The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says talk of Alberta separatism is 'irresponsible' and it's "not smart" for politicians to make statements about it without consulting with First Nations first. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has introduced a bill that would make it easier for Albertans to launch referendums on various topics — including splitting from Canada. Smith has pointed to growing alienation in her province and frustration with Ottawa, saying those wanting to separate "are not fringe voices." National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says any effort by Alberta to split

U.S. stocks are leaping after China and the United States announced a 90-day truce in their trade war. The S&P 500 jumped 2.9% Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 995 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 3.9%. Hopes for an economy less encumbered by tariffs also sent crude oil prices higher. The U.S. dollar strengthened against other currencies, and Treasury yields jumped on expectations the Federal Reserve won't have to cut interest rates so deeply this year in order to protect the economy. Analysts warned conditions could still quickly change, as has so often happe

District of North Vancouver Fire Chief Mike Danks says it took fire crews from all over the north shore to get a fire at a seniors complex under control on Saturday.   Danks says crews from the district, the city and from West Vancouver all pitched in after the fire broke out at the Lynn Valley apartment complex, trapping residents on their balconies. The chief says there was a fatal fire at the same building years back, and it was under renovation for earlier damage. Danks says the cause of the fire is unknown, and 36 displaced residents have been housed in temporary accommodations as i

Richmond R-C-M-P say they believe emails sent to a local news agency and staff at the Vancouver International Airport yesterday about a bomb on a plane were a malicious hoax.Mounties say the threat Sunday was taken seriously, but a sweep of the flight found no evidence of an explosive device. Police say the flight was delayed, but airport operations were only minimally affected.They say they believe the emails were part of a so-called `swatting'' call, where false threats are called into law enforcement to provoke a police response.

The US and China have reduced tariffs on each other and agreed to suspend most of the additional tariffs imposed on each other for 90 days. The US has agreed to reduce the 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods to 30 percent, while China has agreed to reduce taxes on American goods to 10 percent. Officials from both countries announced the tariff cuts at a press conference in Geneva. They said the two countries have prepared a framework for continuing discussions on their trade issues. China expressed hope that the US will not increase tariffs unilaterally. As the tariff war between the two m

PM Modi gave a clear message to the world community in his address to the nation today, he said that India's view is very clear that terrorism and talks cannot go together, nor can terror and trade go together. During this, he also commented on Pakistan's water shutdown. The Prime Minister said that water and blood cannot flow together. PM Modi said that I will also tell the world community that if we have a conversation with Pakistan, it will be on the issue of terrorism and PoK only. He further said that countrymen, today is Buddha Purnima, Lord Buddha has shown us the path of peace. The

US President Donald Trump said in a statement today that his administration helped broker an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and India, both nuclear-armed countries, on Saturday. Trump said that I said, let's do a lot of trade with you, stop the war. If you don't stop it, we won't do any trade. Trump, praising himself, said that before me, probably no one has ever used trade the way I have used it. The President said that when I talked about stopping trade, suddenly they said that we think we are going to stop and they stopped the conflict. Meanwhile, China has called the reports of s

Premier Danielle Smith has tabled a bill that would lower the bar for a citizen petition to trigger a referendum, even though she insists she doesn't want Alberta to separate from the country. Republican Party of Alberta Leader Cameron Davies says his party is calling for a referendum. Davies says this would give Alberta the chance to renew its relationship with Canada and the rest of the world on its own terms. Lloydminster resident Jesse Allen says he would only vote ``Yes'' in a referendum to separate if the rest of Western Canada also joined. In Red Deer, Alberta, Anita Ewa

RCMP say a skydiver has died in a weekend accident west of Edmonton. Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said police were called to a township road near Onoway on Saturday morning, where he said a 56-year-old man from Edmonton suffered fatal injuries following a jump from a plane. He said the man was a skydiving instructor. Skydiving West Edmonton said in a statement that an ``experienced skydiver'' succumbed to his injuries as a result of `a high-speed malfunction'' on Saturday morning. ``The skydiver had over 3,000 skydives and was a beloved member of the Skydive West Edmonton family. His l