by Adrian Leeds
Everything we thought was going to happen in our lives in the near future is being thwarted by the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s a lesson to be learned that what we believe will happen in the future is completely illusory. As philosopher Eckhart Tolle said: “The future is usually imagined as either better or worse than the present. If the imagined future is better, it gives you hope or pleasurable anticipation. If it is worse, it creates anxiety. Both are illusory.”
My name is Firuze and I was born in Kassel in Germany. My parents came to Germany as part of the recruitment agreement between the Federal Republic and Turkey. The first of my family to come to Germany was my maternal grandmother. She left her 5 children with her family and my grandfather, because she got the chance to earn a lot of money in Germany.
It was a difficult decision, however, like many others, she decided to return to her home in Ankara before the end of the employment contract.
While she was working in Germany, there was a tragedy at home. Her husband, my grandfather, had cheated on my grandmother with a widow. The affair blew up and as the culture and traditions demanded at the time, the shame had to be washed clean with blood.
Over two-thirds of UK Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) (69%) have reported significant pressures on their cash levels. This is in large part down to businesses paying for supplies earlier than anticipated because of coronavirus-related stockpiling and fears of deeper disruptions to transport (road, air and rail) linkages. Additionally, on orders and work that has been completed, payments are being delayed. Three-quarters (74%) of business owners reported invoices due to be settled at the end of February have not been paid yet (as of 10th March 2020) and that these were unlikely to be settled before the end of March 2020.
A startling statistic from the European Commission’s: when it comes to European start-ups, 83% of start-up founders are male. At the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), we want to see more women entrepreneurs: more female ownership of start-ups, and more businesses owned by women. It’s about equality and social inclusion, it is also about a good economic sense and using Europe’s biggest untapped entrepreneurial talent pool – women.
Drug development companies could face Investigational Medical Products (IMP) and Investigational New Drug (IND) clinical supply chain and commercial product supply issues created by the UK’s departure from the EU. New rules, especially in terms of CTSM and QP services, could cost healthcare companies millions in clinical trial hold ups and potential trial failure if they are not prepared in time. Furthermore, approved drug supply and delivery will be complicated following the UK’s December 2020 full exit from Europe.“Following ratification of the UK’s “Withdrawal Agreement” there is clarity on all the forced changes the UK’s departure from Europe will involve for healthcare companies worldwide running clinical trials in the EU.
In his address to delegates, the FIFA President Gianni Infantino stressed his belief in African football: “Our objective must be to project African football to the top of the world,” he said. “We have been talking about the development of African football for many years. Pelé once said that an African team would win the FIFA World Cup, but this hasn’t happened and it seems we are not making progress. Today must be the day we turn that page.” The FIFA President then unveiled a joint FIFA/CAF strategy for the elevation of African football focused on three key pillars: Refereeing, investment mobilisation and competition development.
