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New EU crypto rules are good news for consumers and fight against money laundering, but their heavy carbon footprint remains a major concern

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

The new EU legislative package on crypto-assets that was voted by the European Parliament on 25 April will ensure better protection of consumers and a more effective fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. However, with this rapidly developing market, more action is necessary to offset risks, urge S&Ds. Furthermore, from an ecological point of view, a huge carbon footprint of crypto-assets remains a major concern. They use up as much energy as electric cars. Throughout the process of adopting this legislation, the S&D Group has been pushing for clearer and more stringent rules on the sustainability standards, but these efforts were unfortunately blocked by the conservatives and the liberals, with the support of the far-right in the Parliament. We will continue to strive for environment-friendly cryptocurrencies. Eero Heinäluoma, S&D negotiator on the EU legislation on Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA), said: “The EU is a pioneer in regulating the cry...

Joint Forces Command Naples kicks off NATO Exercise Noble Jump 23

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

Demonstrating NATO’s commitment to defending every inch of NATO territory, elements of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) has commenced its deployment to Sardinia, ITALY. Exercise Noble Jump 23 will highlight NATO’s capabilities through an Operational and Tactical, Live and Command post exercise which will conclude with a Joint Allied Powers Demonstration Day (JAPDD), showcasing the readiness of NATO’s warfighting capabilities.This long planed exercise, under the command of Joint Forces Command Naples (JFC Naples), will meet the requirements set by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe to exercise the VJTF as the lead elements of the NATO Response Force.The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a technologically advanced, multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces components that are rapidly deployable. It provides collective defence and a rapid military response to emerging crises. In addition, it can perform peace-support operations, p...

Agreement for new gas supply route signed by Azerbaijan and four EU countries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

A Memorandum of Understanding has just been signed in Sofia for the supply of additional gas to Europe from Azerbaijan through four EU countries, Climate+EnergyNews EU.Signed by Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov, Minister of Energy of Bulgaria Rossen Hristov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Energy of Romania Virgil-Daniel Popescu and Minister of Economy of Slovakia Karel Hirman, the agreement ensures the cooperation between the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and the four distribution system operators – Bulgartransgaz (Bulgaria), Transgaz (Romania), FGSZ (Hungary), Eustream (Slovakia).The agreement is part of the Solidarity Ring (STRING) initiative, proposed by Bulgaria and supported by the European Commission, to improve the security of natural gas supplies to the European Union.“Azerbaijan is a country that has been playing a strategic role in the reliable and stable energy supply of our partners fo...

Europe pioneering crypto-currencies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

“The new European rules for crypto-currencies are a quantum leap forward for all - for customers, investors, service providers and for innovation in Europe," said Stefan Berger MEP, who negotiated the new European regulatory framework for crypto-assets (MiCA), which were voted on by the European Parliament on 25 April.“We are paving the way for a harmonized market that will provide legal certainty for crypto-asset issuers, guarantee equal rights for service providers and ensure high standards for consumers and investors. With millions of Europeans already using Bitcoin and other digital assets, it was high time to set clear rules to ensure against abuses like fraud, money laundering and tax evasion”, Berger emphasised.So far, there have been no EU-wide rules for crypto-assets, only divergent national laws. “With this Regulation, we are providing the trust that young technologies need in order to develop further. We are bringing stability to a young, unpredictable industry,” accordin...

Christopher Mitchell: Torrance Officers Charged In 2018 Shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office revealed charges against two Torrance PD officers, in connection with the 2018 fatal shooting of 23-year-old Christopher DeAndre Mitchell.Anthony Chavez and Matthew Concannon pleaded not guilty for voluntary manslaughter charges stemming from a traffic stop-turned-deadly after previously being exonerated from the incident.When Gascón took over as District Attorney in 2021, he asked the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for permission to appoint a prosecutor to “reevaluate” previous shootings involving L.A. County police officers. That is when the December 2018 shooting became eligible for re-investigation.“Special Prosecutor Lawrence Middleton was given the independence to reevaluate, investigate and determine whether to pursue criminal prosecution in this case,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “He thoroughly reviewed and analyzed the evidence and decided to seek a grand jury indictment. We support ...

Oakland teachers union votes to authorize strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Oakland’s public school teachers have approved a strike. The union voted to approve the move, which parents have petitioned against.Parents KRON4 spoke with say they worry a strike will put a burden on their families and disrupt classes with just a few weeks left in the school year. But the teachers union says this may be a necessary step to ensure its members get paid what they’re worth.Four-hundred parents signed a petition against the strike, but the teachers have decided they now have the power to go on with it if they choose to do so. Stabbing at Northgate High in Walnut Creek, student in custody The interim president of the Oakland Education Association Ismael Amendariz says no progress has been made in negotiations, so teachers voted to authorize a strike. But he says if OUSD bargains in good faith and reaches an agreement they will avoid the strike.Amendariz explains they have not been able to agree with the district about special education, safety...

“Tenemos que estar preocupados”: organizaciones alertan por ataques a otras píldoras abortivas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

WASHINGTON DC – Organizaciones defensoras del aborto en Estados Unidos alertaron este martes sobre un posible ataque a otro tipo de píldoras abortivas, después de que el acceso a la mifepristona se viera amenazado recientemente.Tanto la mifepristona como el misoprostol son píldoras abortivas ampliamente utilizadas en EEUU para interrumpir el embarazo. El Tribunal Supremo del país decidió el pasado viernes mantener el acceso a la píldora abortiva mifepristona, suspendiendo de momento las restricciones que un tribunal de apelaciones había ordenado la semana pasada.Tras los esfuerzos para restringir su uso, ahora las organizaciones alertan de que el misoprostol está en el punto de mira de los detractores del aborto en el país.Mini Timmaraju, presidenta de la organización NARAL Pro-Choice America, explicó que, después de “ir detrás de la mifepristona sin éxito”, los extremistas tratarán de atacar al misoprostol: “Tenemos que estar preocupados por eso”, añad...

Erdoğan says he’s fine after health scare on live TV

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is facing the toughest election of his 20-year rule, cut short a live TV interview Tuesday night after suffering from an upset stomach.Erdoğan was being interviewed on Turkish TV when the program was interrupted for about 20 minutes, after the president suddenly felt ill off-camera, according to the BBC.He later came back to the screen, explaining he had suffered from a “serious stomach cold” and had considered canceling the interview — which started one-and-a-half hours late — after doing “intense campaign work” on Monday and Tuesday.“Naturally, we are facing such issues from time to time amid such a busy schedule,” Erdoğan said.Erdoğan’s live broadcast with the journalists tonight was abruptly cut off after muffled noises coming from the mics. It worried many people. Erdogan is now back, says he had a stomach emergency and he was very tired. pic.twitter.com/sfRgm0MaHQ— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) April 25, 20...

Longer naps tied to higher risk for obesity, high blood pressure: Brigham research

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

People who take longer midday naps are at a higher risk for obesity and high blood pressure, according to Boston researchers who found that “not all siestas are the same.”The Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists looked at more than 3,000 adults from a Mediterranean population, examining the relationship of midday naps with obesity and other conditions tied to heart disease and diabetes.The researchers found that those who took siestas of 30 minutes or longer (considered long siestas) were more likely to have a higher body mass index, elevated blood pressure, and a cluster of other conditions associated with heart disease and diabetes (metabolic syndrome) — compared with those who didn’t take long siestas.However, those who took short siestas, also known as “power naps,” did not see an increased risk for obesity and other conditions. In contrast, short siesta-takers were less likely to have elevated systolic blood pressure than those who t...

Israeli principal in Australian court on sex convictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:50 GMT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Former Jewish girls school principal and now convicted sex offender Malka Leifer was ordered on Wednesday to appear in an Australian court in June for a two-day sentencing hearing.A Victoria state County Court jury convicted the 56-year-old Israeli citizen and mother of eight early this month on 18 charges relating to the sexual abuse of sisters Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper when they were students and student teachers at Adass Israel School in Melbourne from 2003 until 2007.Leifer faced a procedural hearing via a video link from prison on Wednesday during which Judge Mark Gamble set a timetable for her sentencing hearing on June 28-29.Gamble said there were significant matters he wanted addressed by prosecutor Justin Lewis and Leifer’s lawyer Ian Hill in the hearing, including details of the time Leifer spent in police or correctional custody in Israel.That includes time in “quasi-custody” such as home detention, Gamble said.The convictions include rape, ...