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Southern Europe braces for climate change-fuelled summer of drought

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Southern Europe is braced for a summer full of ferocious dry weather. Some regions are already experiencing water shortages, and farmers expect their lowest yields in years.Climate change is making the region hotter, and years of droughts have depleted the groundwater reserves. In Spain, southern France and Italy, the soils are bone dry. Low river and reservoir level are threatening hydropower production this summer.Scientists warn that Europe will experience another brutal summer as temperatures rise. Last year, Europe experienced its hottest on record, which fueled a drought European Union scientists said was the worse in at least 500 years.Spain has been the worst affected by the crisis so far this year.Jorge Olcina is a professor of geography at the University of Alicante in Spain. He said that "the situation of drought will worsen this summer".At this stage, there's also little chance that rain will resolve the drought. Olcina explained that at this time of year, "the only thin...

Bridge: May 19, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

A club player came to me as discouraged as a farmer suffering through a late-summer drought.“I make so many mistakes I should start calling them ‘traditions,'” he told me.At four spades, my friend won the first heart with the king and took the A-K of trumps, hoping for a 2-2 break. East threw a heart. Declarer next led the ace and a low diamond.“West won,” South said, “and cashed his high trump. Then I could ruff one diamond in dummy, but I lost another diamond and a club. I think what I learn from my mistakes is how to make the same ones again.”HIGH TRUMPSouth can win the first heart in dummy, cash one high trump, then duck a diamond. If West leads a second trump, South wins, takes the ace of diamonds, ruffs a diamond and comes to his king of hearts to ruff his last diamond, losing a trump, a club and a diamond.If instead West leads a second heart, South wins and leads the ace and a second club to set up a link with his hand. He loses only ...

Ask Amy: I smile when I think how shocked she’ll be when my will is read

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Dear Amy: As an older male I have seen fundamental changes in all types of relationships.One change is a reduction in work ambition. Some people choose “quiet quitting” – to do as little as possible and still keep their job.I see “quiet quitting” in relationships as well, and my daughter has chosen to quietly quit her relationship with me.She seems happy to see me when we get together (rarely) and there is always a “love you” somewhere – but that’s it.Her mother and I got divorced 15 years ago when my kids were teenagers. They lived with her full time. I know that my ex does her best to poison their relationship with me.My daughter and her husband never proactively contact me or offer to get together, even though I live nearby.I suggest that they come to my home to celebrate my birthday – but it never happens.She and her husband had Easter dinner with her mother, but she didn’t even bother to give me a “Happy Easter” phone call.She even had her mother give her away at her wedding, e...

Harriette Cole: My friend is too lenient in her parenting, and I don’t want advice from her

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have found myself in an uncomfortable situation with a friend of mine.We both have children, but my friend seems to be too lenient when it comes to parenting. Lately, she has been giving me unsolicited advice about my own child — with whom I have a great relationship. I appreciate her concern, but her constant input makes me feel undermined as a parent.I understand that she may have good intentions, but it’s important for her to recognize that every parent-child relationship is different. How can I approach this situation without jeopardizing our friendship?Back OffDEAR BACK OFF: Tell your friend you need to talk to her about something serious. If you can be face to face, that is best.Point out that you have noticed that the two of you obviously love your children very much, but your parenting styles are very different. You have chosen to keep your thoughts to yourself about how she parents her child. For whatever reason, she has not been able to extend...

Player of the Week: West Springfield’s Teresa Hines

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Each week, WTOP is picking one student athlete to be featured on air and online as our Player of the Week. This week’s WTOP Player of the Week is Teresa Hines of West Springfield High School in Virginia.Tess is a precision rifle athlete at West Springfield High School and on a travel rifle team called the Arlington Optimist Acorns. A senior now, she started shooting in her freshman year using both a precision air rifle as well as a smallbore rifle.She is nationally ranked and has participated three times in Junior Olympic competitions, while also shooting regularly at national level competition.This past January, she won the Virginia State Championship in smallbore (women) and air rifle (men and women).Tess won the individual regional championship in the Potomac High School League, breaking the range record in the process.WTOP’s Player of the Week is sponsored by:Are you the parent of an outstanding student athlete? Or do you know a student athlete who deserves recognition? Ch...

Prince William County teenager served murder charge while in court for something else

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

A now-18-year-old man has been charged with murder in a deadly November shooting that happened in Dumfries, Virginia, according to police in William County.The Dumfries teenager was 17 years old at the time of the Nov. 12 shooting. Prince William County police said it happened in the area of Morgan Court and Old Triangle Road just after 5:30 a.m.Officers arrived at the scene to find Demetrious Graham, 44, of Woodbridge, shot dead in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. The teenager sought Graham out after a dispute that happened at a nearby residence involving a family member, according to police.After surveillance footage was released in an attempt to find the teenage suspect, police said they were able to identify him and charge him while he was in court for an unrelated matter on Thursday.The now-18-year-old is charged as a juvenile with murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a juvenile.Police did not identify the teen, who is being hel...

Pistas sugieren que niños sobrevivieron a un accidente aéreo en la selva colombiana mientras rescatistas corren para encontrarlos

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

(CNN) — Las fuerzas armadas de Colombia han pasado más de dos semanas buscando sobrevivientes de un accidente aéreo en la selva amazónica, incluso transmitiendo un mensaje grabado por la abuela de cuatro niños que iban a bordo, diciéndoles que permanezcan en su lugar.Este miércoles pareció haber un gran avance, cuando el presidente de Colombia, Gustavo Petro, tuiteó que los niños, de 13, 9, 4 años y uno más de 11 meses, fueron encontrados con vida. Pero luego eliminó el tuit y dijo el jueves que la información que le dio el Instituto de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF), que se encarga de la protección de niños, no había sido confirmada.Lo que sería una extraordinaria historia de supervivencia ahora tiene confundidos a los colombianos, mientras funcionarios gubernamentales luchan contra las malas comunicaciones y aún no tienen contacto directo con los niños.La directora del Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF), Astrid Cáceres, dijo que su equipo recibió confirmación de se...

Trudeau slams Meloni over LGBTQ+ record

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called out Italian leader Giorgia Meloni’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights in a meeting Friday on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.“Obviously, Canada is concerned about some of the (positions) that Italy is taking in terms of LGBT rights,” Trudeau told Meloni, who was visibly annoyed, according to multiple media outlets.“But I look forward to talking with you about that,” he added before the start of the meeting.Canada’s leader restated this point in the official note issued after his bilateral with Meloni.“The leaders also exchanged views on the importance of protecting and defending human rights, including the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people,” the communication read, referring to an acronym used by the government of Canada for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual.In her meeting with Trudeau, Meloni said that “her government is following court decisions and is not deviating from previo...

Knock it off! G7 issues ultimatum to Russia’s war enablers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

HIROSHIMA, Japan — Countries supporting the Russian military will bear “severe costs” if they do not cease that activity “immediately,” the G7 countries said in a joint statement Friday, pledging to “further prevent” circumvention of sanctions against Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The warning from the bloc of rich democracies comes as the EU is considering sanctioning Chinese companies for their role in providing Russia with dual-use goods that have ended up on the battlefields in Ukraine.“We will starve Russia of G7 technology, industrial equipment and services that support its war machine,” the G7 countries said in the statement after high-level talks on Friday.“We reiterate our call on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s aggression, or face severe costs. We will reinforce our coordination to prevent and respond to third parties supplying weapons to Russia and continue to t...

French lawmakers drag in Uber chief for grilling on lobbying

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

PARIS — France’s lawmakers will next week grill Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi about his company’s aggressive lobbying tactics. The hearing, organized by the French National Assembly’s inquiry committee into the Uber Files, will take place on May 25 via videoconference, according to a parliamentary agenda. In July last year, the Uber Files revelations showed how French President Emmanuel Macron, then the economy minister, helped bolster Uber’s growth in France back in 2015. In January, lawmakers from left-wing party France Unbowed decided to set up an inquiry committee to focus on Uber’s lobbying in France, as well as “the social, economic and environmental consequences” of the “Uber model” in the country. In January, Khosrowshahi told POLITICO he would testify in front of the French parliament, if called upon. “I absolutely guarantee you that this company is different and what was happening during that time will not happen while I’m CEO of this com...