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Alberta’s ‘war room’ is back with massive ad spend revealed in annual report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

EDMONTON — New documents outline a massive increase in public funding for the Canadian Energy Centre’s campaign to change attitudes toward Alberta’s oil and gas. An agency founded by Alberta’s United Conservative government to fight what it calls misinformation about the province’s industry and otherwise known as the “war room,” the centre’s most recent annual report shows it signed a $22-million contract last fiscal year for a media campaign. That’s about three times its entire government grant from the previous year.“There’s a lot of things the government could do with that money,” said Opposition New Democrat energy critic Kathleen Ganley. The spending is mentioned only in the line item “RFP — Agency of Record” in the centre’s annual report, filed late last month. The ad campaign was to take place in the U.S., Europe and the United Kingdom and Canada. Little information is available on how the mon...

Daily horoscope for September 6, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Gemini.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023:You are hardworking and very creative. You often encounter unexpected events. This year, simplicity is the key to your life. It’s time to create solid foundations. Take charge of your health. Physical exercise is important. Stay grounded and levelheaded. Hard work is required to maintain your lifestyle.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★Communications with others will blow hot and cold today. When talking to your kids or a romantic partner, or enjoying a fun social situation, your words will be like gold! However, work-related discussions might be a tad sticky. Have patience. Tonight: Conversations and travel.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★This is a lovely day for family conversations, especially about plans to entertain or redecorating ideas. Likewise, real estate discussions will go well. Ironically, you might find yourself at odds with your k...

When do young Europeans leave their parental home?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

In 2022, young people across the EU left their parental home on average at the age of 26.4 years. However, this average varied among EU countries.The highest average ages, at 30 years or above, were recorded in Croatia (33.4 years), Slovakia (30.8), Greece (30.7), Bulgaria and Spain (both 30.3), Malta (30.1) and Italy (30.0). In contrast, the lowest average ages, all under 23 years old, were registered in Finland (21.3 years), Sweden (21.4), Denmark (21.7) and Estonia (22.7). In the space of 10 years, the average age of young people leaving their parental home increased in 14 EU countries, most notably in Croatia (+1.8 years), Greece (+1.7) and Spain (+1.6). In 2012, the lowest average in the EU was in Sweden, where young people left their parental home at 19.9 years old, however, in 10 years that average increased by 1.5 years. At the EU level, between 2012 and 2022, the average age varied slightly, with the lowest being 26.2 years (2019) and the highest 26.5 (2012, 2014,...

Harriette Cole: Someone is threatening me online, and I think I know who it is

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: An anonymous account has been sending me strange, threatening messages, and I am beginning to suspect the identity of the sender.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I was drinking with new friends, and I regret telling this story Advice | Harriette Cole: My hobby scares my girlfriend, but she doesn’t like to be left out Advice | Harriette Cole: Why shouldn’t I live with my friend’s ex? Advice | Harriette Cole: Was I rude to this woman I passed in the restaurant? Advice | Harriette Cole: I hoped I was wrong about my son’s girlfriend. I wasn’t. I don’t want to jump to conclusions and falsely accuse the wrong person if my suspicions turn out to be wrong. What steps can I take to investigate and potentially confront the sender without damaging any innocent relationships? How can I approach this situation delicately without causing more problems?—...

Miss Manners: We aren’t invited to the shower but our co-worker wants gifts from us anyway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A young colleague is expecting her first child. I am very happy for her, although I feel conflicted about how the celebration has been communicated.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: My husband was upset by my request at the restaurant Advice | Miss Manners: Am I really ‘trying too hard to be liked’? Advice | Miss Manners: Please decree that people should not knock on a bathroom door Advice | Miss Manners: They say they’d rather die than live like I do. How should I respond? Advice | Miss Manners: How should I warn my neighbors about months of noise? She invited colleagues to purchase items from her registry by the date of her baby shower — to which there was no invitation. This communication went out via office email. I should add that this colleague’s superior is the head of human resources.Is it appropriate to ask for contributions from people who a...

Dear Abby: I thought I’d get over my husband’s misdeed but it haunts me

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

DEAR ABBY: Two years before he met me, my husband did something I feel was morally repugnant: He solicited a prostitute.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: She decided I can’t be near her children Advice | Dear Abby: The wedding is on hold, but the bride is apparently keeping my money Advice | Dear Abby: When he thought I was dying, he revealed his role in this painful deception Advice | Dear Abby: I don’t want to hear her fantasies about the priest Advice | Dear Abby: She offered no remorse for grabbing the spotlight at the engagement party When he committed this act, he was going through a dark period in his life. He was divorcing a woman who had cheated and left him for another man, raising his young son and dealing with immense feelings of insecurity.He told me all of this while we were dating, and I thought I would eventually get over it.However, almost five years into our relationship, ...

Stock market today: European shares lower after mixed Asian trading as China property shares soar

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

Shares opened mostly lower in Europe and Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday as Chinese benchmarks were lifted by hopes for fresh support for the country’s faltering property market. Germany’s DAX lost 0.5% to 15,695.66 and the CAC 40 in Paris sank 0.9% to 7,186.56. Britain’s FTSE declined 0.9% to 7,371.08.The future for the S&P 500 was down 0.2%, while that for the Dow industrials edged 0.1% lower.Losses in Hong Kong were trimmed by surging prices for heavyweight property companies after a Chinese media report raised hopes for new measures to prop up the real estate sector. The official newspaper Securities Times ran an article urging that restrictions on sales of property in smaller cities be lifted. Such limits have been used to prevent markets from overheating due to speculative buying, but the long slump in the industry justifies a rollback of those precautions, the article said. Chinese real estate developers have been struggling to meet their payment obligations...

El huracán Idalia trajo flamencos a Florida, el este de EE.UU. e incluso Ohio. Los científicos esperan que se queden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

(CNN) — Cuando piensas en flamencos, las imágenes que te vienen a la mente probablemente sean de pozos de agua africanos, el Caribe, Florida o casi cualquier otro lugar que no sea Waynesville, Ohio.Entonces, cuando Jacob Roalef vio publicaciones en Facebook sobre flamencos en el Parque Estatal Ceasar Creek, cerca de Dayton, la semana pasada, se apresuró a verlos por sí mismo.“Rápidamente agarré mi equipo, le dije a mi esposa y salí por la puerta”, dijo a CNN Roalef, quien dirige recorridos de observación de aves.Cuando llegó allí, vio dos pájaros, un adulto y un juvenil, en el lago.“Los flamencos simplemente estaban pasando el rato y durmiendo aproximadamente a 30 cm de agua cerca de la costa”, dijo Roalef. “Se despertarían y beberían un poco de agua o mirarían hacia arriba si escucharan una gaviota volando”.Un flamenco avistado en Kentucky. (Crédito: Amanda Woods Frazier)Dijo que los pájaros permanecieron allí hasta alrededor de las 6 p.m., cuando un p...

US Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Ukraine on an unannounced visit hours after an overnight Russian missile attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — US Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Ukraine on an unannounced visit hours after an overnight Russian missile attack.Source

Leesburg Pet Festival hosts doggy talent show, obstacle course

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:49 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews The Village at Leesburg's Pet Festival (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); Do you have a four-legged friend with special talents who just might rock a doggy obstacle course?Grab a leash and head to The Village at Leesburg’s Pet Festival on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 12 to 4 p.m.“We’re really excited to bring it back this year for the fourth year,” Th...