Latest news with #TCR
Russia Today
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Mobilization proceeding ‘normally'
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denis Shmigal has claimed that the country's mobilization process is proceeding 'absolutely normally' in 90% of cases. He dismissed media reports that focus on forced conscription, saying it only reflects a small fraction of the reality. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Kiev has enforced a general mobilization, requiring all able-bodied men ages 25 to 60 to serve in the armed forces. However, Ukrainian commanders have consistently reported manpower shortages. Ukraine's Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR) have since conducted a mobilization campaign which has drawn widespread criticism for its violent enforcement tactics. Numerous videos posted on social media show TCR officers chasing men through the streets, dragging them into unmarked minibuses, and assaulting both recruits and bystanders – a practice now widely dubbed 'busification'. Shmigal defended the process in a BBC Ukraine interview published on Wednesday. 'People receiving summons come to serve. They are not grabbed, they are not dragged,' he said, claiming that 'scandalous' incidents involving beatings and coercive recruitment tactics account for just 5-10% of all cases. He added that media reports on these scandals are harmful to national security. He attributed the incidents of abuse to the 'human factor,' and maintained that without the TCR, 'we would have lost this war a long time ago.' Ukraine is believed to mobilize 17,000 to 30,000 men per month, according to TASS estimates based on statements from Ukrainian and Western sources. If Shmigal's 10% estimate is accurate, this would indicate up to 3,000 cases of forced conscription each month – an average of around 100 per day – suggesting the phenomenon is more widespread than previously reported. Last month, Ukrainian MP Yury Kamelchuk told local media that only 20-25% of recruitment targets are met through voluntary enlistment. 'The rest, unfortunately, the TCRs are ordered to provide,' he said. 'The quality of their work is abysmal, because they draft everyone.' Earlier this week, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky signed a law allowing men over 60 to enter contract-based military service to address recruitment shortfalls.
Car and Driver
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2026 Hyundai Elantra N TCR Takes Aim at the Honda Civic Type R
Hyundai is bringing out a special-edition Elantra N in Canada to celebrate the company's TCR series wins. The Elantra N TCR Edition features a big wing and upgraded brakes, and it's only available by special order. There's not much stopping the Elantra N TCR Edition from coming to the United States too. In 1983, Hyundai began its first sales in North America with the humble Pony—a 70-hp, four-door hatchback. This was not a new strategy, as Honda had also used Canada as a test market with the S600 in the 1960s, long before the N600 arrived in the United States, and Mazda had done likewise with the rotary-powered R100. While the U.S. and Canada have very similar automotive markets, sometimes the latter sees automakers dipping their toes in the water before diving in on a larger scale, and if Hyundai Canada's latest offering is anything to go by, an enthusiast-focused special could be in the future for south of the border. It's called the Elantra N TCR Edition, and it's basically the 911 GT3 of Hyundais. Starting out with the already excellent Elantra N, Hyundai has added forged wheels and upgraded front brakes via four-piston monoblock calipers. There's also a truly massive swan-neck adjustable rear wing as a calling card. Hyundai Inside, the TCR is swathed with Alcantara touch points, periwinkle blue seatbelts, and a host of other cosmetic upgrades. Though it is available in limited quantities and must be specially ordered, Hyundai Canada will still allow you to pick between a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic transmission, as well as four exterior colors (two fewer than the standard Elantra N). Speaking of which, the TCR Edition doesn't get any more power than the regular Elantra N, so that's 286 horsepower in overboost mode from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. That's plenty, and Hyundai's N products are all about offering chassis capability that allows drivers to extract every bit of speed that a turbo four can provide. Adding upgraded brakes and a bit more aero should mean that this version of the Elantra is capable of setting faster lap times. Hyundai Last month, Hyundai claimed its fifth straight TCR class victory at the Nurburgring 24-Hour race, finishing first and second on the podium. The effort included Canadian racing driver Robert Wickens, a former DTM and IndyCar driver who survived a life-altering crash at Pocono Raceway in 2018, yet has returned to top-level motorsports despite being paraplegic. The original Hyundai Pony was not a great car, and it actually became the butt of jokes north of the border, much like the Yugo did in America. Despite the shaky start, Hyundai has grown to become a world-class brand in both markets, and the launch of the TCR Edition Elantra in Canada just shows how confident the company is these days. Hyundai Priced about $3500 more than the standard Elantra N, the TCR Edition seems like a bit of a bargain for some genuinely motorsports-infused performance. There's no reason Hyundai's U.S. operations couldn't put a similar program into place, especially as the cars are special order only, and you wouldn't have to convince dealers to stock them. You can bet Hyundai USA will be watching how the TCR Edition sells in hoser-land. Here's hoping the U.S. gets it too. And if not, well, sorry, eh? Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adaptimmune, seeking to stay afloat, sells off cell therapies
This story was originally published on BioPharma Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily BioPharma Dive newsletter. Struggling cancer cell therapy developer Adaptimmune is backing out of commercial drug manufacturing, announcing Monday it will sell its approved medicine Tecelra and two late-stage assets to US WorldMeds in a deal worth up to $85 million. The deal is a lifeline for Adaptimmune, which in March initiated a strategic review because of 'substantial doubt' about the company's continued solvency. The transaction will send all employees involved in commercialization and development of Tecelra, as well as the clinical-stage lete-cel and uza-cel, to US WorldMeds. Per deal terms, Adaptimmune will receive $55 million upfront and could later receive $30 million in additional payments based on achievement of regulatory and commercial milestones. After the sale, Adaptimmune will retain possession of two T cell directed therapies now in preclinical studies to support human testing. In a regulatory filing, Adaptimmune said that, after the deal, it will cut its remaining workforce by 62% — layoffs that follow a 29% headcount reduction earlier this year that was forecast to save $300 million over four years. Chief Medical Officer Elliot Norry and Chief Commercial Officer Cintia Piccina will leave the company Aug. 8, while Chief Scientific Officer Joanna Brewer will leave Aug. 31. Tecelra gained Food and Drug Administration accelerated approval in 2024 for some patients with synovial sarcoma, a type of solid tumor. It was the first so-called T cell receptor, or TCR, cell therapy approved in the U.S. A half dozen cell therapies that use a different 'CAR-T' technology were approved earlier, but have so far only approved effective in blood cancers. Adaptimmune's innovation didn't translate into sales, however. Adaptimmune reported just over $4 million in product revenue in the first quarter of 2025, overshadowed by the company's nearly $29 million in research and development spending. It held $41 million in cash and equivalents at the end of March. 'After an extensive review of all strategic alternatives available to Adaptimmune we are convinced that this transaction represents the best path forward for Adaptimmune, our patients and stakeholders,' said CEO Adrian Rawcliffe in a statement. Adaptimmune shares fell by two-thirds following the announcement, changing hands at about 10 cents apiece in afternoon trading. While arguing Adaptimmune's deal was a 'net positive' due to its solvency concerns, Mizuho Securities analyst Graig Suvannavejh wrote in a client note that the size of the deal was 'disappointing.' Suvannavejh added that, even with the revenue from the deal and associated cost cuts, 'it is still unclear to us [the company's] liquidity concerns have been adequately addressed.' Recommended Reading Merck to buy Verona and its lung drug in $10B deal 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
Russia Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Draft officers brutalizing recruits in Ukraine (VIDEOS)
Multiple new disturbing videos purporting to show extremely violent actions by Ukrainian draft officers surfaced online this week. The increasingly chaotic mobilization drive, overseen by the so-called Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has been marred by widespread violence and abuse, with recruitment officials seen chasing recruits in the streets, brawling with them and onlookers alike, and even threatening civilians with military-grade weaponry. One of the videos, reportedly shot in the southwestern city of Nikolayev, purports to show draft officers trying to pack a potential recruit into an unmarked vehicle. The officers are seen violently beating their victim and repeatedly smashing him with the car's door. Another video, reportedly taken in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, shows a group of officers trying to pack a draftee into their bus. The man appears to be heavily beaten, with his clothes torn and stained with dirt. A fresh video from the city of Dnepr (also known as Dnepropetrovsk) shows a mass brawl between a group of teenagers and several men believed to be draft officers. The plainclothes TCR officials were confronted by onlookers as they attempted to pack a man into their unmarked vehicle, with the altercation promptly devolving into a fisticuffs. The civilians ultimately managed to overpower the officers and free the detainee. Ukrainian mobilization, launched early in the conflict with Russia, has grown increasingly chaotic and violent over the years. The effort has received the moniker 'busification', which describes the process of violently packing recruits into the unmarked minibuses commonly used by TCR officials. Kiev has long denied widespread violence and abuse related to the draft process, routinely dismissing it as 'Russian propaganda.' This April, however, the country's military admitted that its recruitment process has been marred by certain shortcomings. 'Busification is a shameful phenomenon, and we're doing our best to avoid it,' deputy head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Lt. Gen. Ivan Gavrilyuk said.
Russia Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Mother dies trying to save son from draft officers in Ukraine – media (VIDEO)
A woman has died shortly after a desperate attempt to save her son from military recruitment officers in Ukraine, a local Telegram channel and media have claimed, posting a dramatic video of the incident. Ukrainian authorities declared general mobilization following the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, barring most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. In 2024, Kiev tightened conscription laws and lowered the draft age from 27 to 25. However, a considerable number of would-be recruits are apparently unwilling to join the Ukrainian military, as attested by numerous social media videos depicting men fleeing from or resisting draft officers. The mobilization campaign, enforced by the country's Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has been repeatedly criticized over draft officers' aggressive tactics and abuses. The video of the incident, which reportedly took place in the city of Merefa in Kharkov Region in eastern Ukraine, was published by a local Telegram channel on Tuesday. A woman in her 60s can be seen clinging to the windshield of a moving van, seemingly trying to stop it. The vehicle moves in reverse gear for some time while the woman screams. An onlooker shooting the video is heard claiming that the van belonged to military recruitment officers who had recently taken the woman's son, who was presumably being held inside the vehicle. Eventually, a brawny man emerges from the vehicle and rudely tackles the woman, finally making her let go of the van. Soon after it speeds away, the woman collapses to the ground. According to media outlet, the woman soon passed away in an ambulance. In recent months, numerous violent altercations between draft officers and reluctant draftees have been captured on video all across Ukraine. There have also been multiple cases of civil disobedience and even assassinations of draft officers, as well as reports of men dying under suspicious circumstances shortly after being taken from the street. Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko claimed last month that fewer than one in four recruits enlist voluntarily, with most entering service through what he described as 'brutal compulsory conscription.' Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukrainian recruitment officers are grabbing people 'like dogs on the street.' He accused the leadership in Kiev of waging a war 'to the last Ukrainian' on behalf of Western nations. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has officially dismissed criticism of the mobilization process as 'Russian propaganda.'
