MPs have voted unanimously to summon the chief executives of Canada's three largest telecommunications companies to testify at a federal committee as it studies the accessibility and affordability of wireless and broadband services. A motion put forward Wednesday at the House of Commons' industry committee meeting by NDP MP Don Davies calls on Tony Staffieri, Mirko Bibic and Darren Entwistle, the CEOs of Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc. and Telus Corp., respectively to appear and answer questions. The committee had previously invited the trio, along with Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Pelad

An apparent Israeli strike on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza City on Thursday has killed and wounded dozens, according to a local hospital official. Dr. Jadallah Shafai, the head of the nursing department at Shifa Hospital, told the Al Jazeera network that around 50 people were killed and 250 wounded. He did not provide a precise toll. Al Jazeera ran footage showing several bodies and injured people arriving at Shifa. Gaza's health sector is under severe strain nearly five months into the Israel-Hamas war. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.

Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday claimed that he received a text message demanding Rs 2 crore ransom from an unidentified number last week. The sender claimed to be from Goldy Brar gang and threatened to do what they did with Sidhu Moosewala, alleged Channi. Channi said he had informed Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav in this regard and the police was yet to revert to him about it.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann suddenly called a press conference a day before the start of the budget session and made big allegations against the Badal family regarding their Sukhvilas hotel. Bhagwant Mann said that the Badal family has misused power in their state. He took every decision in the cabinet to build a hotel. He also said that the Badal family waived Rs 108.7 crore luxury tax and license fee for 10 years of Hotel Sukhvilas. The Chief Minister said that in the coming days, matter pertaining to the buses and benami properties belonging to the Badal family will also be busted

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has raised questions over repeated paroles granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, a rape convict who is supposed to be serving 20 years in prison. The rape convict was given a 50-day parole in January, it was his seventh parole in almost 10 months and ninth in the last four years. The high court has directed the Haryana government to ensure the surrender of Ram Rahim on March 10, the day his parole is supposed to end and has ordered the state government to request the court's permission to grant parole to Ram Rahim the next time. Besides the s

PresidentVladimir Putinon Thursday hailed Russian national unity amid the fighting in Ukraine in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month’selectionhe’s all but certain to win. Speaking to an audience of lawmakers and top officials televised live nationwide, Putin said that Russia was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine. He hailed Russian soldiers and honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada will bring back visa requirements for people from Mexico because of a spike in asylum claims in recent years. Miller says Mexicans accounted for 17 per cent of all asylum claimants in 2023, and most of their claims are either rejected or withdrawn by the applicants. Quebec Premier François Legault has been urging Ottawa to make the change, telling the federal government his province is reaching a breaking point because of the number of claims. Mexican citizens flying to Canada will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization if they h

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and head of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif has once again clarified that his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif will be the next Wazir-e-Azam i.e. Prime Minister of the country. Nawaz Sharif said that only Shahbaz Sharif can take care of Pakistan in the current situation. Shahbaz Sharif was the Prime Minister in the previous government as well and held the post for 16 months. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has formed an alliance with Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party for the new government. Talking to the media on Wednesday, Nawaz said that Sh

Pope Francis, who has beensuffering from the flu, was brought to a hospital in central Rome after the papal audience on Wednesday, arriving at the Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a small white Fiat 500 and leaving again under escort in the same car after a short period. The Vatican had no immediate comment. The 86-year-old pope was pushed in a wheelchair into the audience hall at the Vatican earlier in the day, appearing weary as he dropped heavily into his seat. In recent weeks he has walked the short distance to his chair, but he has been struggling with mild flu symptoms the past week.