No fire relief in sight, First Ministers, UNESCO Geoparks in Canada, and more

Manitoba is the epicentre of the wildfires in Canada. Thousands are out of their homes. Some have been sent as far away as Niagara Falls. At least 20 communities in Saskatchewan are also under evacuation orders, and thousands of people in Alberta have had to leave.

The danger isn’t only the flames – the air quality from wildfire smoke is leading to health concerns.

And: The first ministers are meeting in Saskatoon, pitching their ideas to Prime Minister Mark Carney for nation-building projects.

Also: Russia has made its proposal for ending the war in Ukraine. It includes demands for Ukraine to concede several regions of territory, and for the lifting of sanctions. And those are just to start. The talks today lasted around an hour. The two countries did agree to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers killed in action.

Plus: The man accused of setting people on fire in Boulder has been charged with a hate crime, two UNESCO Geoparks in Canada are at risk of losing their designations, and more.