TORONTO – A career-best performance has landed B.C. Lions running back Zander Horvath on the CFL’s players of the week list.

The 27-year-old American earned the top honour Wednesday, while quarterback Davis Alexander and receiver Tyson Philpot — both of the Montreal Alouettes — also made the list.

Horvath posted career-highs in carries (17), rushing yards (191) and touchdowns (three) as B.C. beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 35-19 on Thursday.

Alexander was named the league’s No. 2 star of the week after throwing for 420 yards with three majors in Montreal’s 34-13 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday.

He went 22 for 30 on his pass attempts with zero interceptions and an efficiency rating of 154.9 to earn his fourth player of the week honour this season.

Philpot got a nod for posting 184 receiving yards and becoming the fastest Canadian to reach 1,000 yards in a season, doing so in just eight games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Ontario voters in three ridings are set to head to the polls Sept. 3, as Premier Doug Ford called byelections today.

Scarborough Southwest has been vacant since February when Doly Begum, who held the riding provincially for the NDP, resigned to successfully run for the federal Liberals there.

In the months after her resignation, the riding became somewhat of a flashpoint after former MP Nate Erskine-Smith failed to win the Ontario Liberal nomination and made accusations of impropriety in the race, which the party said were unsubstantiated.

A byelection will also be held in York-Simcoe, which was vacated in June with the resignation of Caroline Mulroney, who served in cabinet as president of the Treasury Board.

The resignation of another cabinet minister, Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden, has triggered a byelection in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek as well.

Ford will also have to fill the cabinet posts of Mulroney and Lumsden, as well as Stan Cho, who resigned last month as minister of tourism, culture and gaming amid an expense scandal, though he remains in the Progressive Conservative caucus.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Four people are facing charges after New Brunswick peace officers seized more than 4.3 million illegal cigarettes in the span of a month.

The investigations, led by Justice and Public Safety officials with help from policing partners, also led to the seizure of cannabis products, a firearm, vehicles and other evidence, the government said Wednesday.

It began on May 15 when peace officers and RCMP conducted a safety checkpoint on the Trans-Canada Highway in the Saint-Jacques district of Edmundston.

Officers stopped a truck towing a cargo trailer and arrested a 32-year-old man from Ontario. The government said they found 3,510,000 unstamped cigarettes, which they seized. A 2022 GMC Sierra 2500 truck and an enclosed cargo trailer were also seized.

On June 13, peace officers and the Miramichi Police Force, Quebec provincial police and the Ontario Ministry of Finance arrested a 36-year-old man and a 42-year-old man from the Miramichi area.

Officers intercepted a truck towing a cargo trailer and arrested the driver and passenger. A search of the vehicle and trailer led to the seizure of 739,000 unstamped cigarettes, 1.5 kilograms of dried cannabis, 65 packages of THC edibles and several cannabis pre-rolls, other drugs and vape cartridges. A 2024 Ford F-150 truck was also seized.

Two days later, a 37-year-old man from the Fredericton region was arrested after officers pulled over a truck. After searching the vehicle, they found 150,013 unstamped cigarettes and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition and other weapons, the province said. A 2024 GMC truck was seized.

Those arrested are facing charges under the Excise Act, the Criminal Code of Canada and the Tobacco Tax Act, the government said.

“It is not only illegal to sell contraband cigarettes, but it is also illegal to purchase contraband tobacco under the Excise Act, which can result in fines and criminal charges,” Assistant Commissioner Matco Sirotic, commanding officer of the RCMP in New Brunswick, said in a news release.

“When you buy illegal cigarettes, you may also be supporting organized criminal networks who are trying to establish themselves in your community. Working together with our law enforcement partners is important to discouraging this and other illegal activity in our province.”

The government said its peace officers have seized about 8.27 million contraband cigarettes so far this year, valued at about $3.72 million in combined federal and provincial tax.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Halifax Regional Police are asking the public for help finding ammunition an officer lost during a foot chase Tuesday morning.

Police say they were chasing a robbery suspect at around 10:35 a.m. on Green Road in Dartmouth.

That’s when police believe an ammunition magazine fell from an officer’s equipment belt.

The suspect was arrested but did not have the ammunition, while a search of the area didn’t find it either.

Police warn it’s illegal for the public to possess police-issued equipment, and anybody found with the magazine could be charged.

They’re asking anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

RCMP in Nova Scotia are investigating racist graffiti painted along a highway in Pictou County.

Police have not described the nature of the graffiti, but say it was racist and motivated by hate.

Mounties say the graffiti was reported July 28 along Highway 104 in Broadway, N.S.

They say a man driving a 2008 white Chevrolet Express cargo van was seen near the area where it was painted.

Police say the graffiti was painted over by a construction crew in the area shortly after it was reported.

RCMP say they take hate-motivated instances very seriously and are asking anyone with information to reach out to police.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Mixed martial arts fighter Allan Nascimento has died at the age of 34, according to a statement from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC said Nascimento died on Monday after he was “found unresponsive after suffering an apparent heart attack in his sleep.”

“Despite the efforts of the responding medical team, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Allan’s family, friends, teammates, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” the UFC added in its statement.

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Nascimento, who was nicknamed “Puro Osso,” which translates to “All Bones,” was born in Brazil and held a 17-4 record in the country before taking part in Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018.

He signed with the UFC in October 2021 and made his UFC debut against Tagir Ulanbekov, where he lost in a split decision.

After losing to Ulanbekov, Nascimento achieved four consecutive victories against Jake Hadley, Carlos Hernandez, Jafel Filho and Cody Durden.

His final match was on June 20 at UFC Fight Night 279 against Mitch Raposo, who broke Nascimento’s winning streak via split decision.

Nascimento was scheduled to appear as a special guest at the Charles Oliveira Experience on Aug. 9.

The unexpected news of Nascimento’s death was met with shock around the UFC world.

Brazilian UFC fighter Caio Borralho wrote, “He was one of the most kind fighters that’s I’ve ever met! Polite, good energy and always in good spirits! He will be missed.”

“Today I lost a brother — a guy who was truly one of a kind — and the pain is unbearable,” Charles Oliveira said in a statement.

UFC correspondent Evelyn Rodrigues said Nascimento was one of “the kindest souls I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing through MMA. Rest in peace, Allan.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Alberta’s forestry ministry is facing six workplace safety charges following the death of a wildland firefighter two years ago.

The charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act were laid on July 29, just a few days away from the second anniversary of Morgan Kitchen’s death.

Kitchen, 24, was killed on Aug. 3, 2024, while helping battle a wildfire in Jasper National Park. He was fatally injured after being hit by a falling tree.

The Calgary resident had a “bold and brilliant” personality, a nimble wit and an “outrageous and ridiculous” sense of humour, a memorial post circulating on social media at the time indicated.

It said Kitchen was a much-loved character who gave the best hugs and brought “streams of adventure, joy and fun.”

Kitchen also served with the Canadian Armed Forces, having joined as a primary reservist in February 2020 and serving as an infantry private with the Calgary Highlanders.

The charges against the Ministry of Forestry and Parks allege Kitchen’s employer “failed to ensure the safety of workers” by not adequately assessing and controlling hazards arising from dangerous trees, as well as failing to adequately establish and maintain an area excluding workers from a hazardous place or a place that had not yet been adequately assessed.

“We are aware that Occupational Health and Safety charges have been laid against Alberta Forestry and Parks. As this matter is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the allegations or the legal proceedings,” Arthur Green, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services, told Global News in an email.

“Our thoughts remain with our Alberta Wildfire colleague’s family, friends and co-workers. Safety is our highest priority. We remain committed to providing a safe workplace for our staff.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Toronto Zoo says its endangered pygmy hippopotamus has given birth.

The birth occurred on Sunday, the zoo announced Wednesday. Staff observed 20-year-old Kindia showing signs that labour was underway at about 8:15 a.m.

Tiny feet appeared around 12:15 p.m., and after approximately 1.5 hours of active labour, the female calf was born, the zoo said.

“The calf began attempting to stand within approximately 15 minutes of birth and, within a few hours, was confidently navigating the space. She was seen nursing approximately 4.5 hours after birth, and throughout the night while Zoo professionals monitored her via cameras,” a news release states.

It added both Kindia and the calf are doing well and resting together in a space not accessible to guests. The calf is Kindia’s third.

Kindia was introduced to a 31-year-old male pygmy hippo for eight days in January, which led to the pregnancy,

“Pygmy hippos are endangered, and their wild populations continue to decline due to habitat loss and human pressures. This birth represents the critical role modern accredited zoos play in conservation, scientific collaboration, and maintaining healthy populations that contribute to the long-term survival of the species,” Dolf DeJong, CEO of the Toronto Zoo, said in the release.

“At your Toronto Zoo, it also reflects our mission of connecting people, animals, conservation science, and traditional knowledge to fight extinction, and reminds us that every species saved is the result of collective action and shared responsibility.”

Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 pygmy hippos are believed to remain in the wild, the zoo said.

Native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, they rely on dense, undisturbed habitats to survive. However, logging, mining, agriculture and human settlement, as well as hunting, continue to impact wild populations, it added.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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