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Boosting trust is key to delivering the EU’s green transition

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

The EU has set ambitious targets to decarbonize the economy by 2050. Citizens and businesses are committed to bold moves to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions over the coming decades.To achieve these targets and the radical changes needed in the way we produce, transport and use goods and services, one element is essential: trust.We know that consumers are confused about the right choices to make to ensure the goods and services we use are produced in a sustainable way.A bewildering range of labels claiming products are ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ can add to confusion rather than bring clarity. Challenges in verifying the accuracy and reliability of these labels serve only to undermine trust.A 2020 study by the European Commission found that 53 percent of environmental claims made by companies were vague, misleading or unfounded, while 40 percent were unsubstantiated.Like consumers, investors also need certainty that they are backing projects that will help to decarbonize the economy.Simil...

Duran shakes off rough start, helps Red Sox beat Mariners 9-4 to snap 4-game skid

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran’s night started out pretty poorly. He finished it off by contributing to a slump-breaking victory.After striking out twice and misplaying a line drive into a triple, Duran homered, singled in a run and stole a base to help Boston snap a four-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 9-4 on Tuesday night.“It’s baseball. I punched out the first two at bats and I was like, ‘I’ve got to flush it,’” said Duran, who is batting .351 and already matched his career high of three home runs. “Just pick up my boys and just think about the guys. Like, it’s not all about me.”Masataka Yoshida doubled, tripled, scored on a wild pitch and drove in three runs for Boston. Justin Turner and Triston Casas also homered for the Red Sox, who were swept by the last-place St. Louis Cardinals and lost the series opener to Seattle.Nick Pivetta (3-3) allowed four runs on six hits and four walks, striking out six in 5 1/3 innings.Taylor Trammell ho...

Gallery: Red Sox win 9-4 against the Mariners

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

The Boston Reed Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 9-4 at Fenway Park

Democrat Cherelle Parker wins primary for Philadelphia mayor

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

Cherelle Parker, a Democrat with a long political history in Pennsylvania, won Philadelphia’s mayoral primary on Tuesday, likely setting her up as the city’s 100th mayor and the first woman to serve in the role.Parker, 50, who served for 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia before her election to the city council in 2015, asserted herself as a leader whose government experience would allow her to address gaping problems with public safety and quality of life in the nation’s sixth-largest city. She will go up against Republican David Oh in the Nov. 7 general election. The win was a disappointment to progressives who rallied around Helen Gym, who was backed by Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Parker emerged from a crowded field of five front-runner Democratic candidates vying to replace Democrat Jim Kenney, who is term-limited. She beat out other former city council members who resigned from their seats to throw ...

Japan’s economy rebounds on healthy consumption as COVID restrictions ease, tourists arrive

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s economy grew at an annual pace of 1.6% in the quarter through March as private demand rebounded after COVID-19-related restrictions were eased, according to data released Wednesday.Real gross domestic product, which measures the sum value of a nation’s products and services, grew 0.4% in January-March on-quarter in the world’s third largest economy, the government Cabinet Office said.That was the strongest GDP growth pace since April-June 2022 marked a 1.1% growth. It was also better than the market consensus forecast of 0.2%.The annualized pace shows what the growth would have been if what was marked during the quarter had continued for a year. The biggest contributor to growth was private demand, surging an annual 3.1%, with consumer spending and private investment showing a healthy rebound. The recent opening of borders to tourists and other incoming travel has also helped consumption perk up. Public demand grew at an annualized 1.8%.“Japan’s economy appears ...

Australia rules out Quad summit going ahead in Sydney without President Biden

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out a so-called Quad summit taking place in Sydney without President Joe Biden, saying the four leaders will talk at the Group of Seven meeting this weekend in Japan. Albanese said Wednesday he understands why Biden pulled out of the summit to focus on debt limit talks in Washington since they are crucial to the economy. The summit including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had been scheduled for May 24. “The blocking and the disruption that’s occurring in domestic politics in the United States, with the debt ceiling issue, means that, because that has to be solved prior to 1st June — otherwise there are quite drastic consequences for the U.S. economy, which will flow on to the global economy — he understandably has had to make that decision,” Albanese told reporters.Biden “expressed very much his disappointment” at being unable to come to the Sydney summit an...

Carolyn Carluccio wins GOP primary for Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican Carolyn Carluccio has won the GOP nomination for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which is playing a prominent role in settling disputes over voting rights, abortion rights and gun rights in the presidential battleground.Carluccio, Montgomery County’s president judge and the party-endorsed candidate, won the two-way race. She defeated Patricia McCullough, a Commonwealth Court judge who lost a primary for a high court seat in 2021, after party allies reported spending nearly $1 million to help her beat McCullough.On the campaign trail, McCullough repeatedly boasted of being the “only judge in 2020 in the presidential election in the entire country” to order a halt to her state’s election certification.McCullough was ruling in a Republican-backed post-election legal challenge that sought to tilt victory to Donald Trump in the presidential battleground state. The state’s high court quickly overturned McCullough’s order.Carluccio will face Demo...

She killed the man raping her. Now Mexican woman faces 6 years in prison

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican woman who killed a man defending herself when he attacked and raped her in 2021 was sentenced to more than six years in prison, a decision her legal defense called “discriminatory” and vowed to appeal Tuesday.The ruling against Roxana Ruiz spurred anger from experts and feminist groups who said it speaks to the depth of gender-based violence and Mexico’s poor record of bringing perpetrators of sexual violence to justice.“It would be a bad precedent if this sentence were to hold. It’s sending the message to women that, you know what, the law says you can defend yourself, but only to a point,” said Ángel Carrera, her defense lawyer. “He raped you, but you don’t have the right to do anything.”The Associated Press does not normally identify sexual assault victims, but Ruiz has given her permission to be identified and participates in public demonstrations led by activists who support her.While the Mexico State court found Monday that Ruiz had been raped, it ...

Citytv announces $1-million cash prize for ‘Canada’s Got Talent’ Season 3

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

TORONTO — “Canada’s Got Talent” is increasing its top prize to $1 million.Citytv says its competition series will return for a third season with a bumped-up award from parent company Rogers, described as the biggest cash prize in Canadian television history.In addition, CIBC will award $25,000 each to six Golden Buzzer acts, or entertainers deemed good enough to progress from auditions straight to the semifinal.The news was revealed during Tuesday’s Season 2 finale, which awarded a grand purse of $150,000.  This year’s winner is the dance act Conversion from Trois-Rivières, Que., who will also receive professional financial advice as well as the chance to perform at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as part of “America’s Got Talent Presents: SUPERSTARS Live.”Applications for Season 3 are open on the Citytv website.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2023.Noel Ransome, The Canadian Press

Buffalo Grove High School closed Wednesday due to small fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:47 GMT

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. -- Students in Buffalo Grove will not have classes Wednesday.According to District 214, Buffalo Grove High School will be closed Wednesday due to a small fire that took place in the building Tuesday evening.After school activities and events will be reportedly available by 12 p.m. Wednesday.No injuries were reported.