As residents of Jasper learn more details about wildfire damage to their evacuated town, the Alberta and federal governments say they'll match donations to the Canadian Red Cross for wildfire relief in the province. Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan and Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis say in a joint news release that the donation-matching initiative means every $1 donated will become $3 to support people most impacted by wildfires in Jasper and across the province. It will last for 30 days, retroactive to when the 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appe

A small town in the B.C. interior has been evacuated due to wildfires raging nearby. The Regional District of Central Kootenay issued a statement Saturday night issued an evacuation order for the village of Slocan. The evacuation order also applies to over 400 properties in the areas around the village, a community about 370 kilometres east of Kelowna. Several fires are burning out of control in the area, including the Komonko Creek and Aylwin Creek wildfire. Both blazes total over 29 square kilometres. There are 372 wildfires burning in British Columbia as of Sunday morning, 177 of which the

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called a pair of byelections to fill vacant seats in Quebec and Manitoba. Voters will go to the polls in the Elmwood Transcona riding in Manitoba and the Montreal-area riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun on Sept. 16. The Manitoba riding was held by the New Democratic Party until MP Daniel Blaikie resigned in March to go work for the office of the province's Premier, Wab Kinew. Blaikie had held the federal seat since the 2015 election. The Quebec riding was held by former Liberal justice minister David Lametti, who resigned in January after being excluded from

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have endorsedKamala Harrisin her White House bid, giving the vice president the expected but still crucial backing of the nation’s two most popular Democrats. The endorsement, announced Friday morningin a videoshowing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple, comes as Harris continues to build momentum as the party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision toend his reelection bid and endorse his second-in-commandagainst Republican nominee and former PresidentDonald Trump. It also highl

Satnam Sandhu, a nominated member for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, taking the number of BJP to 87 in the Rajya Sabha. However, the BJP still lacks a majority and will need outside support to pass the bill. One hundred and thirteen members are required for a majority in the Rajya Sabha, while the BJP-led NDA has 101 seats. Last time Odisha's BJD supported BJP but this time it has announced that it will play the role of opposition party. Meanwhile, the Congress-led India Alliance has 87 seats in the Rajya Sabha, of which the Congress has 26.

Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park. The park posted a statement on X late Thursday night saying cooler temperatures and up to 15 millimetres of rain since midnight had led to minimal fire activity. The park says due to the rainfall, fire behaviour is likely to calm over the next 72 hours. While more rain is expected Friday, temperatures are supposed to return to the mid 20s by Saturday, which the park says will lead to an increase in fire activity. The townsite and park have been besieged by wildfires, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith estimating Thursday a t

British Columbia's top doctor says she is ending the public health emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says any remaining restrictions, including the vaccination requirement for health-care workers, are being rescinded. Henry says after reviewing all the data she is confident the province has reached the point where there is no longer a need for the public health emergency and all requirements that remain can be lifted. She says wastewater indicators and testing data show COVID-19 has levelled off and the number of p

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to tour the resort town of Jasper to see firsthand the devastation caused by wildfires. Smith is also expected to give an update on firefighting efforts. Cool wet weather overnight has helped fire crews, but the weekend forecast is for the heat to return. Wildfires menacing the town flared up into towering walls of flame Wednesday night, breaching defences and destroying homes and businesses. Critical infrastructure, including schools and the hospital, remain intact. About 25,000 people had to flee Jasper National Park ahead of the fires Monday, including

Shiromani Akali Dal Member of Parliament from Bathinda Lok Sabha Constituency of Punjab Harsimrat Kaur Badal has demanded to stop the water going to Rajasthan from Punjab. He raised this issue in Parliament. Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that 70 years ago Congress had given the water of Punjab to Rajasthan and said that the money would be given but it did not happen, she said that either all the money so far should be taken from Rajasthan and given to Punjab or Punjab The water going from should be stopped. Harsimrat Badal said that the ground water of Punjab has fallen in many places and it is