A diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron disease, is the most crucial step in the treatment process because it shares symptoms with other neurological diseases, a neurologist told Anadolu Agency before Global ALS Awareness Day on June 21.

“There are many diseases that show similar symptoms with motor neuron disease,” said Dr. Fikret Aysal of Medipol Mega University Hospital in Istanbul.

“Many microbial diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, sometimes poisonings and some diseases related to the immune system may have similar symptoms with motor neuron disease,” he said, stressing the importance of a diagnosis.

“We need to make sure if it’s really the motor neuron or something else,” he said, adding that patients take tests until doctors make sure the symptoms are related to ALS.

“We search for a long time until we make sure,” he said. “After we are sure about the diagnosis, there are various treatment options and approaches that provide comfort to the patients and relieve their distress.”

But he also said today’s modern medicine does not provide a 100% cure.

What is ALS?

Aysal said the death of motor neurons in the brain stem or the spinal cord is the reason for the disease.

“They die for an unknown reason. They degenerate,” he said.

Neurons control muscles that enable people to walk, speak, breathe and eat. If the nerves do not activate muscles, they would gradually weaken.

According to Aysal, ALS usually starts with weakness in one hand or one leg, then spreads to both hands, both legs or both arms, or it can start with one leg and spread to the hands.

It can also start with the face or the tongue as the patient may experience difficulty in swallowing or even talking, he said “Over time, it also affects other muscles.”

- What causes ALS?

The exact cause of ALS remains unclear, said Aysal, but toxic, metabolic, infective factors along with other variables are believed to play a role.

Asked whether genetic factors play a role, he answered: “Only about 5% of ALS is genetic.”

He said ALS is mostly seen in those over the age of 50 although there are also some rare cases in people in their 20s or 30s.

Raising awareness

The ALS Global Day is held annually on June 21 to put a spotlight on the disease and draw the government’s and public’s attention.

Since there is no definitive treatment or cure, Aysal said awareness campaigns, such as the 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, are important to give hope to patients, loved ones and doctors.

“But there are various symptomatic approaches that will provide comfort to the patients during this process and relieve their distress,” he stressed.

Although ALS is classified as a rare disease, there are 140,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide each year, according to the International Alliance of ALS/MND associations.

Among famous people who were diagnosed with ALS is English physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in March 2018 at the age of 76 after living with ALS for more than 50 years./aa

Expressing concern over "rising sexual violence" in the Indian-administered Kashmir, Pakistan has urged the world to take cognizance of the alleged sexual crimes against Kashmiri women.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, Islamabad on Saturday urged the international community to join hands for bringing an end to "all forms of violence, exploitation and human rights violations" in conflict zones.

"On this Day, we must not forget the brave people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), who have been facing egregious human rights violations at the hands of Indian occupation forces," said a Foreign Ministry statement.

"Life continues to be a double-edged sword for the women, girls and children living in IIOJK. They not only have to survive under occupation with their fundamental rights curtailed and suppressed, but also endure the threat of sexual violence and rape used to silence the people of IIOJK from demanding their legitimate right to self-determination, guaranteed under relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the statement added.

Recalling the "horrendous mass rape" of Kashmiri women in the Kunan and Poshpora villages of Jammu and Kashmir on Feb. 23, 1991, it said that "yet the situation continues to remain dire."

Citing reports of several human rights groups, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in favor of its argument, Islamabad contended that the sexual violence against all genders as well as children has drastically increased since India scrapped the Himalayan valley's long-standing semi-autonomous status in August 2019.

The picturesque Kashmir valley has been a bone of contention between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-dominated Pakistan since they got independence from Britain in 1947.

Ever since, the two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three full-fledged wars, two of them on Kashmir, in 1948 and 1965./aa

Is herbal tea real tea? Can tea really help reduce stress?

If you're loyal to the most consumed beverage in the world other than water, you've probably asked yourself those questions at some point.

According to Joyce Maina, founder and director of the Cambridge Tea Consultancy, tea has been consumed for over 5,000 years. It can help a person become invigorated but also enter a relaxed state.

"I am sure that when you have had a stressful day, all you want to do is settle down and relax and have a cup of tea," Maina said.

Now, what about the other benefits? Here are some facts about true tea:

True tea vs. herbal tea

True tea is made from the leaves of the plant camellia sinensis, most commonly known as the tea plant, whereas herbal teas are made using a combination of spices, flowers, bark and leaves belonging to edible, non-tea plants, according to the Republic of Tea.

Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the U.S., says the plant was historically found in China and the northeast part of India.

"The British and Dutch were big about bringing tea around the world and that was really in the 1800s," Goggi said. "The Dutch certainly brought tea to Indonesia. Sri Lanka had tea planted in the 1870s. True tea has a history of being brought around the world."

The manufacturing origin of true tea is also different from herbal tea. Whereas individuals can create their own herbal blends, the starting material for true tea are the leaves of the camellia sinensis.

"That is why tea is purely sustainable because you are plucking the leaves every 10 to 15 days and in some parts of the world, 30 days, but you are never uprooting the plant," Goggi said.

There are four different types of true tea: green tea, black tea, white tea and oolong tea. The differences lie in how much the leaves of the camellia sinensis have been oxidized, a process that involves leaving the tea leaves in air temperature to dry and darken, according to artfultea.com.

The camellia sinensis plant isn't used in the making of herbal tea, meaning it can't be classified as real tea, Maina and Goggi told USA TODAY. That doesn't, however, diminish its health benefits or stress-relieving qualities, Maina said.

Stress-relieving components of tea

True tea does contain caffeine, a natural stimulant that energizes the brain. It also contains a unique amino acid, known as L-theanine, which relaxes the mind.

"I don't know any other product that does both at the same time," Maina said.

"It kind of triggers the body to be relaxed yet awake which explains why the British drink afternoon tea," Goggi said. "It is kind of that low period after lunch and before dinner and kind of a 'pick me up' period, but there is actually a reason for why it works."

There are different levels of L-theanine depending on which type of true tea is consumed.

Other health benefits of true tea

There are other areas where tea has been identified as potentially being helpful to the human body, according to Penn Medicine.

Green tea, in which leaves are typically processed with heat or steam, is high in flavonoids that can help reduce bad cholesterol and lower chances of blood clotting. A 2014 peer-reviewed study also shows that green tea can improve blood pressure.

Black tea, in which the leaves are dried and fermented, also has flavonoids that contain anti-inflammatory properties and support healthy immune function, according to Penn Medicine. This type of tea can also be used in baths if people have skin rashes and need to ease inflammation.

Oolong tea, which is partially oxidized, is high in an organic compound known as polyphenols that helps lower inflammation, according to Penn Medicine. It is also known for having L-theanine, which can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

  USA TODAY 

A person wearing a sweater with 'Progress Pride Flag' colors, including rainbow and black and brown stripes for communities of color, walks past rainbow flags at the Stonewall National Monument, the first US national monument dedicated to LGBTQ history and rights, marking the birthplace of the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer civil rights movement, on June 1, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) - Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty ImagesMore

Teachers should drop the terms boys and girls in favour of “learners”, and mix up the sexes in PE classes, Stonewall has told schools.

The controversial LGBT charity is urging teachers to ditch all gendered language and gendered uniforms and suggests that children should compete against the opposite sex in sport.

A series of guidance documents state that uniform policies should "give the option to wear a skirt as well as the option to wear trousers". One of Stonewall’s guides said that its work in primary schools was funded by the Government Equalities Office.

Stonewall advises school staff that they should: “Avoid dividing learners by gender, whether in the classroom (you could divide them by their favourite colour, month of birth or something else) or through uniform, sports activities or other aspects of school life.”

Trans pupils can use the lavatories, changing rooms and dorms on school trips that they feel most comfortable in, another booklet states.

To be a member of the Stonewall School & College Champion schools, establishments have to pay a yearly fee, starting at £150 plus VAT for those with less than 100 pupils, and rising to £800 plus VAT for those with more than 2,000 learners.

St Paul’s, the prestigious private school in London, is reportedly among the hundreds of primary and secondary schools that are members.

Champions are then able to apply for a Bronze, Silver or Gold award to show how well they are following the “best practice”.

Those wishing to win are directed to a guide which tells them that “it is unnecessary to say 'boys and girls' when referring to learners of all genders, you could instead say 'learners'".

They are told that they should check their policies and remove any “unnecessarily gendered language. Instead of using ‘he’/‘she’, you could use ‘they'".

They should also teach primary school children to use “they/them” as a pronoun, it is said.

Tanya Carter, a spokesman for the parents and teachers campaign group Safe Schools Alliance UK, said “It is shocking that cash-strapped schools are paying for misinformation from Stonewall that undermines basic safeguarding.”

She said that sport should be "separated by sex for reasons of safety and fairness", particularly in light of a recent Ofsted report that found sexual harassment was prevalent in schools.

"Single sex sports are important to girls for reasons of privacy and dignity. This is necessary to increase girls’ participation," Ms Carter said. "Girls' participation in sports is essential to both physical and mental health.”

It is unclear what process schools go through to get an award, but an investigation by The Telegraph recently revealed the lengthy process that public bodies and companies go through to be recognised on the charity’s equality leaderboard.

The resources are also used by councils for Stonewall's Children and Young People's Services Programme. Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales compete for a separate awards scheme requiring 'best practice' in their child provision.

Stonewall’s advice to educators also includes that teachers should not use 'boy, girl, boy, girl' when lining pupils up and ditch phrases such as 'man up' and 'don't be such a girl'.

Gendered language should also be avoided when discussing hair, make-up and piercings, it says.

A Stonewall terminology exercise for children tests them on "transitioning" and "gender dysphoria", a medical term for feeling a mismatch between birth sex and lived gender.

A spokesman for the charity said it was “very proud of all of our work supporting schools to create supportive and inclusive environments which help everyone feel accepted for who they are”.

They added that they are “confident that the advice that we give schools is robust” and “in line with the Department for Education’s guidance for schools in England, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Equality Act Code of Practice”.

A government Equalities Office spokesperson said: "Six organisations were awarded funding to deliver programmes tackling anti-homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools across the country. The funding was a one-off payment for 2019-20."/The Telegraph

Brazil reached a grim milestone of half a million COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, the heath minister announced.

Marcelo Queiroga said on Twitter that he “works tirelessly to vaccinate all Brazilians in the shortest time possible”. He also expressed solidarity with the families.

Another government official, Communications Minister Fabio Faria, lashed out at the press, criticizing the fact that “politicians, artists and journalists” lament the number.

“You will never see them celebrate the 86 million [vaccine] doses given or the 18 million [Brazilians] cured,” he wrote. According to him, these people “root for the virus."

While the Senate is investigating the government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people are participating in mass demonstrations against right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, calling for him to be impeached, the acceleration of vaccination drive, and emergency economic aid.

They bring together left-wing political parties and social movements, raising criticism for putting the population at risk by enabling the increase in the spread of COVID-19.

The country of over 213 million people has administered at least 85.39 million vaccine doses, according to Our World in Data, a tracking website.

According to local health departments, only 15% of the target population is completely immunized with both doses, while 38% took only the first shot. The number of COVID-19 cases is nearly 18 million./aa

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau Friday said that Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Bayraktar TB2 is a "technologically advanced weapon, which is battle-proven and effective."

In a written interview with the Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy forum, Rau said: "We are sure it will strengthen capabilities of the Polish Army and contribute to the reinforcement of NATO's Eastern Flank."

"At the same time, it's another example of translating our strategic partnership into practical cooperation. We hope it will lead to further development of EU-NATO relations in the field of security and defense," he also added.

Stressing that the EU will continue to play a "pivotal role" in global politics and economy, Rau noted that politically, the needs and interests of all members should be at the center of the EU integration process.

"Security-wise, the transatlantic bond should remain one of our pillars," he said.

Turkey - EU relations

Speaking on "the enlargement of the EU," Rau said Poland believes that "only the full membership of the Western Balkan countries and Turkey to the EU will ensure the full development of the cooperation for stability and prosperity in Europe.

"The process of European integration has a direct impact on security and stabilization on our continent," he said.

"At the same time, it is the best tool to support democratic reforms and economic development in candidate countries and potential candidates countries. Therefore, Poland considers the enlargement of the European Union to be a strategic issue," he added.

Polish Foreign Minister also added that the EU and Turkey "need each other as reliable and stable partners, particularly in the areas of security, fight against terrorism, trade and migration."

"In spite of the current difficulties in the accession negotiations, xqTurkey's candidate status should be preserved and negotiations continue as soon as conditions allow. We consider Turkey as a strategic partner, and we hope for its rapprochement to the EU", he told Anadolu Agency.

Eastern Mediterranean

Praising the de-escalation of the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean in the recent months, Rau said, "We hope that all the outstanding issues can be solved through dialogue."

He also added: "We hope that the upcoming European Council will be in the position to take further steps in strengthening EU-Turkey relations, in particular regarding the modernization of the customs union, support to the refugees in Turkey and people-to-people contacts."

He also added that the decisions to be taken would depend not only on the steps to be taken by EU members but also by Turkey's engagement in solving existing problems and upholding commitments.

Turkey - Poland relations

Rau later said that President Andrzej Duda's last visit to Turkey in May 2021 took political, economic and military relations between the two countries to another level.

"Turkey is Poland's strategic partner in NATO, in a regional and bilateral context. Both our countries have significant military potential and face security threats at our borders," he said.

"When we work together, we can achieve much in increasing the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area, strengthening NATO's Eastern flank and fighting international terrorism," he added.

Adding that both countries are discussing ways to enhance NATO cooperation with Georgia and Ukraine, he also added: "Poland and Turkey sent contingents to NATO missions in Afghanistan and Iraq; we are also active members of the Global Coalition to fight the so-called Islamic State / Daesh."

Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Adding that he was pleased to participate in Antalya Diplomacy Forum, he said the forum a new platform for diplomatic exchanges, "which particularly now, after a pandemic is of the utmost importance."

Reminding that he would take part in the panel named "New era in transatlantic relations," he said such a conversation would attract great attention worldwide, especially after a spectacular trip of President Joe Biden to Europe, the G7 meeting, the NATO Summit, the US-EU Summit and last but not least the Biden-Putin Summit in Geneva.

Polish Foreign Minister said his country "attaches great importance to relations with Turkey," adding that it would be a great opportunity to hold a bilateral conversation with his Turkish counterpart and foreign ministers of other countries./aa

A police officer died, 11 people were injured when a helicopter that was carrying ballot boxes crashed in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province.

The helicopter crashed near Dezful city, state news agency IRNA reported.

Voter turnout had been expectedly low until the evening, with unofficial estimates putting it at 35-40%. Election officials will announce the official voter turnout on Saturday.

Raeisi, who has been leading in the polls, is most likely to end up with more than 50% of the votes, which would decide the election in the first round, according to observers.

Results are expected by Saturday afternoon, but the incumbent government will continue in office until August./aa