Category: General

Nearly 800 people in Germany have signed up to join a series of climate actions next week in Berlin aimed at bringing the capital to a standstill.

Protesters started pouring in last Wednesday at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate from where Last Generation, a climate activist group, will launch mass action.

‘We are gathered here in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate to show the world that we are stopping the destruction of our environment and our future right now, we are not going to take it any longer that our government is doing so less to protect us and our children and our future,” said Lars, one of the organizers who only gave his first name due to fear of reprisals.

The climate activists have earned the nickname ‘climate stickers’ as they frequently glue themselves to roads to stop traffic and bring attention to the climate emergency.

The goal of the upcoming actions is to convince the government to enforce a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) on the German motorway to reduce pollution, and issue a nationwide pound 9 ($10) ticket that can be used on all local and regional transport to encourage people to use public transport.

Some of the people in attendance expressed their fears about the climate emergency and emphasized the need for urgent action.

Toby, also giving only his first name, said: ‘The thing is it’s very necessary that we ring the alarm bell and make people really, really aware that the climate crisis is a much bigger thing than what a lot of people actually think.’

Jan, another protester who only gave his first name, said: ‘I want to show my solidarity with the activists that want change in our politics regarding climate because its known for years that we are heading into a climate crisis and there were plenty of different actions and scientists are calling for action for 15 years now and nothing changed.’

According to Last Generation’s website, at least five people are needed to block an 8-meter wide road with three lanes. For smaller roads with two lanes, they called on at least four people to fully stop all traffic.

Berlin’s police earlier announced seven days of detention over road-blocking protest actions.

The city’s fire brigade said it is already preparing for potential public safety hazards.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Fresenius Kabi today announced the availability of a single-needle venous access option for the Amicus® Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) System at the 49th annual meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).

Fresenius Kabi is a global health care company that specializes in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition.

The Amicus Blue System with online ECP was launched in Europe in 2019 with double-needle venous access only. The update announced today includes new software v6.1 for the Amicus Separator, new software v2.1 for the Phelix Photoactivation Device and a new single-use disposable kit that can be configured for single or double-needle venous access. The system also allows clinicians to switch between single and double-needle access at any time during the procedure.

‘We are thrilled to enable the single-needle option for the Amicus Blue ECP system, which will allow physicians to treat patients with limited venous access. This builds on our Amicus Blue vision to provide a versatile, multi-procedural instrument to support patients’ individual needs,’ said Christian Hauer, President Fresenius Kabi MedTech.

The Amicus ECP System has obtained CE mark for the indication of CTCL in the palliative treatment of the skin manifestations of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) that is unresponsive to other forms of treatment. The Amicus ECP System is CE marked in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745 and includes:

Amicus Separator

Phelix Photoactivation Device

Amicus ECP Apheresis Kits

Amicus Separator is also cleared in Europe and the United States for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), red blood cell exchange (RBCx), mononuclear cell (MNC) collection and platelet collection. The Amicus ECP System is not cleared for use in the U.S.

Not all products listed are available or approved for sale in all countries. Contact your local Fresenius Kabi representative for additional information and product availability. Refer to the Amicus Separator Operator’s Manual and Phelix Photoactivation Device Operator’s Manual for a complete list of warnings and precautions associated with the use of these products.

About Extracorporeal Photopheresis

Extracorporeal photopheresis or ECP is a leukapheresis-based therapeutic procedure. The technology is currently approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Literature shows that it has also been used for graft versus host disease (GvHD) following bone marrow or stem cell transplant, the rejection of solid organ transplants, and autoimmune diseases where cell-mediated mechanisms are dominant.

An online ECP procedure involves collection of mononuclear cells from the patient, treatment of collected cells with a light sensitive drug, 8-methoxypsoralen and exposure of cells to UV-A light, followed by the reinfusion of treated cells back to the patient. After reinfusion, the treated cells become apoptotic and are believed to be taken up by antigen presenting cells resulting in an immune response. The online ECP process combines cell separation and photoactivation into a single, sterile circuit reducing the risk of infection and cross-contamination.

About Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are a heterogenous group of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders involving the skin, the most common variants classified as Mycosis Fungoides (MF) or Sézary Syndrome (SS). Patients may experience itchy, scaly patches or plaques of the skin. As the disease progresses, some patients may experience growth of nodular lesions and large tumors, and internal organ involvement. Treatment is palliative, with the aim to induce long-term remissions and improve patient quality of life.

About Fresenius Kabi

Fresenius Kabi (www.fresenius-kabi.com) is a global health care company that specializes in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company’s products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. The company’s global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A 50-member Indian business delegation starts a four-day visit to Russia Monday as both countries seek to deepen economic ties that have grown in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

India and Russia are also in talks for a free trade deal, ministers from the two countries said earlier this week during a visit by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov to New Delhi.

In recent months, Moscow has become India’s largest supplier of crude oil as sanctions-hit Russia seeks more trade with Asian countries.

New Delhi has not joined U.S-led Western sanctions on Moscow or condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine outright but has been calling for a negotiated resolution of the conflict.

It is also continuing to step up its economic engagement with Russia despite Western calls to gradually distance itself from Moscow.

The Indian business delegation headed to Russia is expected to meet buyers in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

“We see opportunities in Russia and that is why we put together this delegation. It is going to explore markets in food and agricultural products,” Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations told VOA.

He said that the aim is to double Indian exports to Russia to about $5 billion this year.

Trade analysts say India is trying to step up its exports to Russia to bridge a trade deficit that has become huge as New Delhi’s crude oil imports from Moscow rise exponentially.

While India’s imports from Russia have jumped fourfold to over $46 billion since 2021, its exports to Moscow add up to less than $3 billion.

But as Russia’s trade with the West dries up, it has been seeking products from India, including manufactured goods, electronics devices and automobile components.

“It is a windfall situation. We are getting discounted oil which is a huge advantage for India. Compared to virtually nothing prior to the Ukraine invasion, India’s crude oil imports have risen to over a million barrels of oil per day from Russia,” Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation told VOA. “And now that they are under sanctions, India sees an opportunity in promoting exports also, so that will be a double advantage.”

Russia, India’s Cold War ally, was its largest defense supplier for decades. Even though New Delhi has strengthened strategic partnerships with the United States and other Western countries in the last two decades, it maintains close ties with Moscow.

Addressing a business forum with Manturov on April 17 in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar called the India-Russia relationship among the “steadiest” in global relations, and said that the partnership is drawing attention not because it has changed but because it has not.

Jaishankar said Russia’s resources and technology can make a powerful contribution to India’s growth as Moscow is looking more toward Asia.

“We are looking forward to intensifying trade negotiations on a free trade agreement with India,” Manturov, who is also Russia’s industry and trade minister said.

Indian exporters however say that issues such as logistics, market access and payment difficulties pose a challenge. “The opportunity is there to grow trade, but only time will tell how far we can exploit it,” Sahai said.

While Western countries want India to decrease its reliance on Russian imports to isolate Moscow over the Ukraine war, New Delhi has remained firm in maintaining its economic engagement with Russia.

“India’s message to the West is clear. We will pursue a relationship in our self-interest and we will go wherever our interests take us,” Joshi said.

“Yes, the West would like India to pressure Russia by not buying oil from them, but they have reconciled to the position that New Delhi has taken,” he said.

Source: Voice of America

A staff member of the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum was injured in the clashes in Sudan, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

A member of the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum was wounded by a firearm during the conflict in Sudan, the ministry said in a written statement.

No information was given about the identity of the injured or perpetrator.

Also, countries with more than 10,000 citizens in Sudan, such as Egypt, need the safe evacuation of civilians as the danger escalates, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement.

In another statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that Egyptian citizens living in other cities of Sudan, apart from the capital Khartoum, were called on to move to the eastern Port Sudan city and northern Wadi Halfa for evacuation and contact the Egyptian authorities.

Ongoing clashes between rival military factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, have persisted despite a 72-hour cease-fire declared for the Muslim holiday of Eid.

There have been reports of explosions and fighting, particularly around the military headquarters and presidential palace in Khartoum on Sunday.

Now in the second week, the deadly power struggle between the Sudanese army and the RSF has killed more than 400 people, with over 3,500 others injured, according to UN figures.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The gate money of the fifth match of an ongoing Twenty20 cricket series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be donated to the victims of Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in Trkiye and Syria, according to Pakistan’s cricket governing body.

The match, final of a five-match series, will be played in northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi on Monday.

The green caps are leading the series by 2-1 as the fourth fixture played in Rawalpindi was called off due to massive rain accompanied by a hailstorm last week.

“The border region of Trkiye and Syria was rocked by one of the deadliest earthquakes on Feb. 6 that claimed thousands of lives and destroyed essential infrastructure, including healthcare facilities,” said a statement by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In this regard, it added, the PCB will play a part in raising donations for millions of people affected on either side of the border.

The Pakistani side will wear commemorative caps to convey Islamabad’s “everlasting solidarity to the two nations going through this difficult moment.”

“Fans who cannot attend the match are encouraged to make their donations for the cause,” the statement added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The UK government conducted a test of its new national emergency alert system on Sunday.

The test aimed to assess the effectiveness of the system in alerting the public to emergencies such as natural disasters, terror attacks, and pandemics.

The message appeared on the screens of mobile phones and tablets at 3 p.m. local time (1400GMT) along with a loud siren-like sound or vibration that lasted for about 10 seconds.

The government has emphasized that this new system is crucial for ensuring public safety during life-threatening emergencies.

During the early stages of the pandemic, the UK government struggled to effectively communicate the national lockdown measures to the public.

As a solution, they decided to send a mass text message to all UK phone numbers. However, this overwhelmed the text messaging infrastructure and caused delays of up to two days in delivering the messages, leading to negative media coverage.

This incident prompted the government to revive plans for a national alert system that had been previously abandoned.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend the annual conference of the Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) in Tel Aviv over the fear of protest, according to local media.

The daily Haaretz reported that Netanyahu will not attend the annual JFNA conference scheduled for April 23-26 for Israel’s Independence Day after the country’s judicial overhaul protesters called to hold demonstrations during the event.

Netanyahu will skip the conference for the first time during his tenure as the prime minister.

‘Scheduling considerations and preparations for Memorial Day and Independence Day ceremonies’ prompted the cancelation, and not the planned protests, the daily Times of Israel said, citing the Prime Minister’s Office.

Postponed judicial regulation

On Saturday, thousands of Israelis demonstrated for the 16th consecutive week against Netanyahu’s plans for judicial reform, which have triggered mass protests across Israel over the past weeks.

The Israeli opposition views the judicial overhaul plans as an attempt to reduce the powers of the judicial authority in favor of the executive.

Netanyahu, however, insists that his judicial plans would enhance democracy and restore the balance among the legislative, executive, and judicial powers.

On March 27, Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, bowed to pressure and announced a temporary halt to the judicial overhaul plans.

Despite the postponement decision, the Netanyahu government said they would bring the controversial regulation back to the parliament at the beginning of May.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Russia on Saturday claimed that fighters of the Wagner private military company, had taken three more urban quarters in Ukraine’s city of Bakhmut.

These areas are located in the western part of the city, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing in Moscow.

According to Konashenkov, paratroopers provided support to the Wagner group on the flanks.

Ukraine has not yet responded to the claims.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, had claimed in late March that the battle for the city “almost destroyed the Ukrainian army” and “battered” his group.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff said attacks by Russian forces in the direction of Bakhmut continued with “partial success.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Supporting the vulnerable and low and middle-income groups is a priority, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Saturday.

According to a Presidency press release, in statements on the sidelines of an event organised by the Press and Information Office on the upcoming Turkish elections and asked about rising inflation, the Spokesman said that “it is paramount at this time that we as a state, as a government, provide citizens, consumers, especially the vulnerable, with all the tools to enable them to cope with inflationary trends.”

He pointed out that this will not be done through one measure or even through an announcement, but through a series of measures, noting that the decision of the Council of Ministers yesterday is also moving in this direction, through the proposal of the Ministry of Commerce to monitor the prices of specific products, where the consumer will have the opportunity to monitor on a daily basis what the market looks like and what the lowest price of a product is.

According to Letymbiotis, this will help to reduce prices, as has been done in other countries that have used this tool.

He added that in the same direction the Government is examining the reduction of the VAT rate on specific products, adding that these measures will also work together to provide partial relief to households.

He also stressed that among the Government’s immediate priorities is the support of vulnerable groups, as well as low and middle-income groups, which have been hit heavily, while the Government is also considering further measures.

Responding to a question, Letymbiotis referred to a decision of the Council of Ministers yesterday, which is part of the Government’s political priorities regarding the evaluation of various existing programmes and projects, on the basis of which differentiated criteria were approved in relation to residence permits.

He said that a mechanism is now being established to monitor whether an investor maintains the investment on the basis of which he received the permit, as well as his income, for which he has to provide data annually.

If not, he added, the procedure for permit withdrawal is automatically triggered, adding that various other plan provisions in relation to the criteria for granting the residence permit were also approved.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Activists from the Extinction Rebellion will continue their four-day protest campaign in central London on Saturday, following the start of “The Big One” protests on Friday.

The second day of protests coincided with Earth Day, with a “unite for nature rally” planned near the Houses of Parliament.

Meanwhile, the London Marathon is scheduled to take place on the third day of an Extinction Rebellion (XR) protest.

However, the event organizers are already taking measures to reduce its environmental impact.

Around 45,000 runners are expected to participate in the race, while a similar number of climate activists could be present near the route of the 26.2-mile marathon.

Extinction Rebellion has stated that it will coordinate with the race’s organizers and has no intention of disrupting the runners.

London Marathon Events has set a target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2024 and to remove more carbon than it emits through all event operations by 2025.

Demands

Extinction Rebellion has issued a demand for the UK government to engage in discussions with them before Monday afternoon.

They are requesting that all licenses, funding, and authorizations for new oil and gas projects be terminated.

The group is also calling for a ‘Citizens Assembly’ on climate and ecological justice, which would bring together ordinary people to help shape policy decisions.

One of their primary objectives is for the UK to make a legal commitment to achieving net zero by 2025.

If there is no response from the government by Tuesday morning, the group plans to form an “unprecedented coalition” and intensify its advocacy efforts in the coming weeks.

Source: Anadolu Agency