On 11 February 2025, the European Commission adopted the first work programme (2025 CWP) of the von der Leyen II Commission. Building on the reports by Enrico Letta, Mario Draghi and Sauli Niinistö, and in line with the Commission President's political guidelines, the CWP places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, simplification and implementation, and preparedness. These will remain key horizontal priorities for the entire Commission mandate. In terms of structure, the CWP follows the seven headline ambitions put forward in the political guidelines and is accompanied by a communication on implementation and simplification. The work programme should be read in conjunction with two other recent Commission communications: the 'Competitiveness Compass' – itself a flagship initiative under the 2025 CWP, setting out a strategic long-term plan for rebooting Europe's competitiveness – and the communication on 'The road to the next multiannual financial framework' (MFF), which reflects on how to align the MFF with evolving needs and priorities. Annex I of the 2025 CWP puts forward 52 major new policy initiatives, over 40 % of which fall under the competitiveness headline ambition. Only 18 new initiatives are of a legislative nature, with a further one listed as 'legislative or non-legislative'. Fourteen of the legislative initiatives aim to revise existing legislation; 11 of these have a strong simplification dimension, and only nine are set to be supported by an impact assessment. The relatively low number of legislative files is not uncommon at the beginning of a new mandate, where (non-legislative) strategies, compasses, roadmaps and action plans lay out the new priorities. Several of them, such as the Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal, imply intense legislative activity in the years ahead. The annual plan of evaluations and fitness checks included in Annex II is a novelty – and a step towards increased transparency. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Chevranna Abdi died in 2003 after Hamilton police were called to a Sandford Avenue apartment building with reports of a woman «wielding a knife and acting in a bizarre fashion.” Her friend says she was a »staple in the community" who should be remembered with humanity.

Shashi Tharoor praises PM Modi for India's vaccine diplomacy contrasting with past criticism from Congress leaders like Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. Tharoor's remarks have embarrassed his party, giving BJP an opportunity to mock Congress. BJP welcomes these acknowledgments of Modi's successful global initiatives.

The Wisconsin Catholic Charities case has implications for other religiously connected nonprofits, including hospitals, and for state unemployment systems.

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The verdict against the veteran French politician is “a declaration of war by Brussels,” Matteo Salvini has said Read Full Article at RT.com

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Content creator Claudia, who is from the UK but moved to Koh Samui, Thailand, in 2023, revealed she is 'never going back' because the lifestyle is much better.

Paul Fletcher, from Brimscombe, Gloucestershire, suddenly experienced an out-of-character symptom one day in February, the next day he collapsed and was rushed to hospital.

Virginia Giuffre, 41, shared a worrying photo of herself from her hospital bed covered in bruises she had apparently sustained from a speeding bus crash.

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Scientists are on high alert after spotting a key sign that Mount Spurr in Alaska could erupt within weeks.

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In a recent post that has been viewed more than three million times, Dr Amy Shah implored her followers not to use hugely popular products.

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