Day: June 5, 2023

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Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who spied for Russia, dead at 79

Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who was convicted of spying for Russia, has died at age 79, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Monday.

The FBI said that Hanssen became the most ''damaging spy'' in bureau history despite taking an oath to enforce the law and protect the nation.

Hanssen was found dead in his prison cell, where he was serving a life sentence, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

He was arrested in 2001 and accused of providing highly classified national security information to the Russians in exchange for more than $1.4 million in cash, bank funds, and diamonds.

Hanssen's espionage activities began in 1985, the FBI said, and in 2001 he pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Deadly floods in Haiti leave 42 dead, 11 missing

At least 42 people have died after heavy rains lashed Haiti causing widespread flooding and landslides over the weekend, authorities said Monday.

According to the government's disaster response agency, more than 13,000 people lost their homes and 11 are missing after torrential downpours caused damage across the country, including in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Heavy rains started on Friday and intensified during the weekend, which have forced people out of their homes, especially in the departments of Ouest, Nippes, Sud-Est, Nord-Ouest and Centre.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry has said that he is working with local and international organizations 'to tackle this latest crisis.'

'My government, in concert with national and international institutions, is adopting urgent measures to meet the demands of the times,' said Henry.

This is the latest of the tragedies affecting this country, which has been struggling with poverty, hunger, gang violence and political instability.

The Caribbean country has also been hit by several earthquakes that have destroyed its cities. In January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed more than 220,000 people and left Por-au-Prince devastated, and in August of 2021, Haiti experienced a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people.

Authorities have warned that the rains will continue for the next few days.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Royal Antwerp celebrate their first Belgian top-tier football title since 1957

Royal Antwerp finished the season one point ahead of Genk and Union to become Belgian champions for the first time in 66 years.

In Genk's Cegeka Arena, Toby Alderweireld on Sunday made a classy long-range goal in stoppage time to give his side the Belgian top-tier football title after a 2-2 draw on matchday 40.

"I have no words for this. Everyone wrote us off, we fought so hard for this. Everyone was against us, but we did it today," Alderweireld, 34, said after the match.

In another Pro League clash on Sunday, playing at Joseph Marien Stadium, Union Saint-Gilloise suffered a 3-1 home loss to Club Brugge to drop to the number three spot.

Following the matches, Royal Antwerp finished the standings with 47 points, ahead of second-place Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise in 40 matches.

Club Brugge finished the 2022-23 season in fourth place with 36 points.

Mark van Bommel's Antwerp, back in the Pro League after a gap of 13 years, also won the Belgian Cup this season, making it the fifth club in the history of Belgian football to clinch the double.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Presidency says Cyprus to fully utilize GRECO’s recommendations

The Cyprus government will fully utilize recommendations at the plenary meeting of the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO), seeking to achieve effective compliance and the maximum possible transparency and integrity while exercising its executive powers, the Presidency of the Republic says in a statement.

GRECO's plenary session began on Monday, in Strasbourg, and during the first day of work, the First Reading of the draft Evaluation Report concerning Cyprus, in the context of the fifth round of evaluation, titled "Preventing Corruption and Promoting Integrity in Central Governments (top executive functions) and Law Enforcement Agencies" took place.

"The Government notes with particular content that several of GRECO's preliminary recommendations are in line with the policies of the Government Program of President Nikos Christodoulides, while some of them are already being considered by the Government as a priority", the Presidency notes in a statement.

The Republic of Cyprus was represented by the Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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FMs of Cyprus and UAE meet in Abu Dhabi

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, who is on a working visit to Abu Dhabi, had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday, reads a tweet at the official account of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The further strengthening of the strategic cooperation between Cyprus and UAE as well as regional and international issues were at the centre of the discussions, the tweet concludes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Industrial producer prices rise in Cyprus in April, according to Eurostat

In April 2023, industrial producer prices increased by 0.1% in Cyprus compared to March 2023, and fell by 3.2% in the euro area and by 2.9% in the EU, according to estimates released Monday by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

In March 2023, prices had decreased by 0.3% in Cyprus and by 1.3% in both the euro area and the EU compared to February.

However, compared with April 2022, industrial producer prices increased in April 2023 by 12.9% in Cyprus, by 1.0% in the euro area and by 2.3% in the EU.

Industrial producer prices in the euro area in April 2023, compared with March 2023, decreased by 10.1% in the energy sector and by 0.6% for intermediate goods, while prices increased by 0.2% for durable consumer goods, by 0.3% for non-durable consumer goods and by 0.4% for capital goods. Prices in total industry excluding energy decreased by 0.1%.

In the EU, industrial producer prices decreased by 8.9% in the energy sector and by 0.6% for intermediate goods, while prices increased by 0.1% for durable consumer goods and by 0.4% for both capital goods and non-durable consumer goods. Prices in total industry excluding energy decreased by 0.2%.

The largest monthly decreases in industrial producer prices were recorded in Belgium (-9.1%), Italy (-6.5%) and Ireland (-6.3%), while increases were observed in Germany (+0.3%), Denmark (+0.2%) as well as Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia (all +0.1%).

Industrial producer prices in the euro area in April 2023, compared with April 2022, increased by 10.9% for non-durable consumer goods, by 7.3% for durable consumer goods, by 6.1% for capital goods and by 1.3% for intermediate goods, while prices decreased by 8.9% in the energy sector. Prices in total industry excluding energy increased by 5.1%.

In the EU, industrial producer prices increased by 11.3% for non-durable consumer goods, by 7.0% for durable consumer goods, by 6.1% for capital goods and by 1.5% for intermediate goods, while prices decreased by 5.6% in the energy sector. Prices in total industry excluding energy increased by 5.3%.

The highest annual increases in industrial producer prices were recorded in Hungary (+41.7%), Latvia (+22.7%) and Slovakia (+18.2%). The largest decreases were observed in Ireland (-21.4%), Greece (-13.1%) and Belgium (-6.8%).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Occupancy in leisure businesses from 75%-80% on long weekend, owners say

Occupancy in leisure businesses throughout Cyprus ranged from 75% to 80% during the Pentekost long weekend, known in Cyprus as Kataklysmos (Inundation), according to the Federation of Recreation Centres (OSIKA).

In statements to CNA, the President of OSIKA, Neophytos Thrasyvoulou, said that coastal cities as well as mountain resorts were the most popular choices, while less traffic was recorded in leisure businesses in Nicosia.

Thrasyvoulou said that the long weekend was 'a good start' for June, but also for kickstarting the summer season. He expressed the wish that occupancies would remain at these levels until the end of the year.

Thrasyvoulou also referred to the problems faced in the food industry in finding staff. Already he said, they had a meeting with the Minister of Labour to whom they expressed their concerns.

They are now aiming to hire students and asylum seekers.

On the employment of asylum seekers, Thrasyvoulou said that several applicants change their minds, with businesses forced to seek new staff to train. He noted that any occupation in the food industry requires specialisation of about one to one and a half years, and that the change of employees was bad, both for the economy and for businesses.

He also called on the Ministers of Labour and Interior to find an arrangement for asylum seekers who continue to work in Cyprus, to be able to extend their work permit for another six months, until the end of the tourist season.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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PRESS RELEASE – BW – Airway Therapeutics Completes Enrollment in Phase 1b Trial of Zelpu…

Airway Therapeutics Completes Enrollment in Phase 1b Trial of Zelpultide Alfa (AT-100) for Very Preterm Infants at Risk for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Favorable safety profile confirmed also in fourth and final cohort including babies born at earliest gestational age of 23 to 24 weeks

Interim analysis is complete and full results are expected by October 2023

Company expects to begin a Phase 3 trial by end of 2023

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Airway Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of biologics to break the cycle of injury and inflammation for patients with respiratory and inflammatory diseases, announced today it successfully completed enrollment in its Phase 1b trial of zelpultide alfa for preventive use in very preterm infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

The last of 12 patients recruited into the fourth and final cohort of the study has been treated. These infants, born at 23 to 29 weeks, received daily treatment up to 7 days at the highest dose of zelpultide alfa (rhSP-D). The fourth cohort began recruitment March 28, 2023, following a Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) report finding no safety concerns at the conclusion of the trial's dose escalation portion, and included the extremely preterm neonates born as early as weeks 23 and 24.

'We are very pleased to report that the recruitment of the first clinical study with zelpultide alfa has been successfully completed according to protocol,' said Airway CEO and Chief Medical Officer Marc Salzberg, M.D. 'This is another major step in the development of this novel drug for the prevention of BPD in very preterm born babies.'

An interim analysis of the Phase 1b has been completed, and full trial results are expected by October 2023. The company plans to begin a Phase 3 trial by the end of 2023 which will involve at least 80 hospitals in North America and across Europe.

As many as 2.5 million very preterm infants globally are at risk of developing BPD from lung damage caused by mechanical ventilation and oxygen support. Babies who develop BPD can suffer lifelong complications such as asthma and pneumonia as well as growth and developmental problems.

Zelpultide alfa is a recombinant version of the endogenous human SP-D, a protein essential to the lung's immune defense in reducing inflammation and infection while modulating immune responses. The biologic is administered intratracheally during mechanical ventilation.

The Phase 1b trial is a randomized, blinded, air-sham controlled study to establish the safety and tolerability of zelpultide alfa. A total of 37 infants were enrolled at 20 hospitals in the U.S. and Spain. The 25 infants in the dose escalation portion were born at 25 weeks to 29 weeks gestational age. The FDA and European Medicines Agency have granted orphan drug status to zelpultide alfa.

About Airway Therapeutics

Airway Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of biologics to break the cycle of injury and inflammation for patients with respiratory and inflammatory diseases, beginning with the most vulnerable populations. The company is advancing zelpultide alfa, a novel recombinant human protein hSP-D that reduces inflammation and infection in the body while modulating the immune response. Zelpultide alfa is Airway's first candidate in development for prevention of BPD in very preterm infants and for treatment of COVID/CAP in seriously ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Source: Cyprus News Agency