More than two dozen wildfires sparked overnight across British Columbia and the BC Wildfire Service website shows nearly half are believed to have been caused by lightning. One of those blazes has already charred more than two-square kilometres of bush in northwestern B.C., forcing an evacuation order and alerts for properties around Bulkley Lake. The wildfire service says the fire is classified as out of control but 15 firefighters, backed by five pieces of heavy equipment, worked through the night to keep flames away from any structures. The evacuation area covers a section of Highway 16 no

A moment of silence marked the end of the search for survivors of a South Florida condominium collapse. The ceremony last night came after authorities said the rescue mission would now shift to an effort to recover remains from the rubble of the condo tower in Surfside, just outside Miami. A former Montrealer is the first Canadian victim identified. Ingrid ``Itty'' Ainsworth, who was 66, died in the collapse in late June along with her 68-year-old husband. Officials say the death toll stands at 54 with 86 people, including three Canadians, still unaccounted for.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal N-D-P Leader JagmeetSingh are in different regions of British Columbia. Trudeau's first stop is a meeting with members of his cabinet'sIncident Response Group in Metro Vancouver to discuss B-C'swildfires and the recent heat wave. B-C is the third province on Trudeau's cross-country tour,following visits to Alberta and Saskatchewan, while Singh launcheshis own tour, starting on Vancouver Island.

Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould has announced she will not seek re-election, saying Parliament has become "toxic and ineffective." The former Liberal cabinet minister announced her decision in a letter to constituents of her Vancouver riding that was posted to Twitter this morning. She says she is not leaving to spend more time with family or focus on other challenges, but because of the "disgraceful" emphasis on partisan politics over real action. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Wilson-Raybould as Canada's first Indigenous justice minister in 2015, but she was booted from the Libe

Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane on Thursday met Italian Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini and exchanged views on strengthening defence cooperation between both countries.In a tweet, Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) said that "General MM Naravane #COAS called on Italian Defence Minister Hon'ble Lorenzo Guerini and exchanged views on strengthening India-Italy defence cooperation.He also interacted with Lieutenant General Pietro Serino, Chief of the Italian Army and discussed aspects of joint military cooperation.Chief of Army Staff on Wednesday began a

India reported 45,892 new COVID cases in last 24 hours.817 deaths also reported in the same duration taking overall toll to 4,05,028.44,291 people got recovered and discharged in last 24 hours.Currently there are 4,60,704 active cases. Total 36,48,47,549 vaccines have been administered so far.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar shared his views on Bhartiya Kisan Union Charuni president Gurnam Singh Charuni's statement where he said that protesting farmer unions must fight Punjab polls. According to Haryana CM, "He's saying that people of Punjab should contest, we're also saying there's politics behind it. The agitation going on is drawing inspiration from politics. He isn't concerned about farmers".

BC is reporting 59 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths. In the last 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,759. Health officials say there are currently 624 active cases in the province. Eighty-six people are in hospital, including 20 in intensive care. COVID-19 vaccinations have edged up with 78.2 per cent of residents aged 12 and older receiving their first dose and 38.2 per cent getting their second shot. Since December 2020, the Province has administered 5,404,047 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

England has broken through its semifinal ceiling at major soccer tournaments. A title match awaits for the first time in 55 years. Harry Kane converted the rebound after his initial penalty was saved in the 104th minute to give England a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Denmark in extra time at Wembley Stadium in the European Championship semifinals. England will return to its national soccer stadium on Sunday to play Italy and will be competing in its first final since the 1966 World Cup. That remains England's only international title. England had to rally for the win after Mikkel Damsgaard sc