Five-time Punjab Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal will fight t assembly elections from Lambi. Making the announcement here, his son and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said they requested the party patron not to retire from active politics. The presence of Parkash Singh Badal, 94, in the fray is likely to strengthen the SAD poll effort in the tough multi-party contest in Punjab. "The entire party pleaded with Sardar Parkash Singh Badal not to retire from politics and he has acceded to our request to contest the forthcoming elections from Lambi.

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is assuring Canadians there's no reason to fear food shortages. He notes only a small minority of truck drivers are refusing to comply with a vaccine mandate in order to cross the Canada-US border. In an interview, Alghabra said the large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured him they have plenty of goods to provide their customers. A convoy of truckers and others opposed to public health restrictions is on its way from British Columbia to Parliament Hill for a so-called ``freedom rally'' against mandatory vaccinations.

Police say four people were found dead at a home in Richmond, B.C., in what they describe as a targeted shooting.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says officers were called to the home on Tuesday evening after receiving a complaint.Police have not released the identities of the victims but say it is believed they knew each other.Investigators say the shooting is not believed to be related to an ongoing gang conflict in the Lower Mainland.Police say the shooting is thought to have happened at about 7 p.m. on Monday.Investigators are asking for witnesses or anyone who may have video fro

The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate at a quarter of one per cent, but warning it won't stay there much longer. The bank rate has been at a rock-bottom low since March of 2020 when the pandemic put the economy into a downturn. But with a stronger-than-expected rebound, the central bank says the economy is now running at capacity, which is why it's no longer promising to keep its key policy rate steady. The Bank of Canada says rates will need to rise to bring inflation back to its target of two per cent, but warns inflation rates are likely to creep above five per cent for the f

Vancouver police have arrested a man suspected of an unprovoked attack against a 22-year-old woman outside a downtown hotel on New Year's Eve. Constable Tania Visintin says the incident caught on surveillance video shocked the community, and prompted a number of people to come forward with information. She says the tips helped investigators identify a man who allegedly grabbed the young woman and threw her to the ground as she walked down the street. Fifty-year-old Steven Forbes has been charged with one count of assault and remains in custody pending a court appearance.

The RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigations Team (IHIT) has been called in following what police describe as a ``serious incident'' in Richmond. No details have been released on the nature of the incident, which took place within the 4500 block of Garden City Road. Officers with the Richmond RCMP detachment are currently on the scene. A police news release says there does not appear to be any need for public safety concerns at this time. A tweet from the IHIT says the scene is secure and the investigation is in the early stages. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is as

Four people suffered undetermined injuries when a water taxi with six people on board ran aground near Tofino, B.C. Navy Lt. Pamela Hogan, a public affairs officer, says the coast guard vessel Cape Ann responded to a report of a 7.6-metre vessel aground about 14 kilometres north of Tofino. She says four of the six people on board the taxi were initially taken to hospital in Tofino for treatment, and their injuries are unknown. Hogan says the Cape Ann towed the damaged water taxi to Tofino after the occupants were transported to the community dock on board another vessel. The incident was repo

B.C. is reporting 1,446 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 314,522 cases in the province.Note: The numbers of total and new cases are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed.There are 32,468 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 277,285 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 985 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 144 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:508 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 14,715309 new cases in Vancouve

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Tuesday said it will invest Rs 22,000 crore on development of city gas distribution networks across 23 geographical areas across the country."After announcement of results of bidding, BPCL's committed investment in CGD network, on a standalone basis, would increase to over Rs 22,000 crore for development of 23 GAs, including Rs I0,000 crore for the 6 new Gas," BPCL said in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges.BPCL has emerged as the successful bidder in 6 Geographical Areas (GA) in 19 districts, for setting up City Gas Distribution (CGD) Net