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Commission approves €140 million Portuguese state aid scheme to support the production of renewable hydrogen and biomethane to foster the transition to a net-zero economy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

The European Commission has approved a €140 million Portuguese scheme to support the production of renewable hydrogen and biomethane to foster the transition to a net-zero economy, in line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the Commission on 9 March 2023 and amended on 20 November 2023, to support measures in sectors which are key to accelerate the green transition and reduce fuel dependencies.Under the scheme, the aid will take form of a variable premium under a two-way contract for difference concluded for a duration of 10 years. The aid is awarded through a competitive bidding process where renewable hydrogen producers and biomethane producers compete separately. In the competitive bidding process, beneficiaries are selected on the basis of the strike price per MWh of renewable hydrogen or biomethane offered.The Commission found that the Portuguese scheme is in line with the condit...

Word Game: Dec. 19, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — BLEARY (BLEARY: BLEER-ee: Poorly outlined or defined.)Average mark 20 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 24 or more words in BLEARY? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — CHOREA care cero char chore core hare hear hero hoar hoer hora ocher orca race reach roach each echo ache acre aero archTo 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].

Starc and Cummins become most expensive signings in IPL history to cap great 2023 for Aussie pacers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mitchell Starc became the most expensive signing in the history of the Indian Premier League on Tuesday, topping the record figure paid for Australia teammate Pat Cummins at the competition’s auction a few hours earlier.Starc, a left-arm pacer who was last in the IPL eight years ago, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for nearly $3 million.That beat the fee paid by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Cummins, who went for nearly $2.5 million.Before this auction, the record signing was England bowler Sam Curran after he joined Punjab Kings for $2.23 million last year.It capped a spectacular year for Starc and Cummins, who are coming off winning the Cricket World Cup with Australia last month in the tournament in India.Cummins and Starc also play in Australia’s test team, which won the World Test Championship final in June before retaining the Ashes after a 2-2 draw in the series with England.___AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricketSource

California is set to become 2nd state to OK rules for turning wastewater into drinking water

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — When a toilet is flushed in California, the water can end up in a lot of places — the ice in a skating rink, the manufactured snow on ski slopes, in pipes providing irrigation for farmland. And — coming soon — in your drinking glass. California regulators on Tuesday are set to vote on new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools and businesses.It’s a big step for a state that has struggled for decades to have a reliable source of drinking water for its more than 39 million residents. And it signals a shift in public opinion on a subject that as recently as two decades ago prompted backlash that scuttled similar projects.Since then, California has been through multiple extreme droughts, including the most recent one that scientists say was the driest three-year period on record and left the state’s reservoirs at dangerously low levels.“Water is so precious in C...

Analysis: Sean Payton’s curious calls, sideline spat with Russell Wilson have Broncos on the brink

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

DENVER (AP) — It was Russell Wilson who got a tongue-lashing from Sean Payton, but if the Denver Broncos blow their chance to end an eight-year playoff drought, it’s the veteran head coach who will be getting an earful from fans over the same kinds of game management miscues that plagued his predecessor.The Broncos (7-7) have engineered a remarkable recovery from their 1-5 start that featured losses at home to underdogs quarterbacked by Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Howell and Zach Wilson while Payton was still settling into his new gig.Garoppolo was soon benched and Josh McDaniels fired. Howell has lost 10 of his last 12 starts and Wilson has won just three other games.Throw in Nathaniel Hackett’s happy homecoming, the famous Miami meltdown in which Denver lost by 50 points and all the Broncos were left with was a comeback after trailing 28-7 at Soldier Field to win in Payton’s hometown.Payton famously castigated Hackett for overseeing one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL...

Long losing streaks uncomfortable for NBA players. It can be part of their pro indoctrination

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

Victor Wembanyama has adjusted to many things — food, culture, double teams — since the top pick’s arrival with the San Antonio Spurs.There’s just no getting accustomed to all the losing.Pick an NBA player’s name, any name, and they’re not hard-wired for skids. Players like Wembanyama have typically always been on winning teams before coming to the league, not ones that stack up defeats at historic rates. For Wembanyama, along with youngsters like Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson in Detroit and Bilal Coulibaly of Washington, losing has become part of their NBA education.Misery does love company, and the Pistons, who lost their 24th straight game Monday night, have some in the Spurs and Wizards. Despite the presence of Wembanyama, the Spurs have dropped 19 of 20, while the Wizards are in the midst of losing 17 of 19.“Sometimes, you’ll be in a game and maybe think about the losing streak and causes you to do a little extra or just do something you wouldn’t no...

Backup QBs are on display all around the NFL as injury-depleted teams push toward the postseason

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Joe Flacco was at home a month ago, all but ready to accept his 15-year NFL career might be over.Then came a phone call from his agent with an invitation to a workout with the Cleveland Browns. A commercial flight and practice-squad deal later, the former Super Bowl MVP has become an overnight hero for a team ravaged by injuries but still trying to maintain playoff hopes.It can happen almost overnight: a backup quarterback goes from holding a clipboard — or in Flacco’s case, watching at home — to being thrust into action, sometimes at the most important point of the NFL season. They’re on display all around the NFL right now after a flurry of starters have gone down for the year with injuries and teams have needed help to stay in contention.“It’s one of the more important positions on your team,” said Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who called on backups in several games last year, including in the postseason, when starter Tua Tagovailoa mis...

CJ Carr, grandson of ex-Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and All-America Tom Curtis, to sign at Notre Dame

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

SALINE, Mich. (AP) — CJ Carr was standing in his kitchen, searching for an after-school snack, when his grandfather sent a verbal jab over the kitchen island.“You wearing that sweatshirt?” former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr asked his grandson with a smirk.“Yeah,” he said to his grandfather, grinning and wearing a green sweatshirt with Notre Dame in white.CJ Carr will be among hundreds of prospects to sign a national letter of intent with college football programs on Wednesday, sealing his commitment to join the Fighting Irish.No one on Signing Day has a story quite the same.The former Saline High School star quarterback has two College Football Hall of Fame grandfathers, Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis, with ties to the Wolverines and a late brother, whose battle with brain cancer inspired a foundation that has funded $27 million in research.CJ Carr caused a stir last year when he chose to attend Notre Dame, rather than play five miles from his house at Michigan, where his father, Jason, wa...

From relegation battlers to high flyers: Brest fighting for European spots in French league

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

BREST, France (AP) — Since coming back from two goals down to stun last season’s runner-up Lens on the opening day of the season, Brest has continued to take the French league by surprise.The result? With one match left to play before the year-end break, the small club from the Brittany region dreams about Europe.After 16 rounds of matches, Brest boasts its best record ever at this stage of the French league season, with eight wins, four draws and only four defeats for a total of 28 points. That’s just nine points fewer than leader Paris Saint-Germain and its armada of stars. And four points fewer than second-place Nice ahead of Brest’s game against local rival Lorient on Wednesday.For its final league game of the year, PSG hosts Metz. Nice plays Lens and third-place Monaco travels to Toulouse.Not many experts could have imagined such an ascending trajectory for Brest when the struggling side appointed Eric Roy as its coach in January, with hopes that the 55-year-old wou...

Denver weather: Nearing record highs on Tuesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:42 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Even with a mix of sun, clouds and a light breeze, highs along the Front Range will climb into the middle to upper 60s on Tuesday in the Denver weather forecast.Weather today: Warm with sun, cloudsThe Front Range and Eastern Plains will see a mix of sun and clouds on Tuesday with extra clouds over the higher elevations. 5 gray wolves released into Colorado Highs will be near Denver's record 67 degrees with highs in the middle to upper 60s. Winds can be brisk during the afternoon.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on Dec. 19 Weather tonight: Partly cloudyExtra clouds linger Tuesday night, giving Denver partly cloudy skies. But, the mountains will see cloudy skies. Overnight lows are also mild, only dipping to the freezing mark.Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on Dec. 19 Looking ahead: Mild until Christmas Eve snowThe mild weather will continue through the end of the workweek. Wednesday will feel comfortable with highs in the upper 50s with partly cloudy skies. ...