About 100 firefighters are set to arrive in B.C. from Mexico on Saturday to help fight the raging wildfires. Public safety minister Mike Farnworth says officials are also in talks with Australia to bring in more help. More than three-thousand firefighters and support staff are battling the blazes, with some having come from Alberta, New Brunswick and Quebec. Nearly 300 fires were burning across the province yesterday, including several encroaching on communities that have issued evacuation orders or alerts.

With COVID-19 protocols in place, devotees offered namaz at Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha today.No mass gathering was seen at Jama Masjid for Bakrid prayers this year."We are thankful to Allah for being able to celebrate Eid in limited numbers. I am grateful to the police for making good arrangements," said an Imam of the Masjid.With all COVID-19 protocols in place, devotees from all over the country offered namaz on Eid-ul-Zuha.The holy festival of Eid-ul-Zuha, also known as the 'festival of sacrifice' or Greater Eid, is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, t

In a show of strength, 62 MLAs, arrived at Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu's residence in Amritsar on Wednesday.As per his office, Sidhu had called the party MLAs for breakfast.Amarinder Singh's media advisor in a tweet yesterday had said, "The Chief Minister will not meet Sidhu till he publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him."The MLAs at Sidhi's residence said that the party is united and that there is no need for an apology."Why should Sidhu apologise (to CM)? It's not a public issue. CM has not solved many issues. In that case, he shou

B.C. is reporting 76 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 148,563 cases in the province.There are currently 692 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 146,099 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 50 individuals are currently in hospital and 12 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the last 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,763. The province has administered 6,233,656 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. As of Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 80.0% (3,

The B.C. government is declaring a provincial state of emergency to support the provincewide response to the ongoing wildfire situation.Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, made the declaration on July 20, 2021, based upon the recommendation from the BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management BC. The declaration will be in effect starting July 21, 2021.The state of emergency is initially in effect for 14 days once issued and may be extended or rescinded as necessary. The state of emergency applies to the whole province and ensures federal, provincial and local res

Canada’s Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program is unique in the world. It gives families the chance to reunite here, providing them the opportunity to thrive in this country. Family reunification plays a significant role in attracting, retaining and integrating immigrants who contribute to our success as a country.Building on the success of the PGP Program in recent years, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will invite a record number of people to apply under the 20

The entire town of Oliver is on evacuation alert and nearly 200 properties between Oliver and Osoyoos are evacuated as a new wildfire threatens parts of the south Okanagan. The Inkaneep Creek blaze broke out yesterday afternoon and charred seven square kilometres of bush within hours, prompting evacuation orders from both the Osoyoos Indian Band and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. The regional district has also issued a state of local emergency covering Oliver and the evacuated areas and ``strongly advises'' residents currently on alert to be ready to leave on very short notice

Evacuation orders have been lifted for all but one building in Kelowna, B.C., as crews have dismantled what remained of a crane that collapsed, killing five people. A statement issued by Central Okanagan Emergency Operations says residents and businesses at six addresses can return. It says site engineers and utility inspectors have completed infrastructure and safety inspections but property owners are urged to do their own checks to ensure customers and residents are safe as they go back. The statement says another building directly across the lane from the construction site where the crane

First Nations with former Indian Residential School and Indian Hospital sites in or near their communities can now access the B.C. residential school response fund, with the added support of two newly appointed First Nations liaisons."I acknowledge the trauma that Indigenous peoples continue to experience as a result of the colonial legacy of residential schools, and I grieve with the families and communities as we grapple with recent findings and the findings yet to come," said Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. "We know it's going to take time, technical reso