The federal government is expected to boost the minimum hourly wage that must be paid to temporary foreign workers in the high-wage stream as a way to encourage employers to hire more Canadian staff. Under the current program’s high-wage labour market impact assessment (LMIA) stream, an employer must pay at least the median income in their province to qualify for a permit. A government official, who The Canadian Press is not naming because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the change, said Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault will announce Tuesday that the threshold will incr

The final results of British Columbia's weekend election won't be known until at least next week. Elections BC says official recounts are being held in two tight ridings where the difference between the New Democrat and B.C. Conservatives candidates is less than 100 votes. The NDP candidates hold slim leads in both the Surrey City Centre and Juan de Fuca-Malahat ridings, and the results could determine who forms government. Elections BC says it will also be counting about 49,000 absentee and mail-in ballots. The election's initial results have the NDP leading or elected in 46 ridings, with the

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday said that for the first time since independence, the state government is directly investing in teachers, schools and students to bring about an “education revolution” in Punjab. Speaking at a ceremony while flagging off the first batch of 72 primary school teachers for professional training in Finland, Mann said the initiative marks a historic moment for Punjab’s education system. He said the program will expose teachers to modern teaching practices and classroom innovations, enabling them to implement new methods in Punjab’s governme

Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI), urging it to reschedule the November 13 by-elections in Punjab as the polling date coincides with the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, one of the most sacred occasions in Sikhism. In his letter, Bajwa said that holding elections on this day would cause “emotional distress and inconvenience” to devotees across the state, as millions of Sikh families observe the Gurpurab through prayers and community service. He requested the Commission to defer the polling date by a few days “

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says she remains “absolutely confident” that most Liberal MPs continue to support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, despite mounting internal pressure from some caucus members urging him to step down. Her comments come ahead of a tense Liberal caucus meeting scheduled for next week in Ottawa, where several MPs are reportedly planning to confront Trudeau about the party’s direction and leadership amid declining public support. According to multiple media reports, a group of Liberal MPs has been holding private discussions to persuade the prime minister

Defence Minister Bill Blair announced that Canada will send $64.8 million in additional military assistance to Ukraine, reaffirming the country’s continued commitment to supporting Kyiv in its defence against Russia’s invasion. Speaking at a NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Blair said Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia remains one of the alliance’s top priorities. The new package will provide more than $50 million in weapons, ammunition, and military drones, along with uniforms and protective gear for Ukrainian soldiers. The remaining funds will support training programs f

The federal and Manitoba governments have signed a new agreement to expand access to school food programs, part of a national effort to improve child nutrition and food security in classrooms. Under the deal, Manitoba will receive $17.2 million over the next three years to support meal and snack programs in schools, especially those serving low-income and high-needs communities. The funding comes from the $1-billion federal commitment announced in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2024 budget, following sustained advocacy by the federal New Democrats to establish a Canada-wide school food prog

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say three teenage girls have been charged after two violent assaults took place on the region’s public transit system this summer, including one attack that occurred on a SkyTrain between New Westminster and Surrey. Police say the first incident happened on July 11, when a 16-year-old student was attacked by three girls after she tried to stop one of them from forcing open the train doors while it was moving. The suspects allegedly punched and kicked the victim, then dragged her by the hair, before passengers and SkyTrain attendants in Surrey intervened. A few

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Russia on October 22–23 to attend the BRICS Summit in Kazan, India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Friday. The summit will bring together leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, with discussions expected to focus on global trade, energy security, and geopolitical cooperation. The visit will mark Modi’s first trip to Russia since 2019, and officials say he is likely to hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the event. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the tw