The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021.Fires:Wildfires burning in B.C.: 260Since April 1, 2021:1,451 wildfires650,582 hectares burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 32Coastal: 22Kamloops: 80Northwest: 6Prince George: 58Southeast: 62Crews and equipment:Firefighters and other personnel fighting the fires: 3,549Out-of-province firefighters: 364Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 209Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 63 (-3)Evacuation alerts: 108 (+2)Properties:Number of properties on ord

A man has died after falling into the Columbia River in southeastern BC. RCMP in Golden say officers responded to a report late Friday afternoon that a man riding a bike had crashed over the side of a bridge and fallen into the river. Sergeant Betty Watson says the Mounties' search and rescue unit retrieves the 39 year old man and performed CPR, but he was later pronounced dead in hospital. The BC Coroners Service is investigating the circumstances around the man's death, but police say criminality is not suspected.

Federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is accusing Beijing of using the death penalty for political purposes after a Chinese court upheld a Canadian's death sentence. O'Toole is also reopening the door to a Canadian boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in China, warning the Chinese government's recent actions show Canadians are not safe in the country.O'Toole was commenting after the Higher People's Court of Liaoning Province rejected Canadian Robert Schellenberg's appeal after his sentence in a drug case was increased to the death penalty in 2019.That coincided with the Chinese government

Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has announced that a key player in the vaccine production sector is coming to Canada.Speaking in Montreal this morning, he says Moderna will set up a highly advanced facility to manufacture m-R N-A vaccines on Canadian soil. Champagne says it will help the country in the case of a pandemic and will allow Canadians to become more resilient and play a role in global health.The government has promised 2.2-billion-dollars for biotechnology research and commercial production over the next seven years.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is expected to c

While addressing a gathering through video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that our farming, villages and farmers will play crucial role in deciding where India will be in 2047. It's time to provide such direction to agriculture that it will be able to face new challenges and benefit from new opportunities. "The nation will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day this year. This important milestone is not only a matter of pride for us but also an occasion for new resolutions and goals. On this occasion, we have to decide that where do we want to see India in the next 25 years,

The BJP parliamentary party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, gave a standing ovation to sportspersons who returned from Tokyo after giving exemplary performances at the Olympics. During the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked BJP MPs to encourage more participation in sports activities. Briefing reporters about the meeting, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, said, "It was the last meeting of the ongoing monsoon session. It is a matter of pride that we got our biggest-ever tally of medals in the Olympics. A presentation was given to all MPs today. While

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 1,079 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 152,918 cases in the province:Aug. 6-7: 422 new casesAug. 7-8: 364 new casesAug. 8-9: 293 new casesThere are currently 3,036 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 148,066 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 68 individuals are in hospital and 20 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:258 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 586142 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 3875

COVID-19 outbreaks in pockets around British Columbia have prompted health officials to shorten the recommended delay between vaccinations by three weeks. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the change from 49 days to 28 will help bring up the level of community protection in areas of the province that are experiencing outbreaks. Notices will be sent out to about 170,000 people in the coming days, asking them to book their second dose appointment. Dr. Henry says the optimal time to wait for the second shot is six to 10 weeks, but that needs to be balanced with the risk of getting

The Tokyo Olympics are history. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach declared the Games closed after the French flag was raised inside Olympic Stadium for the transition to Paris 2024. Canada comes off with a record 24 medals. Gold medal decathlete Damian Warner carried the flag for Canada in the closing ceremonies. Because of the COVID pandemic there was no audience for the rituals.