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Commission approves €742 million Czech state aid scheme to support sustainable forest management

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, a €742 million (CZK 17.4 billion) Czech scheme to support sustainable forest management. The measure will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Common agricultural policy by strengthening forest environmental protection.Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants to small, medium and large forest owners and other entities with similar rights and obligations, including State-owned entities. In particular, the direct grants will support: (i) operations designed to prevent the soil erosion on deforested stands; (ii) the protection of forest biodiversity; and (iii) the protection of the structure and composition of forest soil. Eligible beneficiaries will receive an aid amount equal to around €0.18 (CZK 4.22) per day per hectare of forest land. This amount will cover up to 100% of the eligible costs.The Commission assessed the scheme under EU state aid rules, in particular Article 107(3)(c...

Return of Conservatism: The possible future of the UK

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

With the heightened tensions in the Middle East due to attacks launched by Gaza-based Hamas forces on Israel, this development prompts one to reflect on unexpected changes that are reshaping the world. One such example can be found in the United Kingdom, writes Kung Chan, founder of ANBOUND think tank. As it stands, the United Kingdom is increasingly showing its diverse façade. Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, is of Scottish-Pakistani heritage. His political journey began in 2011 when he was elected as an additional member in the Glasgow electoral region, becoming the youngest-ever elected member in the history of the Scottish Parliament at the age of 26. During his swearing-in ceremony, Yousaf wore traditional South Asian attire, a shalwar kameez, with the Scottish national emblem, the thistle. He recited his oath in both English and Urdu, signifying his heritage and identity.Rishi Sunak (pictured), the current prime minister of the United Kingdom, is widely recognized...

Israel shows foreign press footage of Hamas massacre

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The IDF on Monday (23 October) screened for foreign press correspondents some 43 minutes of harrowing scenes of murder, torture and decapitation from Hamas’s October 7 onslaught on southern Israel, in which over 1,400 people were killed, writes Yossi Lempkowicz.In the past week, the IDF has accumulated raw body-cam footage from Hamas terrorists who took part in the massacre, and compiled it into one file. The government said it had decided to show journalists part of its collected documentation in order to to prove the Islamist terrorist group committed crimes against humanity.‘’Showcasing these materials is crucial to the documentation and reporting of what took place in Israel that day,’’ it said.Journalists were not permitted to record the screening, which took place on a closed military base.Raphaël Jerusalmy, a former senior Israeli military intelligence officer, writer and defense and security analyst for i24news channel, was among the people who saw the screening.Here is...

Word Game: Oct. 25, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — KIELBASA (KIELBASA: keel-BAH-suh: A smoked sausage of Polish origin.)Average mark 30 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 37 or more words in KIELBASA? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — ENTREAT earn eaten eater enter erne natter near neat neater netter tare tarn tart tear teat teen tenet tent tern tetra treat tree ante antre areteTo 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” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Horoscopes Oct. 25, 2023: Katy Perry, don’t sit on the sideline

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ciara, 38; Katy Perry, 39; Josh Henderson, 42; Persia White, 51.Happy Birthday: Stop hesitating; make things happen. If you believe in yourself, you can negotiate, propose and control the outcome of anything you engage in and let your skills, experience and discipline kick in and take over. The opportunities are present, and you can bring about change if you are willing to put in the time and discipline. Don’t sit on the sideline dreaming when progress is within reach. Your numbers are 5, 16, 23, 27, 35, 47, 49.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take nothing for granted. Someone will make a force play if given the chance. Hold your cards close to your chest and be ready to go the distance. Speed is your defense, but endurance is necessary to make your mark. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Claim what’s yours and keep marching. You will achieve happiness if you are diligent. Don’t downplay your creativity or fear being different. Your uniquenes...

Bridge: Oct. 25, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

“I don’t fear her,” Alice muttered at the Mad Hatter’s game. “She’s only a pasteboard card.”The Queen of Hearts, who was kibitzing, was an intimidating presence, threatening the players if they let her card be captured.“I’m the most potent card in Wonderland,” the Queen roared. “Lose a trick my card could win and lose your head.”Alice played at today’s 3NT, and West led a low heart. Alice saw ten tricks if West had the king, but if East, the Hatter, had it, Alice would be at risk of a spade shift. She needed to induce a heart continuation if East won the first trick.SORRY“Sorry, your majesty,” Alice said, and she played the queen from dummy.The Hatter took his king, returned a heart — and ran from the table.“Off with his head,” the Queen bellowed.Meanwhile, Alice took the jack — and eight more tricks.If dummy plays a low heart at Trick One, East will win and will see no ...

Ask Amy: I’m insulted that he ‘fixed’ my photo with Photoshop

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Dear Amy: “Carlos” and I are both volunteers in an arts organization.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: She wants to be the cool grandma, and I’m not OK with her plan Advice | Ask Amy: Am I wrong to promise him a baby if he agrees not to go to war? Advice | Ask Amy: If I’d known about this upheaval, I would have declined the wedding invitation Advice | Ask Amy: The fight over laundry has undermined our marriage Advice | Ask Amy: I’ve been told that a mad dash through the airport won’t win me a woman Before knowing him well, I emailed him a photograph I entered into two juried exhibitions. The photo was chosen both times and has been exhibited.Carlos lists himself as a photographer, which is why I chose to share it.He wrote back, asking if I’d ever heard of Photoshop. He then sent me his Photoshopped version of my photo along with an explanation of how he had “fixed” it.I didn’t res...

Single family residence sells for $1.8 million in Fremont

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

768 Vanda Way – Google Street ViewA 2,396-square-foot house built in 1955 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 700 block of Vanda Way in Fremont was sold on Sept. 8, 2023. The $1,800,000 purchase price works out to $751 per square foot. This single-story home offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and three baths. Additionally, the house comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:In September 2022, a 1,576-square-foot home on Larch Way in Fremont sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $1,015. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Carnation Way, Fremont, in November 2022, a 2,365-square-foot home was sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $698. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,689-square-foot home on the 35800 block of Linda Drive in Fremont sold in January 2023, for $1,080,000, a price per square foot of $6...

Police arrest East Bay brothers after Marin County drug bust

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Marin investigators arrested two alleged drug dealers in Larkspur after setting up a bust in Mill Valley.The case started when an undercover detective with the Marin County Special Investigations Unit obtained the phone number of a potential drug dealer, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators suspected the dealer of selling methamphetamine and fentanyl in Marin and elsewhere in the Bay Area.A detective called the number and arranged a deal for a quarter pound of methamphetamine and an ounce of fentanyl. The transaction site was set for Friday near the Muir Woods Lodge on Shoreline Highway in Mill Valley.Two alleged dealers showed up for the transaction. When detectives moved in, the men ran away, leaving their vehicle behind. Investigators kept the vehicle under surveillance until the men came back for it, then followed them.The California Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle in the area of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at Larkspur Landing Circle. Investigators searched the ve...

‘Drones are the next thing’ for Disney nighttime spectaculars

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Drone shows deploying hundreds of unmanned aerial aircraft over the skies of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure could soon be joining the lineup of nighttime spectaculars at the Anaheim theme parks.“Drones are the next thing,” said Disney Live Entertainment Parades and Spectaculars Executive Steven Davison.Davison was part of a panel discussion featuring the creative team from “Behind the Attraction” hosted by Walt Disney Imagineering during a media preview for the returning documentary series.The second season of “Behind the Attraction” debuts Nov. 1 on the Disney+ streaming service with episodes dedicated to Disney nighttime spectaculars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure and Disneyland food.“They’re very cool,” Davison said of drones during the “Behind the Attraction” panel discussion. “They’re kind of a new thing. We’re doing a lot of work in that. So all I’m going to say is, ‘There’s more to come.’”Davison is the creative d...