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Citizens and organizations invited to express their views on Erasmus+ and shape the future of the programme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

On 15 September, the Commission launched a public consultation to collect the views of citizens and organisations on Erasmus+, the EU's flagship programme for education, training, youth and sport.The public consultation will help the Commission gather information on the results of the novelties introduced in the current generation of the programme, such as European Universities, Centres of Vocational Excellence and Erasmus+ Teacher Academies. It will also give insights as to how the measures put in place to reinforce inclusion and to enhance simplification are progressing. Finally, it will aim at collecting citizens' and stakeholders' views on the programme's resilience and flexibility as well as its contribution to tackling societal challenges, and their suggestions on the future programme.Building on the call for evidence conducted in 2022, this public consultation will feed into the assessment of the Erasmus+ programme's overall performance which will revolve around five criteria...

Harriette Cole: A random man was staring in my window, and the police let him go

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I live on the ground floor of an apartment complex. It is in the city, but it is surrounded by a small garden and fence.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: Her dress made me upset, and it didn’t even stick to my wedding theme Advice | Harriette Cole: How do I keep my employee from leaving? Advice | Harriette Cole: It was a bad moment on Zoom. How can I smooth things over? Advice | Harriette Cole: How can I get my co-workers to let me go out with them? Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m forgetting chunks of time, and my husband says it’s no big deal The other morning, I felt something weird and opened my eyes. Standing outside my window was a random man staring in at me. My bedroom is small. While there was a window between us, he was literally only about 10 feet away from me. I screamed, and he ran off.My sons went out to track him down as I called the police. My sons fou...

Miss Manners: We’d go to the wedding but we’re obviously on the bride’s B-list

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We request your advice on whether it is acceptable to issue (or to accept) wedding invitations after the first batch has gone out.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: I unintentionally insulted a stranger in the store Advice | Dear Miss Manners: I was berated by the mothers of the rude sing-along girls Advice | Miss Manners: It was awkward to see her after this emotional episode Advice | Miss Manners: This newbie player is always holding up our game Advice | Miss Manners: I’m tired of being mistaken for a wife rather than an exec We received an invitation to a local wedding, and it is clear from the timing and information on the couple’s website that most invitations were sent much earlier. We would like to attend, but my wife is concerned that there is something unseemly about not being included in the initial invite list.I think it makes sense that we are backup guests....

Dear Abby: He never wants to see me again, but we may be thrown together

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I separated for four months. We have now reunited. However, his son “Ryan” told me he never wants to see me again.I wrote him a letter, expressed my remorse and invited him to visit but have received no response. Ryan shuns me now.My husband is going to invite him to visit, but I don’t know how I will deal with it. I do not want to be his hostess. What should I do?— BACK TOGETHER IN WEST VIRGINIADEAR BACK: If your husband invites Ryan to visit, and if Ryan agrees, put on a smile and become the most gracious hostess since Perle Mesta. (If you don’t know who she was, look her up.)Your husband may be able to mediate a resumption of harmonious family relations. If his son regarded your leaving as a personal rejection, your husband may be able to disabuse him of that idea and patch things up.DEAR ABBY: Would it be wrong to reach out to my biological mother for financial help?I was adopted when I was just 2 months old. I was lucky to...

Tips for selling a house at the highest price — and fast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

As the fall home-selling season opens, real estate agents recommend that homeowners spend some time and money preparing the house for sale so that it sells promptly and at the best price.With mortgage rates toping 7%, agents say D.C.-area real estate is starting to see more balance between buyers and sellers, following a period of very aggressive buying and rapidly rising prices.“There are a lot of things that people can do, like staging a home, making sure that it’s clean, that it has a good curb appeal, that the gardens are taken care of,” said Alison McDowell, a real estate agent in the Bethesda, Maryland, office of Compass.It’s important that your property makes a really good first impression.“When you’re selling a home, you get the most traffic in the first week that house is on the market … I liken selling a house to planning a party, where you want the big reveal to go off without a hitch,” McDowell said.Research shows that careful pr...

El “efecto Mandela” describe los recuerdos falsos que muchos de nosotros compartimos. Pero ¿por qué los científicos no pueden explicarlo?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

(CNN) — ¿El Sr. Monopoly usa monóculo? ¿Hay una raya negra en la cola de Pikachu? ¿Y la fruta en el logotipo de Fruit of the Loom surge de una cornucopia?Si respondió afirmativamente a alguna de estas preguntas, lo siento, está equivocado. Pero es posible que también estés experimentando el llamado efecto Mandela.La investigadora paranormal Fiona Broome acuñó el nombre en 2009 después de convencerse de que el entonces presidente sudafricano Nelson Mandela había muerto en prisión en la década de 1980. Pero Mandela no murió en prisión; fue liberado en 1990, pasó a liderar Sudáfrica y murió en 2013. Sin embargo, Broome notó que muchos otros parecían compartir la misma memoria inexacta, lo que provocó una mayor investigación.Desde entonces, han surgido recuerdos falsos más comunes, como que C-3PO de la fama de “Star Wars” es completamente dorado (tiene una pierna plateada); Jiffy como nombre de una conocida marca de mantequilla de maní (es simplemente Jif); la ortografía de un lib...

A Chinese #MeToo journalist and an activist spent 2 years in detention. Their trial starts this week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — After two years in detention, a Chinese journalist active in the #MeToo movement will go on trial this week, along with a labor rights activist who was detained with her in 2021, one of their supporters said.China often silences activists by holding them incommunicado for a long time and then sentencing them to prison. A pretrial hearing was held on Tuesday and a trial set for Friday in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the supporter said, citing a family member. The supporter requested anonymity out of fear of government retaliation.Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist, helped spark China’s first #MeToo case in 2018 when she helped a graduate student go public with accusations against her Ph.D. supervisor. The other activist, Wang Jianbing, is more known for his labor rights activity but also helped women report sexual harassment.It’s not clear what got them into trouble with authorities. Both have been charged with subversion of state power, their sup...

Rockies aim to stop 5-game road losing streak, play the Padres

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

Colorado Rockies (56-94, fifth in the NL West) vs. San Diego Padres (73-78, fourth in the NL West)San Diego; Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: Ryan Feltner (0-0); Padres: Blake Snell (14-9, 2.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 217 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -252, Rockies +205; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies travel to the San Diego Padres looking to stop a five-game road skid.San Diego is 40-36 in home games and 73-78 overall. The Padres have the eighth-best team on-base percentage in the majors at .328.Colorado has gone 22-54 in road games and 56-94 overall. The Rockies are 30-83 in games when they have given up at least one home run.The matchup Tuesday is the 12th time these teams match up this season. The Padres have a 7-4 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Juan Soto has 32 home runs, 123 walks and 100 RBI while hitting .267 for the Padres. Xander Bogaerts is 15-for-41 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs and three RBI ...

Braves aim to break skid in game against the Phillies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (82-68, second in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (96-54, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Tuesday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Cristopher Sanchez (2-4, 3.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 83 strikeouts); Braves: Spencer Strider (17-5, 3.78 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 259 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -222, Phillies +182; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves come into a matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies after losing four in a row.Atlanta is 96-54 overall and 47-26 at home. Braves hitters have a collective .342 on-base percentage, the top percentage in the NL.Philadelphia is 82-68 overall and 39-37 in road games. Phillies hitters have a collective .329 on-base percentage, the third-ranked percentage in the NL.The teams match up Tuesday for the 12th time this season. The Braves are up 7-4 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Ronald Acuna Jr. has 33 doubles, three triples, 37 home runs and 98 RBI for the Braves. Matt Olson is 13-for-38 wit...

Diamondbacks start 2-game series at home against the Giants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:03:06 GMT

San Francisco Giants (76-74, third in the NL West) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (79-72, second in the NL West)Phoenix; Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.62 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 130 strikeouts); Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen (15-8, 3.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 199 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday to open a two-game series.Arizona has a 41-35 record in home games and a 79-72 record overall. Diamondbacks hitters are batting a collective .252, which ranks sixth in the NL.San Francisco has a 33-42 record on the road and a 76-74 record overall. The Giants have gone 30-14 in games when they hit at least two home runs.The teams play Tuesday for the 12th time this season. The Giants are up 6-5 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Ketel Marte has 26 doubles, nine triples, 23 home runs and 77 RBI while hitting .274 for the Diamondbacks. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 13-for-38 with three doubles and a home run over the last 10 games....