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Statement from President von der Leyen on the composition of the College and the next European commissioner from The Netherlands

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

"I have interviewed the candidate put forward by the Dutch government for the post of European Commissioner from The Netherlands, Mr Wopke Hoekstra (pictured)."Mr Hoekstra showed strong motivation for the post and great commitment to the European Union. He also has relevant professional experience for this post."Following this interview, I have decided to propose to the Council and the European Parliament the appointment of Mr Hoekstra to the post of Commissioner. He will be in charge of climate action, under the guidance of the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.Mr Hoekstra has significant experience on European issues, having been Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2022, and Minister of Finance from 2017 to 2022."His governmental experience will be a strong asset in particular for Europe's climate diplomacy in the run-up to COP28 and for climate finance, as well as for the imp...

Bridge: Sept. 1, 2023

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

This week’s deals have treated declarer’s careful use of entries. Cover today’s East-West cards. Plan the play at six spades when West leads the queen of diamonds. (Warning: the winning line is difficult.)The actual declarer took the A-K of diamonds and ruffed his last diamond in dummy. He drew trumps, cashed a fourth trump for exercise, and tried the A-K and a third heart. He hoped for a 3-3 break, but West took the nine and queen. Down one.FIFTH CLUBSouth succeeds by setting up dummy’s fifth club. But if he leads a club to the ace at the second trick and ruffs a club, he lacks the dummy entries to ruff two more clubs and get back for the good club.At Trick Two, South leads the queen of clubs and ducks West’s king. South wins the diamond return, and proceeds thus: diamond ruff, club ruff, K-A of trumps, club ruff. South takes the queen of trumps and wins the last four tricks with the K-A of hearts and A-8 of clubs.If you found the winning play, well do...

Horoscopes Sept. 1, 2023: Zendaya, place your trust and loyalty in yourself

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Zendaya, 27; Zoe Lister-Jones, 41; Gloria Estefan, 66; Lily Tomlin, 84.Happy Birthday: Choose the path that excites and stimulates your mind. Pay attention to detail, and show passion in all that you pursue. Be inventive and disciplined enough to turn your ideas into something concrete. Improve what needs to be tweaked and protect what’s already perfect. Make this your year to master your skills and reach for the stars. Walk away from temptation and place your trust and loyalty in yourself. Your numbers are 3, 14, 20, 24, 32, 36, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put your adrenaline to good use and finish what you start. Don’t leave yourself open to criticism because you neglected to follow your plans. Your appeal will get a boost if you act with kindness and authenticity. Romance looks promising. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Avoid costly ventures. Monitor your food and drink intake, and don’t overspend trying to impress. You’ll ...

Ask Amy: They won’t let me sleep on the floor when I visit my grandbaby

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

Dear Amy: I became a grandmother this year. I am a boomer widow and I live alone on a limited income.My son, daughter-in-law and grandson moved to another state, about an eight-hour drive from where I live. I do not feel comfortable making the drive by myself, but I can fly.Even though he lives in a three-bedroom home, my son wants me to stay in an Airbnb when I visit.So in order to visit them, according to his demands, I need to pay for the long-term parking at the airport, the airfare, the Airbnb and the rental car to get between the Airbnb and their house.This is about $1,000 to visit for a couple of days.I have done this twice.He tells me, “Don’t give us gifts, save up for the trip.”But it’s not just the cost; I don’t like staying by myself at an Airbnb.I told him that if he wants me to visit them (the baby is adorable and will be a year old soon) he should, please, pick me up from the airport and let me have a spot on their floor.I’ll make it work. IR...

Harriette Cole: Was I rude to this woman I passed in the restaurant?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I ran into a woman the other day whose face was vaguely familiar. We were at a restaurant, and I was dining with other people, so we said hello but no more.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I hoped I was wrong about my son’s girlfriend. I wasn’t. Advice | Harriette Cole: My son needs discipline, and I’m thinking about the military Advice | Harriette Cole: Our marriage is just one long fight. How do I fix this? Advice | Harriette Cole: I let my college-age daughter fly by herself. Was I a bad mom? Advice | Harriette Cole: He ignored my warnings. Now the IRS wants to talk to him. As I was leaving, she asked if I was still working at a company that I left more than 10 years ago. I told her no and shared what I am doing now. Then I left.Clearly this woman remembers me. I don’t really remember her. I was kind to her, though.Should I have stopped to chat more? I w...

Clashes between companies and workers have put the labor back in this year’s Labor Day weekend

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Labor Day is right around the corner, along with the big sales and barbeques that come with it. But the activist roots of the holiday are especially visible this year as unions challenge how workers are treated — from Hollywood to the auto production lines of Detroit.In the U.S. and Canada, the early-September tribute to workers has been an official holiday for almost 130 years — but today’s world holds several similarities to that of when Labor Day was born. Like the late 1800s, workers are facing rapid economic transformation — and a growing gap in pay between themselves and new billionaire leaders of industry, mirroring the stark inequalities seen more than a century ago. “There’s a lot of historical rhyming between the period of the origins of Labor Day and today,” Todd Vachon, an assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, told The Associated Press. “Then, they had the Carnegies and the Rockefellers. Today, we have the Musk...

Trabajan para restaurar el suministro eléctrico en las comunidades de Florida, al tiempo que llega el calor sofocante tras el huracán Idalia

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

(CNN) — Las cuadrillas en Florida seguirán trabajando para restaurar la energía y retirar los escombros este viernes después de que el huracán Idalia inundó miles de hogares a lo largo de su costa oeste. Los apagones han dejado a miles de personas despertando en la oscuridad mientras el calor abrasador se instala.El huracán Idalia dio lugar a una marejada ciclónica récord y dejó sin electricidad a cientos de miles de personas después de tocar tierra este miércoles por la mañana como un poderoso ciclón de categoría 3, el más fuerte que ha tocado tierra en la zona conocida como Big Bend, en el noroeste de Florida, en más de un siglo.Hasta este jueves por la noche, más de 90.000 hogares y empresas en varios condados informaron cortes de energía, según PowerOutages.us. Pero los funcionarios dicen que volver a encender las luces es la principal prioridad este viernes después de que el huracán dañara miles de viviendas, dejara intransitables muchas carreteras debido a graves inundac...

Police investigation unfolds in Miami Gardens

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

A police investigation is underway in Miami Gardens, focusing on a residence at Northwest 180th Terrace and Sunshine State Parkway.Officers first responded to the scene around 2:30 a.m. Friday, where video footage captured several police vehicles in the vicinity and officers with weapons drawn at the house. Around 6 a.m., new witness details have emerged regarding the incident. According to the mother of the man arrested following this incident, an officer initially mistook a man outside of the home for a burglary suspect. In reality, the man was merely on the phone outside his home. Upon noticing the police presence, the man retreated inside his residence, prompting officers to rush the door and attempt to apprehend him. Video footage from a Ring camera captured the moment when the man ran inside his home, with police moving to detain him. The mother spoke to 7News but did not want to reveal her face. “[My son] was outside the house talking to somebody on the phone,” sh...

Russia fortifies defenses around Crimea bridge, UK says

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

Russia’s armed forces are reportedly reinforcing the only bridge linking the country to Crimea, in an increasingly desperate effort to protect the vital logistics route against Ukrainian attacks on Moscow’s military infrastructure around the Black Sea.The British Ministry of Defense said that “Russia is employing a range of passive defenses such as smoke generators and underwater barriers, alongside active defense measures such as air defense systems,” according to the latest U.K. war intelligence update released Friday.The Russian move is designed to “strengthen the survivability” of the 19-kilometer Crimean bridge — Europe’s longest — and also protect ferries carrying troops and weapons into Ukraine, according to the assessment.According to U.K. intelligence, satellite imagery shows that since August 29, an underwater barrier has been created using sunken ships to block sea drones. Just a fortnight ago, Kyiv’s forces said they had us...

Georgia’s ruling party moves to impeach president over EU trips: Report

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:14:52 GMT

Georgia’s ruling party said Friday it began impeachment proceedings against the country’s president, Salome Zourabichvili.The party is accusing the president of violating the constitution by visiting foreign countries in the EU without the government’s approval, Georgian news agency InterPressNews reported, citing Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the governing Georgian Dream party.“The government of Georgia has the goal of strengthening the state, including the goal of strengthening its foreign positions,” Kobakhidze said. “We see that Salome Zurabishvili is acting with opposite interests.”Georgia, which applied for EU membership after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, has seen rocky progress toward that goal, amid fears the country under the Georgian Dream party is seeking closer economic relations with Russia. Brussels has warned the administration in Tbilisi about “setbacks” in upholding the rule of law and human rights in the country.In 202...