
Data capturing hot spots and burned acres show Canada wildfire season off to wild start
While images of wildfires capture their ferocity, data can provide insight into how bad a fire season is.
Such is the case with two graphics, powered by satellite data, that showcase a Canadian wildfire season off to a wild — and scary — start.

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Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Canadian PM reveals why he invited PM Modi to G7 meet
Hours after inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to this month's G7 meet in Alberta, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Friday pointed to India's status as the fifth-largest economy as a reason for the invite. Canada's action is seen as a step toward improving ties between the two countries, which had seen a sharp dip under the previous prime minister Justin Trudeau. 'As chair of the G7, it is important to invite the most important countries to attend to talk about important issues such as energy, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and India is really at the very centre of global supply chains,' Carney said during a news conference on Parliament Hill, as reported by The Globe and Mail. Carney also said that the most populous country in the world, with the fifth largest economy, should be present at the year's G7. The two countries had downgraded diplomatic ties after Justin Trudeau, the then Canadian PM, set off a political storm in 2023 when he alleged 'potential' involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of a Canada-based Khalistan separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India rejected the charges as 'absurd' and 'motivated'. On Friday, Carney declined to say whether he believed India had any involvement in Nijjar's death. 'There is a legal process that is literally under way and quite advanced in Canada, and it's never appropriate to make comments with respect to those legal processes,' Carney told. Carney, however, added that Canada and India had agreed to 'continued law enforcement dialogue,' though he did not confirm whether this includes cooperation in the Nijjar investigation. PM Modi had on Friday confirmed his attendance at the G7 in a post on X, saying he congratulated Carney on his election victory and that 'India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests.' 'Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister Mark J Carney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month. As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit,' PM Modi said in a post on X. Usually, G7 host countries invite some countries as guest countries or outreach partners. Canada had so far invited Ukraine and Australia. India has been invited to every G7 Summit since 2019. Barring 2020 when the G7 huddle was cancelled by the US, the host country, Modi has attended every Summit since August 2019.


Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds' £50m purchase, divorce from Hollywood actress and huge net worth
Ryan Reynolds has thrown himself into a host of business ventures since achieving Hollywood stardom, including the purchase of newly-promoted Championship club Wrexham Ryan Reynolds has partnered up with a Hollywood star to buy another sports team after the resounding success of Wrexham, which he co-owns with Rob McElhenney. The two actors have been instrumental in Wrexham's meteoric rise from non-league to the Championship in just four seasons. They became the first side in history to win three consecutive promotions in the top five leagues of English football. The fairytale rise has made Wrexham a world-renowned name, with the club just one promotion away from the lofty heights of the Premier League. But the Canadian has now taken another bold step in his sports empire by teaming up with his close friend, Hugh Jackman. Reynolds and his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star have announced that they now own an Australian sailing team named the BONDS Flying Roos. The rebranded team competes in the high-profile SailGP global sailing event, a competition backed by a diverse set of celebrity investors such as football superstar Kylian Mbappe, actress Anne Hathaway, F1 legend Sebastian Vettel and heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder. Reynolds' portfolio already includes stakes in Mexican football team Club Necaxa, Colombian side La Equidad and F1's Alpine. But for Jackman, the endeavour marks his first foray into sports ownership. "We're incredibly excited to set sail together in this new adventure," Reynolds and Jackman said in a statement. "Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country as well as being an avid fan of sailing. He will also be bringing his overly clingy emotional support human along for the ride. Apologies in advance to Australia." The figure Reynolds and Jackman forked out for their new team hasn't been officially revealed but it's believed they splurged at least $50million (£37m) between them. And in light of the Wrexham co-owner's latest business move, we delve into how he amassed his colossal fortune and those who have supported him on his journey to stardom. Astonishing net worth Reynolds is reported to have an eye-watering net worth of around $400m (£295m), having been named as one of Hollywood's top earners. Forbes listed the movie star as 2024's second highest paid actor with a whopping haul of £79m, putting him just behind Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in the fortune stakes. Reynolds owed much of his success last year to crowd-pleasers like the Marvel blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, while family film IF and Emmy-winning documentary Welcome to Wrexham also contributed. Beyond his box office earnings, Reynolds has shown financial acumen with shrewd business ventures, acquiring up to a 20 per cent stake in American gin company Aviation Gin before selling it in a massive $600m (£443m) deal in 2020. He also sold a large stake in mobile network company Mint Mobile to T-Mobile with the $1.35billion (£997m) deal seeing him pocket over $300m (£220m). The Deadpool star has invested a considerable sum in Wrexham, with him and co-owner McElhenney reportedly splashing out over £20m of their own money on the football club since their 2020 takeover. In 2023, an episode of Welcome to Wrexham revealed that they had lost around $12m (£8.9m) since taking over the club, with Reynolds responding by saying: "I'm going to throw up." Life with famous wife after Hollywood divorce Reynolds has been married to Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively since 2012, after meeting her on the Green Lantern film set. As their romance blossomed, they quickly became one of Hollywood's most beloved power couples, exchanging vows in a private South Carolina wedding before going on to welcome four children - James, Inez, Betty and Olin - together. Lively has been seen attending Wrexham games at the Racecourse Ground and paid a gushing tribute to the city after they secured promotion to the Championship in April. "Back to back to back," she wrote in an Instagram post. "History was made. Congratulations to @wrexham_afc. I will never forget the love and elation in that town today. Thank you for sharing it with us always." "And to these two men, @robmcelhenney & @vancityreynolds ... the love and respect that pours out of you each and together exponentially grows and creates more joy, more possibilities, more magic, more history," the actress added. "This picture feels to me like a painting of all you do for so many, while being so present and appreciative of every moment." Before marrying Lively, Reynolds made headlines thanks to his relationships with some of the most famous women in show business. In 2004, he got engaged to fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette, having met the singer at Drew Barrymore's birthday party two years earlier. They split up in 2007, with Morrissette citing the pressures of fame as a contributing factor, but they have remained close friends ever since. Reynolds, whose romantic history in the noughties reportedly included names like Sandra Bullock, Melissa Joan Hart and Charlize Theron, soon began to date actress Scarlett Johansson. The couple married in 2008 in an intimate Vancouver ceremony. But by 2010, they had parted ways, with the pair admitting that the relationship fell apart due to their busy schedules and a lack of quality time spent together. "We work and then go home," the actress later admitted to Time Out. "I'd just stare at the wall for a few hours before I got to sleep." Friendship with Rob McElhenney While they have overseen one of the most remarkable stories in football history together, Reynolds and McElhenney weren't even friends when they decided to buy Wrexham, having only briefly interacted with each other online on a few occasions. Contrary to what many believe, it wasn't Reynolds who first had the idea to take over a football club, either. Instead, it was McElhenney who spearheaded the plans after being inspired by British comedy writer and football fan Humphrey Ker to invest in a team. Despite not being a big football fan himself, McElhenney was captivated by Ker's passion for Liverpool. As a result, Ker suggested he watch the Netflix series Sunderland 'Til I Die during the coronavirus lockdown. The show piqued the interest of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor further, leading him to want his own football club to make his own documentary about. After the actor determined his budget, Ker then helped him pick out some suitable candidates. Wrexham stood out to McElhenney due to the club's history, passionate fanbase and need for new investment in the wake of the pandemic. He then approached Reynolds, who had previously messaged him about his favourite Always Sunny scene, to secure additional funding and attach another high-profile name to the club. Reynolds was excited by the idea and did not want to merely be a sponsor, but a co-owner alongside McElhenney. In November 2020, the pair purchased the club for £2m and the rest is history, with the duo now being very good friends despite not meeting face-to-face until April 2021. McElhenney has since told People that Reynolds is one of his closest friends, describing him as a "kind and generous soul, and somebody you can rely on." Hailing the actor as a "truly inspiring person," he added: "Our families have grown incredibly close, and even though we live on opposite coasts, we feel like we're right next to each other." Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Beef prices surge as barbecue season approaches
Canadians looking to grill some burgers and steaks as the summer barbecue season heats up may find themselves paying much more for beef, prompting one food expert to call for an investigation. Prices for striploin steak are 34.2 per cent higher since January, while top sirloin is up 33.7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Pork ribs and chicken breasts are each up 5.9 per cent during the same period. 'For many Canadian families, a summer steak on the grill is starting to feel more like a splurge than a staple,' Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, said in a recent report. 'Consumers will continue to enjoy beef, but with moderation and on occasions that justify the cost.' He pointed to several factors behind the jump in beef prices, including transportation costs, the carbon tax, the number of licensed beef processors and labour costs. Canadian inventory is also an issue since it has fallen to 3.38 million head, the lowest level since 1989. 'Many cattle producers are exiting the industry while prices are favourable, opting to reinvest in less volatile sectors or shift entirely to crop production,' Charlebois said. 'In short, the Canadian beef industry is retreating and becoming increasingly risk-averse.' Canadians are already taking notice of the price hikes in the past few years. Per capita beef consumption fell 7.1 per cent in 2023 and another 2.1 per cent in 2024, according to IBISWorld data. 'This is no longer just a matter of shifting dietary preferences; it's a structural shift in consumer behaviour,' Charlebois said. 'Beef is increasingly seen as a luxury item, with ground beef becoming the primary choice for budget-conscious households still committed to red meat.' He also wonders if producers in Canada are taking advantage of the situation. In the United States, former president Joe Biden tried to crack down on anticompetitive practices in the food industry, specifically price fixing in the meat sector. In February, Brazilian meatpacking company JBS SA agreed to pay US$83.5 to settle claims that it worked with other companies to artificially inflate prices. Under the settlement, JBS must also work with U.S. investigators looking into similar claims at Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill Inc. and National Beef Packing Co. LLC. JBS has called the claims against it 'frivolous and without merit,' but is settling because it is in the company's best interest. 'The Canadian Competition Bureau, by contrast, has remained largely silent on similar concerns,' Charlebois said. 'Perhaps it's time for that to change.' Prices on thousands of grocery items to rise despite tariff break, says Loblaw Canada has lost its global agricultural trading edge, RBC report says The Competition Bureau said investigations are confidential, so it can not reveal information on current investigations. 'The bureau must conduct a thorough and complete examination of the facts regarding any issue before reaching any conclusion as to whether the Competition Act has been contravened,' a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement. 'If we find evidence of activities that could raise concerns under the law, we will take action.' • Email: bcousins@ Sign in to access your portfolio