Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary KC Venugopal held a meeting with party's state presidents on Wednesday through video conferencing to discuss the country's tension with China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the situation in the country due to COVID-19 pandemic and rising fuel prices.In memory of the 20 soldiers who lost their lives in the violent face-off with China at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, the party has decided to hold a 'Salute to the Martyrs' programme across the country on June 26.The Congress has directed state units to stage a dharna (sit-in protest) a

There are 102,242 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 54,937 confirmed (including 5,441 deaths, 23,710 resolved) Ontario: 34,016 confirmed (including 2,631 deaths, 29,336 resolved) Alberta: 7,825 confirmed (including 153 deaths, 7,134 resolved) British Columbia: 2,849 confirmed (including 171 deaths, 2,516 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,061 confirmed (including 63 deaths, 998 resolved) Saskatchewan: 757 confirmed (including 13 deaths, 643 resolved) Manitoba: 304 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 293 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths,

BC is easing more health restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, including allowing spas, hotels, resorts and RV parks to resume operating. Premier John Horgan say the province can gradually move into the third phase of its reopening plan because it's been successful in flattening the curve of the pandemic. But while more businesses and recreational areas are allowed to open, large public gatherings will remain capped at a maximum of 50 people. The province has also released summer travel guidelines that include people respecting local travel advisories to remote communities an

WestJet Airlines Ltd. says it will lay off 3,333 employees as part of major restructuring amid the coronavirus pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. The company says it will consolidate call centre activity in Alberta, restructure its office and management staff and contract out operations at all but four of the 38 Canadian airports where it operates. WestJet CEO Ed Sims says the changes are ``unavoidable'' as the Calgary-based company contends with ``the biggest crisis in the history of aviation.'' The pandemic has seen the airline park two-thirds of its fleet after border shutdo

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia: "Today, we are announcing 14 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 2,849 cases in British Columbia."There are 162 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,516 people who tested positive have recovered."Of the total COVID-19 cases, 14 individuals are hospitalized, seven of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation."Si

Florida's new confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed Wednesday by 5,500, a 25% jump from the previous record set last week and triple the level of just two weeks ago. The rapidly escalating daily figures continue a trend that began when Florida started reopening its economy last month and have caused several counties and cities to implement emergency orders requiring the wearing of masks in public places and crack down on businesses that aren't enforcing social distancing rules. Two weeks ago, Florida's one-day record for confirmed coronavirus cases was 1,601, set in mid-May. That has been e

First Nation Chief Allan Adam says he's overwhelmed that charges against him have been dropped, following his violent arrest by the RCMP earlier this year. Adam was in front of a Fort McMurray provincial court judge when the Crown withdrew the charges of resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer. The move to drop the charges came after RCMP dash-cam footage of Adam's March arrest was made public earlier this month. It shows him yelling at one officer before another Mountie suddenly runs at him, grabs him by his neck and shoulders and pulls him to the ground before punching him in the he

Homicide detectives in Metro Vancouver are appealing for information as they investigate the murder of a 41-year-old woman who died in hospital on June 17.A statement from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says little is known about Bo Fan, who was dropped off at a Surrey hospital with life-threatening injuries and died a short time later.Sgt. Frank Jang says police do not believe her murder was random.He says investigators have determined she was a citizen of China, had links to a group known as either Golden Touch or Create Abundance, and had been living in Surrey since February 20

The International Monetary Fund is estimating the Canadian economy will shrink by 8.4 per cent this year- a 2.2% steeper decline than it forecast in April.Globally, the IMF is predicting a drop of 4.9 per cent in GDP, significantly worse than the three per cent drop it had estimated two months ago.The IMF says the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately hurting low-income households and imperilling the significant progress made in reducing extreme poverty in the world since 1990.