Satnam Sandhu, a nominated member for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, taking the number of BJP to 87 in the Rajya Sabha. However, the BJP still lacks a majority and will need outside support to pass the bill. One hundred and thirteen members are required for a majority in the Rajya Sabha, while the BJP-led NDA has 101 seats. Last time Odisha's BJD supported BJP but this time it has announced that it will play the role of opposition party. Meanwhile, the Congress-led India Alliance has 87 seats in the Rajya Sabha, of which the Congress has 26.

Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park. The park posted a statement on X late Thursday night saying cooler temperatures and up to 15 millimetres of rain since midnight had led to minimal fire activity. The park says due to the rainfall, fire behaviour is likely to calm over the next 72 hours. While more rain is expected Friday, temperatures are supposed to return to the mid 20s by Saturday, which the park says will lead to an increase in fire activity. The townsite and park have been besieged by wildfires, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith estimating Thursday a t

British Columbia's top doctor says she is ending the public health emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says any remaining restrictions, including the vaccination requirement for health-care workers, are being rescinded. Henry says after reviewing all the data she is confident the province has reached the point where there is no longer a need for the public health emergency and all requirements that remain can be lifted. She says wastewater indicators and testing data show COVID-19 has levelled off and the number of p

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to tour the resort town of Jasper to see firsthand the devastation caused by wildfires. Smith is also expected to give an update on firefighting efforts. Cool wet weather overnight has helped fire crews, but the weekend forecast is for the heat to return. Wildfires menacing the town flared up into towering walls of flame Wednesday night, breaching defences and destroying homes and businesses. Critical infrastructure, including schools and the hospital, remain intact. About 25,000 people had to flee Jasper National Park ahead of the fires Monday, including

Shiromani Akali Dal Member of Parliament from Bathinda Lok Sabha Constituency of Punjab Harsimrat Kaur Badal has demanded to stop the water going to Rajasthan from Punjab. He raised this issue in Parliament. Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that 70 years ago Congress had given the water of Punjab to Rajasthan and said that the money would be given but it did not happen, she said that either all the money so far should be taken from Rajasthan and given to Punjab or Punjab The water going from should be stopped. Harsimrat Badal said that the ground water of Punjab has fallen in many places and it is

Former Chief Minister of Punjab and MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Channi, has heated up the politics after supporting 'Waris Punjab de' chief Amritpal Singh in the Lok Sabha yesterday, where the Congress party has sidelined him by stating his personal opinion. There Aam Aadmi Party has targeted Channi. Rajya Sabha member of Aam Aadmi Party Sanjay Singh said that talking about the release of Amritpal Singh in Parliament is completely wrong. He said that it is very unfortunate if a person who wants to divide the society is being supported by a former Chief Minister. It is to be noted that Char

Irrespective of the countries, politics keeps dancing on both sides of their borders. The love, culture and feelings of those people of that politics are covered. No matter how helpless this scent of love and emotion is, it rises above the folds of borders and the dance of politics and somehow reaches the people of one country to another. No matter how loud the noise of political slogans is, it cannot suppress this feeling, but the forces bound by the orders of the seat of power certainly point guns and guns at each other. Something similar happened during the Kargil war 25 years ago. I am an

The challenge given to the NSA by the colleagues of Member of Parliament from Khadur Sahib, Punjab, Amritpal Singh, in the High Court could not be heard today. Due to the work being stopped by the lawyers, this matter has now progressed, but now it will be heard by a double bench of the Chief Justice of the High Court, whereas earlier these petitions were being heard in a single bench. Amritpal Singh has also challenged the NSA imposed on him by filing a petition in the High Court. The bench of the Chief Justice of the High Court will hear these petitions on August 28.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided not to attend the NITI Aayog meeting to be convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, expressing solidarity with the 'India' alliance. Opposition parties claimed that the Union Budget presented on July 23 was "biased" and did not provide adequate funds for states with non-NDA governments. The boycott of the NITI Aayog meeting was first announced by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. After this, the Congress said that its Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Telangana Chief