The Alberta government is forecasting a $4.6-billion surplus this fiscal year, but Finance Minister Nate Horner says Alberta's in for a ``challenging'' future. The government's second-quarter fiscal update says just $2.9 billion of that surplus is expected to be cash, which would be split between paying down debt and the Heritage Savings Trust Fund. It says the surplus is largely the result of higher-than-expected income tax revenue thanks to Alberta's sharp population growth and oil and gas royalties. But the fiscal update also says ``global economic conditions''are presenting ri

BC Hydro says it has restored power to 90 per cent of customers who lost electricity this week when hurricane-force winds slammed into parts of the British Columbia coast, but forecasters say a new storm is on the way. Winds from the so-called bomb cyclone weather system exceeded 100 km/h in some places Wednesday, with Environment Canada data showing remote Sartine Island off northern Vancouver Island hit by the most powerful gusts of the day, reaching 113 km/h. The power utility says that as of 6:30 a.m. Thursday, 290,000 of the 320,000 customers affected by outages had regained power. That l

Canadians are receiving significant relief as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a two-month GST exemption on various items, including restaurant food and children's toys. The Prime Minister stated that Canadians will no longer have to pay sales tax on Christmas trees, children's toys, and restaurant meals. Additionally, Trudeau mentioned that his government will issue $250 cheques to many Canadians next year. These payments will be issued to all Canadians with an income of up to $150,000 after taxes in 2023, benefiting approximately 18.7 million individuals under the Working Canadians E

The median income needed to buy a home in Canada's major cities is now gradually decreasing. According to the latest data, real estate prices have fallen in many cities in recent months, alongside lower mortgage rates, leading to a decrease in the median income requirement to purchase a home. Calculations by Ratehub indicate that the median income requirement to buy a home in Vancouver, Toronto, and Hamilton has decreased by more than $4,000 compared to a month ago. The report highlights that October was the second consecutive month in which the salary requirement to buy a home in Vancouver de

At least 50 people were killed and 20 others injured when several vehicles carrying passengers were targeted by militants in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, officials said. The militants ambushed the vehicles in the Kurram district of restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The vehicles were travelling in a convoy from Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when gunmen opened fire, the officials said. Rescue authorities said 50 people were killed and 20 others were injured in the attack. Most of the victims belonged to the Shia community, they said.

The death toll in the Gaza Strip fromthe 13-month-old warbetween Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Health Ministry said 44,056 people have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are buried under rubble or i

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials,accusing them of war crimesand crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely tofurther isolate themand complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited since Israel and its m

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce on Thursday a temporary GST break for certain essential items to help ease affordability pressures. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says in a statement that the announcement is in response to his party's demands to permanently lift the goods and services tax on a range of expenses, including home heating and grocery-store meals. The Globe and Mail has reported that the prime minister is set to announce a multibillion-dollar package of affordability measures, including the GST break. Trudeau is scheduled to make an announcement alongside Finance Mi

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has written to premiers across Canada, demanding the removal of provincial sales tax on everyday items. He stated that working people are facing inflation on everything from cell phone bills to groceries. Singh emphasized that his proposal to reduce the GST at the federal level and exempt sales tax at the provincial level could provide significant relief to the public. Singh also mentioned that if his party forms the government at the federal level, he will remove the GST on groceries, diapers, children's clothing, cell phones, and internet bills. This will be offset