Latest news with #Goren
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Official: 16-year-old La Masia prodigy signs new contract with Barcelona
FC Barcelona have officially announced that teenage La Masia gem, Orian Goren, has signed a new contract to continue his journey at the club. 'Player Orian Goren has signed a contract to continue at the Club in his youth career,' the club statement read. Advertisement 'Thank you, Goren family, for trusting La Masia for your son's training as a player and person,' it added. Goren, 16, joined Barcelona in the winter of 2023, arriving from Israeli club MP Tikva. The teenager is an interior midfielder by trade, but is capable of playing higher up the pitch or even as a pivot if needed. The player spent the previous season alternating between the club's Cadete A and Juvenil B teams. The youngster, capped seven times by the Israeli Under-17 national team, turned 16 years old in March, and his previous contract with Barça stood to expire this summer. However, Goren has decided to continue his development with Barcelona by penning his first professional contract with the Catalan giants. The agreement is expected to keep him at the club until 2028. Advertisement The teenage midfielder follows in the footsteps of other young talents like Alvaro Gomez and Pau Berges, who have penned new youth contracts with the Blaugrana in recent weeks.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Diversity commitment persists in clinical trials amidst policy shifts
Despite major policy rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the federal level, clinical research leaders have made it clear: inclusive research remains a top priority. Just days into his presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling DEI initiatives across the federal government, with implications for private sector programs as well. However, the commitment to equitable clinical trial enrollment continues to evolve across the research sector. At the Outsourcing in Clinical Trials East Coast 2025 conference in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, panelists were asked how trial sponsors and researchers can sustain momentum for inclusive enrollment amid the scaling back of formal DEI mandates. For Kathleen Cohen, Vice President of Clinical Development Operations at Avalo Therapeutics, the answer lies in adapting without abandoning the mission. 'The spirit of what you want to do can still be represented in the organisation you have,' said Cohen. 'You can stay on course without using the same dialogue.' This means continuing to build trust with underrepresented populations and designing studies that reflect the realities of the communities they aim to serve—even if the language around DEI changes. Panelists shared a range of strategies being used to support diversity in trial participation, with an emphasis on accessibility, and grassroots engagement. 'Find champions and trusted people in the community you want to reach,' advised Lucas Goren, a senior project manager at the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). 'Find out who are the pillars of that community and engage with them—they can drive participation and engender trust.' A central tenant of community collaboration is true partnership through reciprocal, enduring relationships, rather than drop-in, ad hoc enrollment farming. Lay-friendly materials were also highlighted as a vital tool. Goren stressed the need to work with subject matter experts – especially community members - to continuously update and simplify clinical trial language for patients, using plain language definitions and clearly explained study concepts. Translation was recommended as a key focus and using not just experts, but also members of the target community to review translated content. 'You need a second, third, even fourth pair of eyes,' said Goren, underscoring the need for cultural nuance and local context. Cohen added that materials should be customised to the population a study aims to reach—not only in text but also in visuals. 'Make sure the patient population you are targeting is represented in the text and images of the website,' she said. 'Patients feel a connection when they see something that resonates.' Beyond materials, sourcing new sites in underserved communities is also crucial. Cohen emphasised identifying and partnering with investigators in areas that have historically been overlooked, helping to bring trials closer to those most often excluded. In concluding remarks, Ram Raju, former SVP of Northwell Health said the spirit of DEI will continue and a shift in attitude is just as important as practical changes. 'These people are not clinical trial subjects—they are your partners,' said Raju. 'Change your mindset and focus on trust and transparency. If they believe you, they will stay with you.' The 16th Annual Outsourcing in Clinical Trials East Coast 2025 (OCT East Coast) is taking place on May 20–21, 2025, at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. "Diversity commitment persists in clinical trials amidst policy shifts" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The watchers who prey on Israel's falcon poachers
For the volunteer watchers scanning southern Israel's wheatfields, protecting migratory falcons from poachers is a highly coordinated security operation. The raptors may top the food chain in the wild, but here the predators can themselves become the prey. Many protected species of migratory birds spend their winters in this agricultural area close to the Gaza Strip. And some species are big business. A single falcon can fetch up to tens of thousands of dollars on the black market, especially in Gulf countries where falconry is a treasured tradition. Meidad Goren, director of the Ramat Hanegev Birding Center, told AFP that poaching has soared in recent years. Falcons are captured alive by Bedouin Arabs living in Israel's Negev desert to be domesticated or smuggled to neighbouring countries, he said. Using binoculars to observe one bird perched on a nearby pylon, Goren noted: "It has a ring. It's a peregrine falcon that was captured and escaped." The raptors feed on small birds attracted to the wheat, waiting motionless and watching from power lines that cross the fields. The number of cases of birds of prey, especially falcons, found with ties around their legs, sometimes tangled in power lines, led Goren to set up groups of volunteer watchers. The area is also patrolled by rangers from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. - 'Like watching a child' - This winter, a saker falcon took up residence around Kibbutz Urim. The saker falcon is an endangered species popular with falconers in eastern Europe, Central Asia and Arab states. After observing several attempts by poachers to capture the bird, Goren put in place what he calls a "special surveillance system". "Dozens of people, ornithologists, nature lovers, retirees, guides, farmers," responded to his appeal for help to reinforce regular volunteer patrols, said Goren. His centre operates under both the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Mirit Keshales is 47 and a regular "falcon guardian" volunteer. "It's really like watching a child, a very methodical organisation with a well-defined schedule... we make sure someone is always there during the day," she said. The poachers come mostly from Bedouin villages, said Ofir Bruckenstein, a ranger with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. "For them, hunting with falcons and owning falcons are cultural practices rooted in their traditions," he said. "Owning a falcon and displaying it in their living space is a symbol of status and prestige." - Sold for $19,000 - Bruckenstein criticised what he called lenient penalties for poaching, in particular of falcons, saying fines were of "a few thousand shekels", even if repeat offenders faced jail terms. The especially lucrative black market for falcons smuggled via Jordan and Egypt to the Gulf encourages the illegal trade, he added. "Saker falcons and peregrine falcons are easily sold for 50,000 or 70,000 shekels ($14,000 to $19,000)," he said. Falconry is inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and is hugely popular in the Gulf. In the United Arab Emirates, passports for falcons were introduced in 2002 in an effort to combat smuggling, and tens of thousands have since been issued. But poaching remains a regional problem in the Middle East, and the demand for falcons captured from the wild has exploded in recent years, with the growth in clubs which stage contests for beauty and falconry. While falcons are farmed, especially in the UAE which permits only captive-bred and registered birds to be used in sport falconry, wild falcons are considered better hunters and are thus more desirable. "They lack falcons because those that arrive (in the Gulf region) in winter have nearly all been caught. That's why they are now trying to capture them elsewhere," said Goren. AFP contacted several international falconry organisations based in Europe, but they declined to comment on the illegal trade to Gulf countries, citing the "sensitivity of the issue". Meanwhile, the watchers in southern Israel do what they can to prevent more of these beautiful birds from falling into human hands. dms/cyj/dcp/srm/ser/fox
