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Oaktree Capital Management investing $150 million Aecon Utilities

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

TORONTO — Aecon Group Inc. has signed a deal that will see Oaktree Capital Management LP invest $150 million in the company’s utility infrastructure services business.Under the agreement, Oaktree will acquire a 27.5 per cent stake in Aecon Utilities through a convertible preferred equity investment.Aecon chief executive Jean-Louis Servranckx says the investment will accelerate growth in the business and strengthen Aecon’s balance sheet.Aecon will own a 72.5 per cent stake in Aecon Utilities once the deal closes.The conversion value of the investment implies a $750-million enterprise value for Aecon Utilities.Aecon shares, which were halted pending the announcement of the deal, were up 78 cents at $11.19 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday morning.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:ARE)The Canadian Press

Ontario NDP MPP Sarah Jama removed from caucus

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

Marit Stiles, leader of Ontario’s NDP, announced that MPP Sarah Jama has been removed from caucus in the wake of a controversial social media post she made about the Israel-Hamas war.Stiles issued a statement on Monday confirming Jama’s departure. “In our caucus, there is room for different viewpoints, even dissenting ones. But that is based on the foundational principles of trust and working together as a team,” Stiles wrote.“Ms. Jama and I had reached an agreement to keep her in the NDP Caucus, which included working together in good faith with no surprises. Our caucus and staff have made significant efforts to support her during an undoubtedly difficult time.”On Oct. 10, Jama, the MPP for Hamilton Centre, posted a two-paragraph statement under Ontario NDP letterhead that made no mention of the surprise attack by Hamas. Related: MPPs debate whether to censure Sarah Jama for statement on Israel-Hamas war NDP M...

Orbán blasts the European Union on the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet uprising

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Prime Minister Viktor Orbán compared Hungary’s membership in the European Union to more than four decades of Soviet occupation of his country during a speech on Monday commemorating the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution. Speaking to a select group of guests in the city of Veszprem, Orbán accused the EU of seeking to strip Hungary of its identity by imposing a model of liberal democracy that he said Hungarians reject. Brussels, the de facto capital of the EU, employs methods against Hungary that hearken back to the days of Soviet domination by Moscow, he said. “Today, things pop up that remind us of the Soviet times. Yes, it happens that history repeats itself,” Orbán said at the event, from which all media were excluded except Hungary’s state media. “Fortunately, what once was tragedy is now a comedy at best. Fortunately, Brussels is not Moscow. Moscow was a tragedy. Brussels is just a bad contemporary parody.”The Oct. 23...

Georgetown coach Tasha Butts dies after 2-year battle with breast cancer

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

Georgetown women’s basketball coach Tasha Butts died Monday after a two-year battle with breast cancer, the school’s athletic director said.The 41-year-old coach was diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer in 2021. She stepped away from coaching Georgetown last month. Her diagnosis inspired the Tasha Tough campaign which has brought awareness and raised money to bring quality care to women who can’t afford it through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.“I am heartbroken for Tasha’s family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues,” said Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed. “When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court, and an incredible person whose drive, passion and determination was second to none. She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory.”She came to Georgetown from Georgia Tech this past April after a long co...

Even with carbon emissions cuts, a key part of Antarctica is doomed to slow collapse, study says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

No matter how much the world cuts back on carbon emissions, a key and sizable chunk of Antarctica is essentially doomed to an “unavoidable” melt, a new study found.Though the full melt will take hundreds of years, slowly adding nearly 6 feet (1.8 meters) to sea levels, it will be enough to reshape where and how people live in the future, the study’s lead author said.Researchers used computer simulations to calculate future melting of protective ice shelves jutting over Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. The study in Monday’s journal Nature Climate Change found even if future warming was limited to just a few tenths of a degree more – an international goal that many scientists say is unlikely to be met – it would have “limited power to prevent ocean warming that could lead to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.”“Our main question here was: How much control do we still have over ice shelf melting? How much melting can still be prevented by reducing emissions?” ...

Bell Media signs deal to buy Canadian business of Outfront Media for $410 million

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

TORONTO — Bell Media has signed a deal to buy the Canadian operations of outdoor advertising company Outfront Media Inc. for $410 million in cash.Stewart Johnston, senior vice-president, sales and sports at Bell Media, says the out-of-home advertising category continues to grow in importance as a mass reach vehicle, while digital formats allow for greater targeting capabilities. Outfront Media’s Canadian business operated 9,325 displays in the country as of the end of 2022.Outfront Media chair and chief executive Jeremy Male says the sale provides the company with additional financial flexibility as it focuses on its U.S. assets.Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc., owns television and radio stations as well as digital and out-of-home media assets.The company says the deal is expected to close in 2024, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)The Canadian Press

World's oldest dog ever dies in Portugal, aged 31 (or about 217 in dog years)

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A 31-year-old dog in Portugal that had been ranked as the world’s oldest dog ever has died, his owner said Monday. The guard dog, called Bobi, died over the weekend in a veterinary hospital, Leonel Costa told The Associated Press.Bobi lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal with Costa and four cats. He was born on May 11, 1992, when his owner was just 8 years old. That made Bobi more than 217 years old in dog years when he died.In an interview earlier this year, Costa told the Associated Press that Bobi's secret to a long life was good food, fresh air and lots of love.“Bobi eats what we eat,” said Costa. What’s more, Bobi had never been put on a lead.Bobi claimed the Guinness World Record from Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, who died in 1939 aged 29 and had held the record for almost a century.Officials at the Guinness World Records on Monday said they were “saddened to learn of the death of Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever.” In a statement...

World's oldest dog ever dies at age 31 - or about 217 in dog years

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A 31-year-old dog in Portugal that had been ranked as the world’s oldest dog ever has died, his owner said Monday.The guard dog, called Bobi, died over the weekend in a veterinary hospital, Leonel Costa told The Associated Press.Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo Portuguese dog, poses for a photo with his owner Leonel Costa and his Guinness World Record certificates for the oldest dog, at their home in Conqueiros, central Portugal, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Bobi's owner said Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, that he passed away Saturday at 31 years and 165 days of age. (AP Photo/ Jorge Jeronimo)Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo Portuguese dog, poses for a photo with his Guinness World Record certificates for the oldest dog, at his home in Conqueiros, central Portugal, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Bobi's owner said Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, that he passed away Saturday at 31 years and 165 days of age. (AP Photo/ Jorge Jeronimo)Bobi lived on a farm in the village of ...

Morning showers vs. nighttime showers: Which is better for your health?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Showering on a daily basis — whether in the morning or at night — is generally enough to keep you clean and healthy, according to top dermatologists.Your opinionated friends, however, might call you a filthy pig if you choose one over the other.“If you ask a hundred different doctors, you’re going to get a hundred different answers,” Alok Vij, M.D., a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, told Nexstar. “But it’s more a matter of personal preference, in many cases.” Hair suddenly falling out in the shower? This might be why Vij, however, said he believes there’s a “definitive” answer to the debate concerning morning vs. evening showers in regards to general hygiene, but warned that his answer comes with several qualifiers.“I think it's important to shower before bed if you’ve gotten dirty or visibly soiled, or if you’ve applied some kind of chemical spray — a bug repellent, sunscreen — anything with fragrances or chemical additives,” Vij said. “If you haven’t, if you’v...

Why actors are fighting for AI protections

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:57:29 GMT

(The Hill) -- Actors on strike amid contract negotiations with production studios are fighting for protections from artificial intelligence (AI), but the concerns they’re highlighting raise risks beyond the scope of movies and television. Advancements in AI that can replicate performers’ voices, appearances and movements raise critical concerns about individuals' control over their own likenesses — and how lifelike replicas are used to generate profit or spread disinformation. Clark Gregg, a Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union member known for his role as Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, told a House panel that he was recently sent inappropriate content appearing to show himself doing “acrobatic pornography.”With the caveat that his AI likeness had abs Gregg said he would “kill for,” he said the content was lifelike and “terrifying.” “That's disturbing to have out there with a daughter who is online, but it’s j...