Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has not ruled out the possibility of holding a referendum on Alberta separation this October, as separatist organizers publicly increase pressure on the provincial government to allow a vote. Asked directly whether she would commit to not holding such a referendum, Smith said the government is still waiting on several developments before making a decision. She said discussions with caucus members and cabinet ministers would help determine the province’s next steps. Some members of Smith’s United Conservative cabinet have publicly distanced themselves from sep

The federal government and Telus announced plans Monday for a multi-site artificial intelligence data infrastructure project in British Columbia that officials say is intended to expand Canada’s domestic computing capacity and support what they described as “sovereign” AI infrastructure. Federal AI Minister Evan Solomon joined Telus representatives in Vancouver to outline the project, which includes an expansion of Telus’ existing data centre in Kamloops and two new facilities planned for Vancouver – one in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood and another in the downtown core. According

The BC Conservative Party is criticizing the provincial NDP government following two separate shooting incidents in Surrey that left two people dead and two others injured. BC Conservative representative Harman Bhangu questioned the province’s approach to public safety, saying shootings, gang violence and homicides are increasingly affecting residential neighbourhoods. Bhangu said residents are frustrated by repeated political statements following violent incidents and are demanding stronger action to address public safety concerns. Surrey–Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko also called on the p

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged protests outside Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district offices across Punjab on Monday following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) arrest of Punjab cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora in a money laundering case. Party workers raised slogans against the BJP and accused the central government of using investigative agencies for political purposes. Tense situations were reported in several locations where AAP and BJP workers gathered during the demonstrations. However, no major clashes or arrests had been officially confirmed at publication time. Punjab Finance Mini

A U.S. passenger evacuated from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak in the Canary Islands has tested positive for the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said a second American passenger who was onboard the ship is also being monitored after showing mild symptoms. Both individuals returned to the United States overnight and are being observed at the U.S. National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska. Health officials have not released additional details about the patients or confirmed how many total cases have been linked to the cruise ship outbrea

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s cousin, Gyan Singh Mann, has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party. Gyan Singh Mann was inducted into the BJP in Chandigarh in the presence of Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. Speaking after joining the party, Gyan Singh Mann said he had joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 but claimed the party changed after forming the government in Punjab in 2022. He alleged that the AAP had shifted from being “a party of ordinary workers to a party of special interests” and crit

A House of Commons justice committee has amended proposed federal legislation targeting non-consensual sexual deepfakes to include images depicting people as “nearly nude,” following concerns the original wording may not have covered some AI-generated content circulating online. The amendment to Bill C-16 was approved by MPs studying the legislation after witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s earlier definition of “intimate image” was too narrow. The original version focused on images showing a person nude, exposing sexual organs, or engaged in explicit sexual activity. Committee

A motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a crash in Delta on Saturday that left the motorcycle hanging from a traffic light, according to Delta police. Delta Police said officers responded to the 7100 block of Scott Road shortly before 3 p.m. following reports of a collision involving a motorcycle and another vehicle. Police said the motorcyclist suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.According to a Delta Police news release, speed is believed to have been a contributing factor in the crash. Investigators hav

RCMP lifted a shelter-in-place order in St. Albert on Saturday after searching for a suspect connected to a recent armed robbery, according to police. Mounties issued the order earlier in the day for residents in the city northwest of Edmonton, advising people to remain inside their homes and avoid opening their doors to anyone while officers searched the area. Police said the order was lifted about two hours later, although the suspect had not been located. According to RCMP, investigators no longer believe the suspect is in the community. No additional details about the armed robbery or the