The BC Wildfire Service says thundershowers are expected to bring some much-needed moisture to areas of the province where hundreds of fires are burning, including a destructive blaze in the Kootenays. It says in an update that the moisture will likely arrive in the Rocky Mountain Trench in the northeast, as well as the Southeast Fire Centre. There were about 415 fires burning in British Columbia Wednesday, down slightly from the day before, with 163 out of control and four classified as wildfires of note, meaning they are highly visible or pose a threat to people or property. About 110 fires

The World Health Organization has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern and experts say it's critical for Canada to respond. The WHO declaration comes as mpox formerly known as monkeypox has spread between several African countries and there are concerns it could spread further. McGill University global health researcher Dr. Madhukar Pai says the current risk to Canadians is low, but it's important to provide funding and resources to help African nations get the outbreak under control. He says it's the way to prevent the virus from travelling and becoming a bigger th

Mounties in Metro Vancouver say five men have been charged following an investigation that resulted in the dismantling of a large and sophisticated synthetic drug lab. RCMP say they began the probe in 2022, leading to the identification of people suspected of being involved in the production and trafficking of the drug MDMA. In August that year, RCMP say their clandestine laboratory enforcement and response team executed four search warrants in Maple Ridge and Coquitlam, B.C. They say officers found a synthetic drug "superlab" capable of producing multiple kilograms of MDMA per cycle, and seiz

Canada's international trade minister is criticizing the U.S. Department of Commerce for nearly doubling duties on softwood lumber, saying the move is unfair and unwarranted. Minister Mary Ng says the U.S. has significantly increased duties on softwood lumber from Canada, from 8.05 per cent to 14.54 per cent. It's the latest salvo in a bilateral back-and-forth that Ottawa has described as a drag on efforts to improve the cost and supply of housing. Ng says the increase will harm consumers and producers on both sides of the border and called for a lasting resolution to this long-standing disput

Quebec says that starting this fall it will authorize early requests for medical assistance in dying from certain patients before their condition renders them incapable of giving consent. The province has been calling on the federal government to modify the Criminal Code to allow people to make such requests, but Quebec says it won't wait any longer. Quebec adopted a law in June 2023 permitting people with serious and incurable illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease, to ask for MAID while they have the capacity to provide consent, with the procedure being carried out after their condition has

Farmers of Punjab will take out a tractor march on the occasion of Independence Day tomorrow. Meanwhile, farmers will put the farmers flag and tricolor on their tractors. Members of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha said that 183 days have passed since the farmers' struggle. All farmers' leaders have been assigned duties in different districts for tractor march. Sarwan Singh Pandher will stay in Amritsar. They will take out a tractor march from the Bagha border to Amritsar, while farmers will also burn copies of three new criminal laws. It is to be noted that farmers are demanding MSP guarantee and withdr

Thirteen people have been charged with mischief over accusations they blocked the Vancouver Canadian National Railway line for hours during what police said was an unlawful protest last May. The Vancouver Police Department says in a news release the BC Prosecution Service approved charges on Monday, following the police investigation into the pro-Palestinian protest on May 31. Police said then that they responded to the scene where 100 protesters were blocking rail line and traffic on Grandview Highway in East Vancouver. Police said protesters refused multiple requests to move and some of them

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says he plans to look into whether the man accused of plotting a terror attack in Toronto should have his Canadian citizenship revoked. Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his son Mostafa Eldidi, 26, were arrested in Richmond Hill, Ont., and face nine terrorism charges including conspiracy to commit murder on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. When the RCMP announced the charges on July 31 they said the two men were "in the advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto." The elder Eldidi, who is a Canadian citizen, is also ch

The town of Jasper says early numbers indicate last month’s wildfires destroyed $283 million worth of property. The town also reports that while 358 structures were destroyed, mostly businesses and homes, the total number of housing units lost is about 800. The figures were delivered to councillors by chief administrative officer Bill Given at a virtual meeting today. Given says the numbers get even more daunting as the town moves forward with rebuilding because the lost structures equate to a $2.2-million loss in annual property tax revenue. Councillors, meanwhile, approved motions to suspe