In the news today: Carney in India, Alberta budget, GDP

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

PM Carney lands in India to begin Asia trip

Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in India on Friday, where he will continue his government’s ongoing efforts to reset a fractured diplomatic relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Carney and Modi are each looking to decrease their countries’ dependence on trade with the United States under President Donald Trump.

Since becoming prime minister, Carney has been criss-crossing the globe in an effort to strengthen relations with other countries. His speech to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last month — in which he urged middle powers to work together to counter great power coercion — earned headlines around the world.

Modi recently signed one of the largest trade deals in history. India’s trade pact with the European Union covers roughly two billion people.

Carney will spend two days in Mumbai before flying to New Delhi on March 1, where he will meet with Modi.

Alberta finance minister heads to Calgary to discuss budget and its $9.4B deficit

Alberta’s finance minister is set to hit the road today to discuss a new provincial budget that is big on spending but also carries an eye-popping deficit of more than $9 billion.

Nate Horner will discuss the budget with business leaders at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

Horner tabled the spending document Thursday, saying that while a rising population and low oil prices have put the squeeze on finances, it’s critical to keep spending and weather the storm.

The Opposition NDP says Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government has mismanaged the economy, wasting profits from the past oil boom while saddling future generations with debt.

The mayors of Alberta’s two biggest cities have differing views, with Calgary’s Jeromy Farkas taking issue with education property taxes going up while Edmonton’s Andrew Knack says he knows the hike is needed to properly pay for schools.

Statistics Canada is set to report this morning on how the economy closed out 2025

A Reuters poll of economists expects real gross domestic product was flat on an annualized basis in the fourth quarter of the year, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

Statistics Canada said last month that its initial estimates had real GDP rising 0.1 per cent in December after weak manufacturing activity led the economy to stall in November.

But the agency also said October’s sharp drop in real GDP could set the economy up for an annualized contraction of 0.5 per cent in the final quarter of 2025 if those flash estimates held.

Some economists warn that the monthly GDP by industry figures don’t always capture sharp changes in trade balances and the fourth quarter data might be a bit rosier than StatCan’s monthly estimates suggest.

Persian Gulf War vets still fighting for better recognition after 35 years

For Denis Cote, one of the worst parts of the Persian Gulf War was entering the conflict zone not knowing what to expect as sirens blared in the dead of night, warning of a missile attack. 

The former aircraft technician was deployed to Doha, Qatar, where Canada sent 16 fighter jets and more than 100 military personnel.

About 4,500 Canadians were deployed to the Middle East in 1990 and 1991 in a United States-led campaign to liberate Kuwait, which was annexed by Saddam Hussein’s forces. 

It was also the first major conflict for the Canadian military since the Korean War in 1953.

Saturday marks 35 years since the Persian Gulf War ended, but Canadians who were deployed there have been fighting another battle — getting better recognition for their role in the conflict.

Veterans have long advocated for their service to be designated as wartime instead of “special duty” by the federal government. 

Screen all kids between 2 and 10 for high cholesterol, pediatric society recommends

The Canadian Paediatric Society is recommending cholesterol screening for all kids between two and 10 years old. 

The position statement released Friday says atherosclerosis — or plaque buildup in the arteries, including cholesterol — starts in childhood and is a key driver of heart disease and stroke. 

Lead author and pediatric cardiologist Dr. Michael Khoury says about one in 300 people have high cholesterol caused by a genetic condition passed down through families.

He says universal screening with a blood test will allow doctors to identify the condition early and begin treatment, including diet and physical activity.

Khoury says those lifestyle changes aren’t enough for many kids with severely high cholesterol and treatment with medications can begin at age eight. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2026.