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Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Graphic News] Early-voting turnout hits second-highest level ever
More than 15 million voters have cast ballots in early voting for the presidential election, according to the National Election Commission on Friday, with attention now turning to how the near-record turnout might affect Election Day voting on Tuesday. The final early-voting turnout was 34.74 percent, the second-highest figure since nationwide early voting was introduced in 2014, according to the NEC. This year's turnout is down 2.19 percentage points from the all-time high of 36.93 percent, recorded in the 2022 presidential election. An estimated 15,423,607 voters cast ballots during early voting, which began at 6 a.m. Thursday and closed at 6 p.m. Friday, the NEC said. By region, South Jeolla Province recorded the highest turnout at 56.5 percent, followed by North Jeolla Province at 53.01 percent and Gwangju at 52.12 percent. The southeastern city of Daegu had the lowest turnout at 25.63 percent. (Yonhap)
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Transgene and NEC Present Durable Disease-Free Survival and Sustained T Cell Responses at 24 Months with Individualized Cancer Vaccine TG4050
All patients in the treatment arm remain disease-free after a minimum of 2-year follow-up in the randomized Phase I trial in resected HPV-negative locally advanced head and neck cancer – Demonstrating clinical proof of principle for TG4050 Single agent TG4050 induced long-lasting neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses Treatment was well-tolerated with no unexpected safety signals Data presented during rapid oral session at ASCO 2025 Conference call scheduled on Friday June 6, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. CET (in English). See details below Strasbourg, France & Tokyo, Japan, June 1st, 2025, 7:15 p.m. CET – Transgene (Euronext Paris: TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), a leader in IT, network and AI technologies, have presented new positive data on TG4050 in a rapid oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. These positive data confirm that individualized neoantigen therapeutic vaccine TG4050 is safe and feasible in the adjuvant setting of resectable HPV-negative locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). TG4050 induces, as monotherapy, long-lasting immune responses to vaccine neoantigens sustained for up to 2 years, and these results met all trial endpoints (NCT04183166) including safety, feasibility, immune activation and disease-free survival (defined as survival without recurrence or death for any cause). TG4050 is based on Transgene's myvac® platform and powered by NEC's cutting-edge AI capabilities designed to optimize antigen selection. Positive data from Phase I, confirming proof of principle of Transgene's viral vector based individualized cancer vaccine TG4050in HPV-negative locally advanced head and neck cancer 100% disease free survival at a minimum of 2-year follow-up of treated patients (median follow-up: 30 months) in the Phase I part of the trial: all patients in the TG4050 treatment arm remain disease free while 3 patients in the observational arm have relapsed. Persistence of neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses over 2 years after the start of TG4050 has been observed. Dr. Alessandro Riva, CEO of Transgene, commented: 'The sustained clinical and immunogenicity outcomes observed over two years of TG4050 monotherapy, along with the positive safety profile, mark an important milestone for Transgene. These results reinforce both the clinical promise of TG4050 and our commitment to accelerate the development of this individualized immunotherapy in adjuvant setting for patients with HPV-negative, locally advanced head and neck cancer.' Motoo Nishihara, Corporate EVP, and CTO, at NEC, commented: 'This positive readout, combined with the durability of the efficacy data at two years, underscore the clinical potential of individualized cancer vaccine programs. It is a strong validation of our innovative AI platform and our dedication to advancing solutions that deliver meaningful, long-term value to patients and healthcare systems alike.' Ongoing Phase II part of Phase I/II clinical trial of individualized neoantigen therapeutic cancer vaccine TG4050 TG4050 is being evaluated in a randomized multicenter Phase I/II trial as a single agent in the adjuvant treatment of HPV-negative head and neck cancers (NCT04183166). Based on the promising data obtained in the Phase I part of the trial, Transgene and NEC extended the joint development of TG4050 in this indication with a Phase II extension of the trial. The Phase II part of the trial, aimed at confirming the encouraging results in a larger patient population and evaluating both immunological and clinical outcomes, is currently underway. All patients are expected to be randomized by Q4 2025. Altogether, the Phase I/II study will comprise approximately 80 patients. Dr Christian Ottensmeier, MD, PhD, FRCP (University of Liverpool, La Jolla Institute for Immunology), will discuss the data presented at ASCO 2025, the unmet medical need and current treatment landscape for patients suffering from head and neck cancers in a live virtual event taking place on June 6, 2025 (9:00 p.m. ET; 3:00 p.m. CET). Webcast link to English language conference call: Please log in to the following link to obtain your personal telephone IDs: A replay of the call will be available on the Transgene website ( following the live event. *** Contacts Media: Investors & Analysts: Caroline Tosch Lucie Larguier Corporate and Scientific Communications Manager Chief Financial Officer (CFO) +33 (0)3 68 33 27 38 Nadege Bartoli communication@ Investor Relations Analystand Financial Communications Officer MEDiSTRAVA +33 (0)3 88 27 91 00/03 Frazer Hall/Sylvie Berrebi investorrelations@ + 44 (0)203 928 6900 transgene@ NEC Corporation: NEC Corporation: AI Drug Development Division Joseph Jasper contact@ j-jasper@ +81-3-3798–6511 About TransgeneTransgene (Euronext: TNG) is a biotechnology company focused on designing and developing targeted immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. The Company's clinical-stage programs consist of a portfolio of viral vector-based immunotherapeutics. TG4050, the first individualized therapeutic vaccine based on the myvac® platform is the Company's lead asset, with demonstrated proof of principle in patients in the adjuvant treatment of head and neck cancers. The portfolio also includes other viral-vector-based immunotherapies: TG4001 for the treatment of HPV-positive cancers, as well as BT-001 and TG6050, two oncolytic viruses based on the viral backbone. The Company also conducts innovative discovery and preclinical work, aimed at developing novel viral vector-based modalities. With Transgene's myvac® platform, therapeutic vaccination enters the field of precision medicine with a novel immunotherapy that is fully tailored to each individual. The myvac® approach allows the generation of a virus-based immunotherapy that encodes patient-specific mutations identified and selected by Artificial Intelligence capabilities provided by its partner its proprietary platform Transgene is building on its viral vector engineering expertise to design a new generation of multifunctional oncolytic information about Transgene is available at: us on social media: X (formerly Twitter): @TransgeneSA — LinkedIn: @Transgene — Bluesky: @Transgene About myvac®myvac® is a viral vector (MVA – Modified Vaccinia Ankara) based, individualized immunotherapy platform that has been developed by Transgene to target solid tumors. myvac®-derived products are designed to stimulate the patient's immune system to recognize and destroy tumors using their own cancer specific genetic mutations. Transgene has set up an innovative network that combines bioengineering, digital transformation, established vectorization know-how and unique manufacturing capabilities. Transgene has been awarded 'Investment for the Future' funding from Bpifrance for the development of its platform myvac®. TG4050 is the first myvac®-derived product being evaluated in clinical trials. Click here to watch a short video on myvac®. About TG4050TG4050 is an individualized immunotherapy being developed for solid tumors that is based on Transgene's myvac® technology and powered by NEC's longstanding artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) expertise. This virus-based therapeutic vaccine encodes neoantigens (patient-specific mutations) identified and selected by NEC's Neoantigen Prediction System. The prediction system is based on more than two decades of expertise in AI and has been trained on proprietary data allowing it to accurately prioritize and select the most immunogenic is designed to stimulate the immune system of patients in order to induce a T-cell response that is able to recognize and destroy tumor cells based on their own neoantigens. This individualized immunotherapy is developed and produced for each patient. About the Phase I/II clinical trialTG4050 is being evaluated in a Phase I/II clinical trial for patients with HPV-negative head and neck cancers (NCT04183166). An individualized treatment is created for each patient after they complete surgery and while they receive adjuvant therapy. Half of the participants received their vaccine immediately after completing adjuvant treatment. The other half were given TG4050 as an additional treatment at the time of recurrence of the disease as an additional treatment to standard of care (SoC). This randomized study is evaluating the treatment benefits of TG4050 in patients who are at risk of relapse. In the Phase I part, thirty-two evaluable patients have been included. The Phase II part is currently enrolling patients internationally. About NEC's Neoantigen Prediction System NEC's neoantigen prediction system utilizes its proprietary AI, such as graph-based relational learning, trained on multiple sources of biological data to discover candidate neoantigen targets. These targets are carefully analyzed using proprietary machine learning algorithms that include in-house HLA binding and antigen presentation AI tools to evaluate the likelihood of eliciting a robust and clinically relevant T-cell response. With NEC OncoImmunity now on board, NEC continues to strengthen its top-class neoantigen prediction pipelines with the aim of maximizing the therapeutic benefits of personalized cancer immunotherapy for patients worldwide. For more information, please visit NEC Bio at or About NEC Corporation NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of 'Orchestrating a brighter world.' NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at DisclaimerThis press release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a significant negative outcome for the Company's activities, perspectives, financial situation, results, regulatory authorities' agreement with development phases, and development. The Company's ability to commercialize its products depends on but is not limited to the following factors: positive pre-clinical data may not be predictive of human clinical results, the success of clinical studies, the ability to obtain financing and/or partnerships for product manufacturing, development and commercialization, and marketing approval by government regulatory authorities. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors ('Facteurs de Risque') section of the Universal Registration Document, available on the AMF website ( or on Transgene's website ( Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Transgene undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. 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Asia Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Asia Times
Mismanaged early voting stirs voter distrust in S Korea election
Early voting for South Korea's 2025 presidential election took place on May 29 and 30 but, as in previous years, it was marred by troubling irregularities and signs of mismanagement. In past presidential and general elections, the National Election Commission (NEC) dismissed concerns as 'simple mistakes' or 'minor mistakes.' This time, however, public awareness and scrutiny were far greater. Korean citizens actively monitored polling stations and mainstream media outlets reported on the irregularities, backed by clear evidence of procedural misconduct. Over two days of early voting, a pattern of serious breaches emerged in polling sites across multiple regions, raising alarms about the credibility of the electoral process. In Sinchon-dong, Seoul, 30 to 40 ballots were removed from the polling station – an act strictly prohibited under NEC guidelines. In Gimpo and Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, ballot boxes intended for the presidential election were found to contain ballots from the 22nd general election in 2024. In Gangnam, Seoul, a poll worker was arrested after using a spouse's ID to vote illegally. In Yongin, ballots pre-marked in favor of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung were discovered inside return envelopes designated for out-of-district voters. This prompted a police investigation. At another polling station, due to overcrowding, unmarked ballots were distributed to voters waiting outside. Some reportedly left the area – ballot in hand – to visit nearby restaurants before returning to vote, also in violation of NEC procedural rules. Growing suspicion of foreign influence has added further complexity. Former Chinese nationals who had acquired South Korean citizenship shared images and posts about their participation in early voting on Chinese social media platforms. This fueled public anxiety about possible Chinese interference in the presidential election. Concerns over the integrity of South Korea's election have drawn international attention. US conservative commentator Gordon G. Chang – known for his hawkish stance on China and publicly praised by President Trump (Trump said to Chang at the 2023 Conservative Political Action Committee gathering, 'I agree with almost everything you said, almost everything') – spoke out Thursday against the NEC's handling of early voting, saying, 'Fraud is widespread in the South Korean election.' Indeed, as far back as January 7 this year, Chang was spreading to his followers on X the slogan 'Stop the Steal in South Korea!' The National Election Integrity Association (NEIA), a US-based organization, sent a delegation to South Korea to observe the process. On May 30, the group released a public statement citing numerous violations in the early voting system. Among the NEIA observers is Morse Tan, former US ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice, appointed in the first Trump administration. Other members of the group are retired US Marine Corps Colonels John R. Mills (a former Pentagon cybersecurity expert) and Grant Newsham (whose articles frequently appear in Asia Times) and scholar Bradley Thayer. Faced with evidence, the NEC issued a rare apology. On May 29, the commission acknowledged problems in the early voting process. As further incidents were exposed, a second apology followed. On May 31, NEC Chairperson Rho Tae-ak stated, 'I sincerely apologize for causing confusion among the voters. We will manage more thoroughly in the upcoming election-day voting to ensure voters can cast their ballots with confidence.' Still, public skepticism remains – especially since every known error has so far favored the same candidate, Lee Jae-myung. Calls for reform are intensifying. Some South Koreans argue that early voting should be abolished altogether, citing the frequency and severity of past controversies. Others propose narrowing the four-day time gap between early voting and official election day to allow for better oversight and reduce opportunities for manipulation. A more forward-looking solution is the adoption of blockchain-based voting systems. By timestamping every action and making records immutable, blockchain technology could offer a secure, transparent alternative. Brazil offers a real-world example. In 2020, the country implemented a cryptocurrency called Decred's blockchain through the Voto Legal platform to track campaign donations transparently. Then, in 2022, Brazil again used Decred's blockchain – this time to record the official campaign platforms of major candidates. The aim was to verify the authenticity of policy proposals and fight disinformation. The 2025 South Korean presidential early voting has exposed systemic vulnerabilities that can no longer be ignored. As citizens and international observers voice growing concern, the NEC's credibility continues to erode. If South Korea is to restore public trust and protect the foundation of its democracy, bold, transparent reforms – whether procedural or technological – must move from discussion to action. Hanjin Lew, a political commentator specializing in East Asian affairs, is a former international spokesman for South Korean conservative parties.
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham Airport passengers warned over M42 roadworks
Travellers have been warned that motorway roadworks could affect their journeys to and from Birmingham Airport in the coming M42 will be closed overnight between junctions five and six next week, National Highways said. Junction six leads to both the airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).The closures are due to run from 21:00 until 05:00 BST on 2-6 June, except on 5 June when they will start at midnight to allow people to leave an event at the Minogue is due to perform at a venue on the site after adding an extra Birmingham date to her international tour. National Highways added that a parallel road, the A4545, would also be closed overnight 2-6 June and diversions would be in place for both passengers should be "aware of the latest roadworks", Birmingham Airport posted on the social media site M42's junction six southbound exit slip road will also be closed overnight on 16 June for roadworks, with a diversion route by junction five, National Highways will also be some closures on the A45 for up to four weeks from 16 June, while work is carried out between the M42 junction six and the Clock Interchange. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt considers levy on gasoline-powered cars to promote EVs
The federal government is likely to impose a five-year levy on vehicles powered by petrol and diesel in the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 budget to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and has decided to establish an EV Fund to support the transition toward electric mobility. Sources said that if approved and implemented, this levy could generate annual revenue of Rs25-30 billion, amounting to Rs125-150 billion over the next five years. The collected revenue would be used to finance the new five-year Electric Vehicle Policy for 2026-30 and would be imposed on both imported and locally manufactured petrol and diesel driven vehicles. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns about the government's proposal to provide idle electricity for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence operations, according to sources in the Finance Ministry. The IMF has sought an explanation for not being consulted on the use of electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI, as well as on electricity tariffs. A virtual discussion is scheduled with the IMF delegation specifically regarding electricity supply for Bitcoin mining. The IMF has also asked for clarification on the allocation of electricity for cryptocurrency operations, particularly since crypto remains unregulated in Pakistan. The IMF has insisted that all decisions under the loan programme be made with prior consultation. Sources confirm that Pakistan's economic team is facing tough questions during budget negotiations, and further hard discussions with the IMF regarding electricity supply initiatives are anticipated. According to sources, many key economic targets in the budget proposals have already been finalised in consultation with the IMF, while discussions on other areas are ongoing and expected to conclude in the coming days. It has also been proposed to offer incentives for the local manufacturing of laptop and smartphone batteries and chargers. Sources added that virtual consultations with the global lender are ongoing regarding budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year, with an outcome expected soon. The draft budget will likely be finalised next week. Both Pakistan and the IMF have agreed to continue virtual talks on all outstanding matters. In the federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26, the government is likely to set a GDP target of 4.2%, an inflation target of 7.5%, an agricultural growth target of 4.5%, an industrial growth target of 4.4%, and a services sector growth target of 4%. The Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) will convene on June 2 to finalise the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) and the annual development plans. Later that same week, a key meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by the prime minister, will be held where approval will be sought for the PSDP, annual development plans, and the Medium-Term Budgetary Framework proposed by the APCC. If adjustments or increases in funding for development projects are required, the NEC will approve them. The Economic Survey, detailing the performance of the current fiscal year, will be released on June 9. The federal budget will be presented in parliament the following day, June 10, after its approval by the federal cabinet in a special session.
