Keen voters in British Columbia's provincial election can start casting ballots at hundreds of advance voting locations today. Elections BC says there are 343 advance voting places, although not all will open every day for the two advance voting periods, which run from today until Oct. 13, then on Oct. 15 and 16. Polls suggest a tight race between David Eby's NDP and John Rustad's B.C. Conservatives, and advance voting has played an increasing role in previous elections. Numbers provided by Elections BC show that 35 per cent of ballots cast in the 2020 pandemic election came from advance votin

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan has expressed grief over the demise of eminent industrialist Ratan Tata. In his condolence message, the Chief Minister recalled Ratan Tata's immense contribution in ushering in a new era of industrial development in the country. In this regard, in a post made on the social media platform 'X', Maan said that Ratan Tata's hard work, commitment, dedicated spirit and simplicity will always inspire the young generation to make a place in the field of their choice. He said that an era has come to an end with the death of the legendary industrial giant as

A federal inquiry into interference in Canada's affairs is slated to hear today from Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino is also scheduled to testify at the commission of inquiry. Officials from Joly's department, Global Affairs Canada, appeared late last week. The inquiry's latest hearings are focusing on the ability of agencies to detect and counter foreign meddling. Once the hearings conclude, there will be a week of policy sessions to help identify recommendations. A final report is due by the end of the year.

Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh stopped his ongoing show in Germany to pay tribute to Ratan Tata. He said that from everything I read about him, he never spoke ill of anyone. Dosanjh said that if we can learn anything from Ratan Tata ji, it is to work hard, think well and be useful to someone. Ratan Tata breathed last at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai last night. He was cremated with state honors in Mumbai on Thursday. From PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and personalities from home and abroad paid tribute to Ratan Tata. He liked simplicity and were away from sh

William Osler Hospital in Ontario apologized after its staff shaved a Sikh man's beard without permission from him or his family and in violation of his religious principles. The World Sikh Organization (WSO) brought attention to the August incident last month. Dr. Frank Martino, president and CEO of the William Osler Health System in Brampton, and Pardeep Singh Gill, board chair, issued a public apology Wednesday. "Recently, we failed to uphold religious and cultural care practices when a Sikh patient's beard was shaved without consent and without medical necessity. We take full responsibil

Alberta’s Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has announced a tentative four-year deal with resident physicians. The agreement could mean wage increases of three per cent in each of the first two years, and two per cent in each of the last two years. It comes amid as negotiations with the United Nurses of Alberta have reached an apparent impasse that could lead to a strike vote. Family doctors are also waiting on a delayed pay deal they say is needed to keep their clinics afloat.

Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away on Wednesday in a Mumbai hospital. He was undergoing treatment in critical condition and was in intensive care in the hospital for the past few days. Ratan Tata, 86, on Monday said he was undergoing a routine medical investigation due to his age and related medical conditions. In a statement, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran expressed condolences over Ratan Tata's death and called him a "truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group, but also the very fabric of our nation.""For the Tata

Political leaders are condemning what they describe as "hateful rhetoric" from a speaker at a pro-Palestinian rally in Vancouver who told the crowd that "we are Hezbollah and we are Hamas." Both groups are listed by Public Safety Canada as terrorist entities. In videos circulated online, the unidentified masked woman led a crowd of hundreds at the Vancouver Art Gallery Monday night in chants of "death to Canada, death to the United States and death to Israel," while some in the group burned Canadian flags. The protest was organized by the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun and held on the annivers

A man from Vancouver Island is facing a criminal charge in connection to a fatal hit-and-run that killed a teenager earlier this year. The North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP says a 28-year-old man from the Cowichan Valley is accused of failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death. Police were called to the crash site on April 18 along the Trans-Canada Highway in Duncan where they found a 17-year-old girl dead but no suspect vehicle. RCMP say their investigation was long and complex. The Crown prosecution service has approved the charge against the man. The man is due to appear in court on