The farmers' Punjab Bandh witnessed a massive response today in support of their ongoing agitation demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops and other issues at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab-Haryana. Traffic on major routes, including Amritsar-Jalandhar-Panipat-Delhi and Amritsar-Jammu, was completely halted, with only emergency services operational. Private bus transporters participated in the bandh, and over 200 trains, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi, were affected. Notably, the Punjab Bandh, called by farmers' organizations, also received

Housing market poised for 2025 comeback as lower rates unleash pent-up demandEconomists and real estate agents believe home sales activity is poised to remain strong in 2025, thanks to much lower borrowing costs and more favourable rules for buyers. Re/Max's 2025 housing market outlook report says it is expecting home sales to rise in 33 of 37 Canadian regions. It forecasts the national average residential price to rise by five per cent. Along with falling rates, TD economist Rishi Sondhi said the federal government's recent mortgage rule changes, which kicked in on Dec. 15, should help lift

Mounties in Coquitlam, B.C., say an early morning fire is under investigation at a strip mall on North Rd. at Lougheed Highway. Const. John Graham with Coquitlam RCMP says the city's fire department was called to the complex early this morning about a blaze at the building. Graham says there were no injuries and the cause of the fire is now under investigation by both police and fire officials, but he had no information about a possible explosion that damaged the complex. Images from the scene show the building's front facade with awnings and signage had fallen to the ground, exposing twisted

Police in Surrey, B.C., say two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a brawl broke out at a pub early this morning. The Surrey Police Service says officers responded to multiple calls about a "large fight" outside the 5Tara Pub and Lounge on 132 Street at 2:30 a.m. Police say two men were shot after the fight escalated, and the victims were taken to hospital. Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton says the injuries were "fairly minor" – the pair who were shot didn't wait for an ambulance and were taken to hospital by bystanders. Houghton says investigators are now looking into how the fi

Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and preda

Jimmy Carter,the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died.He was 100 years old. The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday,more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife,Rosalynn,who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. A moderate Democrat,Carter ran for president in 1976as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith an

The Atlantic Liberal caucus is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as party leader in a letter. The letter dated Dec. 23 was shared publicly today by New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, who has been saying since the fall that Trudeau should step down. Atlantic caucus chair and Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois penned the letter, saying the events following Chrystia Freeland's cabinet resignation, signals from the opposition parties to declare non-confidence at the first opportunity, and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats make it no longer "tenable" for Trudeau to continue to le

Alberta's opposition NDP leader, Naheed Nenshi, is seeking a riding to contest a seat in the legislature. The former Calgary mayor has been leading the party for six months but is not yet an MLA. The United Conservative Party (UCP) is closely watching his moves. It is believed he may declare his riding for the 2025 provincial election. Rachel Notley, who led the NDP for many years, announced her resignation in January this year. In June, Nenshi was elected as leader in a landslide victory. After Notley stepped down, her seat in Edmonton-Strathcona became vacant. Nenshi has expressed intere

Pakistan’s airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan killed 46 people, mostly women and children, a Taliban government official said Wednesday. Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan government, said that six people were also wounded in the Paktika province bordering Pakistan. This comes a day after Pakistani security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with regulations, told The Associated Press that Tuesday’s operation was to dismantle a training facility and kill insurgents in the province of Paktika in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in a statement, Mohammad Khuras