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Kidney disease is sometimes referred to as a 'silent killer' because approximately 90 per cent of BC residents with early stage kidney disease show no symptoms. The two leading causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes. The BC Renal Agency encourages you to take their free and easy online assessment to see your risk level. Early diagnosis can often slow or stop the progress of kidney disease.

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Canadians are preparing to be inundated with feel-good stories of love and romance. From the excitement of puppy love to heartwarming tales of soulmates finding each other despite the odds, it seems that none of us are immune to the effects of Cupid's arrow. Despite all this, a common myth still pervades that love, romance and the need for companionship fade over time, and that as we grow older, we become less interested in keeping love alive.

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Already in the grips of an impending famine, fragile Somalia can't handle much more. But while hunger rates grab news headlines, there is a much quieter killer at work: tuberculosis. TB is one of the top ten causes of death globally, and Somalia is estimated to have one of the highest incidence rates in the world. Meanwhile, here in Canada, it's International Development Week. It's a chance to highlight and celebrate all the good work Canada has done globally. I find this difficult.

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What is an intimacy kit, you ask? Think anything designed to make a night with your significant (or insignificant) other that much spicier. Running the gamut from condoms to kink, these kits are a surefire way to heat up your hotel experience. So, whether you forgot to pack your own toys before takeoff or you're gearing up for "Fifty Shades Darker," there's no time like the present to explore the sexier side of the hotel minibar.

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Let me tell you; newborns are not for the faint of heart. It's also a total physical and emotional roller coaster that has high highs and very severe lows (emphasis on severe because yesterday I spent almost all day crying).

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The media is unfair to the military, according to the chief of defence staff. During a speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade last week General Jonathan Vance slammed "very toxic narratives" in reporting on the Canadian Forces. Reporting the truth is toxic? With the largest PR machine in the country, the CF aggressively always protects its image and promotes its worldview.

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It is almost a certainty that in about 100 days, how health care is delivered in the province of Ontario will change dramatically as Bill 41 -- The Patient's First 2016 Act -- comes into effect. The impending changes are not without controversy. Several health professional associations and patient advocacy groups have expressed deep concern about aspects of the legislation.

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What all these people share is the fact that their actions are driven by a powerful need within them. And interestingly, although the choices they make in trying to satisfy this need might be very different, each one of them has the exact same need.

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Canada is a better place to live and a freer and more equitable society because of the long history of oppressed communities coming together and saying a better world is possible, and fighting to make it happen -- not just for themselves, but for the entire community and in solidarity with other oppressed groups.

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Canada needs to understand that we are a sovereign country and it is our job to decide whether we deploy troops or not, and where we do so. Having a great relationship with a country can also mean telling them "no" is possible, especially when it comes to our foreign policy.

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The reverse Robin Hood philosophy has been fully embraced by the Ontario government, an odd turn of events for the self-proclaimed "social justice premier." Nothing shows this philosophy better than the government's newest costly experiment, the cap-and-trade carbon tax.

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Canada, we will need your help. You need to stop depicting us as something we are not. Sure, we've had our differences in the past, but violence and terrorism is a national concern we all share. Please, don't paint us as a racist, intolerant community -- it will simply add to the fire we are already battling.

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Male argonaut octopuses have a detachable phallus, which is a small sperm ball inside a hectocotylus (modified octopus arm). When a female argonaut octopus swims by, the male's phallus detaches from his body, floats to the female and mates with her. The female can store multiple phalluses in her spacious mantle cavity (the cavity in which the gills are found). Shortly after releasing its phallus, the male dies.

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The salt and ice challenge involves putting salt and water on your skin (usually the arm or hand), and then seeing how long you can hold a piece of ice against it. Many people, particularly teens, have been recording themselves taking the challenge and then posting it on social media.

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The Lady Gaga we fell in love with 10 years ago is back and better than ever. The icon who carved out an indelible brand persona has finally returned to her fans, her roots, her senses, and to her betrothed little monsters. She has reclaimed her trademark pedigree that made her the irrepressible image we all fell in love with. And she did it without any outside help or needless controversy.

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Back in 2013, the province said they would lower auto insurance rates by 15 per cent. Since then rates have decreased overall, but the road to achieving a 15 per cent reduction in rates is long and the final destination is still off in the distance.

Matthew Ryan Smith

We didn't want charity, especially when we needed it the most. Yet it was the blind kindness of strangers that made the toughest of times a little less daunting. A full belly was one of our first steps towards a fuller life. What was once a source of shame for my family is now an important part of our story.

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Yusra Khogali has made a habit of directing violent, hateful language towards people with white skin, so much so that I feel comfortable calling her out. When an individual at the helm of what could be a transformative movement distracts the public with hate, it is time for that individual to go.

HuffPost Quebec

Long before the Huffington Post Québec launched on Feb. 8, 2012, I had a gut feeling that it would succeed. Now, five years later, I'm proud to see what we've built in Quebec. We are progressives and proud of it. The HuffPost exists to give people a voice and not tell them how to think or who to vote for.

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Raees, starring one of Bollywood's most phenomenal actors, Shah Rukh Khan, as a bootlegger, has been draped in political drama even before it was released late last month. It was the debut of talented Pakistani actress, Mahira Khan, in Indian cinema.

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North of Provost, Alberta, you can see the sleek figures of 17 wind turbines, each 80 metre tall, poking their heads above the aspen tree line. But these turbines are doing more than just keeping the lights on. They are powering the future of Alberta's children.