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Commission receives second payment request from Bulgaria for €724 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

Bulgaria's second payment request for €724 million in grants relates to 61 milestones and 5 targets.They cover investments in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) centres and innovation in education, research and innovation, smart industry, renovation of buildings, digitalisation of the electricity transmission grid, energy-efficient street lighting, renewable sources, and electricity storage, as well as digitalization of railway transport.The payment request also includes a series of reforms aiming to enhance preschool, school, and higher education as well as lifelong learning, promote e-health, support the decarbonisation of the energy sector by boosting the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements, and support sustainable urban transport. Further reforms relate to ensuring an accessible, effective, and predictable justice system and fighting corruption. Other reforms cover areas such as judicial mediation, insolvency procedur...

Harriette Cole: Should I tell my friend I’m worried about her boy?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend’s child seems to have some developmental issues. I wonder if he has a condition that is making him look a little different.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My husband berates me because he forgets what I tell him Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m tired of hearing about her kids’ private school Advice | Harriette Cole: I outed a cheating husband, and I didn’t expect the repercussions Advice | Harriette Cole: It’s hard to resist getting even with my no-show friend Advice | Harriette Cole: It seems like my co-workers are avoiding me. Is it because of how I got hired? He also seems slow to mature. He is nearly 2 years old and is not talking yet. He has a good disposition, but he is developing slowly.I wonder if my friend notices these things. I don’t want to get into her business, and I am not a doctor or anything, but I do think that by this a...

Miss Manners: What’s a polite way of saying ‘you weren’t our first pick’?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I love to cook. We often host small dinner parties for up to eight people, which is the max that our small dining room can comfortably hold.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: A virtual stranger hijacked our lunch date. What could we have done? Advice | Miss Manners: I wasn’t going to let a runty lobster ruin my carefully planned dinner Advice | Miss Manners: What could I have said to this blithe line-jumper? Advice | Miss Manners: My wife insists this is a rule about children’s birthday parties Advice | Miss Manners: I’m stunned by my father’s request for the wedding dinner Now, it has happened in the past that one or two guests have had to cancel on the day of, when we have already prepared most of the food and set the table. Would it be appropriate at that point to reach out to family or friends and extend a last-minute dinner invitation? An...

Afghanistan wins the toss and bats first against India at the Cricket World Cup

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Afghanistan won the toss Wednesday and opted to bat against an India lineup high on confidence after opening its Cricket World Cup campaign with a victory over five-time champion Australia.The tournament hosts beat Australia by six wickets in a low-scoring thriller at Chennai. Afghanistan lost its opening game to Bangladesh by six wickets in Dharamsala.Shubman Gill is sidelined again for India because of a virus, allowing left-handed Ishan Kishan continue to open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma.India made one change to its lineup, with bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur replacing off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.Afghanistan retained the same lineup from Dharamsala and is determined put up a better total but will be wary of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who is coming off a haul of 3-28 against Australia.Jadeja has taken seven wickets at average 10.85 against Afghanistan and his ODI record at Delhi nine wickets at 20.77. The Arun Jaitley Stadium has proven to ...

AP PHOTOS: Protests by pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators span the world as war escalates

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

From Bangladesh to Las Vegas and Brazil to Rome, demonstrations by supporters of Israel and the Palestinians were held around the world as people took to the streets to expresses their views and often outrage as the war escalated between Israel and Hamas militants.Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Rome, Barcelona, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Vancouver and other cities and towns to show support for one side or the other. In San Francisco and other cities, demonstrators from the opposing sides faced off across main streets.In Paris, people gathered to support Israel as the Eiffel Tower was lit in the colors of that country, and in Rome more gathered at the Emperor Tito’s Arch as it was also light up in blue and white.In Karachi, Pakistan, people burned Israelis and American flags while in London people held candle light vigils for Israeli victims. Source

Player of the Week: Patriot High’s Jackson McCarter

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "9925b775-8fe1-4632-8d0c-df5dc528896e"}).render("f9d02ee284674791be5573ef9f258a82"); });Another week, another school record for one of the Washington area’s most prolific running backs.Just a week after setting a Patriot High School mark with six touchdowns in one game, junior Jackson McCarter etched his name into the record book with another spectacular performance. He rushed 31 times for 381 yards and five more touchdowns as the Pioneers beat neighborhood rival and previously undefeated Gainesville, 56-26.For his efforts, McCarter was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.Just a week after setting a Patriot High mark with six touchdowns in one game, junior Jackson McCarter etched his name into the r...

Phillies and Braves tied 1-1 heading into NLDS Game 3

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

Atlanta Braves (104-58, first in the NL East during the regular season) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (90-72, second in the NL East during the regular season)Philadelphia; Wednesday, 5:07 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: TBD; Phillies: Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 202 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -125, Braves +106; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies take on the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NLDS. The series is tied 1-1.Philadelphia is 49-32 in home games and 90-72 overall. Phillies hitters have a collective .327 on-base percentage, the ninth-best percentage in MLB play.Atlanta is 52-29 on the road and 104-58 overall. The Braves have the top team on-base percentage in MLB play at .344.The teams match up Wednesday for the 16th time this season. The Braves lead the season series 9-6.TOP PERFORMERS: Trea Turner has 35 doubles, five triples, 26 home runs and 76 RBI while hitting .266 for the Phillies. J.T. Realmuto is 12...

Diamondbacks look to sweep Dodgers in NLDS Game 3

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62, first in the NL West during the regular season) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78, second in the NL West during the regular season)Phoenix; Wednesday, 9:07 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Lance Lynn (13-11, 5.73 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 191 strikeouts); Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt (3-9, 5.72 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 94 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -147, Diamondbacks +125; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers play in Game 3 of the NLDS. The Diamondbacks hold a 2-0 lead in the series and can advance to the NLCS with a victory.Arizona is 84-78 overall and 43-38 at home. Diamondbacks pitchers have a collective 4.48 ERA, which ranks 10th in the NL.Los Angeles has a 100-62 record overall and a 47-34 record on the road. The Dodgers have hit 249 total home runs to rank second in the NL.Wednesday’s game is the 16th meeting between these teams this season. The Dodgers are ahead 8-7 in the season serie...

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony join WTOP ahead of Capital One Arena with LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, The Roots

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

Hear our full chat on my podcast “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at Capital One Arena (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); It may not be the first of the month, but it’s time to “wake up, wake up” and buy some hip-hop tickets!Bone Thugs-N-Harmony perform live at Capital One Arena on Sunday in D.C. for “The Force Tour” in a c...

6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes part of western Afghanistan where an earlier quake killed over 2,000

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:08:24 GMT

CHAHAK, Afghanistan (AP) — Another strong earthquake shook western Afghanistan on Wednesday morning after an earlier one killed more than 2,000 people and flattened whole villages in Herat province in what was one of the most destructive quakes in the country’s recent history.The magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Wednesday was about 28 kilometers (17 miles) outside Herat, the provincial capital, and 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It triggered a landslide that blocked the main Herat-Torghondi highway, Information Ministry spokesman Abdul Wahid Rayan said.The aid group Doctors Without Borders said the Herat regional hospital received 117 injured from Wednesday’s temblor. The group, also known by its French acronym MSF, said it sent additional medical supplies to the hospital and was setting up four more medical tents at the facility. “Our teams are assisting in triaging emergency cases and managing stabilized patients admitted in the medic...