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Blazes burn near Kamloops, Cranbrook, B.C., amid record wildfire season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

VANCOUVER — Recent heavy rain in parts of British Columbia has done little to quench major wildfires burning near the cities of Kamloops and Cranbrook. The St. Mary’s River fire north of Cranbrook has burned close to 41 square kilometres and forced residents in 51 homes to evacuate, although an evacuation order of 16 homes in the Aq’am First Nation community has been rescinded.The nearby Canadian Rockies International Airport says it’s “business as usual” with flights on time after the same fire threatened the site last week, forcing crews to conduct controlled burns around the airport. Near Kamloops, crews continue to battle the 26-square-kilometre Ross Moore Lake wildfire, which triggered the evacuation of almost 350 properties as strong winds fed its rapid growth over the weekend. Both blazes are among the more than 270 fires in B.C. classified as out of control. There are about 480 active fires across British Columbia and almost 15,000 square kilome...

Climate change: Correlation between wildfires, flooding in Nova Scotia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

FREDERICTON — The fingerprints of climate change are all over the supercharged weather witnessed this year in Nova Scotia — and the rest of the country — from raging wildfires to devastating flooding.A series of punishing thunderstorms dumped up to 250 millimetres of rain on Nova Scotia this weekend, killing at least two people and damaging infrastructure across the province. About two months ago, nearly 250 square kilometres of land was scorched by record wildfires. The province is also experiencing summer temperatures that are warmer than usual.There is a correlation between rising temperatures, wildfires and heavier rainfall, said Kent Moore, an atmospheric physics professor at the University of Toronto.Rising temperatures lead to drier conditions, increasing the risk of wildfires, he said, but the warmer weather also augments the atmosphere’s ability to hold moisture, leading to heavier downpours that can cause flooding.Four people, including two children, were...

Flight delays at Canadian airlines far outstrip peers in U.S., despite improvements

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

MONTREAL — Figures from an aviation data firm show Canada’s two biggest airlines see a far higher proportion of their flights delayed compared with many of their peers abroad.Statistics from Cirium reveal that about 50 per cent Air Canada’s flights were on time in the final two weeks of June and the first two weeks of July overall.Meanwhile about 36 per cent of WestJet’s flights touched down within the 15 minute window of their scheduled arrival that is considered on time. The numbers compare with on-time percentages ranging between the high 60s and low 80s for the five biggest airlines in the United States.The figures also show that between 93 per cent and 98 per cent of the two Canadian carriers’ planes hit the gate less than two hours late, indicating that Air Canada and WestJet have a better record than in the travel chaos of last summer.John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University’s aviation management program, says airlines are running their planes too ...

B.C. port workers will get eyes on contract offer from maritime employers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

VANCOUVER — Thousands of workers at British Columbia’s ports will take off the day shift today to learn the details of an agreement struck between their union and employers. The BC Maritime Employers Association says the offer being presented is the same one leaders of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union had previously rejected, which briefly sent workers back to the picket line last week. A 13-day strike that started on Canada Day stopped billions of dollars’ worth of goods from moving in and out of some of the country’s busiest ports. Strike action was suspended when the contract was reached with the help of a mediator, but was then reinstated when the union leadership turned down the plan. A labour board ruled the second strike action by the port workers was illegal, prompting the union to issue 72-hour strike notice, which it then reversed hours later. Union members are now expected to vote on the offer later this week, but there’s no word yet...

Daily horoscope for July 25, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT today (8 a.m. to 11 a.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Libra into Scorpio.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, July 25, 2023:You are idealistic and have a keen sense of purpose. You have strong personal integrity, and you expect the same of others. This is the perfect year to have fun, socialize and let your hair down! Nurture the happiness and beauty that you have within yourself. Old friends might reappear.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★Grab every opportunity to play and be creative today. Enjoy sports events and fun activities with kids. However, avoid intense disputes with partners and close friends this morning. Let sleeping dogs lie. Later in the day, you’ll see practical solutions with the help of someone. Tonight: Solutions.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★Family discussions are important, including home repairs. Be patient with co-workers and issues related to a pet this morning. (Don’t get ...

Spectre of far-right hangs over close-run polls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

Spain headed to the polls on Sunday (23 July) in a potentially close-run general election marked by ideological differences, the spectre of the far-right and irritation at being forced to vote during the summer holidays.Voting opened at 9 am (0700 GMT) and closed at 8pm (1800 GMT), when exit polls were released. The final result is expected to be decided by fewer than a million votes and less than 10 seats in the 350-seat parliament, experts say.Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the election early after the left took a drubbing in local elections in May, but many are furious at being called out to vote at the height of the sweltering summer.Spain's postal service on Friday (21 July) reported postal votes had already surpassed a record 2.4 million, as many people choose to cast their ballot from the beach or mountains, rather than their hotter home towns.Opinion polls show the election, which many candidates have painted as a ballot on the future of Spain, will likely pro...

Harriette Cole: I’m so anxious about my home that I check on it every few hours

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 24-year-old man, and I bought a trailer home about a year ago.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I’m tempted to follow my friend’s lead in fixing my boring life Advice | Harriette Cole: My roommate doesn’t realize she’s causing a big problem Advice | Harriette Cole: After I rushed her to urgent care, she won’t talk about what happened Advice | Harriette Cole: They talk about how my wife dresses, and I don’t like it Advice | Harriette Cole: My husband lives in the lakehouse so he can avoid my teen daughter I like that I am a homeowner, but the anxiety that comes with being one is consuming me every day. I work in construction, and I go home every day on my lunch break to ensure that nothing is wrong with it. I wake up with my heart racing, scared that something will go wrong with the electricity or plumbing — or that I might even get r...

Miss Manners: This shopper was rude to the cashier. Should I have said something?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was in line at the grocery store behind an elderly woman. She looked at the cashier and asked him, out of the blue, “What’s your background?”Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Must I tip a server who irritates me? Advice | Miss Manners: Should I reveal my suspicions about how my ex died? Advice | Miss Manners: I was appalled by her request for her daughter’s birthday Advice | Miss Manners: Were these women being rude in the restaurant, or did I go too far? Advice | Miss Manners: Do we have to ask our neighbors before we use their trash can? He was obviously surprised by her question. She kept going: “You’re obviously not Latino, but you have a very interesting face.”The whole thing was very uncomfortable. I could see the cashier shrink from her questions. He eventually did tell her where he was “from.”He and I shared a commise...

Dear Abby: This painting hurts me, and I don’t know what to do about it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My best friend of 35 years and I had a falling-out about a year ago. I would call it an unfortunate misunderstanding, and as a result, we are no longer friends. Having said that, I wish nothing but the best for her.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: How honest should I be with my married pickleball partner? Advice | Dear Abby: I’m leaving, and I don’t want to hear their phony farewells Advice | Dear Abby: This guy I just met has gotten very creepy online Advice | Dear Abby: My teen’s phone has deranged her life, but I’m not allowed to take it away Advice | Dear Abby: Am I out of line in asking my college daughter to be an RA? Many years ago, when I was sick with cancer, she gave me a painting she created. She’s a talented artist, and I know she spent many hours working on it.I recently moved and I can’t bring myself to display the artwork because it is now ...

‘More and more people will need help’: Md. has many problem gamblers but few are seeking help

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

From casinos to the recent advent of mobile sports betting, gambling has been growing in Maryland. As opportunities for betting grow, a new study finds that few are reaching out for help when it comes to dealing with gambling problems.The amount of money gambled in Maryland has reached more than $4.5 billion a year.The state has a Problem Gambling Fund that provides money for a network of treatment services, including a 24-hour hotline. But not many are calling.A legislative study made public this month by the Maryland General Assembly indicates that there may be hundreds of thousands of Marylanders with a gambling problem, while just a few thousand have sought help from the state center that provides resources to those who need them.“We really need to do a better job to reach out to Marylanders who may have this medical condition of problem gambling, and make sure that they’re linked to resources and are able to get treatment that they need,” said state Sen. Clare...