Via Rail says it is temporarily laying off 1,000 employees due to blockades that continue to stop service on CN tracks in Eastern Canada. The Crown corporation has suspended passenger trains on its Montreal-Toronto and Ottawa-Toronto routes for about two weeks in the wake of protests that have disrupted rail service across the country. Via says it commends ongoing dialogue efforts between government and demonstrators at rail blockades in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia. Via says it is proceeding with temporary suspensions of the

The Conservatives may introduce a non-confidence motion linked to the Liberals' response to the rail blockades that have virtually shut down freight and passenger service across the country. Via Rail announced this afternoon it will temporarily lay off close to one-thousand employees due to the rail line closures. Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen says party members don't believe the Trudeau government's strategy of dialogue instead of issuing deadlines to protesters is going to solve the crisis. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says we are a nation of peace, order and good gov

A blockade has been set up on a CN rail line in Edmonton in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who opposed a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia.A group called Cuzzins for Wet'suwet'en says on Twitter that it's staging the protest "in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en." It has posted photos showing a blockade of wooden crates on the train line, with signs reading "No Consent" and "No Pipelines on Stolen Land."A statement from CN says CN police and local police services are responding.The rail company says trains aren't moving on the track and CN will take necessary legal action unde

Pargat Singh joined Vijay Saini in 'Sver Wala Show' this morning and expressed hope that there will be some action on issues raised by him in his letter to and meeting with Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh. Singh said he hasn’t considered leaving the party and joining any other front yet. He said he meets Navjot Singh Sidhu often but hasn’t had a chance to meet Sidhu since this meeting with the Chief Minister. The complete audio of this interview will be available on Connect FM’s social media.

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs say they won't meet with Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett and BC Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser until a small, mobile RCMP detachment is removed from their land. That is one of the talking points in discussions aimed at bringing an end to rail and road blockades. The RCMP says discussions are underway on next steps. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe will hold a conference call with the rest of the premiers today and is criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for not ending the blockades.

Hundreds of passengers began leaving the Diamond Princess cruise ship Wednesday after the end of a much criticized, two week quarantine that failed to stop the spread of a new virus among passengers and crew. Officials still were continuing tests for the coronavirus that has sickened tens of thousands of people in China and more than 540 on the ship. Some passengers said on Twitter they received health check forms asking if they had any symptoms such as headache, fever, cough. Passengers who tested negative and had no symptoms still had to get their body temperature checked before leaving. A J

The federal government says there are now 43 Canadians on a quarantined cruise ship in Japan who have contracted the novel coronavirus. Meantime about 225 others from the Diamond Princess are set to arrive home later this week. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says it's not yet clear just how many of those Canadians will be airlifted home. But she stresses that any sick people will have to stay in Japan for treatment. The healthy Canadians who come home will have to be quarantined for another two weeks in Cornwall, Ontario.

Navi Mumbai Police has registered an FIR against 76 people, including an ex MLA under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for alleged irregularities of over Rs 512 crores in the Karnala Nagari co-operative bank scam of over Rs 512 crores. The police said, "In the FIR registered, charges have been registered against 76 people including Vivekananda Patil, a former MLA of the Peasants and Workers Party of India and the chairperson of Karnala co-operative bank." "The other names registered in the FIR were in the executive board of the bank," the police added.Reacting to the development, BJ

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has offered effusive thanks to New Democrats and stinging criticism of the Conservatives after the NDP supported the minority Liberal government's efforts to more speedily ratify the new North American trade agreement. Freeland said the government wanted to end study by a House of Commons committee of the new deal, which replaces the quarter-century-old North American Free Trade Agreement. Both the United States and Mexico have formally ratified the new pact, which was reached after the Trump administration in Washington foisted a renegotiation on its t