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‘Frustrated’ EU countries resolve renewables feud with concession for France

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

EU ambassadors on Friday agreed to new rules boosting green energy, overcoming a French-led deadlock by offering Paris a concession on hydrogen and nuclear energy.For weeks, talks on the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) stalled as a French-led coalition sought carve-outs in the text including a greater role for atomic energy — much to the irritation of nuclear-skeptic countries including Luxembourg, Austria and Germany.REDIII, one of the last outstanding files in the Commission’s mammoth Fit for 55 climate package, aims to bring the share of renewables in the bloc’s overall energy mix to 42.5 percent by 2030.The agreement was based on a proposal by the Swedish Council presidency that added an amendment to the legal text that “acknowledged” the difficulties in asking hard-to-abate ammonia facilities to stop using fossil hydrogen. The add-on is accompanied by a Commission declaration, seen by POLITICO, where the EU executive said it would “on a case by...

The Orioles’ James McCann has a ‘new perspective on life’ since becoming a father of twins born in NICU

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Christian McCann has discovered, in his mind, a grave injustice.Earlier this month, the 5-year-old son of James and Jessica McCann broached the subject with his father.“Daddy, it’s not fair,” Christian exclaimed. “You play more games than we do.”Christian and his twin brother, Kane, are now playing coach pitch baseball, and they can’t get enough. James, a 10-year major league veteran now with the Orioles, chuckled, as parents with curious children often do.“I don’t think you want to play 162 games yet,” James replied. “But maybe one day.”However, his boys’ love of baseball might not have been possible, the McCanns say, without the neonatal intensive care unit where Christian and Kane spent the first seven weeks of their lives.“If it weren’t for the people at the hospital that took care of us, we may not have two healthy boys right now,” Jessica said. “We owe so much thanks to those people...

Both sides suffer heavy casualties as Ukraine strikes back against Russia, UK assessment says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are suffering high numbers of military casualties as Ukraine fights to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from occupied areas in the early stages of its counteroffensive, British officials said Sunday.Russian losses are probably at their highest level since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March, U.K. military officials said in their regular assessment. According to British intelligence, the most intense fighting has centered on the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, around Bakhmut and further west in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province. While the update reported that Ukraine was on the offensive in these areas and had “made small advances,” it said that Russian forces were conducting “relatively effective defensive operations” in Ukraine’s south.The Ukrainian military said in a regular update Sunday morning that over the previous 24 hours Russia had carried out 43 airstrikes, four missile strikes and 51 attacks from multiple rocket launchers....

Letters: 2 major mistakes lead to a revised opinion of Gov. Walz

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Revising his opinion of the governorI used to like Gov. Walz but in light of two major mistakes he made in the recent past, I have revised my opinion of him.Mistake #1 was his hiding from responsibility for his administration’s supervision of the massive $250 million fraud using federal money to feed non-existent children. There must have been a number of people asleep at the wheel for this to have happened. But, he was the number one sleeper.Mistake #2 just occurred with the removal of $350,000 from his budget for the Positive Alternatives Grant. This money supported entities involved in helping hopeless pregnant women carry their babies to term. This support involved counseling, training, finances and new equipment for launching a new life. I cannot imagine what went through Walz’s head except for the militant voices of the pro-abortion crowd dominating Minnesota state government.I am reminded of the Bible verse in Matthew. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do un...

Ask Amy: Did my neighbor have to make me seem like a jerk on Facebook?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Dear Amy: Until recently, my neighbor “Ron” and I always got along very well.Ron works from home, and I am retired.I enjoy working in my garage, house or yard during the day, usually between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. While working in the garage, I will listen to music, and sometimes it can be a little loud because of the tools I am using.Recently Ron posted on Facebook a profanity-laced post about my loud music, saying that it interferes with his job.Basically, he made me out to be an inconsiderate jerk, which is the farthest thing from the truth. All he or his wife had to do was to let me know it was an issue, and I would have turned it down, no problem.When my wife talked to them about the situation, first they denied that they were referring to me, blaming it on the neighbors across the street. (Not true.)Then they tried to turn it around, blaming my wife for telling me about the FB post.My wife eventually got a half-hearted apology, which she said should be directed toward me.They said...

How Exxon Captured a Country Without Firing a Shot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Guyana’s high court handed down a historic ruling in May against both the country’s Environmental Protection Agency and Exxon Mobil’s subsidiary in the region. If it sounds strange that the EPA and Exxon were co-defendants in a case, yes, that’s precisely the point.The case was brought on behalf of two Guyanese citizens, Frederick Collins and Godfrey Whyte. They accused the EPA of failing to enforce the requirements of its own permits by never securing a guarantee from Exxon or its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, that the company would cover all costs related to a possible oil spill.“Guyana taxpayers are currently exposed,” Tom Sanzillo, director of financial analysis for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said. “The potential consequences for Guyana are catastrophic.”That’s because Exxon’s drilling project in Guyana is the riskiest kind: deep-water offshore drilling, which involves intense pressure bearing down on complex equipmen...

Putin advierte a la OTAN de que se verá arrastrada a la guerra de Ucrania y dice que Rusia tiene más armas nucleares

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

(CNN) — El presidente de Rusia, Vladimir Putin, advirtió que existe un “grave peligro” de que la OTAN se vea arrastrada aún más a la guerra de Ucrania si los miembros de la alianza siguen suministrando armamento militar a Kyiv.“La OTAN, por supuesto, está siendo arrastrada a la guerra en Ucrania, ¿de qué estamos hablando aquí?”, dijo Putin en el Foro Económico Internacional de San Petersburgo este viernes.“Los suministros de armamento militar pesado a Ucrania están en curso, ahora están estudiando la posibilidad de dar a Ucrania los jets”.El comentario parecía ser una referencia a los aviones de combate F-16 que algunos miembros de la alianza de la OTAN están planeando suministrar a Ucrania.La OTAN, u Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte, se formó tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial para defender a las naciones occidentales de la Unión Soviética, y la alianza contiene una cláusula de defensa mutua por la que un ataque a uno de sus miembro...

UEFA president Čeferin dismisses idea of threat to European soccer from big-spending Saudis

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — European soccer should not be afraid of a player exodus to Saudi Arabian clubs, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said Sunday, suggesting the country was making a mistake investing in stars at the end of their careers.Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have taken hundreds of millions of dollars to join Saudi Arabian clubs this year and similar offers were made to Lionel Messi and Luka Modrić. They have combined to win every Ballon d’Or awarded since 2008 and all are aged at least 35.More players are expected to follow after four top Saudi Arabian clubs were effectively nationalized this month when taken into majority ownership by the Public Investment Fund sovereign wealth operation chaired by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.Čeferin was asked by Netherlands broadcaster NOS if he was scared of a player exodus, and answered emphatically: “No, no, no.”“I think that it’s mainly a mistake for Saudi Arabian football,” the UEFA president said in an interview bro...

More Storms this Sunday

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Our Sunday morning is off to a stormy start in spots across South Florida with a batch of electrifying storms moving across portions of metro South Florida. Similar as yesterday, expect to see storms to come through in rounds on this Father’s Day, with our first round of the day happening around the 6-9AM period this morning. Then we should see a lull with more sunshine, heating up temperatures to the upper 80s to low 90s in many spots. It’s not until the mid-afternoon hours when another round of storms, some of which could be strong to severe, is expected to move in from the north. Some of this rain will be heavy and could lead to flooding in spots. Then by the evening, there will still be some lingering storms but conditions will gradually improve by then.Meanwhile in the Florida Keys, few storms are expected and more sunshine, so a Heat Advisory is in effect once again today with feels-like temperatures up to 108-112F.More wet weather is ahead for the upcoming week wi...

Blinken begins high-stakes talks in China amid rising tensions between world’s two superpowers

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Beijing (CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off talks with senior Chinese officials in Beijing Sunday at the start of a high-stakes visit meant to steer relations back on course after months of inflamed tensions between the world’s two largest economies.Blinken is the first secretary of state to travel to China in five years and the most senior US official to make such a mission since President Joe Biden took office in early 2021.Observers will be closely watching for whether a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is on the cards. Previous trips by America’s top diplomat have often involved a face to face with China’s top leader, but relations are at their lowest in decades.Officials from both governments have signaled low expectations for the visit, with a senior State Department official telling reporters earlier this week that he does not expect “a long list of deliverables.”Instead, US officials are framing the trip as an effort to resu...