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Commission receives payment requests of Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

On 18 December, the Commission received payment requests under the Recovery and Resilience Facility from three member states - Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia.Cyprus's second payment request is worth €152 million in grants (net of pre-financing) and concerns a total of 33 milestones and 5 targets. This payment request covers transformative reforms and important investments in areas including public health, education, energy efficiency and renewable energy, protection against forest fires and floods, water management, agriculture, research and innovation, financial support to businesses, digitalisation of public administration, taxation, and anti-corruption. Cyprus's overall recovery and resilience plan will be financed by €1.22 billion (€0.2bn in loans and €1.02bn in grants).Romania's third payment request is worth €2bn in grants and loans (net of pre-financing) and concerns a total of 68 milestones and 6 targets. This payment request covers transformative reforms and important investment...

Southern California prepares for flooding as storm moves in

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

As a storm makes its way to Southern California, many residents are preparing as a major flood watch was issued for multiple counties. “This rain for us is going to be very beneficial especially because we are going to see multiple days of it,” said KTLA Meteorologist Vera Jimenez. Scattered showers have already arrived for some areas and more significant rainfall is expected to arrive late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.“Thunderstorms and lightning will be favorable with a remote risk of a small, short-lived tornado,” said the National Weather Service. The counties most at risk include Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.Residents living in recent burn scar areas are preparing for major flooding and mudslides that may threaten homes and even lives.Expected rainfall in Southern California for the week of Dec. 19, 2023. (KTLA)Thunderstorms, flooding and a potential small tornado heading to SoCal on the week of Dec. 19, 2023. (National Weather Service...

Hamas leader visits Cairo, a sign talks on another Gaza truce and hostage swap are gathering pace

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas’ top leader traveled to Cairo on Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza, part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed at securing another cease-fire and hostage swap at a moment when the militant group is putting up stiff resistance to Israel’s offensive.Ismail Haniyeh’s visit came a day after Hamas fired rockets that set off air raid sirens in central Israel, a show of strength during a 10-week war that has devastated much of northern Gaza, killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, and driven some 1.9 million — nearly 85% of the population — from their homes.Israel has called on the rest of the world to blacklist Hamas as a terrorist organization, saying it must be eradicated in the wake of its Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel that triggered the war. But the sides have recently relaunched indirect talks, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, aimed at instituting another cease-fire and freeing more hostages captured in that attack in exchange for Palestinian...

What we know so far about the volcanic eruption in Iceland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Scientists anticipated the eruption of a volcano in southwestern Iceland for weeks, so when it happened on Monday night, it was no surprise. The region had been active for more than two years and thousands of small earthquakes rattled the area in recent weeks. Here is a look at what happened and what may be ahead: HOW THE ERUPTION UNFOLDED It started at about 10:20 p.m. local time on Monday north of Grindavik, a fishing town of 3,400 people on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The town is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, in an area known broadly as Fagradalsfjall volcano.First there was a series of small earthquakes. Then lava that’s around 1,200 C (nearly 2,200 F) began pouring out of a fissure about four kilometers (2½ miles) long. The Icelandic Meteorological Office estimated that hundreds of cubic meters of lava per second flowed out in the first two hours of the eruption, though the activity had significantly subsided by...

EU hails a migration deal breakthrough after years of talks. Critics worry about rights abuses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders and top officials hailed on Wednesday a major breakthrough in talks on new rules to control migration, but critics said the reforms will weaken the rights of asylum-seekers and encourage more morally dubious deals with countries that people leave to get to Europe.After overnight talks, visibly exhausted EU lawmakers emerged expressing relief that agreement was found “on the core political elements” of the Pact on Asylum and Migration — a major overhaul of rules that many hope will address the challenges posed by migrant arrivals over the last decade.“It’s truly a historic day,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, flanked by lawmakers responsible for the key parts of the agreement. With migration likely to be a hot campaign issue ahead of EU elections next June, Metsola said, it was vital to make a breakthrough.“Let’s not underestimate the risk if we had not reached such a deal,” she told reporters. “This means, hopefully, that m...

US flies bombers for joint drills with South Korea, Japan after North’s long-range missile launch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States flew long-range bombers for joint drills with South Korea and Japan on Wednesday in a show of force against North Korea, days after the North performed its first intercontinental ballistic missile test in five months. The trilateral training off South Korea’s southern island of Jeju was meant to strengthen the countries’ joint response against North Korean nuclear threats, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.The exercise involved B-1B bombers and South Korean and Japanese fighter jets, the statement said. It said the B-1Bs’ flyover is the 13th time that a U.S. bomber has been temporarily deployed near and over the Korean Peninsula this year.A B-1B is capable of carrying a large conventional weapons payload. North Korean has previously called the bomber’s deployment a proof of U.S. hostility and had reacted with missile tests.North Korea on Monday launched a Hwasong-18 ICBM into the sea in a drill it said was...

News helicopter crashes in New Jersey, killing pilot and photographer, TV station says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A news helicopter has crashed in New Jersey, killing both the pilot and photographer on board, the television station said.“A pilot and a photographer from our news team were in the helicopter when it went down while returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore” on Tuesday night, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reported. “Both crew members were killed.”The station did not release their names pending notification of family members. The crash happened sometime after 8 p.m. in woods in Burlington County’s Washington Township, the station said.“New Jersey State Police troopers were able to locate the crash site on the ground. It is very hard to access due to its location in the woods,” the station said.It’s unclear what caused the crash, the station said.Emails seeking comment were sent Wednesday to New Jersey State Police and the Federal Aviation Administration.Source

Protestas en Argentina contra el Gobierno de Milei, en vivo: noticias y última hora

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

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Nottingham Forest hires Nuno Espírito Santo as manager to replace Steve Cooper

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest hired Nuno Espírito Santo as its manager on Wednesday with the Premier League club moving quickly to replace Steve Cooper. Santo, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham in England’s top division, has signed a 2 1/2-year contract.Most recently the Portuguese coached Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad and won a league and cup double last season. Forest fired Cooper on Tuesday after a run of one win in 13 league games saw the club drop to fourth-to-last place in the table. ___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource

The Patriots and Packers still seeking their 1st 100-yard games from rusher or receiver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:44 GMT

Inside the Numbers dives into NFL statistics, streaks and trends each week. For more Inside the Numbers, head here.___When it comes to getting big games from playmakers, the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers have been lacking at a historic level.The Patriots and Packers are the only teams in the NFL without a 100-yard receiving game from any player with JuJu Smith-Schuster’s 90 in Week 14 against Pittsburgh the high for New England and Dontayvion Wicks’ 97 last week against Tampa Bay the most for Green Bay.Compounding the issue is the fact that the Patriots and Packers also haven’t gotten a single 100-yard rushing game from a player this season with Rhamondre Stevenson’s 98 yards the best for New England and AJ Dillon’s 76 yards the top game for Green Bay.The only other teams without a 100-yard rusher this season are Cincinnati, Denver, Washington and New Orleans.The other 30 teams have combined for 155 performances of at least 100 yards receiv...