Latest news with #NIS
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Spy chief nominee grilled over his perceptions of North Korea
Lee Jong-seok, the nominee to be the director of the National Intelligence Service, faced scrutiny over his past acquaintance with a former deputy governor convicted over illegal cash transfers to North Korea at his confirmation hearing Thursday. At the hearing, Lee was asked about his past ties to former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Gov. Lee Hwa-young, who served when President Lee Jae Myung was governor of the province, and was sentenced to 9 1/2 years in prison for a 2019-20 scheme to transfer funds to the North. The scheme took place during the president's tenure as governor, a role in which he has denied any wrongdoing. Prosecutors allege that the president, when he was governor, used undergarment maker Ssangbangwool to send $8 million to North Korea. The NIS director nominee and the former deputy governor had worked together at the inter-Korean peace committee at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office from 2018. The nominee said he knew the former deputy governor strictly in a professional capacity and that he had no knowledge of the scheme at all. When asked about his past public remarks opposing the introduction of THAAD, the US anti-ballistic missile defense system, and GSOMIA, the intelligence-sharing framework with Japan, the nominee said he believes that those were "things that are already agreed upon and should be complied with." Lee said that the foundation of South Korea's security is its alliance with the US. "That is the stance of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and I believe the same," he said. In a written response submitted to the National Assembly on Thursday, a day ahead of his hearing, Lee denied the accusations that he was lenient toward North Korea. "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. Lee served as minister of inter-Korean affairs under the late former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in 2006.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Midroog Upgrades Outlook for the Strauss Group to Stable
PETAH TIKVA, Israel, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Strauss Group Ltd. (TASE: STRS), announces today that the credit rating agency Midroog, an affiliate of Moody's, announced today that it has upgraded Strauss Group's outlook from negative to stable, while affirming the rating of the Group's debentures (Series E and F). Midroog cited several key factors behind the outlook revision, including its expectation of improved profit margins, execution of the Group's optimization program, and a reduction in debt levels following the divestment by its divisions of non-core operations, in line with the Group's business strategy. Midroog noted that the outlook revision from negative to stable reflects the Group's recovery of its pre-recall market shares, alongside pricing adjustments – particularly in the Brazilian coffee joint venture – implemented in 2024 and 2025, which have contributed to sales growth. In parallel, the Group took active steps to reduce its debt through the divestment of non-core operations, consistent with its business strategy. In December 2024, the company completed the sale of the Sabra and Obela dips and spreads business, generating NIS 723 million in net cash flow, which was largely allocated to debt reduction. Additionally, Midroog cited its expectation that debt reduction, combined with measures aimed at improving profit margins over the medium term – including the company's productivity program to enhance operational efficiency, pricing adjustments, and margin improvements in Brazil – will support a stronger debt-to-EBITDA ratio, expected to fall within the 1.8-2.1 range, which is consistent the current rating level. The rating agency further noted the Group's longstanding stable and conservative business and financial management, as well as its competence in the management and integration of acquired businesses – factors that also contributed positively to the rating. Midroog stated that the rating is supported by the Group's strong business positioning, sustained by its leading status in the Israeli food market. This positioning is driven by a broad portfolio of leading products with significant market share across all business categories, as well as internal growth that surpasses industry levels, supported by marketing innovation and strategic collaborations with international food manufacturers. For further information, please contact: Rivka NeufeldInvestor Relations Manager+972-54-4224146ir@ View original content: SOURCE Strauss Group Ltd. Sign in to access your portfolio
Medscape
12-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Women With ILD Fare Better After ICU Care
Women admitted to ICU for interstitial lung disease (ILD) had shorter hospital stays and a lower risk for death than men, based on a new analysis of more than 800,000 individuals. Although previous studies have shown gender-based disparities in disease progression and severity for ILD based on subtype, data on the effect of gender on ICU outcomes in these patients are limited, according to Matthew Viggiano, MD, an internal medicine resident at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, and colleagues. In a study presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference, the researchers analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for the period from 2016 to 2018. They identified 810,295 adults aged 18 years or older hospitalized with ILD, of whom 42,080 received ICU care. Of these, 46.7% were women. Female patients were significantly younger than male patients (mean age, 66.9 vs 69.1 years), more likely to be African American (17.0% vs 10.9%), and less likely to be Caucasian (63.7% vs 69.2%; P < .001 for all). Mortality was significantly lower in women than in men (40.5% vs 48.1%) even after adjusting for confounders including age, race, and comorbidities, and this difference was the most striking finding, Viggiano said in an interview. 'It also surprised us that these women tended to have a shorter length of hospital stay, given many came from lower-income areas,' he said. ICU stays were defined using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for central line placement and mechanical ventilation. Overall, hospital stays for female patients lasted 1.15 days less than hospital stays for male patients. Female patients also were significantly more likely than male patients to come from lower-income ZIP codes (38.3% vs 33.2%) and less likely to have a history of tobacco use disorder (35.0% vs 43.9%; P < .001 for both). The reasons for the disparities remain unclear, but new studies suggest that hormones may play a role in disease progression and severity, Viggiano told Medscape Medical News . 'For example, estrogen has been implicated in modulating immune responses and fibrotic processes in the lungs via downregulating profibrotic pathways,' he said. 'Additionally, women may have lower threshold to seek medical attention or follow-up, leading to earlier intervention and management of ILD,' he noted. Other comorbidities unrelated to ILD also may contribute to morbidity and hospital length of stay, he added. 'Overall, recognizing these disparities is a key step toward more personalized treatment strategies, and our hope is that this research will prompt further studies to fully understand and address the underlying causes,' said Viggiano. Not Time for Gender Neutral Treatments Although the results suggest that clinicians should be aware that gender could influence ILD prognosis, the data do not suggest a need to advocate for entirely separate protocols as yet, Viggiano said. 'Instead, we encourage clinicians to recognize that men may have unique risk factors and might require more aggressive monitoring or early interventions; further studies will help refine specific management strategies,' he said. 'We believe evaluating for mortality and hospital stay in different subtypes of ILD would be an immediate future direction for the project,' said Viggiano. The investigation of specific biological, immunologic, and social factors also must be an area of focus, he said. 'Understanding why women fare better could lead to targeted therapies, especially for men who are at higher risk of poor outcomes, and ultimately to more personalized approaches to ILD care,' he added. To that end, Viggiano and colleagues intend to conduct prospective studies to explore specific biological markers and social determinants in men and women with ILD. 'We'll also look at the influence of treatment interventions, medication use, and rehabilitation services on outcomes. Ultimately, we'd like to identify targeted strategies to reduce the mortality gap and enhance care for both genders,' he told Medscape Medical News . Data Reinforce Differences 'As more treatments for interstitial lung diseases emerge, it is important that we now start focusing on which populations get the greatest benefit for specific treatments,' said Anthony Faugno, MD, a pulmonologist at Tufts Medicine, Boston, in an interview. To that end, the authors of the current study used data from the NIS to ask important questions about how sex, demographics, and socioeconomic factors affect patient outcomes, said Faugno, who was not involved in the study. Were You Surprised by Any of the Findings? Why or Why Not? Biologically important differences in hormones between men and women are known to affect the way a given disease behaves; therefore, it is important to have representative samples of diverse sex and race in clinical trials to ensure the generalizability of therapy, Faugno told Medscape Medical News . The current study findings were not surprisingbut reinforce the value of a diverse population using a large, nationally representative sample, he said. The current study findings may not directly affect clinical practice, as the results were based on ICD codes that cover many different diagnoses, Faugno noted. However, as the authors suggest, 'I do think it informs additional research directions, such as doing a similar analysis in specific interstitial diseases,' he said. The current study addresses a global catch-all term of ILD, which may include many different pathologies that respond to different treatments, said Faugno. 'A future analysis that addressed the gender disparities in more specific diagnoses would add to our understanding and help patients better understand how they may respond to a specific therapy,' he said.
Hans India
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Row brews over public swimming pool in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: The management of the Emmekere public swimming pool in Mangaluru has come under scrutiny following allegations by members of a local swimming club regarding operational priorities and access. In response, Naveen, the director of the pool, addressed the media to clarify the situation and defend the facility's recent initiatives. According to Naveen, the pool's operations have been managed through an open tender since December 1, 2024. Under this agreement, a security de-posit of Rs 50 lakh was submitted and a monthly fee of Rs 2.61 lakh is be-ing paid to the City corporation. The pool is currently open to the general public, children, and athletes, and offers structured swimming programmes ranging from beginner to high-performance levels, under the guidance of cer-tified National Institute of Sports (NIS) coaches. Out of the ten available swimming lanes, seven have been allocated for ath-letes, one for lap swimmers, and two for the general public. Naveen stated that further prioritisation for athletes would be made based on demand. In response to criticisms from a section of the swimming community, par-ticularly Mangala Swimming Club, Naveen emphasised his long-standing respect for the Dakshina Kannada Swimming Association and its office-bearers. However, he alleged that a few individuals from the Mangala Club were misusing the association's name to promote personal agendas and in-fluence political representatives and officials for preferential treatment. He recounted that when the Mangaluru City Corporation's swimming pool was temporarily closed, both Jai Hind and Mangala clubs were granted training access at Emmekere. While Jai Hind Club returned to the corpora-tion facility upon its reopening, Mangala Swimming Club requested contin-ued access and was allowed evening slots from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Despite this, Naveen alleged, the club continued training sessions beyond the permit-ted time—sometimes past 9:00 pm—without objection from the manage-ment. To enhance training standards, a Vishwamitri Award-winning NIS-certified coach was appointed. However, disagreements arose when Mangala Swim-ming Club declined schedule adjustments proposed due to technical re-quirements and instead opted to shift back to the corporation pool. Naveen also responded to accusations that public access to the main pool hampers athlete training. He asserted that the facility is managed inclusively to serve both athletes and citizens. While free entry has been granted to mer-itorious national- and international-level swimmers at specific times, tech-nical and financial constraints do not allow similar exemptions for personal coaches. He concluded by expressing concern that efforts to modernise and broaden the pool's offerings are being misrepresented to the public, and stressed the need to safeguard the facility's dual mission: promoting competitive excel-lence and public fitness.
Saba Yemen
06-06-2025
- Business
- Saba Yemen
Due to Yemeni Forces' Blockade: Revenues from Israeli Port of Eilat Collapsed by 80% in 2024
Occupied al-Quds- Saba: The Israeli newspaper "The Marker" revealed that revenues from the port of Eilat collapsed by 80% in 2024, after ships stopped docking there following the blockade imposed by Yemeni forces on maritime navigation in the Red Sea in support of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government will vote next Sunday on a draft resolution for compensation conditional on the payment of a debt of 3.2 million shekels accumulated by the port owners. The draft resolution reveals the extent of the damage to the port due to the blockade imposed by the Yemeni armed forces, which has prevented ships from sailing through the Red Sea, forcing them instead to circumnavigate Africa to reach Israel's Mediterranean ports, Ashdod and Haifa. From the beginning of 2025 to mid-May, only six ships docked at the port. The suspension of operations placed 21 employees on unpaid leave, compared to only 16 ships docked last year. In 2023, port revenues reached NIS 212 million. In 2024, they decreased by approximately 80%, reaching NIS 42 million, compared to 134 ships docking at the port in 2023. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
