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Kosovo-Serbia tension threatens the Balkan path to EU integration, Germany’s foreign minister warns

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister on Friday expressed the European Union’s deep concerns following the recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region. Annalena Baerbock was in Tirana, Albania at a foreign ministers’ meeting ahead of the Oct. 16 summit on the Berlin Process, an initiative from Germany and France to encourage six Western Balkans countries to keep working toward membership in the bloc. The top diplomats of the six countries — Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — are meeting with Baerbock, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi and other senior EU officials. “The foundation for mobility in the region is security and safety,” Baerbock said ahead of the meeting, adding that “tensions within the last days between Serbia and Kosovo are also endangering this Berlin Process.”“The key to resolving the conflict is in Belgrade and Pristin...

Here’s a quick glance at unemployment rates for September, by Canadian city

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

OTTAWA — The national unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent in September. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):_ St. John’s, N.L. 6.6 per cent (6.1)_ Halifax 7.1 per cent (7.1)_ Moncton, N.B. 5.7 per cent (5.5)_ Saint John, N.B. 6.6 per cent (6.2)_ Saguenay, Que. 3.9 per cent (4.4)_ Quebec City 2.9 per cent (3.2)_ Sherbrooke, Que. 3.5 per cent (3.1)_ Trois-Rivières, Que. 4.0 per cent (4.0)_ Montreal 5.2 per cent (5.1)_ Gatineau, Que. 4.2 per cent (4.5)_ Ottawa 5.1 per cent (4.9)_ Kingston, Ont. 4.2 per cent (3.9)_ Belleville, Ont. 9.8 per cent (10.5)_ Peterborough, Ont. 2.4 per cent (4.0)_ Oshawa, Ont. 5.8 per cent (5.1)_ Toronto 6.5 per cent (6.5)_ Hamilton, Ont. 5.5 per cent (5.3)_ St. Catharines-N...

Here’s a quick glance at unemployment rates for September, by province

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s national unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent in September. Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets):_ Newfoundland and Labrador 9.7 per cent (8.9)_ Prince Edward Island 6.3 per cent (7.6)_ Nova Scotia 6.9 per cent (7.0)_ New Brunswick 7.2 per cent (7.7)_ Quebec 4.4 per cent (4.3)_ Ontario 6.0 per cent (5.9)_ Manitoba 5.0 per cent (5.7)_ Saskatchewan 4.9 per cent (5.4)_ Alberta 5.7 per cent (5.7)_ British Columbia 5.4 per cent (5.2)This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

National employment numbers for September from Statistics Canada, at a glance

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

OTTAWA — A quick look at Canada’s September employment (numbers from the previous month in brackets):Unemployment rate: 5.5 per cent (5.5)Employment rate: 62.0 per cent (61.9)Participation rate: 65.6 per cent (65.5)Number unemployed: 1,189,100 (1,181,000)Number working: 20,270,100 (20,206,300)Youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate: 10.5 per cent (11.3)Men (25 plus) unemployment rate: 4.9 per cent (4.5)Women (25 plus) unemployment rate: 4.5 per cent (4.6)This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

Mystery objects falling from sky in California may be spider 'balloons'

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

(KRON) - California residents submitted photographs and videos to Nexstar's KRON this week of mysterious objects falling on their neighborhoods. Morgan Hill resident Gina Watson shot images of strange, white webby objects that fell "from my house all the way to work," she said.John E. Banks, an environmental sciences professor at California State University Monterey Bay, said the objects are likely silky webs created by spiders that are ballooning. "No one has definitively figured out what they are, but they appear to be spider silk," Banks told KRON.(Photo by Gina Watson)Spiders spin out long lines of silk in a phenomenon called ballooning. Several spider species use ballooning to blow in the breeze from one habitat to another, Banks said. A spider will weave its own parachute, or "balloon," and drift through the sky with help from the wind, he explained. The New York Times reported that spider silk is so thin and light that air is like a "thick fluid" in comparison. "The...

Stouffer's frozen dinner advent calendar sells out in 15 minutes, but will be restocked soon

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

(KTLA) – Yes, advent calendars have reached the frozen food stage. Stouffer’s is releasing an advent calendar of sorts — or rather, a "Comfort Calendar" — which includes seven dishes from its frozen food product lineup.Stouffer's further claims the Comfort Calendar marks the first time any company has released a frozen-foods advent calendar of any kind, according to a recent news release. Girl Scouts discontinue popular cookie one year after its release The Stouffer's Comfort Calendar, which comes in a gingerbread-house-shaped package, is filled with Stouffer's dishes including family-sized meals, individual meals, sides, and even French bread pizza.Specifically, the "advent calendar" includes the Family Size Macaroni & Cheese, Family Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce, Chicken Bacon Ranch Bowl, Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Bake, Homestyle Mashed Potatoes, Pepperoni French Bread Pizza, and the Ultimate Five Cheese Mac.(Stouffer's) The first batch of Comfort Calendars, which went on...

Ozempic may impact food industry's bottom lines

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

(NewsNation) — There are signs America's weight-loss drugs may also be taking a bite out of food industry profits. Walmart executive John Furner said in an interview with Bloomberg this week that drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have impacted sales.“We definitely do see a slight change compared to the total population, we do see a slight pullback in overall basket,” he said. “Just less units, slightly less calories.” Does Medicare cover Ozempic? Other executives tied to the food industry acknowledged they may also start seeing an impact from the drugs."Like everything that potentially impacts our business, we’ll look at it, study it and, if necessary, mitigate," said CEO Steve Cahillane, whose company produces Pringles."A company like Campbell Soup doesn't want to see any of their profits erode. So, look, if there's even a 1% hit on a bag of Fritos, that's gonna be fairly significant. I think they'll start to look for other avenues if you will. You'll see a healthy bag of Doritos, a...

Dean's Reviews: "The Exorcist: Believer"

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Check out Dean's Review on 'The Exorcist: Believer' that is in theaters now.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Dean's Weekender: Dave Chappelle, Bob Dylan and more

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Check out Dean's Weekender for the latest events coming to the Chicagoland area this weekend.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

The best 'Foodie Cities' in America, according to WalletHub

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

(KOIN/NEXSTAR) – Are you one of the 340 million Americans who eats food from time to time?Oh, good! You’ll want to take a look at this new WalletHub study.WalletHub, the personal finance website, has ranked over 180 of America’s most populous cities in order of “foodie-friendliness” based on a smorgasbord of metrics related to accessibility, diversity and quality. Each city was also graded on the overall affordability of its dining options and groceries, to present a list that highlights not just the tastiest but also the cheapest “Foodie Cities in America,” according to WalletHub. The 25 best ‘hidden gem’ restaurants in the US, according to TripAdvisor At the top of the list, perhaps surprisingly, is Orlando, Florida, which ranked high in terms of accessibility, diversity, and quality thanks to its large number of well-reviewed restaurants, ice cream parlors, coffee shops and specialty food stores. The city, however, did not score so high in terms of affordability (ranking #108 o...