Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canada will send Ukraine $60 million to support its F-16 fighter aircraft.The government says the money is part of the $500 million in military support announced last spring. Blair says the money will help source supplies and equipment for the F-16 fighters, such as spare parts and ammunition. He made the announcement as NATO allies gather in Brussels for ministerial meetings. Blair says the latest contribution builds on last month's announcement to help train Ukrainian pilots fly the F-16. As the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion nears, Bla

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan in Punjab, has announced to block railway tracks in Punjab from 12 noon to 4 pm tomorrow to show solidarity with the farmers who are marching towards Delhi. Ugrahan said that the farmers are demanding the punishment of the Lakhimpuri culprits along with the guarantee of MSP and they also said that if the Haryana administration does not stop the atrocities on the farmers, they will wage a more intense struggle. On the other hand, the Punjab government is conducting a meeting of the farmers with the center through video confere

Thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers in countries like Canada, USA and UK are going on a one-day strike today on Valentine's Day. The organization that leads them in Canada, Rider Fair Two, says that its members here in Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg are joining the strike. According to Rider Fair Two, Uber and Lyft drivers are underpaid. Many ride share drivers in Toronto are making just $6.37 an hour, while Ontario's minimum wage is $16.55 an hour. However, Ober says that he does not expect the strike to have much impact on Valentine's Day. This is because most drivers are satisfied.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is going on a visit to Punjab on February 21 amid the lack of alliance between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Sources said that he will first pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib and then meet Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also likely to be present in this meeting. If reports are to be believed, both the political parties may start a new front separate from the Congress.

BC is launching a public housing program that aims to fast-track rental property developments on under-utilized lands throughout the province. The province says the 2.95 billion dollar BC Builds program will provide low-cost financing to build affordable rental units for middle-income earners on government, community and non-profit owned lands. It says it has already identified 20 sites with the potential to build up to four thousand rental units. Premier David Eby says they are aiming for a concept-to-construction timeline of 12 to 18 months to build the housing, compared with the current thr

Manuelle Oudar is joining the Senate's ranks after most recently serving with a Quebec government commission on workplace equity, health and safety. Trudeau's office describes her as a respected lawyer, leader and advocate for justice who had a long public-service career in the province. An independent advisory board recommended Oudar's candidacy to the prime minister and the Governor General appointed her. She is the 81st person to be appointed under that selection process, which Trudeau brought in after coming into power. Nearly three-quarters of current senators were appointed during Trudea

Nawaz Sharif's government can be formed in Pakistan. Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has announced outside support to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's prime ministerial candidate. He made it clear that his party will not be part of the coalition government and will sit in the opposition. Bilawal Bhutto said during the press conference that the People's Party does not have the mandate to form the government, so he is not a candidate for the post of Prime Minister. He said that his party will vote on the basis of issues on important occasions for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Bil

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the Liberal government must introduce legislation for a national pharmacare plan by March 1 or risk breaking the supply-and-confidence agreement that has allowed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government to remain in power. Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Singh argued that universal pharmacare would not only expand health care but also help families cope with rising costs. “Pharmacare is a tool to fight inflation,” Singh said, warning that failure to act would carry consequences for the government. Singh pointed to the federal commission

There has been a stir with former US President Donald Trump's comment on NATO. Trump recently said during a rally in South Carolina that the US may not be able to protect NATO allies who are not spending the budget according to their defense commitments. The Minister of Defense of Canada commented very carefully on this comment of Trump. Bill Blair said that he doesn't think that they need to overreact to this but need to make sure that they keep their coalition strong. Trump's comments are important because he is expected to return to the White House and Canada is lagging behind other NATO