Life & Style

Environment

Firefighters battle a massive Belgian wildfire, forcing hundreds to evacuate

Sylvie Corbet And Ahmad Seir Nassiri, The Associated Press 2 minute read 3:48 AM CDT

BAELEN, Belgium (AP) — Firefighters battled a massive wildfire in eastern Belgium on Sunday that has burned more than 27 square kilometers (10 square miles) in the High Fens, a large nature reserve, and forced nearby residents to evacuate in what media describe as one of the worst-ever wildfires in the country’s recent history.

About 600 residents in nearby municipalities in Waimes and Bütgenbach, in Liège province near the German border, were told to evacuate Saturday as winds shifted and smoke spread through the area. Authorities also advised tourists to leave, while a nearby gymnasium was opened to receive evacuees.

Liège provincial Gov. Hervé Jamar said in a statement Sunday that more than 250 emergency personnel have been deployed, including over 100 Belgian and German firefighters, police and military officers and civil protection staff, helped by firefighting helicopters operated by Belgium’s federal police and the Netherlands,

Authorities said no homes had been affected as of Sunday morning, though the fire remained close to residential areas and heavy smoke persisted. They urged people to stay away from the fire zone, warning that unnecessary traffic could obstruct emergency vehicles and complicate firefighting operations.

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Science & Technology

FILE - Shareholders wait in line outside CHI Health Center Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, May 2, 2026, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)

Berkshire Hathaway boosted stake in Alphabet, homebuilders in the second quarter

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Berkshire Hathaway boosted stake in Alphabet, homebuilders in the second quarter

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:57 PM CDT

Berkshire Hathaway is increasing the size of its stake in Google's parent company and beefing up its holdings in homebuilders, according to the conglomerate's latest snapshot of its investment portfolio.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based company also continued to pare its stake in financial companies and a number of other stocks in the April-June quarter, according to a regulatory filing filed late Friday.

CEO Greg Abel, who took over from Warren Buffett at the start of the year, agreed in June to make a $10 billion stock investment in Alphabet, expanding on the stake that Berkshire started to build last fall.

In the second quarter, Berkshire picked up roughly 48.1 million shares in Alphabet, bringing its total shares in the tech giant to roughly 106 million. That stake was valued at about $37.76 billion as of June 30, according to the filing. As recently as the end of December, Berkshire held only 17.8 million Alphabet shares worth $5.6 billion.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:57 PM CDT

Environment

This aerial photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Indianapolis Fire Department via AP)

Indiana authorities say at least 5 people have died as severe weather crosses the state

Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Indiana authorities say at least 5 people have died as severe weather crosses the state

Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 3:08 AM CDT

Indiana authorities said at least five people have died as a result of severe storms and flooding across the state this week, as first responders used boats to rescue more people Saturday from rising waters in neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis.

The state has been hammered over the past week by heavy rains, resulting in rivers reaching record levels and sending residents in search of higher ground. More than a dozen counties have declared local disasters, with much of the latest damage concentrated along river corridors from Hamilton County heading into the northern Indianapolis suburbs.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Indiana, and federal disaster assistance is available to the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Saturday.

Residents evacuate as water rises

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Updated: 3:08 AM CDT

Environment

A black bear appears on the shores of Lake Athabasca near Fort Chipewyan, Alta., on Sunday, Sep. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Victor R. Caivano

Conservation officers confirm bear shot by RCMP mauled child in Maple Ridge

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Conservation officers confirm bear shot by RCMP mauled child in Maple Ridge

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 12:36 PM CDT

MAPLE RIDGE - Conservation officers in British Columbia say a black bear that was killed by RCMP officers last Sunday was, "in fact," responsible for an attack that had left a three-year-old girl with injuries.

Conservation officers took to social media to correct their earlier assessment, in which they said the wrong bear had been killed, and apologized for the confusion.

The three-year-old girl was attacked by a black bear on the back deck of her home in Maple Ridge on Aug. 9.

A parent intervened and drove the bear off, and the child was airlifted to B.C. Children's Hospital with non-life-altering injuries.

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Yesterday at 12:36 PM CDT

Faith

FILE - Central Synagogue is seen on Feb. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kena Betancur, File)

Hate crime charges filed in Manhattan synagogue attack

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Hate crime charges filed in Manhattan synagogue attack

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 2:44 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Hate crime charges have been filed against a man who disrupted Shabbat services in Manhattan's Central Synagogue and struck two people while being hustled outside Friday night.

“As synagogue security was escorting him out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and head-butted a member of the security team,” a statement from Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

A police sergeant working as a paid security detail at the synagogue immediately took the man into custody and no one was seriously injured, Tisch said.

Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, faces two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges, Tisch said.

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Updated: Yesterday at 2:44 PM CDT

Health

Assistant Professor Christopher Hayes uses the heat of his finger to stimulate a colony of bedbugs in his office at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

Bedbugs can cause people to lose sleep – and blood. Here’s what to do about them

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Bedbugs can cause people to lose sleep – and blood. Here’s what to do about them

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:48 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Bedbugs are sometimes called the vampires of the insect world — hiding during the day and coming out at night to feast on human blood. Generations of children have been told: “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

Well, bad news: Bedbug infestations are increasing. This is the time of year when they tend to be at their worst. And some scientists think the reviled pests might be capable of spreading an antibiotic-resistant infection called MRSA.

For centuries, the bugs have horrified homeowners and occasionally panicked the public. That happened in New York City in 2018, when at least a half dozen city buses were taken out of service after reports of bedbugs crawling on seats. It happened again in Paris in 2023, when reports of bedbugs at a movie theater, on trains and on buses popped up in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics.

“They certainly are out there,” said Christopher Hayes, a North Carolina State University assistant professor who has been bitten by bedbugs more than 50 times in the course of research. “And if you're unaware, if you're not on top of your game, it's easy to bring them into your home."

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:48 PM CDT

Health

Charlotte Touzalin stands with her mother, Anne Schultz, Friday, July 10, 2026 in Elizabeth, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)

Obesity drugs show early promise against the hormonal disorder PMOS, giving a suffering family hope

Laura Ungar, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Obesity drugs show early promise against the hormonal disorder PMOS, giving a suffering family hope

Laura Ungar, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 11:53 AM CDT

Charlotte Touzalin was still a young teenager when she began struggling with weight gain, abnormal periods and unwanted facial hair — the same puzzling symptoms that plagued her mom for decades and that no doctor could piece together.

“I’d go home and I’d cry,” said Touzalin, an 18-year-old college student from Colorado. “I didn’t understand why all this weight was coming back or why my friends didn’t have to shave their faces and I had to.”

Touzalin and her mom, Anne Schultz, were finally diagnosed with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal condition affecting 1 in 8 women worldwide. But unlike her mom, Touzalin is beginning young adulthood with new hope after taking part in a study testing blockbuster GLP-1 drugs as a treatment.

A small but growing body of research shows that these obesity medications may also work for the disorder known as PMOS — not only by promoting weight loss but also by improving insulin resistance, hormone balance and ovulation. These things are key to the disease, which used to be called polycystic ovary syndrome but was renamed earlier this year to shift the focus away from ovaries and cysts.

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Updated: Yesterday at 11:53 AM CDT

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Environment

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Lala over the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

Hurricane Lala skirts Hawaii’s Big Island without making landfall as heavy wind, rain lash region

Alexa St. John And Ed White, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Hurricane Lala skirts Hawaii’s Big Island without making landfall as heavy wind, rain lash region

Alexa St. John And Ed White, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 12:07 AM CDT

Hurricane Lala skirted Hawaii’s Big Island Saturday without making landfall and is expected to gradually weaken after lashing the region with strong winds and drenching rain that flooded roads and turned rivers into raging torrents.

The possibility the island could witness its first direct hit from a hurricane in 155 years faded as the eye of the storm passed the island’s southern tip. Landfall is not expected at this point, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joseph Clark.

However, hurricane-force winds are expected to continue into the overnight hours, with the strongest wind gusts likely in areas of higher terrain, the National Hurricane Center said. Heavy rainfall into Sunday could produce flooding and mudslides, while powerful waves pound the coast, the agency said.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau as the storm moves west. The Big Island is the state's largest, with a population of about 210,000.

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Updated: 12:07 AM CDT

Gry Skjottelvik, left, mother of Steffen Skjottelvik, Atle Lauritzen, centre, his father, and Grand Chief Walter Wastesicoot of Keewatin Tribal Council are pictured in this handout photo in Fox Lake Cree Nation, Man., in July 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Steffen of Norway Foundation (Mandatory Credit)

First Nations, Norwegian family unite to honour adventurer’s life and legacy

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

First Nations, Norwegian family unite to honour adventurer’s life and legacy

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Yesterday at 7:00 AM CDT

WINNIPEG - Gry Skjottelvik arrived in Canada last month with a mission.

The mother traded in the comfort of her home in a small village in Norway for the expansive, sprawling and sometimes treacherous terrain of northern Canada to trace the final steps of her son, Steffen Skjottelvik.

It's the second time in a year that Skjottelvik has made the trek following the death of her son whose body was recovered from the shores of a river in northern Manitoba while he was on a cross-continental journey of the Canadian wilderness with his two dogs, Togo and Bay.

This time around, the trip was about moving forward with the First Nation communities that embraced her son.

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Yesterday at 7:00 AM CDT

Faith

People walk inside an enormous statue of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be Europe's tallest during the inauguration in the village Konotopie, Poland, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Ciobanu)

Europe’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary is inaugurated in a small Polish village

Claudia Ciobanu And Rafal Niedzielski, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Europe’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary is inaugurated in a small Polish village

Claudia Ciobanu And Rafal Niedzielski, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:27 AM CDT

KONOTOPIE, Poland (AP) — An enormous statue of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be Europe's tallest was inaugurated on Saturday in a small Polish village, in the presence of legendary anti-communist leader Lech Walesa.

Hundreds of people took part in the consecration of the monument, which towers 55.6 meters (182 feet) over Konotopie in central Poland, the home of fewer than 150 people.

While helicopters scattered miniature red roses over the crowd, priests in white robes celebrated Mass and the popular Mazowsze folk ensemble sang and danced to traditional Polish music.

The Polish statue is taller — if less dramatically located — than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which measures some 38 meters (125 feet) including its pedestal. Its height includes a crown-shaped 15-meter (49-foot) pedestal.

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Updated: Yesterday at 9:27 AM CDT

Faith

Taliban delegates from across the country attend a meeting that opens celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule, at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

While Taliban leaders mark 5 years in power in Afghanistan, a UN official warns of a rights crisis

Abdul Qahar Afghan And Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

While Taliban leaders mark 5 years in power in Afghanistan, a UN official warns of a rights crisis

Abdul Qahar Afghan And Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:56 AM CDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban rulers and other officials gathered at Afghanistan’s traditional Loya Jirga assembly hall on Saturday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of their return to power, touting what they described as restored stability and an end to decades of conflict.

A top United Nations official, however, warned of a grave human rights crisis in Afghanistan, where girls over age 12 are barred from attending school.

The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021, as the U.S. and other NATO troops withdrew following a costly two-decade war. The U.S. withdrawal led to chaos at Kabul airport as crowds of people tried to flee the country in desperation.

Soon after taking power, the Taliban administration imposed a ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade and later banned higher education for women, despite having pledged before the takeover that women would be allowed access to education, employment and public participation.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:56 AM CDT

Life & Style

A Life's Story: Woman fought for better outcomes for others amid cancer fight

Janine LeGal 7 minute read Preview

A Life's Story: Woman fought for better outcomes for others amid cancer fight

Janine LeGal 7 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Catherine Mary Burke was strong and motivated in ways many of us could never imagine.

She was known for fighting the good fight, and she fought as hard as she could for as long as she could. But something set her apart. Even when it was too late for her, she insisted cancer survival rates had to be better for other women. And they are today because of her fierce determination.

Burke died on Nov. 29, 2025, at age 67 after courageously facing breast cancer for more than a decade.

“Cathy was born happy,” said her husband, Patrick Burke. “She was a glass-half-full person. What a gift this attitude was to me and the boys. She never once said ‘Why me?’ or complained. She was just so happy to be alive.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Renovation & Design

LYNNE HERMISTON PHOTO
August in the food garden is a time of harvesting and processing. A little patience is needed, too!

August in the kitchen garden

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

August in the kitchen garden

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Lynne Hermiston is passionate about growing her own food. Her backyard food garden in south Winnipeg is an amazing example of the abundance and diversity of food that can be grown in a relatively small space. But it’s also a prime example of how a zest for learning innovative methods can make food gardening more fun.

Hermiston’s backyard is approximately 10 metres wide and 15 metres deep. The growing area consisting of raised beds and a couple of in-ground beds between her deck and back fence is about nine metres deep. There is not a single blade of turf grass in sight. The design for this attractive and productive space was created by Classic Landscaping four years ago. A series of raised wooden beds mulched with straw are neatly arranged on a light grey, slate-like surface. An inviting centre arbor acts as a focal point and supports climbing plants. The square-shaped raised-bed area receives eight to nine hours of sun daily. It is flanked on one side by a long, linear-shaped bed, planted with flowering perennials that attract and support pollinators.

The food plants Hermiston is growing this summer include tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beets, chickpeas, beans, onions, sweet potatoes, horseradish, garlic, peppers, carrots, pumpkin and cauliflower. She is growing Chinese Pink celery, an heirloom variety with bubblegum-pink stems, for the first time, as well as eggplant.

She also grows salad greens and herbs, which have made delicious additions to her summer recipes this year. Only a few harvests remain of the spinach she planted. But, compared to last year’s growing season, some food plants are taking their time, Hermiston says.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Health

A man using a wheelchair wears a mask due to poor air quality as smoke from the Bald Range wildfire envelops Okanagan Lake, in Penticton, B.C., on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

‘We don’t even have a phone’: Aging B.C. wildfire evacuees faced unique challenges

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

‘We don’t even have a phone’: Aging B.C. wildfire evacuees faced unique challenges

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

VANCOUVER - Helen Benallick said she was fast asleep with her husband at their home in Summerland, B.C., last week when she was woken up by neighbours ringing her doorbell.

They told the couple they needed to escape the Bald Range wildfire that was racing toward the community — Benallick, 87, and her husband had missed the evacuation orders that were issued to cellphones across the region overnight on Aug. 7.

"We don't even have a phone," she said in an interview, and without their neighbours they "would have slept right through it."

The Benallicks are among a senior population in Summerland that is 57 per cent higher than the rest of B.C., the 2021 census indicates, adding to the challenges for evacuees and those tasked with getting them to safety.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Health

Fastest-growing Ebola outbreak through the eyes of Canadian aid workers

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Fastest-growing Ebola outbreak through the eyes of Canadian aid workers

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

TORONTO - Little pink coffins are sold on the roadside in Bunia, a northeastern city in the Congo, prepared for children who will die of Ebola.

Meghan Thumath, a registered nurse and public health delegate with the Canadian Red Cross, said coffin sellers are as common as fruit stands.

“You can't help to be affected as a health-care provider,” Thumath said, her eyes welling up with tears.

More than 2,100 people have died out of over 4,500 infected since the outbreak was declared in the spring, according to the latest government figures.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Opinion

Markus Schreiber / The Associated Press files
The organ inside the medieval Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany will play its final note on Sept. 4, 2640.

Don’t delete organ concert tickets when scrubbing digital life

Jen Zoratti 5 minute read Preview

Don’t delete organ concert tickets when scrubbing digital life

Jen Zoratti 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

There is an organ in Germany that is playing one composition until 2640.

What’s billed as the world’s slowest concert features a piece by American composer John Cage, and was back in the news because it had its first chord change in two years. It’s already been playing for 25 years; only 614 more to go.

Organ music at the end of the world.

The real take-home for me, however, is the fact that there are already “inheritable” tickets for the final Sept. 4, 2640, event being sold for 2,640 euros (US$3,045).

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Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

August 16, 2026

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