B.C. reports 254 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations continue to decrease

Highway 97 in Summerland, B.C., which had been closed due to wildfire activity, has been temporarily reopened under strict traffic restrictions. According to the Ministry of Transportation, the highway will only be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. During these hours, drivers are strictly prohibited from stopping anywhere along the highway. All exits and side roads leading off the highway will also remain closed, and speed restrictions are in place. The government has warned that the area remains an active wildfire zone, meaning conditions could change at any time. Drivers have been instructed

The RCMP is asking for the public’s help in locating 45-year-old Amandeep Singh, who was reported missing on August 8, 2026. Singh was last seen on August 6, 2026. He is described as South Asian, approximately 5 feet 7 inches (154 cm) tall and weighing 172 pounds (78 kg). He has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone who may have information about Amandeep Singh’s whereabouts is asked to contact their local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal was discharged from a hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Friday, a day after surviving a life-threatening attack. Speaking to the media for the first time since the incident, Badal said that communal and religious harmony remains the top priority for his party. Recalling his late father and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir said he had never compromised with communal forces. He always stood by the people and believed that people of all religions and communities should live together in peace and harmony. Sukhbir Badal su

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is set to brief the federal trade cabinet and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s advisory committee today on the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, as the August 19 deadline for a new 50 per cent tariff on Canadian goods rapidly approaches. Following a series of meetings in Washington with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Canadian officials are working on a common trade framework that could be presented to U.S. President Donald Trump for approval as early as next week. LeBlanc and Canada’s chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette

The Alberta government has issued a request for proposals for a $400,000 study examining the long-term security of the province’s water supply. Environment Minister Grant Hunter says the study will look 100 years into the future and explore new ways Alberta should invest in and build water infrastructure, while also helping guide future water-management policies. Hunter says Alberta’s population, industrial sector and agricultural industry are all expanding, making reliable access to water essential to sustaining economic and population growth. The study will also examine major water infra