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EU ‘lacked momentum’ on Balkan enlargement, says Serbia’s Europe minister

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

BRUSSELS — The EU waited too long to bring countries from the Western Balkans into its orbit, according to Serbia’s Europe minister.Belgrade’s point person on EU integration, Tanja Miščević, said Monday that although the bloc reacted quickly on Ukraine’s prospective membership, the EU’s “lack of momentum” on the Western Balkans tarnished the bloc’s reputation in the region.  “The EU did not react as fast as it reacted with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia two years ago, or now. They missed the same type of reaction at the beginning of this century when it comes to the Western Balkans,” Miščević told POLITICO in Brussels, where she attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers and their Balkan counterparts.Miščević added that after the end of the Yugoslav Wars, the EU’s appetite for enlargement “was not as enthusiastic as it is now, there was no momentum … as … now created because of Ukraine primarily.”So-called enlargement fatigue triggered a ...

Schools remain closed in Andover, rally planned in Boston as teachers strike continues

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

A rally is planned in front of the State House in Boston Tuesday in support of the ongoing teacher strike in Andover as the union and school committee will return to the bargaining table in the hopes of coming to an agreement that will return kids to the classrooms. An Essex Superior Court judge ruled Monday that the Andover Education Association will face large fines for each day the illegal teachers strike continues. Hours later, it was announced that school would be canceled again Tuesday after a fourth day of failing to reach a contract agreement.News of the ruling came after striking teachers in Andover made their voices heard, interrupting a planned school committee news conference. The judge’s ruling means the union will face a $50,000 fine for Monday and that figure will increase $10,000 a day for each day the strike carries on.Members of the Andover Education Association voted on Friday to authorize a strike after months of negotiations with the Andover School Committ...

Palestinian flag to fly over North Andover Town Common after Select Board approves application

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

Dozens of people crowded into North Andover High School on Monday to voice their opinions during a lively Select Board meeting where a proposal to fly the Palestinian flag above Town Common was ultimately approved.The request to fly the flag on the Town Common flag pole was approved after about an hour of public comment, during which those gathered spoke both in favor of and against flying the flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.“It’s a big deal for us to see the Palestinian flag that many of us think represents the attempted genocide of the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Iden Irelander. “It basically represents Hamas, since they are the elected ruling party in Gaza.” One supporter said, “It’s a flag that represents its people, it’s a flag that represents a nation, the heritage of the people, their traditions, their culture and it doesn’t represent a terrorist group.” This application came after an Israeli f...

US consumer inflation eased in October as cheaper gas slowed overall price increases

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States slowed last month in a sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes are continuing to cool the consumer price spikes that have bedeviled consumers for the past two years.Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that lower gas prices helped cool overall inflation, which was unchanged from September to October, down from the 0.4% jump the previous month. Compared with a year ago, consumer prices rose 3.2% in October, down from 3.7% in September.Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core prices also weakened unexpectedly. They rose just 0.2% from September to October, slightly below the pace of the previous two months. Economists closely track core prices, which are thought to provide a good sign of inflation’s future path. Measured year over year, core prices rose 4% in October, down from 4.1% in September.The latest price figures arrive as Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, are consideri...

How much have the Ravens struggled in the fourth quarter? The statistics show plenty of cause for concern.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

No team in the NFL is better over the opening 15 minutes of a game than the Ravens, who have outscored their opponents a whopping 79-16 in that span through the first 10 games of the season. They’ve been a little worse in each of the next two quarters, but just barely, ranking fourth-best in each after outscoring the opposition 73-38 and 63-28 in the second and third, respectively.But something is going on in the fourth quarter.The Ravens have been outscored 72-55 in the final 15 minutes, the sixth-worst point differential in the league. That included Sunday when the Cleveland Browns rallied for an improbable 33-31 victory after scoring two touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth while holding the Ravens to just a touchdown.It also marked the continuation of a concerning trend. Going back to the start of last season, the Ravens have lost seven games in which they have led in the fourth quarter, tying them with the Indianapolis Colts for the most in the NFL.What’s been ...

Bill Belichick breaks silence on Patriots’ decision to waive Jack Jones

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

The Patriots felt it was “time to move on” from cornerback Jack Jones on Monday.That was head coach Bill Belichick’s message while speaking to the media Tuesday after Jones was waived Monday afternoon when the team returned to Foxboro from their overseas trip to Germany.Belichick repeated it was “time to move on” when asked why the Patriots released Jones and whether it was performance-based or off-the-field issues.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots-Colts film review: Why the Germany loss may not be rock bottom New England Patriots | Patriots release troubled CB Jack Jones, claim RB JaMychal Hasty New England Patriots | Patriots captains declare belief in Bill Belichick after latest loss New England Patriots | Callahan: It’s time for the Mac Jones era to end in New England New England Patriots | Bill Belichick addresses job security after Patriots’ 10-6 l...

CAE reports $58.4M Q2 profit, up from $44.5M a year ago, revenue also higher

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

MONTREAL — CAE Inc. reported its second-quarter profit and revenue rose compared with a year ago.The flight simulator company says it earned net income attributable to equity holders of $58.4 million or 18 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30.The result compared with a profit of $44.5 million or 14 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year.Revenue for the three-month period totalled $1.09 billion, up from $993.2 million.On an adjusted basis, CAE says it earned 27 cents per share, up from an adjusted profit of 19 cents per share a year earlier.Last month, CAE announced a deal to sell its health-care business to U.S. company Madison Industries for $311 million.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:CAE)The Canadian Press

Andretti’s F1 effort boosted by General Motors plan to supply engines starting in 2028

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — General Motors said Tuesday it has registered with Formula One’s governing body to become an engine supplier starting in 2028 in what is seen as a huge boost to Michael Andretti’s bid to join the global motorsports series.“We are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit,” GM President Mark Reuss said. “With our deep engineering and racing expertise, we’re confident we’ll develop a successful power unit for the series, and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team.“We will run with the very best, at the highest levels, with passion and integrity that will help elevate the sport for race fans around the world.”The announcement comes ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, where three senior GM executives plan to be in attendance to help push Andretti Global’s bid forward with F1.GM in January announced its partnership with Andretti Global under its Cadillac banner on Andretti’s ...

A third round of US sanctions against Hamas focuses on the money transfers from Iran to Gaza

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday said it imposed a third round of sanctions on a group of Hamas officials, members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who work to transfer money from Iran to Gaza, and a Lebanese money exchange service that facilitates the transfers. The Treasury Department sanctions, coordinated with the United Kingdom, come in response to the surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that left roughly 1,200 people dead or kidnapped. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans.This and two previous rounds of sanctions against Hamas and its affiliates are aimed at protecting the international financial system from abuse by Hamas militants and their enablers, the Treasury Department said. The State Department also is designating a Palestinian Islamic Jihad military leader for diplomatic sanctions. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an emailed statement th...

Local news is at a tipping point. Will it survive?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:12:48 GMT

Every week brings more layoffs and closures to local news outlets across the country, especially newspapers. It’s a result of a business model that simply doesn’t work anymore, say the owners making the decision, and it’s tough to argue with that. But there is a business model that has begun to succeed—small, community- or subject-focused digital outlets that survive and even thrive thanks to government grants and funding from a small number of passionate readers.These are the publications that might replace the outlets that are vanishing, but they need to find an audience. And Bill C-18, designed to help Canadian media survive in the digital era, has set the world’s biggest platforms against these tiny but growing outlets, making an uphill climb even steeper…April Lindgren is a principal investigator for the Local News Research Project (LNRP) at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism. “I honestly don’t know what the futu...