Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday asserted that new farm laws will enhance farmers' income adding that agricultural is the backbone of the country's economic growth. "Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Yojana, about 1.15 lakh crore rupees are deposited in the bank accounts of about 1.75 crore farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the vision to increase the income of farmers and the development of the agricultural sector. We understand that, if we don't have prosperous farmers, we can't develop a good economy of the country." Tomar said while sp

Amid the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said the agitation will continue for long."We will continue our protest until the government agrees to talk to the committee. We are here for long," said Tikait."There must be a minimum and maximum rate for crops in the country," he added.While the Assembly polls of the legislative assemblies of four states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam -- will start from May, farmers will also participate in the political rallies said Tikait.Farmers have been protesting on the differ

After surviving Delhi's harsh winters, farmers agitating at the borders of the national capital against the Centre's contentious farm laws are now gearing up to battle the summer months with portable fans, mosquito nets and other necessities. In light of the rising temperature in Delhi, farmers starting from Amritsar have fitted their tractor trolleys with nets on all sides to keep mosquitoes away and have installed electric mosquito repellants. "Keeping in mind the heat in Delhi, a jatha recently left the Golden Gate in Amritsar with special arrangements for the summer months. Earlier, to pro

A former military ombudsman says he told Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan about allegations of misconduct against former chief of defence, General Jonathan Vance three years ago, and was met with hostility. Gary Walbourne spoke to a parliamentary committee this afternoon, telling members he had a toxic working relationship with Sajjan. Walbourne says he told the minister that the person accusing Vance of wrongdoing did not want to issue a formal complaint. Sajjan at that time repeatedly refused to say what he and Walbourne discussed during their meeting on March 1, 2018, citing confidentiality

B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health, Adrian Dix have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia. 542 new cases, have been reported for a total of 81,909 cases in B.C. There are 4,654 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. 246 individuals are currently hospitalized, 64 of whom are in intensive care. There have been 18 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 200 cases. This includes 176 cases of the U.K. variant and 24 cases of the South Africa variant. 289,80

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expressing optimism that his government's timeline for getting a vaccine into the arm of every Canadian who wants one can be accelerated. He says the federal government's September timeline didn't factor in the arrival of new vaccines such as the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, which was approved last week. Trudeau notes that a change in the public health guidance regarding the time allowed between the first and second doses of a vaccine could also affect Canada's rollout. Health officials in B-C and Newfoundland and Labrador have said they are extending that interva

A driver has been killed and her passenger was badly hurt in a head-on crash in North Vancouver. RCMP say the collision occurred late Tuesday night on Low Level Road. Police say a vehicle with a lone male inside crossed the centre line, hitting the vehicle with the woman and her passenger. By the time emergency services arrived, the man's vehicle was on fire, although he had been removed before the fire sparked. All three were taken to hospital, where police say the female driver was declared dead, her passenger remains in critical condition and the male has serious injuries. Police say alcoh

The Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit is investigating a shooting in Newton after officers responded to reports of gunfire Tuesday night in the 8800-block of 140B Street. Police say shots were fired from a dark-coloured vehicle at an individual who fled in another vehicle before officers arrived around 10:30 p.m. Investigators believe the shooting was targeted and have identified the intended victim, who is known to police. No injuries were reported. Neighbours told Connect News Team the gunfire has left them uneasy about safety in their community. Harbhajan Singh, who has lived on the s

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says this isn't the time to pull back on support for workers and business owners. This morning he announced announced an extension of programs to help workers and businesses make it to the finish line of the pandemic. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support will continue at their current levels until June. Trudeau says we've come a long way in the fight against the pandemic, but we're not out of the woods yet. He has announced an extension of programs to help workers and businesses make it to the finish line.Tru