Province announces phys-ed curriculum overhaul

Manitoba is overhauling phys-ed class and requiring all high school students to regularly work up a sweat on school grounds to graduate.

Premier Wab Kinew announced on Thursday that a new curriculum is being piloted across the kindergarten to Grade 12 system this fall.

Changes to phys-ed and health education — which apply to all grades, but Grade 11 and 12 students, in particular — will ensure these mandatory subjects are delivered entirely in-person, starting in the 2028-29 school year.

The policy is called “Every Body, Every Day.”

Middle East war, oil prices expected to push Alberta’s budget back into the black

CALGARY - Alberta’s finances are swinging back into the black after war in the Middle East sent global energy prices surging.

The province’s latest fiscal update predicts a $2-billion surplus — a huge turnaround from the $9.4-billion deficit originally expected for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

It's the latest reversal of fortune for the oil-rich province perennially tied to international energy markets.

Finance Minister Jason Nixon welcomed the quarterly windfall as good news but warned the forecast could just as quickly take another turn.

Try these veggie burger options around Winnipeg

This summer, a quest to discover Winnipeg’s finest veggie burgers unveiled a surprising array of creative and delicious options. From the structural integrity of buns to thoughtful toppings, the article explores standout local eateries, each offering unique takes on plant-based patties that are as flavorful as they are engaging.

Canadian Army looking for surveillance, cargo-drop drone suppliers

OTTAWA - The federal government has put out a small shopping list for new drones for the Canadian Army, which includes land and aerial drones that can deliver cargo and supply munitions to troops.

It's also looking for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance drones, including some specifically designed to operate in "extreme cold" Arctic environments.

Ottawa has issued a batch of five tenders under the army's Minerva initiative, a program designed to integrate drones into its operations.

“The Canadian Army soldier will face an increasingly complex and dangerous battlespace in the future," one of the drone tenders said.

Winnipeg police body cams to feature AI translator

The Winnipeg Police Service will begin testing an artificial intelligence translation tool on Thursday, adding the feature to its body-worn camera pilot project.

The translation tool works with more than 50 languages and will initially be used by the 40 front-line officers who began testing the cameras in June.

When a button is pressed, the device will recognize the language being spoken and translate it into English. The officer can respond in English or French and have the device translate their words into the language spoken by the other person.

“What it effectively does is allow that immediate transfer of communication to occur, without having to find a translator,” said George Labossière, WPS deputy chief of operations.

A robot sprinter shatters a 100-meter record again as sparks fly at China’s robot competition

BEIJING (AP) — A robot sprinter broke another 100-meter record on Wednesday at a showcase of China’s growing technological prowess.

The record ended China’s five-day World Humanoid Robot Games, in its second year in Beijing, in which more than 2,000 humanoid robots competed in Olympics-style events including soccer, boxing and running.

The winning robot finished the 100 meters in 8.64 seconds, breaking a record for the second straight day. A robot ran 8.86 seconds Tuesday, after another clocked 9.39 seconds four days earlier — all at the Games.

For comparison, the men’s 100-meter world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt in 2009.

Buy Canadian: Purchasing patriotism sees renewed push amid rising tariffs

Buy Canadian sentiment is seeing a resurgence across the country as backlash to U.S. tariffs grows.

Consumers eager to support local products and businesses are swapping shopping tips and resources online as some retailers renew labelling of tariffed or homegrown goods in stores.

The Canada List, a website that ranks thousands of products sold in Canada based on their contribution to the Canadian economy, has seen a dramatic rise in traffic in recent days, founder Matthew Shane said in an interview Wednesday.

"My back-of-the-envelope calculation is daily traffic is actually up 10,000 per cent since Friday," Shane said, adding thousands of people are signing up for the newsletter daily. "It's a strong indication that the Canadian public is increasingly engaged in these trade tensions."

Grocers revive signage to indicate tariff-affected items, Canadian products

Canadian grocers are adding more signage to highlight homegrown products as trade tensions escalate between Canada and the United States.

Loblaw says it is bringing back the T symbols to its grocery shelf labels to signal products that have seen price increases due to tariffs, replicating its response from last year when the tariff war first began.

Customers will start noticing the T symbols on a small number of products, which will grow as tariffs are applied across more categories, Loblaw chief executive Per Bank wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.

"And one commitment is especially important: Loblaw will not benefit from tariffs," he said.