.

    It also includes new mechanisms for producing and distributing vaccines and other essential countermeasures. Finally, it encourages countries to coordinate their responses and share information about infectious diseases and intellectual property so that vaccines and other essential countermeasures can be made available more quickly.

    The agreement will take effect once enough countries ratify it, which may take several years.

    Why isn’t the US involved?

    The Biden administration was broadly supportive of a pandemic agreement and was an active participant in negotiations.

    Prior to Donald Trump’s reelection, however, Republican governors had signed a letter opposing the treaty, echoing a conservative think tank’s concerns about U.S. sovereignty.

    The U.S. withdrew from negotiations when President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the WHO on the day he was inaugurated for his second term.

    Why could the lack of US involvement be beneficial for the world?

    The lack of U.S. involvement likely resulted in a much more equitable treaty, and it is not clear that countries could have reached an agreement had the U.S. continued to object to key provisions.

    It was only once the U.S. withdrew from the negotiations that an agreement was reached. The U.S. and several other wealthy countries were concerned with protecting their pharmaceutical industry’s profits and resisted efforts aimed at convincing pharmaceutical companies to share the knowledge, data and intellectual property needed for producing new vaccines and other essential countermeasures.

    Other negotiators sought greater access to vaccines and other treatments during a pandemic for poorer countries, which often rely on patented technologies from global pharmaceutical companies.

    While most people in wealthy countries had access to COVID-19 vaccines as early as 2021, many people in developing countries had to wait years for vaccines.

    How could the agreement broaden access for treatments?

    One of the contentious issues in the pandemic agreement has to do with how many vaccines manufacturers in each country must share in exchange for access to genetic sequences to emerging infectious diseases. Countries are still negotiating a system for sharing the genetic information on pathogens in return for access to vaccines themselves. It is important that researchers can get these sequences to make vaccines. And, of course, people need access to the vaccines once they are developed.

    Still, there are many more promising aspects of the agreement for which no further negotiations are necessary. For instance, the agreement will increase global vaccine supply by increasing manufacturing around the world.

    The agreement also specifies that countries and the WHO should work together to create a mechanism for fairly sharing the intellectual property, data and knowledge needed to produce vaccines and other essential health products. If financing for new innovation requires equitable access to the new technologies that are developed, many people in poor countries may get access to vaccines much more quickly in the next pandemic. The agreement also encourages individual countries to offer sufficient incentives for pharmaceutical companies to extend access to developing countries.

    If countries implement these changes, that will benefit people in rich countries as well as poor ones. A more equitable distribution of vaccines can contain the spread of disease, saving millions of lives.

    What more should be done, and does the US have a role to play?

    In my view, the best way to protect public health moving forward is for countries to sign on to the agreement and devote more resources to global health initiatives. This is particularly important given declining investment and participation in the WHO and the contraction of other international health initiatives, such as USAID.

    Without international coordination, it will become harder to catch and address problems early enough to prevent epidemics from becoming pandemics.

    It will also be imperative for member countries to provide funding to support the agreement’s goals and secure the innovation and access to new technologies. This requires building the basic health infrastructure to ensure shots can get into people’s arms.

    Nicole Hassoun has receive funding from the WHO and worked as a consultant for the UN.

    – ref. WHO is finalizing a new treaty that prepares for the next pandemic − but the US isn’t signing – https://theconversation.com/who-is-finalizing-a-new-treaty-that-prepares-for-the-next-pandemic-but-the-us-isnt-signing-256191

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes

    Source: US State of California

    Defendant Admits Concealing 50% Ownership of $7B Defense Contracting Business to Evade Taxes

    A former defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax crimes related to his scheme to defraud the United States and evade taxes on income that he earned from his contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Douglas Edelman founded and owned 50% of Mina Corp. and Red Star Enterprises (Mina/Red Star), a defense contracting business that received more than $7 billion from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide jet fuel in the United States’ post-9/11 military efforts in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

    Working with others, Edelman engaged in a lengthy scheme to hide his Mina/Red Star profits to evade U.S. taxes, including by concealing his income in undisclosed foreign bank accounts, creating false documents and making false statements that one of his co-conspirators — a French citizen residing abroad and without U.S. tax obligations — founded and owned Mina/Red Star.

    For example, when the company became profitable in 2005, Edelman began taking distributions which he deposited into Swiss bank accounts, primarily at Credit Suisse, in the name of other companies he owned. In 2008, Credit Suisse informed Edelman that he had to either close his accounts or disclose them to U.S. authorities. Rather than come into compliance with his tax and reporting obligations, Edelman closed his accounts and opened new ones at Bank Julius Baer in Singapore in the name of a nominee entity, the beneficiaries of which were purportedly Edelman’s daughters. He then directed the subject income he earned from Mina/Red Star to those bank accounts.

    In 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs began investigating allegations of corruption in connection with Mina/Red Star’s contracts with the Department of Defense. As part of this inquiry, the subcommittee became interested in the identity of Mina/Red Star’s owners. At this time, Edelman had not filed U.S. tax returns to report the millions of dollars he had earned from Mina/Red Star and had not paid U.S. taxes on his income.

    Rather than disclose his ownership, Edelman caused his attorneys to tell Congress a false story that a French co-conspirator who had no U.S. tax or reporting obligations founded and co-owed Mina/Red Star with another individual. To corroborate the false story, Edelman and a co-conspirator caused false and backdated paperwork to be created.

    To continue the scheme, Edelman conveyed the false story about Mina/Red Star’s ownership to other arms of the U.S. government, including to the Department of Defense during contract negotiations in 2010 and 2011, to the IRS in a 2016 application to the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, and to the Justice Department in a 2018 presentation.

    In conjunction with his 2016 application to the IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Program, Edelman filed false tax returns for several prior years that only reported income from gifts or purported consulting payments, continuing to conceal the millions he had earned from his company. On the returns, he  also concealed profits he had earned from a separate business to provide internet service to members of the armed forces at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan.

    Instead of paying the taxes that he knew he owed, Edelman used the money to fund his lifestyle and additional investments. He invested in a music television franchise in Eastern Europe, a land venture in Tulum, Mexico, and a farm in Kenya, and purchased property around Europe, including a home in Ibiza, Spain, and a townhouse in London.

    Edelman faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count to which he has pleaded. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.

    Special agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, along with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the investigation. Also providing assistance were His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom; the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and authorities from Belize, Israel, and Cyprus.

    The Government of the Kingdom of Spain arrested and extradited Edelman to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in securing Edelman’s arrest and extradition.

    Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Wu Lei returns for China’s critical World Cup qualifiers

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Star forward Wu Lei is set to return to the national team from injury as China announced a 27-player roster on Thursday for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers against Indonesia and Bahrain.

    Wu Lei (L) of China controls the ball during an international freindly match between New Zealand and China in Auckland, New Zealand, March 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

    Wu, who had been sidelined for months with a severe knee injury, missed six consecutive World Cup qualifying matches since last October. He returned to the pitch in April and scored his first goal of the season last Saturday.

    Also included in the squad for the first time is 29-year-old naturalized midfielder Yang Mingyang from Chengdu Rongcheng. Yang previously represented Switzerland at youth international level.

    China is scheduled to face Indonesia away on June 5 before hosting Bahrain in Chongqing on June 10.

    With two rounds remaining, China and Bahrain both sit on six points, three behind group leader Indonesia. The Chinese team must win both matches to qualify for the playoff round of the Asian qualifiers.

    The 27-man roster is as follows:

    Goalkeepers: Yan Junling, Liu Dianzuo, Wang Dalei;

    Defenders: Jiang Guangtai, Wei Zhen, Yang Zexiang, Zhu Chenjie, Han Pengfei, Hu Hetao, Li Lei, Wu Shaocong, Wang Shiqin;

    Midfielders: Xu Haoyang, Yang Mingyang, Cao Yongjing, Sai Erjiniao, Huang Zhengyu, Xie Wenneng, Wang Shangyuan;

    Forwards: Wu Lei, Liu Ruofan, Liu Chengyu, Wei Shihao, Wang Ziming, Zhang Yuning, Lin Liangming, Wang Yudong.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: WADA welcomes additional funding from Qatar for scientific research

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has welcomed Qatar’s decision to provide additional funding to support the organization’s scientific research efforts.

    The Ministry of Sports and Youth in Qatar will contribute an extra 1.5 million U.S. dollars, in addition to the country’s annual payment of more than 200,000 dollars to WADA, the agency announced on Wednesday.

    “WADA is appreciative of the continued support of our partners within Qatar’s Ministry of Sports and Youth. The additional funding will make a significant impact on anti-doping research globally and within Qatar itself,” said WADA President Witold Banka.

    “This is another indication of the strong support WADA receives from governments around the world, which believe in and trust us to deliver on our clean sport mission and understand the importance of cutting-edge scientific research to being ahead of those who seek to cheat the system.”

    Earlier this month, Japan pledged an additional 196,000 dollars to support anti-doping capacity and capability development in Asia and Oceania. According to WADA, Japan has contributed roughly 2.5 million dollars in additional funding over the past two decades.

    In the past 10 years, WADA has also received additional contributions from countries including Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United States.

    Banka stated earlier this year that WADA invests heavily in anti-doping research, allocating about 10 percent of its annual budget to scientific and social science initiatives. The agency has also called on its partners to support ongoing research efforts, including recent work focused on unintentional doping.

    WADA has set a budget of more than 50 million dollars for 2025.

    The United States, which failed to pay its 2024 annual fee of 3.62 million dollars–amounting to 14 percent of WADA’s budget–automatically loses its seat on the organization’s executive committee for the year.

    “It is so important for athletes that WADA is properly resourced and that it has certainty around the funds it receives,” said Yuhan Tan, Belgium’s former badminton player and WADA Athlete Council representative on the Foundation Board.

    “I call on all governments to fulfill their commitments and make their annual contributions to WADA in a predictable and timely fashion so the work upholding the World Anti-Doping Code and supporting athletes around the world can continue. Clearly, anti-doping is becoming more and more politicized, which must be avoided as it puts all athletes and the entire system at risk,” he commented when WADA released its budget plan earlier this year. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Q&A: What to know about China’s visa-free policies

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 21 — China’s visa-exemption policies have boosted inbound travel. Since the start of this year, “China Travel” has kept trending. On Wednesday, the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China released a list of frequently asked questions about these policies.

    Q: Who does the visa waiver apply to?

    A: Nationals of 43 countries including Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, the Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay take effect from June 1, 2025) holding valid ordinary passports can be exempted from visa requirement if entering China for the purpose of business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchange and transit. They can stay in China for no more than 30 days without a visa.

    Q: Do foreign nationals eligible for a visa waiver need to make declarations to Chinese embassies and consulates in advance?

    A: Foreign nationals eligible for a visa waiver do not need to declare in advance to Chinese embassies and consulates before entering China without a visa.

    Q: Will the purpose of the intended stay in China be examined by Chinese border inspection authorities when entering China? How will it be done? Are other documents needed for entering China in addition to a passport?

    A: Foreign nationals traveling for purposes of business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchange and transit that meet the visa waiver requirements, can be allowed to enter China without a visa upon examination and approval in accordance with the law by border inspection authorities. Entry into China shall be denied by border inspection authorities in accordance with the law to foreign nationals who travel for purposes that do not meet the visa waiver requirements or who are not allowed to enter China in accordance with laws and regulations. It is recommended to take documents such as invitation letters, air tickets and reservations of accommodation as proof corresponding to the purposes of entry into China. Visa waiver does not apply to those who come to China for work, study, journalistic or similar purposes.

    Q: Is there any additional requirement for minors eligible for a visa waiver?

    A: Visa waiver requirements for minors are the same as for adults.

    Q: Are there any requirements regarding the type and validity of entry documents?

    A: For foreign nationals, an ordinary passport valid for at least the duration of the intended stay in China is needed. Holders of travel documents or temporary or emergency documents other than ordinary passports are not allowed to enter China without a visa.

    Q: How to calculate the duration of stay of 30 days?

    A: The duration of stay without a visa is calculated from the day after entry and lasts continuously for 30 calendar days.

    Q: Does the visa waiver apply to foreign nationals who travel from a third country?

    A: Eligible foreign nationals can depart for China from any country or region.

    Q: Does the visa waiver apply to foreign nationals who travel via modes of transport other than aviation?

    A: The visa waiver applies to all travelers coming to China through any sea, road and airport open to foreign nationals — except where laws, regulations or bilateral arrangements specify otherwise. For arrivals in China by way of private transport, certain procedures for entry and exit of means of transport shall be processed in accordance with relevant laws and regulations of China.

    Q: Does the visa waiver apply to tour groups?

    A: The visa waiver applies to eligible foreign nationals either in tour groups or as individuals.

    Q: If the length of intended stay exceeds 30 days, can the visa waiver be extended?

    A: Foreign nationals planning to stay in China for over 30 days shall apply for visas corresponding to their purposes of stay in advance at Chinese embassies or consulates. If they have to stay longer than 30 days for appropriate and sufficient reasons after entering China without a visa, they shall apply for stay permits to the exit and entry administrations of public security authorities of China.

    Q: Does the visa waiver allow multiple entries? Is there any requirement on the length of intervals between each entry, or any restriction on the number of entries without a visa or total days of stay?

    A: Foreign nationals eligible for the visa waiver can enter China without a visa multiple times. Currently, there is no restriction on the number of entries or total days of stay, but those who enjoy visa-free travel to China shall not engage in activities inconsistent with their purpose of entry.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Admits to Concealing 50% Ownership of $7B Defense Contracting Business to Evade Taxes

               WASHINGTON – Douglas Edelman, 73, a former defense contractor, pleaded guilty today to tax crimes related to a scheme to defraud the United States and evade taxes on income he earned from his contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.

               The sentence was announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter with IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office. 

               Edelman pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of tax evasion, and two counts of making a false statement.  U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a hearing on issues related to sentencing on Nov. 17, 2026. Trial on the remaining counts of the indictment will be in 2026.

               According to court documents and statements made in court, Edelman founded and owned 50% of Mina Corp. and Red Star Enterprises (Mina/Red Star), a defense contracting business that received more than $7 billion from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide jet fuel in the United States’ post-9/11 military efforts in Afghanistan and the Middle East. 

               Working with others, Edelman engaged in a lengthy scheme to hide his Mina/Red Star profits to evade U.S. taxes, including by concealing his income in undisclosed foreign bank accounts, creating false documents and making false statements that one of his co-conspirators — a French citizen residing abroad and without U.S. tax obligations — founded and owned Mina/Red Star. 

               For example, when the company became profitable in 2005, Edelman began taking distributions which he deposited into Swiss bank accounts, primarily at Credit Suisse, in the name of other companies he owned. In 2008, Credit Suisse informed Edelman that he had to either close his accounts or disclose them to U.S. authorities. Rather than come into compliance with his tax and reporting obligations, Edelman closed his accounts and opened new ones at Bank Julius Baer in Singapore in the name of a nominee entity, the beneficiaries of which were purportedly Edelman’s daughters. He then directed the subject income he earned from Mina/Red Star to those bank accounts. 

               In 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs began investigating allegations of corruption in connection with Mina/Red Star’s contracts with the Department of Defense. As part of this inquiry, the subcommittee became interested in the identity of Mina/Red Star’s owners. At this time, Edelman had not filed U.S. tax returns to report the millions of dollars he had earned from Mina/Red Star and had not paid U.S. taxes on his income. 

               Rather than disclose his ownership, Edelman caused his attorneys to tell Congress a false story that a French co-conspirator who had no U.S. tax or reporting obligations founded and co-owed Mina/Red Star with another individual. To corroborate the false story, Edelman and a co-conspirator caused false and backdated paperwork to be created. 

               To continue the scheme, Edelman conveyed the false story about Mina/Red Star’s ownership to other arms of the U.S. government, including to the Department of Defense during contract negotiations in 2010 and 2011, to the IRS in a 2016 application to the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, and to the Justice Department in a 2018 presentation. 

               In conjunction with his 2016 application to the IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Program, Edelman filed false tax returns for several prior years that only reported income from gifts or purported consulting payments, continuing to conceal the millions he had earned from his company. On the returns, he also concealed profits he had earned from a separate business to provide internet service to members of the armed forces at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan. 

               Instead of paying the taxes that he knew he owed, Edelman used the money to fund his lifestyle and additional investments. He invested in a music television franchise in Eastern Europe, a land venture in Tulum, Mexico, and a farm in Kenya, and purchased property around Europe, including a home in Ibiza, Spain, and a townhouse in London.

               Edelman faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the 10 counts to which he has pleaded. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

               This case is being investigated by special agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, along with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the investigation. His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom also provided assistance, as did the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Guardia Civil of Spain assisted with the arrest. 

               This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia and Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division.

    24cr239

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stay warmer for cheaper this winter

    Source: PISA results continue to show more to be done for equity in education

    Date:

    Burn good, dry wood

    Good quality, dry wood will get and keep your fire roaring. However, not all woods are equal. Some burn hotter and produce less smoke. Plantation pine, Douglas fir and blue gum are the best locally available timbers, while old man pine can be smoky, and is best suited for kindling or mixed with other woods.

    A great way to get your firewood is to buy from one of our Trusted Good Wood Merchants. We audit these Waitaha/Canterbury firewood sellers regularly to ensure they’re selling good, dry wood; moisture testing is part of our audit process. 

    Plantation pine, Douglas fir and blue gum are quicker-drying woods.

    Check your burning technique

    Using good wood burning technique makes a big difference. Many of us were taught to build a fire in a pyramid shape, with kindling on the bottom and big logs on the top. But the upside-down method (also known as the Swiss method), with big logs on the bottom and kindling on top, lasts longer and is more efficient. Check out this step by step guide to learn how to burn better.

    A well-maintained burner

    If you keep your wood burner well maintained and the flue/chimney clean you will decrease your chances of a smoky chimney. Do not burn treated timber, driftwood or rubbish, as these can clog your chimney and increase pollution in the air. A buildup of chimney soot can also be a fire risk (the kind of fire you don’t want!) and reduce the burner’s efficiency. Check out this handy burner maintenance checklist for more good advice. 

    Financial assistance

    We know it’s a tough time out there for many people, and, if you meet the criteria, you may be eligible for financial assistance towards the cost of a new heat pump, ultra-low emission burner, or insulation upgrades.

    If you have any questions or want to find out more, phone us on 0800 324 636.

    Environment Canterbury © 2025
    Retrieved: 10:49am, Thu 22 May 2025
    ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2025/stay-warmer-for-cheaper-this-winter/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: BAWAG Group: Moody’s affirms ratings and changes outlook from stable to positive

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VIENNA, Austria – May 21, 2025 – Today, Moody’s announced that it affirms the ratings of BAWAG P.S.K. and changed the outlook on the long-term deposit, senior unsecured, and long-term issuer ratings from stable to positive.

    The positive outlook is a reflection of our to-be integrated recent acquisitions which show a steady business performance and could result in a sustainably improved financial profile.

    The release of Moody’s is available on our website https://www.bawaggroup.com.

    David O’Leary, Chief Risk Officer of BAWAG Group, commented: “The change to a positive outlook is a testament to our strategy focused on sustainable growth, efficiency and maintaining a safe and secure balance sheet. While our strategy has been unchanged since 2012, with the recent acquisitions, our business profile with focus on DACH/NL region as well as Retail & SME had been enhanced. The improved outlook highlights the resilience and stability of our business, with increased profitability after our acquisitions.”

    About BAWAG Group
    BAWAG Group AG is a publicly listed holding company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, serving our over 4 million retail, small business, corporate, real estate and public sector customers across Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Group operates under various brands and across multiple channels offering comprehensive savings, payment, lending, leasing, investment, building society, factoring and insurance products and services. Our goal is to deliver simple, transparent, and affordable financial products and services that our customers need.

    BAWAG Group’s Investor Relations website https://www.bawaggroup.com/ir contains further information, including financial and other information for investors.

    Forward-looking statement
    This release contains “forward-looking statements” regarding the financial condition, results of operations, business plans and future performance of BAWAG Group. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could” and other similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect management’s expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic conditions, the regulatory environment, loan concentrations, vendors, employees, technology, competition, and interest rates. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements as actual results may differ materially from the results predicted. Neither BAWAG Group nor any of its affiliates, advisors or representatives shall have any liability whatsoever (in negligence or otherwise) for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this report or its content or otherwise arising in connection with this document. This report does not constitute an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities and neither it nor any part of it shall form the basis of or be relied upon in connection with any contract or commitment whatsoever. This statement is included for the express purpose of invoking “safe harbor provisions”.

    Financial Community:
    Jutta Wimmer (Head of Investor Relations)
    Tel: +43 (0) 5 99 05-22474

    IR Hotline: +43 (0) 5 99 05-34444
    E-mail: investor.relations@bawaggroup.com

    Media:
    Manfred Rapolter (Head of Corporate Communications & Social Engagement)
    Tel: +43 (0) 5 99 05-31210
    E-mail: communications@bawaggroup.com

    This text can also be downloaded from our website: https://www.bawaggroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala: MC14 must deliver outcomes on WTO reform

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Reporting to the meeting in her capacity as Chair of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), the Director-General said that in recent meetings she had with leaders and ministers in Japan and the Republic of Korea, the issue of WTO reform “was front and centre” of the discussions.

    “Prime Minister Ishiba (of Japan) and his ministers of trade, foreign affairs and finance, along with virtually every APEC minister that I met in Jeju, have bought into the idea that we must not waste a crisis, and that we need deep and thorough reform of the WTO if it is to remain relevant,” DG Okonjo-Iweala said.

    “For a successful MC14, we must act here in Geneva to deliver a package of reform proposals for ministers to consider and bless at MC14,” she added. “Nothing short of this can reposition this organization in the way and form needed.”

    The Director-General met with Prime Minister Ishiba and other senior Japanese government officials in Tokyo on 13 May and then attended a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Jeju, Republic of Korea, on 15-16 May.

    At their 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022, WTO members for the first time agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of the WTO’s functions in order to ensure the organization is capable of responding more effectively to both the challenges facing the multilateral trading system and the opportunities provided by contemporary developments in global trade.

    The Director-General said that while the ministers she met “made clear they value the system, they also admitted it cannot continue the way it is.”

    “Members keep sweeping things under the carpet and not solving problems,” she said. “I think what has brought us here is the inability to solve problems when they occur, and this has led to unilateral actions, instead of a cooperative approach to solve these problems.”

    “It has taken time for members to admit that things are not working as well as they should, and that they want solutions,” she continued.

    The Director-General said she was pleased work is continuing on possible deliverables for MC14, including further work on fisheries subsidies, agriculture, the Investment Facilitation for Development initiative, electronic commerce, and issues pertaining to least developed countries (LDCs).  Members will have a chance to assess progress on these issues at the next TNC meeting in July and decide later which packages are ready to take forward to MC14 for decision. 

    She welcomed the recent progress made on member acceptances of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, noting that 99 members have now accepted the Agreement with only 12 more needed to bring it into force.

    Twenty-six delegations took the floor after the Director-General’s intervention, some of them speaking on behalf of groups of members.  Many members commented on a suggested road map for MC14 prepared by the WTO Secretariat and highlighted issues of interest, including WTO reform, new disciplines on fisheries subsidies, progress on agriculture, the e-commerce moratorium, and industrial policy, among others.

    General Council Chair to initiate MC14 consultations

    Under a separate agenda item, the General Council Chair, Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), noted that discussions he had with delegations over the past weeks revealed various calls to proceed with work in three key areas, namely: WTO reform; dispute settlement reform; and the process towards preparing a possible MC14 outcome document.

    With MC14 taking place in 10 months, “time is not on our side,” he told members.  “Accordingly, immediately after this General Council meeting, I intend to consult interested delegations on how to take forward work in each of these areas.” 

    Investment facilitation for development

    On the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) initiative, members were once again unable to reach consensus on the request supported by 126 members to incorporate the IFD Agreement under Annex 4 of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO. This marked the eighth time the proposal has been submitted to members for adoption.

    Speaking on behalf of the 126 co-sponsors, the Republic of Korea underlined the urgent need for incorporating the Agreement into the WTO framework in order to help members attract investment, in particular developing and least developed country members. IFD Agreement participants are also actively engaging with non-participating members to build understanding and highlight the Agreement’s benefit, the Republic of Korea said.

    Three members reiterated their objections to incorporating the IFD Agreement into the WTO multilateral framework.

    Current trade tensions

    On behalf of 47 members, Singapore and Switzerland introduced a statement in support of the rules-based multilateral trading system. The statement cites the value and achievements of the WTO since it was established in 1995, underlining how the organization has contributed to the economic development of both developed and developing members by promoting trade liberalization and facilitating economic integration, fostering stability, predictability and consumers’ trust while preserving incentives for innovation. The WTO’s support for developing economies, including LDCs, has lifted millions out of poverty, the co-sponsors said.

    China introduced its communication regarding heightened trade turbulence and responses from the WTO.  Faced with the current situation of heightened trade turbulence, China said, members should safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. China proposed a “Stability, Development and Reform” (SDR) approach for the WTO and said it stands ready to work with all parties to safeguard the WTO rules system and inject more certainty and predictability into the global economy.

    The European Union introduced an item on fragmentation of global trade through tariffs and the global costs. The EU said the item was submitted in response to the economic and trade uncertainty created by recent tariff actions. The EU underlined its support for a rules-based multilateral trading system and highlighted the importance of ongoing dialogue on tariffs to assess impacts, monitor trade patterns, and consider systemic effects.

    WTO retreat on sustainable agriculture

    Brazil expressed its appreciation for the recent WTO retreat on sustainable agriculture and the broad engagement across regions and constituencies. It highlighted trends in agriculture production globally, including towards increased productivity and the search for greater resilience and sustainability.  Brazil said it saw value in further discussing this topic in a forward-looking manner as a conversational WTO exercise.

    Thirty-six delegations took the floor to comment.

    Electronic commerce

    Japan, on behalf of the co-sponsors of the Agreement on Electronic Commerce, informed members of the co-sponsors’ recent efforts to gather members’ support for incorporation of the Agreement into the WTO multilateral framework. Japan also reported that the co-sponsors are undertaking work to advance implementation of the Agreement, including a needs assessment survey to better understand priorities for implementation support.

    Several members reiterated their concerns about the Agreement and their objections to its incorporation into the WTO multilateral framework.

    Next meeting

    The next meeting of the General Council is tentatively scheduled for 22-23 July.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: KGN Cloud Launches Intelligent Cloud Mining Platform AI Reshapes Crypto Landscape

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Following never-before-seen crypto rises, KGN Cloud, the innovative digital mining venture of KGN Investing Limited, has rolled out an AI-integrated, ready framework for legislation and an environment-friendly cloud mining platform. Major nations are speeding up their regulatory frameworks for digital assets ,when Bitcoin is already above $80,000, and KGN Cloud, now made available to individuals and businesses, facilitates the mining of top cryptocurrencies without owning physical rigs or dealing with complicated setups.

    New users get an automatic bonus of $100 after registration, which they can use to start mining in minutes.

    “The alignment of AI, energy sustainability, and global regulatory convergence has created a perfect milieu for intelligent mining,” said Rachel M. Jones, Chief Product Officer, KGN Cloud. “This is a platform we created to bring everyone—from the freshers in crypto to hedge funds—a trusted entry point into blockchain mining.”

    Crypto’s Historic 2025 Rally: The Numbers Behind the Boom

    Bitcoin hit $80,000 on May 10th, 2025, according to CoinMetrics and Messari, as a result of a combination of spot ETF approvals in the US, Hong Kong, and the UAE, as well as increasing interest for Ethereum Layer 2 solutions and institutional DeFi.

    Key market trends fueling demand for mining:

    • Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows exceeded $14B in April 2025 alone
    • Ethereum (ETH) surged 30% in Q2 as staking rewards hit record highs
    • Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) are seeing adoption across real-world asset (RWA) tokenization
    • Global mining hash rate hit a new high of 660 EH/s post-halving, pushing smaller miners toward cloud-based options

    As a result, cloud mining is seeing an unprecedented surge in demand.

    Enter KGN Cloud: Mining Powered by AI, Sustainability, and Simplicity

    Traditionally, mining is beset with the barriers of hardware costs, inefficient use of energy, and absence of technical expertise; KGN Cloud deals with all these issues. There will be no capital costs because the platform will allow on-demand, Web-based access to the mining of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other proof-of-work coins, using AI-enabled optimization—all this from anywhere with an Internet connection.

    Platform Highlights:

    • AI Predictive Allocation: Algorithmic intelligence predicts block difficulty shifts and reallocates hash power accordingly
    • Green Mining Infrastructure: Partnerships with hydro and solar-powered data centers in Canada, Norway, and Iceland
    • Zero Maintenance: KGN handles all technical configurations, upgrades, and storage
    • 24/7 Dashboard Access: Monitor earnings, switch coins, and reinvest profits instantly
    • Daily Payouts in BTC/ETH/USDT: Users can withdraw earnings anytime

    Real-Time Plan Examples (as of May 2025):

    • Starter AI Plan – $300, 3-day contract, return: ~$330
    • Optimized Yield Plan – $1,200, 5-day contract, return: ~$1,350
    • AI Green Plan – $5,000, 10-day contract, return: ~$6,050
    • Institutional Pro Plan – $10,000, 14-day contract, return: ~$12,800

    All plans include automated reinvestment options and 100% uptime guarantees.

    Crypto Goes Green: Cloud Mining’s Carbon Pivot

    The recently released G20 Digital Finance Taskforce aims to ensure that by 2026, 80% of all crypto mining operations will be tasked to meet net-zero emissions goals in key jurisdictions such as the EU, UAE, and Canada.

    In anticipation of said regulatory shift, KGN Cloud was built with low-emission data centers using renewable energy integrations. It is one of the few platforms already poised for full ESG compliance.

    “Regulatory alignment isn’t a threat—it’s the future…Our eco-first mining platform helps investors stay ahead of compliance curves without compromising on profitability,” stated Jones.

    AI + Crypto: From Trend to Necessity

    AI is no longer a buzzword—it’s defining the mining landscape in 2025. KGN Cloud’s proprietary AI engine analyzes:

    • Real-time token volatility
    • Network congestion
    • Global mining pool saturation
    • Gas fees and reward difficulty across BTC, ETH, LTC, etc.

    With the above input arriving every couple of hours, KGN Cloud reestablishes its mining focus, thereby maximizing yields for its users even when the market conditions are hostile.

    Referral Ecosystem: Earn More by Sharing

    In an effort to encourage community growth, KGN Cloud is running a Referral Earnings Program whereby users earn a commission of 5%-7% on each mining contract purchased through their link.

    Top affiliates are given access to exclusive “Pro Contracts,” which include advanced features like auto-compounding strategies and enhanced daily rewards.

    New Markets, New Users: Global Access & Regulation-Ready

    Currently functional in over 160 nations, KGN Cloud also runs its exclusive infrastructure through regulation-friendly hubs including Switzerland, Singapore, and Estonia.

    The said platform conforms to the FATF travel rule standard; UK financial oversight requirements; and the data protections of GDPR.

    “This is what KGN Cloud is for-the globe,” Jones said. “If you’re in Tokyo, you’re in Dubai, you’re in São Paulo-you’re mining securely, legally, and profitably.”

    What’s Ahead for KGN Cloud in 2025?

    KGN Cloud has announced several upcoming product expansions:

    • L2 Mining Pools: Coming Q3, users will be able to mine tokens on Ethereum Layer 2 solutions like Base and Arbitrum
    • Mobile App Launch: A native iOS and Android app is slated for June 2025
    • KGN Tokenized Contracts: Smart contract-based mining with yield-trading will launch via Polygon later this year
    • Enterprise Mining APIs: For hedge funds, DeFi projects, and NFT games needing scalable backend compute power

    Join the Future of AI-Powered Crypto Mining

    Defunct incorporates the aspect of being an old treasure; however, KGN Cloud is mocking the defunct aspect with accessible means of engagement that are compliant and sharp in terms of crypto. With a bulk of retail and institutional investors seeking reasonably easy reach to yield, KGN Cloud indeed opens the gates to the trust formerly established to secure the future of digital finance.

    Register now to receive your $100 bonus and start mining instantly. Start Mining Smarter

    Join thousands earning from digital assets without the complexity.
     Sign up at: https://www.kgncloud.com 

     Support: info@kgncloud.com

    MEDIA Contact:
    Name: Joy  Bennett
    Position: Manager
    City: London
    Country: United Kingdom

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Sanders, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Make Public Colleges and Universities Tuition Free

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC – As President Trump and congressional Republicans are working overtime to make college unaffordable and unattainable for millions of working-class families in order to provide tax breaks to billionaires, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today introduced legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition free for 95% of students. The College for All Act would be the most transformative investment in higher education in 60 years and would substantially improve the lives of millions of students throughout the United States.

    “Congress can and must ensure that working families never have to take out crushing loans to purse an education,” said Jayapal. “The College for All Act will free students from a lifetime of debt, invest in working people, and transform higher education across America by making a degree more accessible to poor and working families across this country. This is more important now than ever as Trump continues to attack education in this country through attempts to strip funding from universities and to dismantle the Department of Education.”

    “In a highly competitive global economy where technology is changing the very nature of work and the jobs we perform, we need the best educated workforce in the world,” said Sanders. “Our nation used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with a college degree. Today, we are in 11th place behind countries like Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. That is not a prescription for a strong American economy of the future. It is a prescription for failure. Instead of increasing the cost of college in order to give more tax breaks to billionaires, we have a better idea. We are going to make public colleges and universities tuition free so that working class students can succeed and are not burdened with a lifetime of debt.”

    Making public colleges and universities tuition free is not a radical idea. In 1944, as World War II was coming to an end, the U.S. government made free higher education available to all those who served in the armed forces. That act not only improved the financial well-being of the Greatest Generation, but it also laid the groundwork for the greatest expansion of the American middle class in U.S history. Moreover, over 50 years ago, many of our most prestigious public colleges and universities were also tuition free or virtually tuition free.

    Since this legislation was first introduced ten years ago, several colleges and universities in America have provided free tuition for working class and middle class students including every state college in New Mexico, the State University of New York, the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin, and Arkansas State University.

    Other wealthy countries like France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have made their public colleges and universities tuition free or virtually tuition free because they understand the value of investing in their young people.

    The College for All Act would guarantee tuition-free community college for all students and allow students from single households earning up to $150,000 a year, and married households earning up to $300,000 a year, to attend college without fear of being saddled with student loan debt.

    The College for All Act would also:

    • Double the maximum Pell Grant award for students enrolled at public and private non-profit colleges;
    • Establish a $10 billion grant program to improve student outcomes and address equity gaps at underfunded public colleges and universities;
    • Triple federal TRIO program funding;
    • Double GEAR UP funding; and
    • Double mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).

    Read the bill text here.

    Read a summary of the bill here.

    Issues: Arts & Education

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Jayapal, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Make Public Colleges and Universities Tuition Free

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, May 21 – As President Trump and congressional Republicans are working overtime to make college unaffordable and unattainable for millions of working-class families in order to provide tax breaks to billionaires, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and nine Senate colleagues, today introduced legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition free for 95% of students. The College for All Act would be the most transformative investment in higher education in 60 years and would substantially improve the lives of millions of students throughout the United States.
    Joining Sanders as cosponsors are Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
    “In a highly competitive global economy where technology is changing the very nature of work and the jobs we perform, we need the best educated workforce in the world,” said Sanders. “Our nation used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with a college degree. Today, we are in 11th place behind countries like Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. That is not a prescription for a strong American economy of the future. It is a prescription for failure. Instead of increasing the cost of college in order to give more tax breaks to billionaires, we have a better idea. We are going to make public colleges and universities tuition free so that working class students can succeed and are not burdened with a lifetime of debt.”
    “Congress can and must ensure that working families never have to take out crushing loans to purse an education,” said Jayapal. “The College for All Act will free students from a lifetime of debt, invest in working people, and transform higher education across America by making a degree more accessible to poor and working families across this country. This is more important now than ever as Trump continues to attack education in this country through attempts to strip funding from universities and to dismantle the Department of Education.”
    Making public colleges and universities tuition free is not a radical idea. In 1944, as World War II was coming to an end, the U.S. government made free higher education available to all those who served in the armed forces. That act not only improved the financial well-being of the Greatest Generation, but it also laid the groundwork for the greatest expansion of the American middle class in U.S history. Moreover, over 50 years ago, many of our most prestigious public colleges and universities were also tuition free or virtually tuition free.
    Since this legislation was first introduced ten years ago, several colleges and universities in America have provided free tuition for working class and middle class students including every state college in New Mexico, the State University of New York, the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin, and Arkansas State University.
    Other wealthy countries like France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have made their public colleges and universities tuition free or virtually tuition free because they understand the value of investing in their young people.
    The College for All Act would guarantee tuition-free community college for all students and allow students from single households earning up to $150,000 a year, and married households earning up to $300,000 a year, to attend college without fear of being saddled with student loan debt.
    The College for All Act would also:
    Double the maximum Pell Grant award for students enrolled at public and private non-profit colleges;
    Establish a $10 billion grant program to improve student outcomes and address equity gaps at underfunded public colleges and universities;
    Triple federal TRIO program funding;
    Double GEAR UP funding; and
    Double mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).
    Read the bill text here.
    Read a summary of the bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-Kazakhstan friendly chess match held in Tacheng

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    URUMQI, May 21 (Xinhua) — A friendly chess match between China and Kazakhstan was held recently in Tacheng City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on the China-Kazakhstan border.

    The event was organized by the Tacheng County Department of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism and was attended by amateur chess players from Kazakhstan and players from different ethnic groups in Tacheng.

    The match is an individual rapid chess tournament for adults, played according to the Swiss system using computer programming, consisting of five rounds.

    The current match is not only a recognition of the achievements in the development of chess culture in Tacheng County, but also an important opportunity to popularize intellectual sports. It is not only an exchange in the field of chess, but also a vivid manifestation of friendship between China and Kazakhstan, said the organizer, expressing hope that the tournament will contribute to the growth of the popularity of this sport in Tacheng and promote deep integration of sports and culture between the two sides. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Panther Protocol Releases Open-Source Codebase To Develop On-Chain Data Privacy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Zug, Switzerland, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — – Panther Protocol has officially released its codebase as open-source software, following a successful security audit conducted by Veridise, a leader in blockchain auditing. This launch offers access to Panther’s industry-leading Zero-Knowledge technology to build DeFi solutions that meet customizable regulatory requirements and users’ on-chain data privacy needs.

    The open-source code will enable developers, financial market participants, and blockchain innovators to integrate, utilize, and build upon Panther’s privacy-enhancing technology. Panther’s move to greater accessibility for development reflects its organizational shift towards more community-led development, as Panther’s IP has transitioned to the Panther Protocol Foundation. 

    Moving forward, the Foundation will oversee the protocol’s ongoing development and strategic growth, setting the stage for increased community engagement and a decentralized governance model through the Panther DAO.

    Before being made publicly available, Panther’s code underwent a detailed review by Veridise. The audit included an analysis of Panther’s Zero-Knowledge circuits, and smart contracts. With the audit now complete, Panther’s codebase has been made publicly available under the LGPL3.0 and MIT License.

    Dr. Anish Mohammed, Co-Founder of Panther Protocol, commented: “Open-sourcing Panther’s audited code represents a significant milestone in our journey toward transparency and decentralization. By making our technology accessible, we invite the broader decentralized finance and Web3 community to contribute, innovate, and verify our security, ensuring Panther’s continued growth as a trusted, privacy-preserving DeFi protocol. The goal of the project was always to build an infrastructure where compliance and confidentiality can coexist, and we would like to invite everyone to try out the solutions that have been built.”

    A Platform for Builders

    Panther’s open-source release supports the broader Web3 community. Web3 builders, licensed Zone Managers, and developers will be able to take advantage of Panther’s privacy-focused infrastructure and tooling to build DeFi applications that provide greater privacy and confidentiality to users. With Panther’s codebase now open-source, developers can adapt and build upon existing tools to create their own infrastructure that benefits from Panther. 

    With governance remaining in the hands of the Panther DAO, the protocol will continue to evolve in line with community values. This release furthers Panther’s mission of enabling confidential, compliant access to DeFi.

    Panther’s codebase can be found on the Panther Protocol’s Foundation GitHub and GitLab. The licensing chosen supports the open-source ethos of the Web3 ecosystem, fostering a community-driven approach to Panther’s evolution.

    ENDS

    About Panther Protocol Foundation

    The Panther Protocol Foundation is dedicated to supporting the adoption and sustainability of the Panther Protocol across the decentralized Web. The Foundation works to anchor the Panther Protocol for DeFi and blockchain ecosystems, thus empowering users, builders, and licensed operators to participate in tomorrow’s internet while remaining confidential. The Foundation also focuses on open-source code, research, and awareness of the Panther Protocol’s core technologies. 

    For more information, visit https://www.panther.org.

    For more information about Panther Protocol, please visit www.pantherprotocol.io.

    Contact Information
    Panther Protocol Foundation
    Email: general@panther.org 
    Website: www.panther.org

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign businesses deepen roots in Chinese market through intl trade fair

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Crowds gathered at the Hokkaido booth during the 34th Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, drawn by live demonstrations of handcrafted rice balls and an array of regional delicacies from the northern Japanese prefecture.

    “This year, 14 Hokkaido-based enterprises are showcasing 36 specialty products, with 12 companies and 34 products making their debut at the fair,” said Takayuki Kano, Vice Governor of Hokkaido, expressing hopes that the event would help Hokkaido businesses secure local distributors and expand their footprint across China.

    Held in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, this year’s fair, which concluded on Wednesday, attracted over 1,500 enterprises from 38 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan and Switzerland, alongside participants from 23 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

    During the fair, foreign officials and corporate representatives highlighted Heilongjiang’s growing appeal as an investment destination and pledged to deepen their engagement with the Chinese market.

    Jonathan Pauwels, director of product development and branding for agricultural equipment manufacturer Case IH’s Asia-Pacific division, spoke about his company’s more-than-two-decade journey in the region.

    “We established our first factory in Harbin as early as 1999 and set up an agricultural machinery product development and research center in 2013. Over the past decade, we have continuously invested approximately 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) in Heilongjiang to promote smart manufacturing. Now, many of our new agricultural machinery products have been introduced to the entire Chinese market,” he said.

    With 40 global production facilities and 49 R&D centers, Case IH plans to expand its investments in Heilongjiang over the next five years by localizing components, developing advanced combine harvesters, and expanding exports from its Harbin base, according to Pauwels.

    Cao Jingheng, senior vice president of Nestle Greater China, attributed the renewed confidence of foreign companies to Heilongjiang’s “revitalization through opening up” strategy. The province’s fertile black soil, premium dairy pastures, and business-friendly policies prompted Nestle to establish its first Chinese mainland factory in Harbin’s Shuangcheng district in 1987. To date, the Swiss conglomerate has invested 3 billion yuan in the province, supporting 33,000 dairy households and creating 10,000 jobs.

    “China is now Nestle’s second-largest global market. We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation with Heilongjiang by introducing Swiss technologies and managerial experience, while bringing more premium local products to international markets,” Cao said.

    The fair also attracted new entrants like Canadian athletic apparel brand Lululemon. Since opening its first store in Heilongjiang in 2022, sales have surged, according to Kang Tai, the company’s general manager of government affairs.

    “We are confident about our development in Heilongjiang and plan to expand our presence and collaborate with the province to promote winter sports development,” Kang said.

    Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, emphasized China’s enduring appeal to global investors, adding that the fair and the concurrent events serve as a vital platform for international businesses to explore opportunities in Heilongjiang and beyond. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: SCIO briefs media on Yangtze River Economic Belt development in Chongqing

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    SCIO briefs media on Yangtze River Economic Belt development in Chongqing

    China SCIO | May 21, 2025

    The State Council Information Office (SCIO) recently organized a media trip to southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, bringing together over 40 journalists — including foreign correspondents from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, and Japan — to observe the progress of high-quality development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

    A press briefing was held Monday during the trip, where Hu Henghua, deputy secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and mayor of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, briefed the media and answered questions.

    On May 19, 2025, the State Council Information Office holds a press briefing in Chongqing about the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • 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: WISeKey Launches WISe.ART 3.0, One of the World’s First and Largest Web3 Marketplaces for Digital Art, Twins, NFTs, and Crypto Collectibles

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WISeKey Launches WISe.ART 3.0, One of the World’s First and Largest Web3 Marketplaces for Digital Art, Twins, NFTs, and Crypto Collectibles

    Geneva, Switzerland — May 21, 2025 — WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading global cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT company, in partnership with its subsidiary, SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, today announces the launch of  new enhanced WISe.ART marketplace, a revolutionary Web3 platform for digital art, digital twins, NFTs, and crypto collectibles. This next-generation marketplace is one of the first and largest of its kind.

    The WISe.ART 3.0 platform redefines the digital art experience by providing creators and collectors with a secure, traceable, and intelligent environment for trading and authenticating digital assets.

    Key Features of WISe.ART 3.0:

    • Native Web3 support: Users can securely and easily connect their Metamask or Walletconnect wallet to the platform. NFTs can be imported and exported to the marketplace to allow complete control of their digital collection.
    • Refreshed platform & Multi-Device support: The WISe.Art platform has received a complete overhaul of its front-end and back-end structure, allowing users to carry their digital collection with them at all times, as the new platform supports desktop, tablets and mobile devices.
    • Link Between Physical and Digital Assets: WISe.ART NFTs are irreversibly connected to their corresponding physical objects, ensuring tamper-proof authenticity and provenance.
    • Smart Contracts for Monetization: Artists and creators can set automated royalty structures, usage rights, and monetization strategies through embedded smart contracts.         
    • Advanced Cybersecurity & Post-Quantum Resilience: Secured by WISeKey’s and SEALSQ’s digital identity and encryption technologies, the platform safeguards all transactions and digital interactions against present and future cyber threats.
    • Easy purchase with Crossmint support: The Crossmint integration allows for seamless transactions with credit and debit cards, Apple and Google Pay, from anywhere in the world. Users that do not possess a wallet can create a ghost wallet on-the-fly upon checking out.

    For Version 3 we have listened to our users and have added important new functionalities which they requested:

    • Collectors and artists can now import pre-minted NFTs from other platforms as long as they are minted in the crypto we support (such as Hedera, Polygon or Eth) and that the pre-minted NFTs are compatible with our requirements. Those wishing to consolidate their NFT collections into one wallet – it can now be done on WISe.ART. Additionally, artists wishing to leave a certain platform can now join WISe.ART and showcase their complete collections on one platform safely and efficiently.
    • Relisting tokens on the secondary market is still possible but for those who do not have a compatible wallet, it can be created with few simple steps, new prices can be set as the market fluctuates.
    • The user journey for artists and collectors is made simple and intuitive. New FAQ or contact request forms have been integrated for those who seek human interaction. Our white glove service is enhanced throughout the process.

    Since its launch in 2021, WISe.ART, the NFT platform developed by WISeKey, has led numerous high-impact and pioneering NFT projects. Combining trusted digital identity, robust cybersecurity, and environmental consciousness, WISe.ART has redefined how digital art and luxury collectibles are created, verified, and traded. Here are the most significant NFT projects it has executed:

    • ONUART Foundation & United Nations – NFT for Education in Africa: A collaboration with ONUART and the UN led to NFT auctions designed to fund school-building initiatives in Africa, combining philanthropy with digital innovation. In 2023, WISeArt artist were the first to donate generative artworks to the ONUART Foundation in celebration of the 71st anniversary of the UN Human Right Charter.
    • Antonio Banderas Foundation – Pedro Sandoval NFT Drop: A limited-edition NFT by artist Pedro Sandoval was sold to benefit the Antonio Banderas Foundation, showcasing WISe.ART’s support for social causes through cultural art.
    • Swiss Collector Events & WISe.ART Awards: WISe.ART has organized NFT art exhibitions, including the WISe.ART Awards, recognizing digital creators and curators pioneering new frontiers in NFT art.

    Revolutionizing the Future of Art

    WISe.ART 3.0 is democratizing digital expression by empowering billions of people worldwide to create, share, and monetize their artistic visions through a secure and trusted platform. Whether it’s a digitally generated painting, a collectible tied to a physical sculpture, or a new form of cultural expression, WISe.ART enables creators from all backgrounds to participate in the global digital art economy, safely and transparently. A new physical space will open Geneva to represent WISe.ART digital works on May 22. This space aims to bridge the 19th and 21st Century technologies raising awareness among collectors. The showroom will be a case study for the web3 communities to mingle with their cultural heritage.

    Accessible Art Purchasing — Crypto Optional

    To acquire WISe.ART digital artworks, including those linked to NFTs or hosted on blockchains, cryptocurrency is not a requirement. NFTs are available for purchase in USD and other fiat currencies, and transactions can be completed securely via credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Additionally, Crossmint facilitates the conversion of fiat money to crypto for users who wish to engage in blockchain-based purchases. While collectors of blockchain-based works typically need a crypto wallet, platforms such as Metamask and WalletConnect make wallet setup simple, intuitive, and user-friendly, enabling purchases with the ease of acquiring a traditional artwork.

    Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey, stated: “Since inception the platform has welcomed an eclectic array of works representing all types of art from physical pieces coupled with digital twins, numeric compositions, ai assisted or generated art, music and film as well as collectibles like real estate, jewelry and design. As technology progresses, we attract artists who are keen to explore the new possibilities and means to convey their message. Technology is a tool – art is a vector for communication.”

    WISe.ART 3.0 opens the door to a future where creativity meets accountability, and where digital assets are as protected and valuable as their physical counterparts. For more information, visit www.wise.art

    About WISeKey

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

    Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.

    Disclaimer
    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd
    Company Contact: Carlos Moreira
    Chairman & CEO
    Tel: +41 22 594 3000
    info@wisekey.com     		 WISeKey Investor Relations (US) 
    The Equity Group Inc.
    Lena Cati
    Tel: +1 212 836-9611
    lcati@equityny.com

    The MIL Network –

  • 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 China: World Health Assembly adopts global pandemic agreement

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The 78th World Health Assembly is held in Geneva, Switzerland, May 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), adopted the global pandemic agreement on Tuesday.

    The “pandemic agreement” proposes the establishment of a series of new platforms and mechanisms aimed at comprehensively reforming the existing systems for pandemic surveillance, prevention, and response. It seeks to promote research and equitable sharing of pandemic-related products, adjust the production and distribution order of such products, and further improve the global public health governance system, with a particular focus on addressing fairness challenges in international health development.

    WHO member states, meeting on Monday in Committee A of the WHA, approved a resolution calling for adoption of the pandemic agreement. According to a press release on the WHO website, the resolution outlines several steps to advance global preparedness and pave the way for the agreement’s implementation.

    It includes the launch of a process to draft and negotiate an annex to the agreement that would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group. The result of this process will be considered at next year’s WHA. Once the Assembly adopts the PABS annex, the pandemic agreement will then be open for signature and consideration of ratification, including by national legislative bodies.

    Following the adoption of the agreement, the Chinese delegation told Xinhua that China has been actively engaged in the agreement negotiation process. Guided by the vision of building a global community of health for all, China has upheld true multilateralism, advocated for greater solidarity and cooperation among countries, and supported the WHO in playing its central coordinating role.

    The Chinese delegation also noted that China has worked with all parties to improve the global health governance system and strengthen global capacity for prevention, preparedness, and response. On technical issues such as pandemic prevention and surveillance, China maintained a science-based approach, put forward constructive textual proposals, and actively contributed to the drafting process, playing an important role in promoting consensus among member states.

    In addition, China, along with countries including Brazil, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, actively responded to the legitimate concerns of developing countries regarding equitable access to health products under the framework of the Group for Equity. These efforts demonstrated China’s image as a responsible major country.

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the assembly that “the WHO pandemic agreement will run among the most significant achievements in the history of this organization and of global health,” underscoring that it places humanity in a stronger position than ever before to prepare for and respond to pandemics.

    In November 2021, a special session of the WHA established an intergovernmental negotiating body tasked with drafting a pandemic agreement under the WHO framework to enhance global capacities for pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response.

    On April 16 this year, the WHO announced that, following more than three years of intensive negotiations, member states had reached a consensus on the draft text of the agreement, which was then submitted for consideration at the 78th session. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health continues to attend 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, continued to attend the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 20, Geneva time). He also took the chance to meet with other participants and WHO officials to tell the world good stories of Hong Kong and the country.
     
    As members of the Chinese delegation, Professor Lo and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, continued to attend the plenary session on the second day of the WHA.
     
    In the morning, Professor Lo and Dr Ronald Lam listened to the remarks made by Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Liu Guozhong at the High Level Segment.
     
    Professor Lo said, “Following the presentation of national positions by the Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu, on Taiwan-related proposal, COVID-19 origins tracing and China’s promotion of co-operation and exchange on global health on the first day of the Assembly, Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Liu Guozhong also delivered remarks at the High Level Segment today. As our country has been actively involving in global health cooperation and exchanges, including deploying healthcare rescue teams to many countries and regions over the years, as well as providing over 500 billions of personal protection items and 2.3 billion doses of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemics, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government spares no efforts to complement the nation’s strategies to contribute to the building of a global community of health for all.”
     
    Professor Lo and Dr Lam also attended a thematic side event hosted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and cohosted by the health authorities of Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Seychelles. The side event, themed “Improving Universal Health Coverage through the implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034”, was moderated by the Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health of Tsinghua University, Professor Margaret Chan, and the Director of the Institute for Global Health of Peking University, Professor Ren Minghui. The Commissioner of the NATCM, Professor Yu Yanhong, also delivered a keynote speech at the side event.
     
    During the panel discussion, Professor Lo shared the implementation experiences in promoting high-quality and high-standard development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong on all fronts. He said, “The HKSAR 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, the Hospital Authority has accumulated extensive experience through its integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) services over the years. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong will further develop the ‘Hong Kong model’ for pure CM, CM-predominant, and ICWM clinical services, with a view to promoting CM service, management standards and system development at the international level. As regards CM drugs, the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute is actively advancing the work on scientific research, education and promoting international exchanges on CM drug testing, including developing a series of internationally recognised reference standards and testing methods for CM drugs and their products, and promoting the commercial application of these methods in the sectors through training and technology transfer programmes, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for CM testing and quality control.”
     
    During their visit to Geneva, Professor Lo and Dr Lam also met with the Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety of the WHO, Dr Luz María De Regil, to discuss the strategies and interventions for obesity and weight management. Professor Lo emphasised, “Like many other regions and countries, Hong Kong is facing the challenges posed by the increasing prevalence of obesity. The HKSAR Government has long been attaching great importance to the prevention and control of obesity and will strive to halt the rise of obesity by adopting life-course interventions.”
     
    The delegation will depart for Hong Kong today (May 21, Geneva time) and arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow (May 22, Hong Kong time).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: NGOs – Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh to launch in Bern

    Source: Christian Solidarity International (CSI)

    CSI welcomes formation of committee by members of Swiss parliament in support of a peace forum to negotiate the safe return of Armenians to their homeland

    On May 26, a cross-party committee of nineteen parliamentarians in support of the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh will be launched in Bern.

    The Initiative is being launched to support Switzerland’s commitment to “facilitate an open dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian people, conducted under international supervision or in the presence of internationally relevant actors, to negotiate the safe and collective return of the historically resident Armenian population.”

    Nagorno Karabakh’s population of 120,000 Armenian Christians was forced to flee the region in the wake of Azerbaijan’s invasion in September 2023. The exodus was the latest twist in a decades-long struggle over the territory, historically inhabited by Armenians, but claimed by Azerbaijan.

    “The conflict between Azerbaijan and the now expelled population of Nagorno Karabakh threatens regional security, obstructs Eurasian economic development and takes a terrible toll on human rights and dignity,” commented Dr. John Eibner, the president of Christian Solidarity International.

    “CSI applauds the formation of this committee. It reflects the will of Switzerland to adhere to its tradition of neutrality, humanitarianism and conflict resolution and to generate domestic and international support for the rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh.”

    The inaugural event of the committee – to which the media are cordially invited – will take place on May 26 at the Hotel Kreuz in Bern. The committee, which has broad cross-party support, is led by National Councillor Erich Vontobel (EDU, Zurich) and National Councillor Stefan Müller-Altermatt (The Center Party, Solothurn).

    The event will feature presentations from Vontobel and Müller-Altermatt, as well as Vartan Oskanian, the former foreign minister of Armenia and current Chairman of the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno Karabakh, Vardan Tadevosyan, the Director of the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Centre (formerly in Nagorno Karabakh), Sarkis Shahinian, the Gen. Sec. of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Switzerland-Armenia, and Dr. Joel Veldkamp, CSI’s Director for Public Advocacy.

    Afterwards, media representatives will have the opportunity to conduct interviews with the co-chairs of the Committee and other expert speakers.

    More information on the launch event:

    – Date: Monday, May 26, 2025

    – Time: 11.30 am – 12.30 pm. With aperitif & standing lunch.

    – Venue: Hotel Kreuz, Zeughausgasse 41, 3011 Bern

    Registrations to (limited number of places): info@csi-int.org

    Further information on the event and the “Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh” committee can be found at: www.swisspeacekarabakh.com

    The members of parliament in the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh Committee are:

    Co-Chair Erich Vontobel (NR, EDU), Co-Chair, Stefan Müller-Altermatt (NR, Mitte), Jean-Luc Addor (NR, SVP), Gerhard Andrey (NR, Grüne), Christine Badertscher (NR, Grüne), Marianne Binder-Keller (SR, Mitte), Thomas Burgherr, (NR, SVP), Laurence Fehlmann Rielle (NR, SP), Beat Flach (NR,GLP), Andy Gafner, (NR, EDU), Martin Haab (NR, SVP), Marc Jost, (NR, EVP), Fabian Molina (NR, SP), Lukas Reimann (NR, SVP), Priska Eiler Graf (NR, SP), Carlo Sommaruga (SR, SP), Jakob Stark (SR, SVP), Nicolas Walder (NR, Grüne), David Zuberbühler, (NR, SVP).

    Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is a Christian human rights organization promoting religious liberty and human dignity.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Global Bodies – World’s top parliamentarians to meet in Geneva – IPU

    Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

    Geneva, Switzerland, 20 May 2025 – The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in close collaboration with the United Nations, is pleased to announce that the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament will take place from 29 to 31 July 2025 at the Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Established in 2000 by the IPU, the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament brings together the highest level representatives of parliaments and the United Nations every five years. Previous Conferences have played an important role in strengthening the parliamentary dimension of global governance and bridging the democracy gap in international affairs.

    During the Conference, the world’s top legislators are expected to engage with leaders from international organizations, academia, civil society and the media.

    Programme highlights

    29 July 2025: Start of the General Debate on A world in turmoil: Parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace, justice and prosperity for all, and panel 1 on women’s and youth participation in parliament.

    30 July 2025: Panels on innovating for peace, achieving the SDGs by 2030, parliaments’ role in shaping the digital future, and anti-discrimination action.

    31 July 2025: Interactive debate with multiple stakeholders on “networked” global governance, and adoption of the final declaration.

    Women Speakers of Parliament

    The Conference will be preceded by the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament on 28 July 2025 organized in collaboration with the Swiss Parliament. The Summit will take place at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization. 

    The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 181 national Member Parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development. It helps parliaments become stronger, younger, greener, more innovative and gender-balanced. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Plastics Dialogue sharpens focus on transparency and standards

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Plastics Dialogue sharpens focus on transparency and standards

    Barbados and Morocco delivered opening remarks on behalf of the co-coordinators. They highlighted the successful midterm review in April of the DPP’s work in 2025 and underscored the importance of delving deeper into each focus area to advance potential outcomes. They noted co-sponsors’ interest in the ongoing global efforts to reduce plastics pollution, particularly the negotiations led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee under the United Nations, which is scheduled to hold its next round of talks in August 2025 in Geneva.
    The co-coordinators reported on the productive discussions held during a workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean on 16 May, highlighting the DPP initiative’s continued efforts to incorporate regional perspectives and to hear from smaller delegations. The first region-focused workshop, held alongside the April DPP meeting, had centred on Africa.
    They noted that regional experts underscored the importance of boosting trade and strengthening institutional regulatory capacities to address plastics pollution. The workshop emphasized strong support for small businesses, calling for technical assistance and financial incentives to help them participate in a more sustainable economy.
    Participants also highlighted the need to promote locally sourced, sustainable substitutes — such as banana peel, bamboo and sugarcane byproducts — alongside green finance mechanisms, while considering consumer awareness of non-plastic substitutes and cultural preferences for certain alternative materials. The discussion further stressed the value of enhanced regional cooperation and a unified regulatory approach to single-use plastics, with platforms such as Mercosur (Southern Common Market) and ALADI (Latin American Integration Association) identified as key avenues for regulatory cooperation and aligning standards. 
    Switzerland and China facilitated thematic discussions on the two focus areas. On the first topic — enhancing cooperation on applicable standards for non-plastic substitutes and alternatives — members heard from a diverse range of institutions and companies. The Codex Alimentarius Committee under the UN Food and Agriculture Organization presented its work on food packaging standards for traded goods, with a focus on food safety.
    Representatives from companies and associations in Peru, the Philippines and the Netherlands shared their experiences and challenges in navigating domestic and international regulations while using nature-compatible and biodegradable materials to replace single-use plastics. The United States also provided a debrief on recent discussions in the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, which explored domestic practices and the potential negative impacts of changes to food packaging regulations. The importance of cross-committee collaboration between the DPP and other WTO bodies was underscored.
    Participants expressed a shared commitment to addressing plastics pollution through the DPP, while cautioning against duplicating the work of existing WTO committees and international standard-setting organizations. Several emphasized the importance of the DPP focusing on its unique contributions — such as facilitating information exchange, sharing domestic experiences, and examining the commercial, environmental and safety dimensions of non-plastic alternatives. Many also underscored the need for international cooperation, the harmonization of standards and certification schemes, and equitable access to sustainable solutions, particularly for developing economies.
    On the second topic — enhancing transparency of trade flows of plastics — members received an update from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which presented its work on developing statistical guidelines for measuring plastic flows throughout the life cycle. The European Union’s Joint Research Centre also gave a presentation on the bloc’s evolving policy landscape and its strengthened measures to track material flows of plastics across its value chain.
    Participants welcomed the guidelines as useful tools for monitoring the trade flow of goods with embedded plastics, as well as single-use plastic items. They encouraged broader knowledge sharing to include guidelines developed by other organizations and called for greater support to developing and least-developed members in building capacity for data collection.
    In conclusion, Australia thanked members and stakeholders for their inputs, emphasizing that transparency is a critical step toward effective policy design. It noted that the discussions underscored the potential of non-plastic substitutes and alternative materials, while also acknowledging the remaining challenges.
    Co-coordinators will provide updates on the next steps following further consultations.
    More
    DPP co-sponsors have identified eight areas for achieving possible outcomes at MC14. The remaining six areas include: supporting ongoing multilateral negotiations under the United Nations to reduce plastics pollution; exploring strategies to harmonize trade-related measures for single-use plastics; identifying best practices; improving access to relevant technologies and services; building capacity for developing members; and considering the potential development of domestic inventories of trade-related plastic measures.
    Launched in November 2020 by a group of WTO members, the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution currently consists of 83 co-sponsors, representing almost 90 per cent of global trade in plastics.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 20 May 2025 News release Global leaders reaffirm commitment to WHO with at least US$ 170 million raised at World Health Assembly 2025 pledging event

    Source: World Health Organisation

    World leaders pledged at least an additional US$ 170 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) at a high-level pledging event Tuesday at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in Geneva. Amid rising global health challenges, leaders reaffirmed their support for multilateral cooperation through these contributions to WHO’s Investment Round (IR). Earlier in the day, Member States approved an increase in Assessed Contributions, adding a separate US$ 90 million a year of income, and marking another important step on WHO’s journey towards sustainable financing.

    The IR is raising funds for WHO’s strategy for global health, the  Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which can save an additional 40 million lives over the next four years. The pledges made today represent significant contributions from both governments and philanthropic partners.

    “I am grateful to every Member State and partner that has pledged towards the investment round. In a challenging climate for global health, these funds will help us to preserve and extend our life-saving work,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “They show that multilateralism is alive and well.”

    Both long-standing allies and new contributors stepped up at today’s pledging event, broadening WHO’s donor base with fresh voluntary funding. Moderated by Mr Moazzam Malik, CEO of Save the Children UK, the event and the World Health Assembly featured pledges from Angola, Cambodia, China, Gabon, Mongolia, Qatar, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, ELMA Philanthropies (with the WHO Foundation), Fondation Botnar, Laerdal Global Health (with the WHO Foundation), the Nippon Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation announced an additional US$ 13 million and committed to further increases in funding.

    Among the announcements at least US$ 170 million is for the Investment Round, meaning that the funding supports WHO’s base budget from 2025–2028. Eight of the donors included a flexible contribution to WHO, the most valuable sort of funding, and four were first time donors.

    WHO’s fundraising reach has also been extended through individual giving. Through the One World Movement, almost 8000 people from across the world have signed on as ‘Member Citizens’, contributing almost US$ 600 000 in donations, many monthly – a powerful expression of global solidarity and an affirmation that every voice counts.

    The event’s speakers emphasized not only the need for continued investment, but the strategic value of flexible and diversified financing to keep WHO responsive, country-focused, and aligned with national health priorities – as it evolves into a leaner, more agile institution. The event was a pivotal moment in WHO’s journey to more sustainable funding.

    As the IR continues, today’s event is a testament to the role of partnership in times of uncertainty. Contributions from each donor made at today’s pledging event can be found below. Each contribution to WHO brings us one step closer to better health for all united in the mission of “One World for Health”.

    Contributor Additional amount for WHO Investment Round
    Angola US$ 8 million
    Cambodia US$ 400 000
    China Contribution to Investment Round to be confirmed.
    Gabon US$ 150 000
    Mongolia US$ 100 000
    Qatar US$ 6 million
    Sweden €12 million = US$ 13.5 million
    Switzerland Sw.fr. 33 million = US$ 40 million
    Tanzania US$ 500 000 (in addition to US$ 500 000 already announced)
    CIFF US$ 13 million and commitment to further increase
    ELMA Philanthropies US$ 2 million
    Foundation Botnar Sw.fr. 8 million = US$ 9.6 million
    Laerdal Global Health US$ 12.5 million 
    Nippon Foundation, Mr. Sasakawa, (Chairman) US$ 9.2 million
    Novo Nordisk Foundation DKK 380 million = US$ 57 million

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 20 May 2025 Note for Media Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 20 May 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics

    • Agreement’s adoption follows three years of intensive negotiation launched due to gaps and inequities identified in national and global COVID-19 response.
    • Agreement boosts global collaboration to ensure stronger, more equitable response to future pandemics.
    • Next steps include negotiations on Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing system.

    Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) today formally adopted by consensus the world’s first Pandemic Agreement. The landmark decision by the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly culminates more than three years of intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and driven by the goal of making the world safer from – and more equitable in response to – future pandemics.

    Related documents

    A78/10 Add.1, Outcome of informal consultations of Member States, Draft resolution on the WHO Pandemic Agreement

    World Health Assembly commits to historic 20% increase in Assessed Contributions (membership fees), approves WHO’s Base Programme Budget for 2026–2027 of US $4.2 billion

    Delegates at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78) approved the base programme budget of US$ 4.2 billion for 2026–2027, the first to be fully developed based on the Fourteenth General Programme of Work, 2025–2028 (GPW 14), the global health strategy for the next four years. GPW 14 prioritizes advancing health equity and strengthening health systems resilience. 

    The budget presented to WHA78 committee A was decreased from the initial US$ 5.3 billion presented to the executive board in February given the challenging financial context. While decreasing some regional budgets and headquarters budgets, Member States agreed to try to preserve country level budgets to the extent possible. The budget will allocate resources to enhance technical cooperation, foster partnerships and support the achievement of national and global health targets. The proposed programme budget 2026–2027 also reaffirms the indispensable role of multilateralism in addressing today’s complex and interconnected health challenges. 

    Member States also approved the gradual second 20% increase of the assessed contributions (AC), or membership fees which had been previously adopted by the Member State Working Group on sustainable financing. This ensures that WHO funding is not only predictable, but also resilient and flexible, which is critical given the rapidly changing financial landscape. 

    Member States also had the opportunity to review the implementation of governance reform. In a time of geopolitical tension and rising inequalities, WHO remains a vital platform for cooperation, solidarity and coordination in global health

    World leaders pledged significant contributions to the WHO Investment Round at a high-level pledging event Tuesday evening, another key step in WHO’s journey to sustainable financing. 

    Related documents

    A78/6, Proposed programme budget 2026–2027 (Corrigendum 1) (Add.1)

    A78/37, Report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the
    Executive Board to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly

    A78/INF./8, General Programme of Work, 2025–2028: baselines and
    targets for outcome and output indicators

    A78/4, Consolidated report by the Director-General

    A78/5, Governance reform (Add.1)

    A78/39, Governance reform, Process of handling and investigating potential allegations against WHO Directors-General

    High Level Segment and Director-General Awards

    During the high-level segment, delegates heard from H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union; H.E. Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia; and H.E. Liu Guozhong, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China. Video statements were made by a number of world leaders across the globe.

    Egyptian opera singer Farrah El-Dibany and Soprano singers Elaine Vidal and Eunice Miller of the Philippines performed at the Health Assembly on Tuesday morning.

    The Director-General also presented Global Health Leader’s awards to Professor Sir Brian Greenwood and Professor Awa Marie Coll Seck for their pivotal work in malaria control and beyond. 

    The Assembly started on Monday 19 May 2025 under the theme “One World for Health”.

    The election of officials took place on Monday morning. Dr Teodoro Herbosa of the Philippines became the President of the Health Assembly. The elected Vice-Presidents are Dr Jalila bint Al Sayyed Jawad Hassan of Bahrain, Dr Sayedur Rahman of Bangladesh, Mr Jaime Hernán Urrego Rodríguez of Colombia, Dr Judit Bidlo of Hungary and Dr Louise Mapleh Kpoto Liberia.

    H.E. Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councilor of the Swiss Confederation, addressed the Health Assembly on behalf of the host country.

    Dr Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, WHO Director-General, delivered his report to the Assembly.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: 29/2025・Trifork Group: Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement no. 29 / 2025
    Schindellegi, Switzerland – 20 May 2025

    Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Pursuant to the Market Abuse Regulation Article 19, Trifork Group AG (Swiss company registration number CHE-474.101.854) (“Trifork”) hereby notifies receipt of information of the following transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities in Trifork or by persons associated with them.

    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
    a) Name Ferd AS
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status Ferd AS is represented on the Board of Directors of Trifork Group AG by Erik Theodor Jakobsen
    b) Initial notification/
    Amendment    		 Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name Trifork Group AG
    b) LEI 8945004BYZKXPESTBL36
    4.1 Details of the transaction(s)
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

    		 Shares

    ISIN CH1111227810
    b) Nature of the transaction Acquisition
    c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s)
    DKK 90.00 160,000
    d) Aggregated information
    —
    Aggregated volume —
    Price    		 Total volume: 160,000

    Total price: DKK 90.00

    Total value: DKK 14,400,000
    e) Date of the transaction 20 May 2025
    f) Place of the transaction Nasdaq Copenhagen (XCSE)
    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
    a) Name Jørn Larsen
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status CEO
    b) Initial notification/
    Amendment    		 Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name Trifork Group AG
    b) LEI 8945004BYZKXPESTBL36
    4.1 Details of the transaction(s)
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

    		 Shares

    ISIN CH1111227810
    b) Nature of the transaction Sale
    c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s)
    DKK 90.00 160,000
    d) Aggregated information
    —
    Aggregated volume —
    Price    		 Total volume: 160,000

    Total price: DKK 90.00

    Total value: DKK 14,400,000
    e) Date of the transaction 20 May 2025
    f) Place of the transaction Nasdaq Copenhagen (XCSE)

    Investor and media contact
    Frederik Svanholm, Group Investment Director, frsv@trifork.com, +41 79 357 73 17

    About Trifork
    Trifork is a pioneering and global technology partner, empowering enterprise and public sector customers with innovative digital solutions. With 1,215 professionals across 71 business units in 16 countries, Trifork specializes in designing, building, and operating advanced software across sectors such as public administration, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, energy, financial services, retail, and real estate. The Group’s R&D arm, Trifork Labs, drives innovation by investing in and developing synergistic, high-potential technology companies. Trifork Group AG is publicly listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen. Learn more at trifork.com.

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