• Home
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Economy
  • Interview
  • Reporting
  • Community
  • Vatra

Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

SUPREME COURT LEAK LEADS THE HEADLINES

May 14, 2022 by s p

by Rafaela Prifti/

Since the first days of May, US headlines are heavily concerned with a draft opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court that was leaked to the press.

Here is a brief summary of what you need to know:

The opinion presents the legal argument for striking down the 1973 landmark decision that legalized abortion in the United States. Immediately, the media focused on the content of the opinion as well as the leak itself. An intense national debate has ensued over the identity of the leaker and whether it is illegal to leak such a document. The short answer is drafts of Supreme Court opinions are not classifies documents like national security and as such their disclosure does not automatically prompt a criminal investigation.

The other important element in considering prosecution is the question of how the document was obtained in other words whether any crimes were committed in obtaining it such as hacking into an unauthorized computer. Chief Justice John Roberts, who said the draft decision was authentic, has directed the court’s marshal to investigate the leak, calling it an “egregious breach.” It is important to note that the Supreme Court marshal is not part of the U.S. Marshals Service or the Justice Department, yet the office can make arrests and the findings of the probe can be referred to federal prosecutors.

In case the leaker is a law clerk, the range of potential sanctions include job termination and ethics violations measures. There have been a series of leaks in the 1970s which prompted the federal courts to adopt a law clerk code of conduct. The code prohibits clerks from disclosing “confidential information received in the course of official duties. It is unclear whether a law clerk had any involvement. Although leaking a draft opinion would be a violation of court confidentiality rules and could be grounds for disbarment, not every federal law clerk is a member of a bar.

If the leaker is identified as an attorney, it would fall to the bar to investigate, experts say. Washington’s Bar Association and others have rules that forbid lawyers to “engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.” Attorney disciplinary officials can investigate matters on their own or respond to complaints. For the attorney conduct provisions to apply, the leak would need to involve a licensed member of a state bar. So, whether we shall see a prosecution or sanctions resulting from a probe into the Supreme Court leak, depends on who did it.

By all accounts, the leak of a draft Supreme Court ruling is unprecedented. Although there have been instances of shared information regarding internal court dynamics or justice’s deliberations after opinions were issued such as the Bush v. Gore case or a tell-all book by a former clerk, experts do not recall any high court leak resulting in prosecution or disciplinary action.

The code prohibits clerks from disclosing “confidential information received in the course of official duties” yet it does not go as far as to make it illegal.

Filed Under: Sociale Tagged With: Rafaela Prifti

ALBANIAN LANGUAGE – ELECTIVE COURSE – AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY

May 14, 2022 by s p

by Rafaela Prifti/

Harvard University students will have the option to study the Albanian language as an elective subject.

Faton Limani, administrator at the Harvard Department of Comparative Literature, made the announcement via Tweeter:

“Today, I have the pleasure to share with you very happy news regarding our Albanian language. In collaboration with compatriot and colleague Eva Stathi – Misho, we have managed to introduce the subject of Albanian language as an elective subject for the first time at Harvard University for all students of all levels.”

The course is offered throughout the year at three levels; elementary knowledge, intermediary knowledge, and advanced level in the Department of Comparative Literature.

Albanian is included in curricula in a number of colleges across the country. In our state, last fall semester, Mercy College had the highest number of students studying the Albanian language than any other college, according to the director of Mercy College’s Modern Foreign Languages Program, Alan Hartman.

At Mercy, there is a large Albanian-American student body, saidHartman, pointing out that the college may also offer a Study Program in the Albanian language.

Other Universities offer opportunities that are available outside of classrooms. In the case of Yale, the Directed Independent Language Study program, allows students to learn a language that is not taught in the university. Albanian is one of the languages offered through this program since 2001.On a side note, in November 2005, thirty members of the Albanian community from Harvard and the Greater Boston area celebrated the official recognition of the Harvard College Albanian Club.

Having the Albanian language as an elective subject available to all levels recognizes the presence and the promise of more programs geared toward studying it.   .

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates

Filed Under: Fejton Tagged With: Rafaela Prifti

A Failed Clinical Trial Leads to an Important Outcome in Immunotherapy Treatment

May 8, 2022 by s p

by Rafaela Prifti/

Nature, a world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal, published a study on immunotherapy treatment that stemmed from a failed clinical trial. It led to an important finding in treatment strategy.

Although immunotherapy is only available to a few types of cancer, it has seen advances that have helped patients with metastatic and spreading disease that have pushed the boundaries of treatment therapies. Immunotherapy works by harnessing the power of your body’s own immune system. Yet, it has had limited success. Only around 20 percent of patients who receive it get the benefit of a long term remission. This week’s Nature article provides critical clues to why many immunotherapies trigger dangerous side effects—and point to a more effective strategy for treating patients with solid tumors.

Cancer patients in the UK were reporting negative side effects during a cancer immunotherapy trial. It prompted researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and University of Liverpool to reexamine the data, and patient samples.

While around 20 to 30 percent of solid cancer patients got long-term remission, some people saw no change after immunotherapy, and others develop serious problems in their lungs, bowel, and even skin during treatment. These side effects can be debilitating, even fatal, and these patients are forced to stop receiving the immunotherapy.

The researchers at La Jolla Institute and the University of Liverpool worked with samples from a recent clinical trial in the UK for patients with head and neck cancers. “The patients were given an oral cancer immunotherapy called a PI3Kd inhibitor. At the time, PI3Kd inhibitors had proven effective for B cell lymphomas but had not yet been tested in solid tumors,” the study says.

PI3Kd inhibitors work by inhibiting “regulatory” T cells called Tregs inside tumors to allow other T cells – effector T cells – to generate cancer-killing CD8+ T cells. The article cites that 12 of the 21 patients in the trial had to discontinue treatment early because they developed inflammation in the colon, a condition called colitis. The team went back to the data and samples to see how the drug was affecting the immune cells. Using a method known as the single-cell genomic sequencing, it was revealed that in the process of increasing tumor-fighting T cells in tumors, the inhibitor, also blocked a specific Treg cell subset from protecting the colon, leaving it exposed to pathogenic cells.

It was determined that the cancer trial patients had been given a larger inhibitor dose than they needed, which has disrupted the delicate balance of the immune cells in the gut.

The new study shows the importance of studying not just personalized therapies but personalized therapy doses and specific sequence, which will be applied in the next clinical human trial. The team of researchers found that intermittent dosing could be a valid treatment strategy that combines sustained anti-tumor immunity with reduced toxicity.

Photo Credit Nature

Filed Under: Analiza Tagged With: Rafaela Prifti

SIMBOLIKA E NJE RRUGE ME EMRIN FAN NOLI

April 11, 2022 by s p

Rafaela Prifti/

Ceremonia për emrin e rrugës Fan Noli ishte manifestim publik i krenarisë kombëtare, i cili mblodhi bashkë organizatorët e nismëtarët me përfaqësuesë zyrtarë, aktivistë, klerikë, drejtues të shoqatave shqiptare dhe bashkëatdhetarë, në South Bronx më 9 prill. Mbase data edhe mund të harrohet një ditë por tabela do mbetet.

Për figura shumëdimensionale si Noli, është e kuptueshme dhe e natyrshme që çdo njëri nga këto grupe dhe të gjithë së bashku të ndiejnë një lidhje të veçantë me të duke përfshirë, politikanë, diplomatë, klerikë, historianë, letrarë dhe artistë.

Organizatori Mark Gjonaj, ishte ai që e bëri propozimin për emrin e rrugës kur ai ishte anëtar i Këshillit bashkiak të qytetit. Përfundimi i këtij projekti në ditën e caktuar kishte shumë rëndësi për të. Meqenëse teknikisht pati një vonesë në instalimin e tabelës, Ornela Beshiri, anëtare e Bordit të Bashkësisë 11, drejtoi prostestën në fund të muajit shkurt për të kërkuar plotësimin e zotimit.

Anëtarja e re e Këshillit Bashkiak, Marjorie Velazquez, tha se e ndjen veten pjesetare të komunitetit shqiptar të lagjes që përfaqëson dhe se do vazhdojë të qendrojë pranë tij në çdo kohë. Për klerikët si edhe besimtarët, Noli dhe Kisha Autoqefale Ortodokse Shqiptare janë  një. E tillë është edhe lidhja e tij me Federatën Pan Shqiptare të Amerikës Vatra, si një nga themeluesit e saj. Kryetari i Vatrës Elmi Berisha, në fjalën e tij përshëndetëse, tha se kjo ditë e shenjtë përkon me 110 vjetorin e Vatrës dhe se Fan Noli ia kushtoi jetën Zotit dhe kombit të tij.

Kombi i tij nuk ishte vetëm Shqipëria, sipas vlerësimit të Senatorit të Nju Jorkut dhe Kryetarit të Shumicës në Senatin Amerikan Chuck Schummer. “Noli nuk është vetëm hero i shqiptarëve, por edhe i amerikanëve” sepse ai punoi, u plak dhe prehet këtu, dhe mbi të gjitha sepse ju dha me përkushtim idealeve dhe institucioneve demokratike të Amerikës, u shpreh ai.

Programi i ceremonisë kishte fjalime të shkurtëra dhe përshëndetje nga drejtues të shoqatave, personalitete dhe bashkëatdhetarë shqiptarë amerikanë. Në to si edhe në bisedat e mia me disa pjesëmarrrësit ata shprehën ndjenja të krenarisë kombëtare dhe entuziazëm për këtë manifestim publik.

Emri i një rruge mund të jetë sot veçse një akt simbolik por domethënia e tij është afatgjate. Fan Noli nuk gjindet vetëm në librat e historisë, në albume, arvika, në tekste antologjike dhe ato fetare.

Ai tani është edhe “FAN NOLI Way” – një orientim i pranishëm në hartën e Nju Jorkut.

Organizatori Mark Gjonaj tha se është në përgatitje e sipër ceremonia për rrugën Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, në Festivalin e Little Italy në Bronx në datën 15 maj.

Filed Under: Emigracion Tagged With: Rafaela Prifti

Our Experts Discuss What Serbia’s Election Results Could Foretell

April 6, 2022 by s p

At a time when there is a war happening in Europe, the election results in Serbia have just raised the stakes for democracy and its advocates.

By Rafaela Prifti

Incumbent Aleksandar Vucic is set to win Serbia’s presidential vote and secure a second term. Reports and post-vote projections indicate that his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) appears in line to win the most votes in parliamentary elections. The deadline for announcing the final results is April 7.

The election victory of a nationalist leader with personal ties to Putin like Vucic in Serbia and Orban in Hungary against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could be unsettling signs for Europe in several areas. Of special concern would be issues of stability, corruption, foreign policy and trade relations as EU mulls over the next move.

As the anti-corruption theme was gaining traction with the opposition supporters in Serbia, the war in Ukraine shifted the focus of the campaign into security issues that played into Vucic hands. Yet, the stand against corruption directly relates to the current international events, according to Balkan and Foreign Affairs expert Akri Cipa. “The focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine is not in itself detached from the fight against corruption. In fact, the case of Russia is extremely telling about how corruptive practices, bribes, the harnessing of the international financial system to hide illicit wealth abroad, has devastating consequences for democracy, peace and stability. Moreover, such practices have facilitated Russian influence in European countries, including in the Balkans, and have led to critical energy security vulnerabilities. While it is not highlighted in the media right now, the fight against corruption remains high on the U.S. agenda. President Biden has been explicit in this regard, including most recently in his March 26th speech in Poland. As he emphasized that the world finds itself in a battle “between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force,” he made it clear that this will be a battle of values, as well as practices.” says Cipa.

Reaffirming the projections that Vucic and his party will have an easy win in the elections, Nail Draga, author and researcher, calls him “a Neo-fascist politician” self aware of his considerable pro-Russia clout. Draga sees no serious alternative in Serbia’s political arena today. He underscores one commonality among all political factors in Serbia, which is indicative of the course that the country has stayed on. Without hesitation, Nail Draga reiterates, “Their position on the Kosovo issue is invariable.”

The outcome of the recent Serbian elections could serve to shake up Western countries as well as prove to be a test of their diplomatic capabilities and market policies that may need redefining. Cipa puts it all into context: “The electoral win of Vucic and his party will help the incumbent president consolidate the hold on power and will likely continue to reinforce Serbia’s trend towards illiberalism and increased authoritarianism. Until today, the Western partners have neglected these negative trends, including the current government’s bellicose rhetoric and increasingly aggressive posture towards its neighbors, for their stated strategic goal of moving Serbia away from the Russian sphere of influence and reorienting it towards the West. After these elections, we will have to see if there will finally be such a realignment or if Serbia under President Vucic will continue to sit on multiple chairs. If Serbia does not align its policy with the European Union and does not engage constructively with its neighbors, first and foremost with Kosovo in the EU-facilitated dialogue, the Western policy towards Serbia of the last 10 years would have miserably failed.”

If the past is any indication, what can be expected from Vucic is more hypocrisy, claims Asllan Bushati, senior military expert. “The profile of Vucic is that of a two- faced politician. Serbia’s President has a long track record of double standards in his political, military, diplomatic career. The most recent example was the condemning of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine by Serbia in a United Nations resolution, as Vucic rejects to join the EU penalties targeting Kremlin for the invasion.” Bushati agrees with Cipa’s comments on the intimidating tactics by Serbia strongman towards its neighbors and thinks that the recent election victory will only embolden Putin’s ally. “There is a long list of Vucic acts of hypocrisy, but I will point to his rhetoric of good neighbors in the region while pushing his secret service agents and even Russians in attempts to cause provocation in Kosovo and even invites Russia’s Ambassador to attend military exercises at the Kosovo border. What’s to be expected of Vucic is more of the same double-dealing games,” says Asllan Bushati.

Broadening this point, analyst of Balkan affairs, Akri Cipa draws attention to the perversity of the claims made on behalf of protecting the voting rights of the minority of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo while the same rights of the Presheva Valley Albanians have been abused in a methodical way, as the European community looks away. “In terms of the electoral process in Serbia, it is disgraceful to see how Albanians in the Presheva Valley have been subjected to horrendous practices that inhibit their participation. Even worse, the government has continued its abhorrent practice of systematically erasing ethnic Albanians from voter lists, effectively running a bureaucratic ethnic cleansing campaign. It is disturbing to see that European Union representatives have been largely silent in response to such a phenomenon, which clearly runs counter to European values and democratic principles,” concludes Cipa.

As the saying goes, elections have consequences. At a time when there is a war happening in Europe, the election results in Serbia have just raised the stakes for democracy and its advocates.

Filed Under: Rajon Tagged With: Rafaela Prifti

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 28
  • Next Page »

Artikujt e fundit

  • Pritje spektakolare për Kryeministrin Albin Kurti në Vatër
  • ALBANOLOGU KROAT MILAN VON SUFFLAY SIPAS DOKUMENTEVE MË TË REJA NGA ARKIVI SHTETËROR HISTORIK I DUBROVNIKUT
  • UKRAINA 2022 : Fushë  beteje në  mes dy qytetnimesh : Demokraci liberale Europiane versus  Autokraci tradicionale Ruse
  • Heronjtë që na duhen, por që nuk i meritojmë
  • Shqipëria po qanë…
  • Lamtumirë Dr. Gjon Buçaj
  • LAMTUMIRË DR. GJON LEKË BUÇAJ
  • KANË FILLUAR PUNIMET PËR REHABILITIMIN E KISHËS SË KUVENDIT TË ARBËRIT AFËR LEZHËS 
  • BOSTONI, VIZITA E RRADHËS E KRYEMINISTRIT TË KOSOVËS ALBIN KURTI
  • Kombi shqiptar dhe politikat e sigurisë në ditët e sotme
  • Dalip Greca – Emër i Pashuar
  • Dalip Greca, një emër në kujtesën e gazetarisë shqiptare
  • Dalip Greca, një profesionist dhe patriot i madh
  • Kur vdekja merr krijues dhe atdhetarë të mirëfilltë
  • Lamtumirë kolegu ynë Dalip Greca

Kategoritë

Arkiv

Tags

albano kolonjari Albin Kurti alfons Grishaj Anton Cefa arben llalla Astrit Lulushi Behlul Jashari Beqir Sina dalip greca Elida Buçpapaj Enver Bytyci Ermira Babamusta Eugjen Merlika Fadil Lushi Fahri Xharra Frank shkreli Fritz radovani Gezim Llojdia Hazir Mehmeti Ilir Levonja Interviste Kolec Traboini kosova Kosove Marjana Bulku Murat Gecaj nderroi jete ne Kosove Nene Tereza presidenti Nishani Rafaela Prifti Rafael Floqi Raimonda Moisiu Ramiz Lushaj reshat kripa Sadik Elshani SHBA Shefqet Kercelli shqiperia shqiptaret Sokol Paja Thaci Tregim Vatra Visar Zhiti

Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT