Israel on Monday began allowing Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks ofthe 15-month war with Hamas, in accordance with a fragile ceasefire. Thousands of Palestinians headed north after waiting for days to cross. Associated Press reporters saw people crossing the so-called Netzarim corridor shortly after 7 a.m. when the checkpoints were scheduled to open. The opening was delayed for two days over a dispute between Hamas and Israel, which said the militant group had changed the order of the hostages it released in exchan

The U.S. will officially withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 22, 2026. President Donald Trump has accused the global health body of mishandling pandemics and other international health crises. Trump announced the withdrawal just hours after being sworn in for a second term on Monday. The U.S. has been the WHO’s largest financial contributor, providing around 18 percent of its total funding. UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed that the WHO received the U.S. letter of withdrawal on January 22. The decision will take effect a year later, on January 22, 2026. WHO e

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has blamed Pakistan for the ongoing drug problem in the state. Speaking to the media at Panjab University, Kataria claimed that Pakistan is attempting to weaken the youth of Punjab in order to create an atmosphere of rebellion. The Governor mentioned that large drones from Pakistan had previously been intercepted, but now smaller drones are being used to smuggle drugs. He added that anti-drone systems are being put in place to counter this threat. While eight anti-drone systems were provided by the Home Minister last time, their number has now increased to

B.C.’s main opposition leader, John Rustad, has cautioned Premier David Eby against making a statement in response to the looming threat of U.S. tariffs. Rustad advised that while a trade war could be initiated, the reality is that Canadians would ultimately bear the cost. As leader of B.C.’s Conservative Party, Rustad emphasized that the United States has historically been Canada’s strongest ally. His remarks came as a 25 percent U.S. tariff on Canadian goods is set to take effect on February 1. While acknowledging the potential damage caused by the tariffs, Rustad made it clear that t

President Donald Trump has commented on Canada once again. During a briefing in North Carolina, he stated that if Canada were to become a state of the United States, Canadians would receive much better health coverage. Trump expressed that he would be happy if Canada became the 51st state, as this would provide Canadian citizens with a significant tax break, given their current high taxes. He also suggested that the people of Canada would likely want to join the United States. It is worth noting that Trump has repeatedly targeted Canada since his election. In his latest statement, he suggeste

Ottawa's former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul says Alberta is undermining Canada's attempts to prevent the U.S. from levying damaging tariffs. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rallied most of the premiers to agree that all sectors of the Canadian economy could be deployed to fight back against U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all imports from Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said that Canada should not threaten the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs or cutting off energy exports, and should focus instead on finding common ground. Verheul says Alb

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi Education Minister Atishi have written to the Election Commission, demanding the reinstatement of Punjab Police security for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal. Addressing a press conference, CM Mann, alongside Atishi, alleged that they do not trust the Delhi Police, as they are constantly being threatened to stop campaigning, and the Delhi Police, under the supervision of Amit Shah, remains a mute spectator. Notably, despite Kejriwal already receiving ‘Z Plus’ security from the Delhi Police, the Punjab government had deployed additio

A federal court in Seattle has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to revoke birthright citizenship. The court ruled that the order will remain suspended for at least 14 days while lawsuits filed in Washington and other states are reviewed. Four states had petitioned the court to halt the order, which sought to end citizenship automatically granted to children born in the US. Trump issued the order on the first day of his second term as president. The order stated that birthright citizenship would not apply if the child’s mother was living in the US ill

Senior Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira has welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to withdraw Punjab Police security provided to Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. Khaira questioned the basis for granting Punjab Police security to Kejriwal, noting that he already has Z-plus security from the Centre. He criticized the Punjab government for providing additional security. Khaira further demanded that all expenses incurred by Punjab on Kejriwal’s security should be recovered from him personally, arguing that Kejriwal has no direct connection with Punjab.