Alberta's education minister is directing school boards to pause a government order to remove books with explicit sexual content from libraries. Demetrios Nicolaides says in an email to school divisions and officials that they should pause any development or distribution of lists of books that are to be removed. He says the pause is in effect until further notice. A draft list from Edmonton Public Schools of books to be removed from libraries was leaked online last week. It contains more than 200 titles, including Margaret Atwood's ``The Handmaid's Tale,'' which prompted the au

Edmonton police say they have charged a man with first-degree murder after a woman he knew was found with fatal gunshot wounds inside a car in the city's downtown over the weekend. Police say they responded to a call for a shooting in the 119 Street and Jasper Avenue area just before 4:30 a.m. on Saturday. A 39-year-old woman was located dead inside an SUV. Police say a Monday autopsy found the woman died from gunshot wounds. The man, 42, has also been charged with aggravated assault and breach of probation. Police say the man and woman knew one another.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will be right at home in her political backyard tonight when she visits Medicine Hat, kicking off the back half of her provincewide consultations on the province's relationship with Ottawa. Smith, who represents the riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat in the Alberta legislature, will be joined by the 15 people she tapped to join her on the panel. The first five town halls have aimed to address grievances with the federal government that Smith says are fostering separatist sentiment. The six recommendations put forth by the Smith government for debate at

Police have charged a man with three counts of aggravated assault for stabbings at the Calgary Stampede last month. Police say they identified the 18-year-old following an extensive investigation that included witness interviews and camera footage. Officers executed a search warrant of the suspect's house and seized a folding knife and clothing they say believe are consistent with the stabbings. The man is scheduled to appear in court next week. Three males were stabbed in an area of the Stampede midway, including two 18-year-olds and one 15-year-old. Police have said all three

Alberta's police watchdog has charged a pair of RCMP officers from two northern detachments with breach of trust. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, says it was directed in mid-February last year to investigate two officers from the Morinville and Westlock detachments, located north of Edmonton. Watchdog officials say there are reasonable grounds to suggest an offence had been committed, but wouldn't comment further as the matter is before the courts. They say Sgt. Daniel Mayowski of Westlock and Sgt. Sheldon Robb of Morinville both were charged with breach of

The bad news for Alberta's oil-reliant budget is set to get worse. Finance Minister Nate Horner says softening oil prices mean this year's projected budget deficit is expected to grow by $1.3 billion, and will now finish at $6.5 billion in the red when the fiscal year ends next spring. That represents a massive multibillion-dollar swing in Alberta's financial fortunes, as it is coming off an $8.3-billion surplus the year prior. The government says uncertainty created by U.S. trade policy is hurting the Alberta economy and remains a significant risk going into the rest of the year.

Premier Danielle Smith's Alberta Next panel is heading to Lloydminster tonight to hear from the public on ways to shield the province from federal overreach. The panel's town halls have been aimed at addressing grievances that Smith says are inspiring separatist sentiment. It has pitched six policy ideas, including pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan and withholding social services from some immigrants. The panel has received enthusiastic support, but also has faced fierce criticism and drawn protesters at previous events in Red Deer and Edmonton. Lloydminster's town hall c

Alberta RCMP say they have arrested and charged a Calgary man who, it was later determined, had been the focus of a ``catch a predator'' sting operation hatched by a group of youngsters. Mounties say the situation came to light in Airdrie on Monday night when a 12-year-old boy was abducted in a car only to escape at a stoplight and call police. The suspect, a 37-year-old, refused to stop for police and was later arrested at a Calgary residence. Subsequently, police said they learned the suspect had been targeted by at least seven youths in a ``catch a predator'' scheme. The you

The Manitoba government has signed a 30-million-dollar contract with the Canadian Red Cross for evacuee support and other services related to this year's wildfires. The recently disclosed contract is the first glimpse into the cost of this year's wildfire season, which provincial officials say is the most severe in at least 30 years. Finance Minister Adrien Sala (SAH'-lah) says it's still too early to estimate a final cost, and the government is committed to supporting people who need help. The Red Cross contract alone is worth more than half of the 50-million dollars the N-D-P gover