CanadaOct 11, 2024
Trudeau urges provinces to begin pharmacare talks; B.C. first to sign coverage agreement
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on Canada’s provinces and territories to begin pharmacare negotiations immediately, following the recent passage of federal legislation that lays the foundation for a national drug coverage program.
Speaking to reporters in Laos, where he attended the ASEAN Summit, Trudeau said the passage of the pharmacare bill by the Senate represents “real progress for Canadians,” emphasizing that the next step now lies with provinces to implement it.
The pharmacare legislation, a key element of the confidence-and-supply agreement between the Liberals and the N
CanadaOct 11, 2024
Alberta oilfield company fined $90,000 after worker severely burned in 2021 fire near Valleyview
O’Reilly Oilfield Services Ltd. has been fined $90,000 after pleading guilty to failing to protect the health and safety of workers under its supervision, following a 2021 oilfield fire that left one worker with severe burn injuries in northwest Alberta.
According to the Alberta government, the incident occurred in July 2021 at an oil and gas site near Valleyview, when liquid from a decommissioned pipeline ignited and overflowed from a portable flare stack, sparking a fire that seriously injured a worker.
As part of the sentencing, Crown prosecutors withdrew five other charges against O’Re
WorldOct 11, 2024
Gunmen kill 20 miners and wound others in an attack in southwest Pakistan
At least 20 miners were killed and seven others wounded when gunmen stormed a coal mine in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, in one of the deadliest recent attacks in the restive region, police confirmed Friday.
Police official Hamayun Khan Nasir said the assailants attacked the miners’ living quarters late Thursday night in Duki district, rounding up the workers before opening fire. Most of the victims were from Pashtun-speaking areas of Balochistan, while three of the dead and four injured were Afghan nationals.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Security forces ha
IndiaOct 11, 2024
Punjab Farmers to Block Roads on October 13
The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has come under sharp criticism from farmers after the delayed start of paddy procurement across the state. In protest, the United Kisan Morcha has announced a statewide three-hour road blockade on Sunday.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the Punjab government had earlier assured that paddy procurement would begin without delay, but “no significant progress has been seen on the ground.” He said the road blockade is intended as a warning to the government to fulfill its commitment.
Rajewal further stated that several farmers who cultivated PR-12
IndiaOct 10, 2024
Sukhbir Badal is also active in Panchayat elections in Punjab
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of widespread intimidation during the ongoing panchayat elections, warning that the ruling party will “pay a heavy price” in the upcoming Giddarbaha by-election.
Speaking to reporters, Badal said that in his four decades of political life, he had never witnessed such levels of bullying and pressure tactics against opposition candidates. He alleged that the state government was misusing administrative power to suppress democratic participation in rural areas.
Meanwhile, controv
CanadaOct 10, 2024
Trudeau applauds Thailand for legalizing gay marriage during meeting at ASEAN summit
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Thailand’s new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on her country’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, calling it a remarkable step forward for human rights in Asia.
Trudeau made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Shinawatra while attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane, Laos. He said Thailand’s progress stands out “at a time when rights are backsliding around the world,” describing Shinawatra’s leadership on marriage equality as “exceptional.”
Thailand’s landmark marriage e
CanadaOct 10, 2024
Quebec government tables legislation to limit number of international students
The Quebec government has introduced new legislation that would give it the authority to cap the number of international students studying in the province, part of a broader effort to reduce the rapidly growing number of non-permanent residents.
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge said the number of foreign students in Quebec reached 120,000 last year, up sharply from 50,000 in 2014. Over the past two years, the province’s total non-permanent resident population has doubled - from about 300,000 to 600,000 - prompting the government to take what it calls “necessary corrective action
CanadaOct 10, 2024
Alberta UCP welcomes MLA who compared transgender kids to feces back into caucus
An Alberta MLA who was expelled from the United Conservative Party caucus last year for comparing transgender children to feces has been reinstated after issuing a public apology and pledging to support inclusivity.
Lacombe–Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson said she has grown “personally and professionally” since being removed from caucus 17 months ago. “Now, I am eager to apply what I have learned to benefit everyone who calls this province home,” Johnson said in a statement released Friday.
Johnson was removed from the UCP in 2023 after a 2022 recording surfaced in which she compared tra
BCOct 10, 2024
Advance voting begins for the British Columbia provincial election on Oct. 19
British Columbians eager to cast their ballots early can begin voting today at hundreds of advance polling locations across the province, as the 2025 provincial election heads into its final phase.
Elections BC says 343 advance voting places will operate during two periods — from today through October 13, and again on October 15 and 16. However, not all sites will be open every day. Voting hours are set from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and eligible voters can find their nearest location using the “where-to-vote” card mailed to them or through the Elections BC website.
The election is shaping up to
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