Canada's air quality last year was worse than the United States for the first time since a firm started publishing its annual assessment in 2018. The 2023 World Air Quality report from Swiss company IQAir says raging wildfires were a major influence on Canada's drop in air quality. The report found that on a list of 15 most polluted cities in both the U.S. and Canada, Canadian communities made up the 13 most polluted cities on the list, topped by Fort McMurray, Alta., and Peace River, Alta. Data indicates Peace River's pollution concentration, typically below the national average, shot up to l

Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon. The former prime minister's casket is being brought to the Sir John A. Macdonald building opposite Parliament Hill this morning. Dignitaries including the Governor General and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are set to offer their condolences to the Mulroney family. His wife and children sat in the House of Commons gallery Monday to hear glowing tributes and funny stories from politicians across the partisan spectrum. Well-wishers can visit between 12:30 and 6 p.m. today or fro

Hong Kong lawmakers passed anew national security lawon Tuesday that grants the government more power to quash dissent, widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown that was triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019. The legislature passed the Safeguarding National Security Law during a special session Tuesday. It comes on top of a similar law imposed by Beijing four years ago, which has already largely silenced opposition voices in the financial hub. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, which is packed with Beijing loyalistsfollowing an electoral overhaul, expedited the pr

Asifa Ali Zardari, the younger daughter of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, has also entered politics. Asifa will contest from the seat vacated by her father President Asif Ali Zardari. 31-year-old Asifa has filed her nomination form from Shaheed Benzirabad seat in Sindh. Eight days ago on March 11, she was made the first lady of Pakistan. This position usually belongs to the wife of the president, but Zardari broke with this tradition and appointed his daughter as the first lady. Zardari's wife and minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 and was Pakistan's first female presiden

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has demanded the resignation of five ministers of the Aam Aadmi Party government contesting the Lok Sabha elections. He said that the absence of ministers from their offices for two and a half months after the election will stop the administrative work. All the ministers contesting the elections have major departments, including the ministries of agriculture, transport, health etc. Badal said that people should ask these ministers what works they have done for public welfare in the last two years. It is worth noting that the Aam Aadmi Party h

Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who is India's ambassador to America, can be the BJP candidate from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in Punjab. He joined Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday. On January 31, he retired as the Indian Ambassador to America. Sandhu said that in the last 10 years I was PM. Worked closely with Modi and the Prime Minister is a development oriented person. It is worth noting that Taranjit Singh Sandhu is the founder member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the grandson of the eminent freedom fighter Teja Singh Samari who played an important role in the Gurdwara refo

Former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu has returned to cricket. That IPL will be seen doing commentary in Both Star Sports and Navjot Singh Sidhu have confirmed this. The IPL matches are starting from March 22. Navjot Sidhu, who has refused to contest the Lok Sabha elections, is likely to stay away from campaigning this time. Sidhu last commented on a cricket match in 2018. Recently, Sidhu had said that he is suffering financial loss due to leaving cricket commentary. It is worth noting that Navjot Singh Sidhu's father Sardar Bhagwant Singh was also a cricketer. There, Sidhu wa

Former Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi has termed the arrest made by the Punjab Police in the case of threatening him and demanding ransom as a mere drama. He said that the person who was arrested by the police is a Hindi speaker but the person who threatened them was a native Punjabi speaker. It is to be noted that the Punjab Police has arrested Deepak Sri Sant Cable from Maharashtra, a former student of hotel management, claiming to solve the case of extorting Rs 2 crore ransom and issuing death threats to former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. And these days he was

Unprecedented drought in British Columbia last year has prompted the provincial government to invest $80 million to help manage, collect and store water for crops and livestock. Premier David Eby made the announcement while inside a bell pepper greenhouse in Delta, B.C., saying says this summer's drought may be even worse than last year as snow levels remain "remarkably" low. He says climate change-related events, particularly drought, make it tough for farmers to secure enough water for animals, feed and crops, which makes grocery prices soar. The funding will be distributed through the Agric