Latest news with #Warsaw-based
New Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Ever ordered a shot of ‘Yakshi'? Malayalis abroad might get a chance
KOCHI: Riding on the success of the 'Malayali' beer, the Warsaw-based brand is expanding into the production of vodka. Come September, its new offering -- Yakshi -- will debut, joining the brands crafted by Malayali-owned companies, such as Taika, Rooster Vodka, Mandakini, and Maharani Pomelo Vodka. In another happy news for beer connoisseurs, Malayali beer will be touching down at CIAL's Cochin Duty Free. Speaking to TNIE about the new launch and the story behind it, the founders of the company, Hexagon Spirits International SP Zoo, Chandu Nallur and Sargheve Sukumaran, say, 'Much like the story behind Malayali beer -- crafted in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war -- Yakshi too has an interesting back story. This single malt vodka was born from the residual by-products of the distillation process used in 'Malayali Habibi', our 0% alchohol beer. Yakshi is our latest innovation, conceptualised following a discussion with Lulu Group Chairman M A Yusuff Ali.' 'Yusuf Ali told us that if we are able to make a perfect zero per cent alchohol beer, he would make it available in all Lulu malls. But it has to be a perfect zero alchohol beer. Nobody has made such a beer since the cost of production is very high, and it involves multiple distillation processes to ensure that every drop of alcohol is eliminated. Now, even though we got the zero beer, we were left behind with the residual alcohol.' The founders then decided to make use of the byproduct. 'As you know, we Malayalis are known problem solvers and people who never let anything go to waste. So, Yakshi was born,' they added.
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Business Standard
21-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
The Johnson & Johnson Files: Unhealthy truths and defective hip implants
A tale of defective hip implants exposes India's weak medical oversight - and how multinationals treat Indian patients worse than those in rich countries premium Prosenjit Datta Listen to This Article The Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant by Kaunain Sheriff M. Published by Juggernaut 379 pages ₹599 In 1998, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) — known for everything from band aids to baby powder — took over DePuy for a whopping $3.5 billion dollars. DePuy Inc, a Warsaw-based company, was one of the largest and most respectable names in hip and knee implants in the world. It was the second-largest player in these areas in the US market and had a presence in 23 countries, including India. It was a great buy — within just over a decade, it became
Irish Independent
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
The Alters review: Surviving a space disaster with a little help from your selves
The Alters is not the first sci-fi game to test the consequences of cloning but it does so in a meaningful, thought-provoking manner as it explores the predicament of a lone astronaut stranded on a barren planet. Warsaw-based 11-Bit Studios has a pedigree in morally challenging survival games that present difficult choices to the player. You never could save everyone in titles such as 2015's This War of Mine or 2019's Frostpunk – the task was as stark as deciding who would live and who would die. In The Alters, you're trying to save yourself, an unremarkable space miner named Jan Dolski – the only one left alive of a mission by a vaguely shady corporation to locate a coveted rare element called rapidium that can speed up organic growth. Alone after his ship's catastrophic crash-landing, he realises there's no way he can survive without help even after finding his way to the crew's empty base on the planet. However, Dolski is also running from his past, and possibly his present and future too. Back on Earth, he left behind an ex-wife, regrets about how he dealt with his drunken father, and guilt about his late mother. If only life could bestow a chance to put things right…? After long-distance conversations with his corporate handler, Dolski learns that his shot at escaping the planet rests on cloning himself using rapidium – but each copy pulls from a different potential outcome in his life. Maybe the one who'd quit university to focus on an apprenticeship. Or the Jan who became at botanist at his wife's suggestion. Or the guy who got a PhD and became a scientist. The Alters layers this character drama with resource-gathering on the planet surface, a task always mindful of the ticking clock of radiation damage and a hazy threat from alien anomalies. You might spend the equivalent of several daytime hours mining rocks for components to build and then pass the evening teasing out the overarching issues with the clones – the alternate versions of Jan with contrasting abilities but not always agreeable viewpoints. It makes for an interesting game loop, overcoming the hostile environments outside and then negotiating with the others inside as you expand the base and draw on their knowledge to solve problems. Although the outside busywork can get a bit tedious, the game hangs together thanks in no small part to the remarkable performance by British actor Alex Jordan who invests Jan and his multiple Alters with distinct personalities. Just like life itself, there are myriad ways in which Dolski's story can branch, depending on which Alters he awakens. This lends an innate replayability to his story that overcomes the repetitiveness of the gameplay. Who could resist a do-over of a second chance in your life story? The Alters artfully balances the time pressures of Dolski's physical tasks with the emotional toll of managing the clones, a responsibility made all the heavier given that you're trying to rescue not just yourself but all your selves. Maybe living one life might easier after all…
DW
05-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Fleeing, injured, and forgotten in Poland's border forest – DW – 07/05/2025
For four years now, Poland has taken drastic measures to stop refugees from entering the EU across its border with Belarus. The humanitarian consequences are dire. DW spent a day with the activists who try to help them. Aleksandra Chrzanowska stops for a moment, checks her location on her cell phone, then marches straight into the forest, following no signpost or path. She walks confidently, despite the marshy, uneven ground. The Bialowieza National Park is Europe's last remaining primeval forest. Since 2021, Chrzanowska, a member of the Warsaw-based human rights organization Association for Legal Intervention, has spent almost every day in the forest on the Polish-Belarusian border. That was when Belarus started to encourage people from third countries to cross into Poland, as a way of exerting pressure on the EU. Poland responded by erecting a border fence and sending people back to Belarus. Since then, the situation at the border has deteriorated into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. Chrzanowska points to a map on her phone. It is dotted with colored markers. Each represents an "intervention," as the activists from the network Grupa Granica call their humanitarian activities in the forest along the border with Belarus. Usually, this means bringing hot soup, water, clothes, shoes, and power banks for the refugees. In many instances, they also provide medical assistance, and they get support from a doctor if the case is serious. Since the five-meter-high border fence was erected along the border with Belarus, there has been a sharp increase in injuries like broken bones, and deep cuts from barbed wire. "The fence doesn't stop people," Chrzanowska says. "They have no choice. Their lives are in danger in their homelands." Last year, Grupa Granica received around 5,600 emergency calls. They were able to intervene in response to about 1,400, helping some 3,400 people. The stranded migrants came from countries like Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan. The same year, the Polish border police recorded around 30,000 attempts to cross the border illegally. That number continues to increase: Frontex reported that in 2024 the number of people taking the so-called eastern migration route through Belarus went up by around 200%. Today, Aleksandra Chrzanowska is on her way to a designated spot to collect items left behind after an earlier intervention. Grupa Granica can sometimes reuse them, but the important thing is that they don't want any litter left in this unique nature reserve. Chrzanowska dons disposable gloves, picks up a thermos, a torn jacket, and a child's shoe, and puts them in a rubbish bag. Her phone rings. The base camp is calling. Reception is poor: Chrzanowska curses, but she's got the gist. Two Afghan men have just sent a text to the international emergency number, asking for help. "We have to hurry," she says. Suddenly she's like a different person. She grabs the rubbish bag, and as we stride toward the base camp, she listens to voice messages giving details of the upcoming intervention. One of the men has deep cuts, the messages say. The Afghan refugees have also asked for dry clothes and shoes, as they're soaked to the skin. They've sent a photo of the wound, which will be forwarded to a doctor for consultation. Meanwhile, at the base camp, other volunteers are packing the things the men need into big rucksacks. A short time later, Chrzanowska and another activist set off along a path, before plunging off into the depths of the forest, for reasons of security. They meet up with the refugees at the marked location they sent them earlier. Chrzanowska reports that the men were well hidden; it took them a while to find them. The men, in their mid-20s, speak no English. The activists use translation apps on their phones, typing in questions that the app translates into Pashtu. How long have they been in the forest? The men type in: a few weeks, three days on the Polish side. It's their third attempt; they've been pushed back twice before. This means that the Polish border guards have already caught them twice, and sent them back to Belarus, even though the men are seeking asylum. On March 27 this year, Poland suspended the right to apply for asylum at the Belarusian border. The men haven't eaten or drunk anything for several days. They gratefully accept the chickpea soup, sweet tea, and drinking water the activists have brought them. While they fortify themselves, Chrzanowska exchanges text messages with the doctor. The wound on the man's foot is deeper than it looked on the photo. The doctor sends Chrzanowska instructions for cleaning and treating the cut. The man types into the phone that he got the injury jumping from the border fence. The migrants were accompanied to the border by armed Belarusian soldiers, who were very aggressive, and hit them, he writes. The soldiers propped a ladder against the five-meter-high steel barrier, and forced the Afghans to jump down on the other side. "Normally, we would call an ambulance, to get the wound properly treated," says Chrzanowska. But since the suspension of asylum procedures, this is too risky, because "then border guards come as well. And that means there's a very high risk that the refugees will be sent back to Belarus again, regardless of the injury." The intervention lasts about half an hour. Chrzanowska tries to clean the wound as best she can. When she gets back from the intervention, she reports that the man was lying on the forest floor, very weak and in a lot of pain. "I was worried that he might not even be able to walk anymore," she says. Once he had eaten and drunk something, though, he soon stabilized. For Aleksandra Chrzanowska, this moment is always very moving. "At first, the refugees are very frightened. Once they're in dry clothes, and have had some hot tea or soup, you see them become human again." Some then even insist on sharing the food with her. The Grupa Granica network consists of several local NGOs and aid initiatives, and is supported by hundreds of volunteers, along with a small number of full-time helpers. Other than Doctors Without Borders, no international NGOs are active at the border between Poland and Belarus — unlike at other external EU borders. The Polish government disapproves of the work the activists are doing, and criminalizes the provision of support to migrants. Right now, five activists are on trial in the eastern Polish town of Hajnowka for helping an Iraqi Kurdish family with seven children who were hiding in the forest. They sare accused of "facilitating the stay" of illegal immigrants for "personal benefit." Aleksandra Chrzanowska is not intimidated. "Helping people is legal," she says curtly. Just a few hours later, they receive another emergency call. A group of four Afghans is asking for help. One reports that he has broken his leg jumping from the border fence. This time, a doctor will go with them.
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Digging Deeper: Fedlan Kılıçaslan on the Evolution of Endurance at Akif Capital
'Looking is not the same as seeing. Just as knowing is not the same as understanding.' These words from Fedlan Kılıçaslan, Chairman of Akif Capital, echo through the corridors of the Warsaw-based investment firm. In a financial world obsessed with speed and spectacle, Akif Capital's story is a quiet, radical counterpoint—a reflection of the value of patience, pattern recognition, and the refusal to chase the crowd. Akif Capital's journey began in a moment of global uncertainty. The firm was born not from the ashes of crisis, but from a recognition that the world's economic environment was growing more volatile, interconnected, and data-saturated by the day. Kılıçaslan and his team saw that the old playbook—reacting to headlines, chasing quarterly returns, and treating risk as something to be avoided—was no longer enough. Instead, Akif Capital chose a different path. Rather than seeking quick wins, the firm built its foundation on long-term thinking. The leadership believed that the most powerful strategy in finance was not speed but sustainability. This meant learning to spot patterns before they became consensus, connecting dots across sectors and geographies, and anticipating not just what the market would allow but what society would demand. 'Pattern recognition allows our teams to proactively position capital where it can do the most good—economically and socially—before the market catches on,' Kılıçaslan explained in a recent interview. This strategy has allowed Akif Capital to move early into emerging sectors like clean energy and artificial intelligence infrastructure, not simply because these areas promise future returns but because they represent inevitable shifts in the global economy. Akif Capital's defining trait is its focus on systems thinking. In a time when every investment decision can trigger second- and third-order effects, the firm has made it a priority to understand the interconnectedness of everything from regulatory pressures to supply chain ethics. This holistic view has enabled Akif Capital to see opportunities and risks that others miss. Recent cross-border projects have blended technology innovation with energy transition goals, creating what Kılıçaslan calls 'ecosystems, not just investments.' The firm's leadership spends as much time studying governance and public discourse as they do balance sheets, understanding that scaling responsibly means anticipating not just market forces but also the expectations of regulators, communities, and stakeholders. 'Gone are the days when you could evaluate an investment in isolation,' Kılıçaslan noted. 'Every decision today has ripple effects across the real economy and society.' This perspective has led Akif Capital to champion diversification—not just across asset classes, but across perspectives, geographies, and leadership backgrounds. Flexibility is often romanticized in today's business climate, but Akif Capital has learned that agility without structure is chaos. The firm has developed a culture of structured problem-solving, training its teams to handle complexity systematically. This ensures that decisions are not just fast, but repeatable, teachable, and measurable. Akif Capital's leadership is deeply aware that vision is not just a statement; it is a daily effort. Every strategic move is aligned with the firm's long-term goals, and success is measured not only in financial returns but also in the impact on economies, industries, and people's lives over time. 'Setting a long-term vision is easy,' Kılıçaslan says. 'Aligning daily decisions with that vision is the real challenge.' This philosophy has led Akif Capital to invest in projects that create jobs, support infrastructure, and advance inclusion, making impactful investment a core part of its operating model. Unlike many of its peers, Akif Capital does not treat risk as the enemy. Instead, the firm sees risk as the necessary engine of return. The key, in its view, is not to avoid uncertainty but to control it intelligently. Every decision is run through multiple lenses—financial, operational, geopolitical—giving the firm the confidence to act when others hesitate. This multidimensional risk management method has allowed Akif Capital to empower bold, visionary investments while protecting its downside. The firm's expansion into new markets, from Eastern Europe to the Gulf, is not just about hedging against volatility. It is about enriching the company's institutional intelligence and inoculating it against the dangers of monoculture thinking. Akif Capital's focus on impact is not an afterthought; it is a pillar of the firm's identity. The leadership believes that the next generation of investors and consumers demands that capital does more than compound—it must contribute. For Akif Capital, impactful investing means measuring success in how investments create jobs, support infrastructure, advance inclusion, and reduce harm. Whether backing fintech in underserved markets or renewable energy platforms, Akif Capital's dual goal is always value and values. The firm's leadership has made it clear that impact without return is philanthropy, but return without impact is obsolete. Perhaps the most radical aspect of Akif Capital's strategy is its focus on human capital. The firm invests heavily in its teams, prioritizing education, mentorship, and internal mobility. For Kılıçaslan, the vision is generational—he thinks in terms of legacy, not just quarters. Akif Capital's story is not one of disruption for its own sake, but of construction—of building something that can withstand the storms of market cycles, political shifts, and changing social expectations. The firm's blueprint is not about being the biggest, but about being the most durable, the most thoughtful, and the most prepared. In a world where headlines are consumed in seconds and stock prices fluctuate with every tweet, Akif Capital's insistence on depth over speed, on understanding over reaction, is a quiet change. The firm's leaders know that the tallest towers require the deepest foundations, and that the work of digging is often noisy, messy, and misunderstood. 'The market often mistakes the sound of construction for chaos,' Kılıçaslan reflects. 'But real investors know—the deeper the dig, the stronger the rise.' Akif Capital's journey reminds us that true resilience is forged not in easy times but in the willingness to endure, adapt, and build for a future that may look very different from the present. In the end, it is not the speed of the ascent but the strength of the foundation that determines which institutions will stand the test of time. Note to readers: This article is part of HT's paid consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. HT assumes no editorial responsibility for the content, including its accuracy, completeness, or any errors or omissions. Readers are advised to verify all information independently. Want to get your story featured as above? click here!
