Auto component maker Steel Strips Wheels on Tuesday said it has received orders worth over USD 455,000 (about Rs 3.32 crore) for about 42,000 wheels for the US and EU trailer market.
In a regulatory filing, Steel Strips Wheels Ltd (SSWL) said it has received new export orders worth over USD 455,000 from the US and European Union (EU) trailer market to be executed in September and October from its Chennai plant.
The company said orders of similar capacity are anticipated from the same customer base as businesses have picked up speed.
On Monday, SSWL said it has received orders worth over USD 46,000 for about 3,700 wheels for the US caravan trailer market.
Last week, SSWL had received orders worth over EUR 253,000 (around Rs 2.20 crore) for about 37,000 wheels for the EU caravan trailer market.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, has issued a message to Orthodox bishops and faithful, calling for a renewed commitment to protecting the environment.
His message comes on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, September 1, which also marks the beginning of the Byzantine ecclesiastical year. The Day of Prayer was originally established by Bartholomew’s predecessor, Dimitrios, in 1989, and later adopted by other Orthodox churches. In a significant ecumenical gesture, Pope Francis in 2015 announced that the Catholic Church would also observe the Day on September 1.
In his letter, the Ecumenical Patriarch says, “It is a shared conviction that, in our time, the natural environment is threatened like never before in the history of humankind.” While modern advances have provided great benefits, they can also prove destructive if misused.
Bartholomew continues, “Protection of the common good, of the integrity of the natural environment, is the common responsibility of all the inhabitants of the earth.” However, while many individuals and communities have shown their commitment to ecology, “nations and economic agents” have been unable to make decisions for the good of the environment.
“How much longer,” asks Bartholomew, “will nature endure the fruitless discussions and consultations, as well as any further delay in assuming decisive actions for its protection?”
Human culpability for the ecological crisis
The reduction of pollution that has resulted from the lockdowns and other measures during the coronavirus emergency demonstrates “the anthropogenic nature of the contemporary ecological crisis,” says Bartholomew. Therefore, he says, there must be “a change of direction toward an ecological economy.”
Economic concerns must be balanced against genuine concern for the environment: “It is inconceivable that we adopt economic decisions without taking into account their ecological consequences.”
A pioneer in protecting the environment
Bartholomew notes the efforts of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in recent decades in the field of protecting the environment. This commitment, he says, is “an extension of its ecclesiological self-awareness,” and not simply a “circumstantial reaction to a new phenomenon.”
The ecological concern of the Orthodox Church is a part of the nature of the Church, he says: “The very life of the Church is an applied ecology.” Care for creation, says Bartholomew, is an act of praise of God, while “destruction of creation is an offence against the creator.”
Faith strengthens Christian witness
Finally, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew says the Orthodox tradition of care for the environment provides a defence against certain aspects of contemporary culture, founded on the idea of the “domination of man over nature.”
In the face of the grave challenges of the environmental crisis, faith in Christ can help us not only see the problems with the current culture, but also help us to see the “possibilities and prospects of contemporary civilization.”
Bartholomew calls especially on “Orthodox young men and women to realize the significance of living as faithful Christians and contemporary people,” adding, “Faith in the eternal destiny of man strengthens our witness in the world.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch concludes his Message with best wishes for “a propitious and all-blessed new ecclesiastical year, fruitful in Christ-like deeds, for the benefit of all creation and to the glory of the all-wise Creator of all.”
FILE PHOTO: The company logo for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
(Reuters) – AstraZeneca Plc’s Imfinzi has been approved in the European Union to treat an aggressive form of lung cancer in previously untreated adult patients, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.
The approval will allow the use of Imfinzi to treat patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).
The approval by the European Commission was based on positive results from a late-stage study in which Imfinzi plus chemotherapy showed a statistically significant improvement in overall survival of patients with ES-SCLC, AstraZeneca said.
AstraZeneca has already carved out a niche for Imfinzi, which enables the immune system to detect and attack certain cancer cells, in the more common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) types, with approval for tumours that have only spread in the chest.
In small-cell cancer treatments, Astra is seeking to catch up with Roche, whose immunotherapy Tecentriq won U.S. approval for the disease type a year ago.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths from the disease.
Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty
Tehran, Sep 1 (IANS) A top Iranian official has urged the European Union (EU) to put anti-Tehran “terrorists” on trial, while regretting that some member states of the bloc have given these elements shelter.
“Over 17,000 oppressed Iranian citizens have been victimized by terrorist acts and clear and systematic violations of the basic human rights, including the rights to life, security, and health,” the Iranian Parliament’s Human Rights Commission Chairwoman Zohreh Elahian said in a letter on Monday to Maria Arena, the head of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights.
Members of the exiled Iranian Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) were responsible for many of these terrorist acts, Xinhua news agency quoted Elahian as saying in the letter.
“Most of the terrorists have sought asylum in European countries and keep on plotting against the people of Iran,” she added.
The Iranian lawmaker reminded the European governments’ commitments to cooperate “in matters such as the identification and prosecution of offenders, their extradition and the seizure of their assets in order to compensate victims”.
Elahian asked the European Parliament to take action, and hoped that European governments will “support the victims of terror and their family members, deliver justice to victims, and put the terrorists who live in these countries on trial to end impunity”.
Elahian sent a similar letter to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, calling on the Foreign Ministry to make preparations for prosecuting MKO terrorists.
“Unfortunately, today the majority of these terrorists continue to hatch plans against the Iranian people by fleeing the blade of justice and seeking refuge in European countries,” she said in the letter.
According to a report in the state-run Fars News Agency, the MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community.
Its members fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq, where they received support from then-dictator Saddam Hussein.
In 2012, the US State Department removed the MKO from its list of designated terrorist organizations.
… UK’s exit from the European Union. The warning comes despite businesses … for disruption likely through the EU exit. Craig Humphrey, the … of the United Kingdom and European Union
He said: “The high … the transition arrangements with the EU end in December 2020 …
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The UK Government has said the European Union is making <a href="/topic/brexit" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4536801-/topic/brexit" data-vars-event-id="c23">Brexit</a> talks "unnecessarily difficult" after <a href="/topic/france" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4536801-/topic/france" data-vars-event-id="c23">France</a> accused the UK of deliberately stalling in negotiations.
It comes as Britain and the bloc remain in a stalemate as they try to agree on future trade ties.
UK-EU talks ended with little progress last week amid warnings of a no-deal Brexit if key issues are not settled within weeks.
With just four months until the transition period ends, both sides have failed to resolve various sticking points, like fisheries and state aid policy.
The UK Government hit back, accusing the EU of making it “unnecessarily difficult to make progress” (AFP via Getty Images)
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has now blamed Britain for the deadlock, saying talks are not advancing because of the “intransigent and unrealistic attitude of the United Kingdom”.
He told his country’s ambassadors that the bloc of 27 nations will not buckle under pressure from London.
“On Brexit we always showed unity and proved wrong those who saw signs of an overall implosion of <a class="wpil_keyword_link " href="https://europeantimes.news/category/europe/" title="Europe" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Europe</a>," he said.
"It is in staying united that we can stick to our line of a global accord."
The EU’s chief negotiator arriving at Downing Street for talks earlier this summer (PA)
But Downing Street hit back, accusing the EU of making it “unnecessarily difficult to make progress”.
A spokeswoman said: “We have been clear from the outset about the principles underlying the UK approach: we are seeking a relationship that respects our sovereignty and which has a free trade agreement at its core, similar to those the EU has already agreed with like-minded countries.
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“However, the EU is still insisting not only that we must accept continuity with EU state aid and fisheries policy, but also that this must be agreed before any further substantive work can be done in any other area of the negotiation, including on legal texts, making it unnecessarily difficult to make progress.
The prime minister gesticulates during a video call to the EU (via REUTERS)
“We will continue to work hard to reach agreement and look forward to the next round taking place next week.”
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It comes after Germany reportedly scrapped plans for Brexit talks at the EU ambassadors summit next week after a "completely wasted" summer of negotiations.
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The German government, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU council, had planned to discuss Brexit during the meeting on September 2, according to the Guardian.
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</aside>But an EU diplomat told the publication that Brexit has been "taken off the agenda" due to the lack of "tangible progress".
While Angela Merkel had been pegged as a potential dealmaker when negotiations resume and enter a critical stage on September 7, the diplomat said: “Over the recent months Franco-German cooperation has gained new traction.
“Given this new reality it would be futile to wait for a white knight from Paris or Berlin to come to the rescue.”
Both sides have said September is an effective deadline for an agreement to allow time for it to be ratified before Britain leaves EU rules at the end of December.
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Vice-President of the Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashtoyan today posted the following on his Facebook page:
“I received a message from the European Parliament according to which the European Parliament has appointed a new Standing Rapporteur on Armenia.
Former President of Romania, pro-Azerbaijani Traian Basescu will be replaced by Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Andrey Kovatchev, who is from a political party that is a member of the European People’s Party and has a good notion of Armenia and the region.”
JOUBERTON, South Africa — Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals have been working tirelessly to keep people around the globe safe from the coronavirus. The Baha’i World News Service spoke with some Baha’is engaged in this field to highlight a few practical examples of the role of strong community ties in dealing with the health crisis.
In South Africa, Sina Parastaran describes recent efforts of a clinic he operates in the Jouberton township to draw on the strength of the community to respond to different needs arising from the health crisis. “New possibilities emerge when you realize that every human being has the potential to serve their society.”
A group of youth group in Soweto, South Africa, participating in an outdoor devotional gathering while maintaining safety measures put in place by the government. Baha’is working in healthcare in the country have been drawing on the strength of the community to respond to different needs arising from the health crisis.
Prakash Kaushal, a senior medical official in Indore, India, explains the significance of the spiritual life of a community in assisting those who are ill. “A community has a great role in creating a supportive environment for patients and their families. This can be through praying together, staying constantly in touch, and providing them with certain necessities if needed. This is the time the family and the patient need love from the community. This keeps their spirits up and helps them to overcome the disease with a spirit of peace, confidence, and faith in God by surrounding them with love, support and prayers.”
Early on in the pandemic, Nasim Ahmadiyeh, a doctor in a Kansas City, US, hospital, realized how close friendships fostered through years of community-building efforts of the Baha’is of that city could be channeled to assist residents of a neighborhood in which cases of the coronavirus were growing.
Efforts in a Kansas City, US, to mobilize local resources to meet pressing needs have led to a series of discussion spaces—while maintaining safety measures put in place by the government—allowing residents in this neighborhood to consult on various protective measures, including the production of masks for community members.
These healthcare professionals all describe how, in spite of the physical and mental fatigue they experience each day, consciousness of spiritual reality allows them to tap into a vast reservoir of energy and strength. Kgomotso Mabilane, an anesthesiologist in a South African hospital that has had to manage an outbreak in Pretoria, explains that joining others for prayer and reflection on profound concepts found in the Baha’i teachings has helped her and her colleagues to navigate such taxing times with hope and determination.
“The thing about COVID-19 is that it isolates people,” says Dr. Mabilane. “Being part of a community and having support from others is essential. The online devotions that I have with friends not only bring comfort and hope in times of grief, but open my mind to other ways of looking at difficulties we encounter every day, seeing the joy of serving others and the opportunities for personal growth. This is how you go home and become whole again to be of service to more patients tomorrow.”
Parliament has joined the global Gold September campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer by lighting up its Brussels building in gold on 1-6 September.
Every year, more than 35,000 children are diagnosed with cancer in Europe. Although the average survival rate at five years is 80%, there are significant differences between European countries due to unequal access to the best care and expertise.
500,000 ;Estimated number of childhood cancer survivors in Europe in 2020
Leukaemia appears to be the most frequent and most lethal cancer in children, accounting for more than 30% of new cases and deaths per year.
Fighting cancer is a priority for the EU. In June, the European Parliament set up a special committee to look at how the EU can take concrete measures to help beat cancer.
The special committee on beating cancer will evaluate:
the possibility of improving quality of life for patients and families
scientific knowledge on prevention and specific action on tobacco, obesity, alcohol, pollution etc.
how to support research into prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood and rare cancers, where an EU approach offers the best chance of success
early detection and screening programmes
how to support non-profit clinical trials
possible EU action to facilitate the transparency of treatment prices to improve affordability and access
Polish EPP member Ewa Kopacz, who is the Parliament coordinator on children’s rights, said: “While we should strive for the prevention of paediatric cancer, we must also work to ensure that all children facing a cancer diagnosis have equal access to treatment and proper care throughout their treatment and recovery.”
The Parliament Vice-President, who is a former paediatrician and health minister, added: “By lightning the European Parliament in gold we send a strong signal of solidarity and support to children and adolescents fighting cancer, their families, childhood cancer survivors and professionals serving them.”
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — During the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe and North America, city-dwellers — including Pope Francis — were struck by the hush on the streets, the blueness of the skies and the songs of birds.
The experience gives added meaning to the theme of the 2020 celebration of the Season of Creation, “Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope.”
The Season of Creation begins Sept. 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, an observance initiated by the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1989 and adopted by Pope Francis for the Catholic Church in 2015. The season runs through Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
The theme, “Jubilee for the Earth,” refers to the biblical jubilee years in Leviticus 25 — a sacred time every 50 years for renewing one’s relationship with God, restoring justice to individuals and letting the land recuperate.
Father Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, an official at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said the theme was chosen by an ecumenical organizing group before the COVID-19 pandemic began. They wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day April 22.
But, “the theme has become so relevant in the context of lockdown, and the pandemic is still raging across the world,” he said. While the lockdown had a hugely negative impact on the poor, who could not work from home, it “gave us a taste of an environment with much less pollution, the skies were clear, the dolphins came back” to the waters off of Italy.
The “small gap” of the lockdown, he said, showed that, if given a chance, “nature can flourish again.”
In a joint letter urging Christians to mark the celebrations, the ecumenical Conference of European Churches and the Catholic Council of European Bishops’ Conferences said the biblical call to a jubilee “underlines that there must exist a just and sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities.”
“The lesson from the biblical concept of jubilee points us toward the need to restore balance in the very systems of life, affirming the need for equality, justice and sustainability and confirming the need for a prophetic voice in defense of our common home,” said the letter released Aug. 25.
Celia Deane-Drummond, director of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute at Campion Hall at England’s Oxford University, said a jubilee implies rest for the land — by, for example, letting a field lie fallow for a year — and rest for human beings, especially those enslaved by others, but also those who feel driven to work almost 24/7 for earnings or status.
“That’s what integral ecology is all about it; bringing together the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor means not focusing on one or the other but both at the same time,” she told Catholic News Service Aug. 25. “Trying to get a balance between those aspects is sometimes quite challenging, but a jubilee is sort of like, ‘Let’s stop and listen and think about how we need to do things differently.’”
The professor, who has doctoral degrees in both biology and theology, said she thinks there are things people learned during the lockdown that will endure. For example, she expects online meetings to continue to replace many international conferences, reducing the carbon footprints of people who fly all over the world for meetings. Also, she said, many people will continue to enjoy beauty they discovered in their own neighborhoods and the joys of walking, hiking or running near home.
But another important aspect of a jubilee is forgiveness, she said. “The tendency is to put too much emphasis on blaming people for the crisis we’re in and not enough on the mercy of God and forgiveness and the possibility of starting again or of doing things differently.”
“I would always want to go back and say, ‘Well it’s not too late’” if an individual or business owner takes responsibility for harming the environment and truly changes, which is different from “green washing,” the practice of marketing a company as environmentally friendly when it is not.
Pope Francis’ call to “listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet” has been consistent since the publication five years ago of his ecological encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”
But that call has been more insistent during the coronavirus pandemic.
At his weekly general audience Aug. 19, Pope Francis defined as a “scandal” government pandemic assistance to companies that “do not contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, the promotion of the least, the common good or the care of creation.”
“Greedy for profit, we let ourselves get caught up in things, and lured away by haste,” Pope Francis said during a special prayer service in an empty, rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square in March.
People did not “listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet,” he said. “We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick.”
Father Kureethadam said invoking a jubilee and encouraging prayer is a holistic approach to environmental concern; it includes asking forgiveness of God and of one another.
“Our real hope and prayer is that it will allow us to renew humanity, renew solidarity, renew ourselves in our relationship with God and with one another and the environment,” he said.
Marking the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ in May, the pope published a prayer that asked God to “enable us to succeed in listening and responding to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. May their current sufferings become the birth-pangs of a more fraternal and sustainable world.”
