In the news today: Nepal flood death toll, Ontario nickel mining, drought recovery

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Some missing tourists make contact as Nepal flood death toll tops 1,100

Some tourists previously reported missing in Nepal have made contact with authorities, officials said Wednesday, as search efforts continued following catastrophic floods that killed at least 1,118 people and left thousands more missing.

Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said 324 foreign nationals had been rescued so far, while about 590 from 39 countries remained missing a week after the floods that began Aug. 26 with a glacial collapse in the Himalayas.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that the number of Australians missing in the disaster had fallen from 43 to 38 after five were confirmed safe overnight.

Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for the Nepal Tourism Board, said at least five other foreign tourists who were previously reported missing had contacted authorities by email or telephone in recent days.  

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Rescuers use earthmovers to reach submerged houses after flash flooding along the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Canadian families still waiting for answers one week after Nepal disaster

An Ontario woman wants a wider international response to help in the rescue efforts in Nepal as days tick by with no word on her cousin, or the three Canadian family members he was travelling with.

Neeral Patel, who lives in Toronto, says she sent well-wishes to her cousin Ishan Patel in Nepal on his birthday last Wednesday, but she never heard back.

Ottawa has said 30 Canadians and permanent residents are among the missing from the devastating flash flood that took place not far from the border with China.

The federal government said it has 10 officials on the ground in Nepal to support Canadians affected by flooding and help locate the missing.

Patel says with so many still unaccounted for, her family has been scouring the internet for names of any missing relatives.

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A man checks his phone as he walks past the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Bank of Canada set to make sixth interest rate decision of the year

The Bank of Canada is set to make its sixth interest-rate decision of the year today, with most economists expecting another hold.

The central bank has kept its policy rate at 2.25 per cent since late last year amid tariff uncertainty with the United States and higher global energy prices.

Inflation climbed to three per cent in July, while the economy and labour market are showing signs of improvement despite trade tensions with the U.S.

An ongoing strike by Bank of Canada security officers will again prevent the usual media lockup ahead of the rate announcement.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford tours the Glencore Onaping Depth Project in Sudbury, Ont., on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keito Newman

Ontario threatened to cut off U.S. critical minerals supply. Sudbury isn’t panicking

Officials in Ontario’s mining capital say they’re not panicking amid the escalating trade war and Premier Doug Ford’s war of words with U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Sudbury appears unshaken even as Ford has threatened to cut off the flow of critical minerals to the United States in response to the latest round of Trump’s tariffs.

Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre says the city is largely sheltered from the trade war compared to other municipalities because nickel and copper — its two key exports — are not subject to tariffs. 

He says the United States needs Ontario’s nickel as the country has only one operational nickel mine. He adds the nickel extracted there is processed in Sudbury, so he’s not overly worried.

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A farmer works a field in Churchville, N.S. on Monday, May 9, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Maritime farmers hit by major drought last summer say they’re on the road to recovery

Some Maritime growers say they’re on the road to recovery a year after a severe drought left farms hurting across the East Coast.

Farmers say a mix of rainfall and sunny conditions across the region has helped a number of crops regain their footing, though signs of damage from the hot, dry summer of 2025 remain.

Danny Dill, a giant pumpkin grower and owner of Howard Dill Enterprises, in Windsor, says the drought was the worst he’s ever experienced and had no choice but to turn away customers last fall due to low stock.

Agriculture Canada says the Atlantic region will likely experience extended drought patterns that may put pressure on yields and water availability, among other impacts.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2026.

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