"Saraqeb is at the junction of two main roads linking the capital of Damascus, Syria’s second largest city Aleppo and another highway west to the Mediterranean.

Taking back the M5 highway, which goes south to Damascus, had marked a big gain for Assad’s forces as they restored state control over the route between Syria’s two biggest cities for the first time in years of conflict."

The Alberta government plans to reduce operating expenses over the next three years to the tune of $1.2 billion, or 2.5 per cent, while increasing some user fees, according to the provincial budget released Thursday. 

Even with deep cuts to public services, and with $436 million in new taxes, fees, licenses and premiums, the UCP are making Alberta’s debt and deficit worse. Not that deficits are the problem Jason Kenney says they are. But deficits are why we are seeing all these cuts and tax increases, right? No. Last year, ... Read more...