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Innovation stays strong: Patent applications in Europe continue to grow in 2022

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

The European Patent Office (EPO) received 193,460 applications in 2022, an increase of 2.5% on the previous year and a new record. The EPO’s Patent Index 2022, published today, shows that patent filings continued to grow last year, after an increase of 4.7% in 2021 that followed a small dip (-0.6%) in 2020. Companies from the UK filed 5,697 applications at the EPO, an increase of 1.9% following two years of consecutive decline (-1.9% in 2021; -7.0% in 2020). The number of patent applications – an early indicator of companies’ investments in research and development – underlines that innovation remained robust last year despite economic uncertainties around the globe. “When it comes to the promise of green innovation, there has been solid, sustained growth in filings related to clean technologies and other means that create, transfer and store electricity,” said EPO President António Campinos. “It’s this ongoing boom that is navigating the energy transition. Innovators are also worki...

Police search for motive in ‘calculated and planned’ mass shooting that killed 6 at Nashville Christian school

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

Police in Nashville are digging into the background and motivations of a former student who entered a Christian elementary school armed with AR-style weapons and detailed maps and opened fire, killing three children and three adults.The shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was shot and killed by police during the Monday attack, leaving behind “drawn out” maps of the Covenant School detailing “how this was all going to take place,” Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said.As police work to piece together what led up to the violence, officials said they had determined where the shooter lived in the Nashville area and have interviewed Hale’s father. Investigators were expected to spend Tuesday processing the scene and gathering more details about what happened during the roughly 14 minutes of terror at the elementary school.The attack, which police said was a targeted one and involved prior planning, was the deadliest school shooting in nearly a year.As the shooting unfo...

Storm tracker map: Follow the Bay Area rain, Sierra Nevada snow

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

A storm bringing rain and high winds is expected to arrive in the Bay Area in the early hours of Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.The updating radar map above shows areas of precipitation in green, with greater intensities indicated by yellow and orange.Rain is expected to continue at least into Wednesday evening.Two to four feet of snow and wind gusts to 60 mph are forecast for the Sierra Nevada; the National Weather Service advises against mountain travel after 11 p.m. Monday.Related ArticlesWeather | Looming atmospheric river may put California at highest snowpack level ever. What’s your forecast? Weather | Rain, winds, cold on the way as another Tuesday blitz shapes up Weather | Oakland Zoo recovers 5 of 6 birds that escaped storm-damaged aviary Weather | Ski resorts in California got so much snow they’re going to stay open through June Weather | Point Reyes tule elk herds recover af...

Bridge: March 28, 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

In today’s deal (reported by Barry Rigal) from the Life Master Pairs at the ACBL Fall Championships, East had options at his first turn to bid and chose a preemptive lift to three spades. He failed to shut out South, who came in with four diamonds (a lusty 3NT was possible) and was raised.West led his singleton club: deuce, queen, ace. South drew trumps and next led the jack of hearts, putting up dummy’s ace when West played low. Fine so far; but then declarer tried a spade to his king, He lost two spades and later a club. Down one.11TH TRICKIt’s sad to see this quality of play in an event for Life Masters. After South takes the ace of hearts, he has an extra chance by cashing the king and ruffing a heart. The fall of East’s queen makes dummy’s ten high for the 11th trick.When I became a Life Master in 1972, the title had some prestige. But now with masterpoint inflation plus the proliferation of events, players can achieve LM ranking without ever playi...

Word Game: March 28, 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SCURRILOUS (SCURRILOUS: SKUR-ih-lus: Using or given to coarse language; vulgar.)Average mark 17 wordsTime limit 35 minutesCan you find 24 or more words in SCURRILOUS? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — CORPSE cero cope copse core corps crop rope rose peso pore pose poser prose scope score sore spore eposTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Horoscopes March 28, 2023: Lady Gaga, stay in control

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Lady Gaga, 37; Julia Stiles, 42; Vince Vaughn, 53; Reba McEntire, 68.Reba McEntire (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Happy Birthday: Take your time; get organized. Preparation will help eliminate mishaps and misunderstandings. Stay in control and push forward with your issues and the goals that matter most to you. The hard work you put in this year will make a difference for years to come. Trust and believe in yourself, and refuse to let anyone get in your way. Think big, but be reasonable. Doors will open. Your numbers are 7, 18, 21, 24, 30, 35, 48.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Distance yourself from anyone who tries your patience. Spend more time on personal goals, not arguing with someone about something that doesn’t matter. Focus on your options and how to make the most of your time. Success will follow. 2 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Pay attention to detail and present what you have to offer with pizazz. How you portray yourself and yo...

A Is for Abuse: The Saga of For-Profit Schooling in Africa

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

Bridge International is the largest for-profit education chain in the world, serving upward of 750,000 children in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Liberia, and India. The founders, two Harvard graduates, developed an attractive business model for investors. With centrally-produced curriculum and bare-bone standardized schoolhouses, Bridge offered a vision of making a profit while doing good. But then rumors started to swirl about the dark side of the company.This week on Deconstructed: Journalists Neha Wadekar and Ryan Grim narrate the saga of Bridge International Academies. As allegations of sexual abuse and neglect emerged against Bridge, investor responsibility became the center of a controversy at the World Bank. [Upbeat music from video.]Shannon May: Between 700 million and 800 million children living in poverty across the globe, the majority of those children are not accessing a reasonable education.Ryan Grim: In the early days of the era of big tech disruption, two Harvard Unive...

Butler pledges to lead Maryland State Police into ‘new era’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

Acting Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler told lawmakers Monday he is committed to moving the agency “into a new era,” as some senators have questioned whether someone who has spent nearly three decades in the department is the right choice to lead reforms in an agency under a federal discrimination probe.“It is my top priority,” Butler told the Maryland Senate Executive Nominations Committee. “I’ve heard your concerns and the concerns of your constituents, and I’m absolutely committed to addressing these issues head on. To begin, we must acknowledge and address all bias and discriminatory practices.”Butler, who would become the first Black superintendent of the agency with Senate confirmation, has served as chief of the State Police Field Operations Bureau, where he led a force of more than 1,000 troopers and investigative personnel assigned to 23 barracks. He also served on the superintendent’s staff and the Mar...

Reports: Dozens dead in fire at migrant facility in Mexico

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — At least three dozen migrants died in a fire at an immigration detention center in northern Mexico near the U.S. border, according to a newspaper report.The Diario de Juarez newspaper, which citied unnamed sources in the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office, said the fire happened late Monday at a facility in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas.Neither Mexico’s National Immigration Institute nor the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office responded immediately Tuesday to requests for confirmation.Ciudad Juarez is a major crossing point for migrants entering the United States. Its shelters are full of migrants waiting for opportunities to cross or who have requested asylum in the United States and are waiting out the process.Images from the scene showed ambulances, firefighters and vans from the morgue around the facility. Injured people have been taken to four hospitals, according to Diario de Juarez. Mexico’s attorney general’s office has launched a inquiry and ...

Stolen futures: Baltimore faces uptick in youth violence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:07 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Decades after losing her older brother to gun violence, Michelle Hines tried everything to keep her teenage son safe: checking in regularly with his teachers, coordinating extracurricular activities, and most importantly, trying to prevent him from growing up too fast.Despite those efforts, Izaiah Carter was fatally shot earlier this month in a park adjacent to his Baltimore high school. He had recently turned 16.His death added to an alarming trend: more children and teens getting shot, even as gun violence overall trends downward in Baltimore. After several recent shootings of Baltimore high schoolers, including three teens killed within blocks of their schools, local leaders are ramping up efforts to reduce youth violence and increase student safety.Last week, officials announced an arrest in Izaiah’s case. Police provided few details about how they solved the killing, saying a motive hasn’t been identified.Hines said the arrest brings her some relief, but she wa...