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EU taxonomy: Green investments to boost sustainable finance 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

To boost the shift towards eco-friendly investment, the EU has introduced rules to define what qualifies as green or sustainable activities.Why the EU needs a common definition for sustainable investmentsSustainable development requires the preservation of natural resources and respect for human and social rights. Climate action is an important aspect, as the need to limit and mitigate the effects of climate change becomes more and more urgent.The EU is committed to gradually decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions. The European Green Deal, the EU’s flagship initiative on climate action, sets a goal of zero net emissions by 2050.To achieve the goal, the EU must invest in new technologies.Public investment will not suffice and private investors will have to step in to finance climate-friendly projects. This requires clear criteria on what exactly is sustainable and eco-friendly; otherwise, some funding might be directed to “greenwashing” projects that claim to be green, but in realit...

COVID-19: Commission authorizes third adapted vaccine for member states' autumn vaccination campaigns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

The Commission has authorized the Nuvaxovid XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Novavax. This is another important step in the fight against the disease. It is the first protein-based adapted vaccine authorized for this autumn and winter season.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) carried out an in-depth evaluation of the vaccine. Following this evaluation, the Commission authorised the adapted vaccine under an expedited procedure so that member states have sufficient time to prepare for their autumn-winter vaccination campaigns.In line with previous recommendations by the EMA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), adults and adolescents from 12 years of age who require vaccination are invited to get a single dose, irrespective of their COVID-19 vaccination history.BackgroundWith the EU Vaccines Strategy, the Commission continues to ensure that member states have access to the latest authorised COVID-19 vaccines to protect the vulnerable members...

Miss Manners: Three years after disappearing, she sent me a rude email

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A woman I used to have a meal with once a month or so has not communicated with me in three years.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Must I tell these nosy people about the tragedy of my fiance? Advice | Miss Manners: They’re demanding we vacation every year in the back of beyond Advice | Miss Manners: You better believe the guests notice when the bride has a different meal Advice | Miss Manners: I used to be flattered by this response. Not anymore. Advice | Miss Manners: Our argument about her restaurant behavior ended our friendship I didn’t give it that much thought, due to COVID: She has had health issues and might not have felt safe on the subway. (She lives outside the city proper, and we used to meet at a restaurant in the city.)Last week she posted on social media that she is looking for a job. The next day, I got a frantic, brusque, ill-mannered and gauche emai...

Dorchester fire leaves 20 displaced

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

Boston fire crews battled a two-alarm blaze in a multi-use building in Dorchester early Friday morning that left about 20 people displaced.Crews responded to a reported structure fire at 560 Columbia Road around 2 a.m.The fire was contained to the first floor, according to the Boston Fire Department.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1720319278581244069This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Man facing impaired charges after vehicle hits parked cars, rolls over in The Junction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

A man is facing impaired driving charges after a single vehicle crash and rollover in Toronto’s The Junction neighbourhood on Friday morning.The crash happened on Dundas Street West near Saint John’s Place, east of Runnymede Road, around 3 a.m.Police say the vehicle involved in the crash hit parked vehicles before rolling over.The driver became trapped and needed to be extricated from the vehicle by Toronto Fire crews. Paramedics confirm he was rushed to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.Police tell CityNews alcohol is involved and the driver will be facing impaired charges.With files from CityNews reporter Carl Hanstke

Iran sentences a woman to death for adultery, state media say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian court has sentenced a woman to death for adultery, state media said.A report by the IRAN newspaper on Wednesday said the woman worked as a trainer in a gym for females.It said her husband contacted police in 2022 when he found her with another man at their home. The husband discovered from surveillance cameras that she was having relations with other men, it said.Under Iranian law, she can appeal.Iranian courts sometimes sentence people to death by stoning for adultery, which can be reduced to lighter punishments upon appeal.Iran is under international pressure for its extensive use of the death penalty. On Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Iran was executing people at “an alarming rate.” He said at least 419 people received capital punishment in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 30% from the same period last year.In 2017 a court sentenced a woman to death for adultery, but there has been no report of her executi...

Biden administration awards $653 million in grants for 41 projects to upgrade ports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Department on Friday awarded $653 million in grants to upgrade and improve 41 water-based ports across the United States.The grants are part of the $1 trillion in infrastructure investments included in a bipartisan law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. Biden administration officials said the projects being supported will allow ports to meet greater shipping demands as well as lowering costs for consumers and improving worker safety.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on a call with reporters that supply chain challenges starting in 2021 drove up prices as the United States recovered from the pandemic. He said the goal of the projects is to improve the infrastructure for ports so that they can withstand the kinds of shocks seen during the pandemic.“Our goal is to strengthen those supply chains in a durable fashion,” Buttigieg said. “Today’s announcement is another big step in that direction.”The grants included $43.4 million to...

Storm Ciarán kills 3 people as it brings record rainfall to Italy, taking European death toll to 10

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Record-breaking rain produced floods in a vast swath of Tuscany as Storm Ciarán pushed into Italy overnight Friday, trapping residents in their homes, inundating hospitals and overturning cars. At least three people were killed, bringing the storm’s death toll in western Europe to 10.Italian Civil Protection authorities said 200 millimeters (nearly 8 inches) of rain fell in a three-hour period, from the city of Livorno on the coast to the inland valley of Mugello, and caused riverbanks to overflow. Video shows at least a dozen cars getting pushed down a flooded road.The dead in Tuscany included an 85-year-old man found in the flooded ground floor of his home near the city of Prato, north of Florence, and an 84-woman who died while trying to push water out of her home in the same area, according to Italian news agency ANSA. The other victim was reported in Livorno.At least three people were missing Friday in Tuscany, and one person was reported missing in the mountains o...

Stock market today: Global shares follow Wall St higher on hopes for an end to Fed rate hikes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — World shares advanced on Friday after Wall Street roared higher on bets that market-rattling interest rate hikes are coming to an end.U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices logged modest gains.Germany’s DAX gained 0.3% to 15,184.05 and the CAC 40 in Paris added 0.2% to 7,076.01. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.2% at 7,464.21.Investors have taken heart from comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggesting interest rates might not have to be raised further to keep inflation in check. Wall Street could be headed for more swings, though. The latest monthly update on the U.S. jobs market, due later Friday, is expected to show a slowdown in hiring for October.The S&P 500 leaped 1.9% Thursday in its fourth straight winning day and is already up 4.9% this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.7% and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.8%.Asian markets also advanced. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 2.6% to 17,687.00, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0....

Burnt Hills looking to make amends for 2022 playoff loss to Averill Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:42 GMT

BURNT HILLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Averill Park and Burnt Hills have been fixtures in the Class A playoff picture the past few seasons. This year, the Warriors earned the top seed in the Capital Division, with the Spartans locking up the two seed in the Grasso under first-year head coach Kevin DeBonis. Friday night, the two sides will clash in the section semis in our 1st & 10 “Game of the Week.” Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! This is the first meeting between the two teams since last year's Class A semi-final game, where the Warriors unloaded for a 42-21 win. The Spartans had beaten AP 21-0 in the regular season before the playoff loss, and Burnt Hills admits they looked past the Warriors. Not this time."The kids' mindsets were just trying to get back to the Super Bowl and AP punched us in the face," said Debonis. "This AP team is very similar to that big physical team. I said, 'However you want to use it for motivation, fine,...