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Commission approves €44 million Slovak state aid scheme to support electricity storage facilities to foster the transition to a net-zero economy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

The European Commission has approved a €44 million Slovak scheme to support electricity storage facilities to foster the transition towards a net-zero economy, in line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan. The scheme was approved under the state aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the Commission on 9 March 2023 to support measures in sectors which are key to accelerate the green transition and reduce fuel dependencies. The new Framework amends and prolongs in part the Temporary Crisis Framework, adopted on 23 March 2022 to enable Member States to support the economy in the context of the current geopolitical crisis, already amended on 20 July 2022 and on 28 October 2022.Under the scheme, which will be fully financed under the Recovery and Resilience Facility ('RRF'), the aid will take form of direct grants covering up to 65% of the total investment costs, with a maximum amount of aid per project of €25 million. The purpose of the scheme is to accelerate the depl...

Word Game: Nov. 6, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — COERCION (COERCION: ko-UR-shun: The act of compelling by force or threat.)Average mark 16 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 20 or more words in COERCION? The list will be published tomorrow.SATURDAY’S WORD — PERCEIVED peer peeve perceive piece pied pier pierce precede price pride pried eerie eider epee epic ever recede receive recipe reed reeve rice ride ripe rive cede cider creed creep crepe cried iced veer vice vide vied viper deceive deceiver decree deep deeper deer deice deicer deprive derive device dice dicer dire dive diver drip driveTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake...

Horoscopes Nov. 6, 2023: Emma Stone, surround yourself with creative people

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Emma Stone, 35; Ethan Hawke, 53; Maria Shriver, 68; Sally Field, 77.Happy Birthday: Evaluate what’s important to you and adjust your routine. Let your intuition and imagination lead the way, and you’ll find the path and people to make your journey more enjoyable. Opportunities are apparent, but first, you must let go of your inhibitions and distance yourself from negativity. Surround yourself with creative people, and structure your environment to offer space and time to express yourself. Your numbers are 8, 13, 22, 28, 31, 35, 46.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Expand your mind, do your research and plan your next move. Be secretive until you are ready to take the next step and present what excites you most. Don’t let emotions stop you; size up situations and do what makes the most sense. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20- May 20): Opportunity knocks. Don’t be shy; embrace what life offers and give it your best shot. An exciting partnership wi...

Bridge: Nov. 6, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

With COVID-19 seemingly on the wane, players flocked to the ACBL’s Summer Championships in Chicago.In the Spingold Knockout Teams, the premier event, most seeded teams comprised an affluent amateur plus professionals, many from overseas. The strength of players from outside the U.S. was evident as many highly regarded U.S. “sponsored” teams lost early.Today’s deal arose in the final, Marty FLEISHER vs. Leif BREMARK. (Fleisher and his partner Chip Martel were the only Americans still playing.) With FLEISHER’s pair North-South, South opened 1NT, and North passed.BALANCEWhen East bid two hearts, he couldn’t have foreseen what would happen to him, but South doubled for takeout, and North liked his hand enough to try 4NT, asking South to bid a minor-suit game.Against five diamonds, West led a heart; only a spade would have worked. Declarer won, lost to the ace of trumps, won the trump return, ruffed his last heart in dummy, cashed four club tricks, and led the ace and a low spade. When E...

Dear Amy: I wake up to a startling noise from my dear old neighbor

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Dear Amy: I have procrastinated far too long in trying to get a solution to my dilemma.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: I hate when people say this to make me feel better. Am I too sensitive? Advice | Ask Amy: How do I tell my neighbor I want out of this unpleasant ritual? Advice | Ask Amy: She sent me your advice column and told me I did something unacceptable Advice | Ask Amy: My sister asked these teens a question I found thoughtless Advice | Ask Amy: I was upset about what they were eating, and they laughed when I objected The main reason is that I do not want to hurt or offend my dear, sweet 87-year-old next-door neighbor, “Ruth.”She is one of the kindest people on the planet, tends to her church and all of her elderly friends, and is generous in every way.While barely able to walk easily without a cane, she still kindly brings my paper to my front door each morning.But instead of lightly dropping ...

French justice minister is on trial accused of conflict of interest

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France’s justice minister goes on trial Monday on charges of using his office to settle personal scores, in an unprecedented case that has raised concern about checks and balances in French democracy.Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti’s refusal to resign, or at least to step aside from his role overseeing France’s justice system during the trial, has drawn wide criticism.Once a high-profile lawyer, Dupond-Moretti is accused of abusing his position as justice minister to order probes targeting magistrates who investigated him, his friends or his former clients.He denies wrongdoing. He faces up to five years in prison and half a million euros in fines if convicted on charges of illegal conflict of interest.The trial marks the first time in modern France that a government minister has been put on trial while still in office, according to legal historians. Until now, it was seen as an unwritten rule that ministers resigned if they were put under investigation.Dupond-Moret...

Australian and Chinese leaders meet in Beijing while their countries try to mend ties

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday on the first visit by an Australian leader to China in seven years as the two countries try to mend their tattered ties.Chinese state media reported the meeting but did not provide details. The talks were expected to focus on trade as China has eased some but not all of the restrictive steps it took as relations deteriorated.Albanese struck an optimistic tone ahead of his meeting, calling for cooperation while emphasizing that the two countries will continue to have differences.“What I’ve said is that we need to co-operate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest,” he said in Beijing. “I think there are promising signs we’ve already seen, a number of the impediments to trade between our two nations removed and an uplift already, substantial uplift in the trade between our two nations.”His visit comes near the 50th anniversary of ...

Special counsel Jack Smith opposes televising Trump federal election subversion trial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

(CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith opposes televising the federal election subversion trial of former President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, according to a filing late Friday.Prosecutors wrote that federal courts are expressly prohibited from allowing proceedings in a courtroom from being broadcast or even photographed and that although the public was allowed to access some proceedings through teleconferences during the Covid-19 pandemic, the exception ended in September for criminal trials.In a long-shot attempt, a group of media organizations, including CNN, asked the federal judge overseeing the case, Tanya Chutkan, for permission to broadcast the trial given its historic nature. In a separate petition to the judge, NBCUniversal Media argued that the long-standing rule against cameras in federal criminal trials, which dates to the 1940s, is outdated and would violate the First Amendment if strictly enforced in the Trump case.One of Trump’s attorneys in the case has also suppor...

Kosmos Energy: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — DALLAS (AP) — Kosmos Energy Ltd. (KOS) on Monday reported net income of $85.2 million in its third quarter.On a per-share basis, the Dallas-based company said it had net income of 18 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 26 cents per share.The independent oil and gas company posted revenue of $526.5 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on KOS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/KOSSource

College Football Corner: Revenge on menu in Stillwater, as Terps, Hokies, Cavs and Mids digest another sad Saturday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables meet before an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala)(AP/Mitch Alcala) Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables meet before an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala)(AP/Mitch Alcala) It’s been said that “revenge is a dish best served cold” (although I’m sure that saying originated in the pre-microwave era). On a Saturday when Virginia’s already slim bowl hopes went down in flames and Maryland’s misery became no longer just an October thing, Oklahoma State ex...