Ahead of the Haryana assembly elections, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been released from Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail on a 20-day parole, triggering political controversy across the state. The Congress party has alleged that Ram Rahim’s release could influence voters during the election period. The BJP, however, has rejected the criticism, saying the parole was granted strictly according to law. Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini and the party’s state president said all legal procedures were followed in granting parole. During this period, Ram Rahim is expected to stay in Bag

The House of Commons will hold its third confidence vote in a week today, this time on a motion introduced by the federal government itself. The Liberals are seeking parliamentary approval to move ahead with changes to the capital gains tax first announced in the spring budget. The capital gains inclusion rate, which determines how much profit is taxable, was adjusted in June. Today’s motion will allow the government to introduce legislation that formally enacts the change. Under the new rules, Canadians earning more than $250,000 in capital income in a year - such as from selling secondary

Vancouver police have opened a hate crime investigation following a violent clash between opposing groups during a protest over the war in the Middle East. Police said the confrontation occurred Sunday night outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, where demonstrators gathered expressing differing views on the conflict involving Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah. According to investigators, a 34-year-old woman was assaulted, knocked to the ground, and subjected to antisemitic slurs. She required medical attention for her injuries. Police said the suspect fled into the crowd, but officers later arrested a

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says small and medium-sized business owners will receive their long-awaited carbon pricing refunds before the end of this year. According to the Finance Department, the federal government will distribute more than $2.5 billion to about 600,000 Canadian businesses in December. The refunds will return a portion of carbon price revenues collected between 2019–20 and 2023–24 in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies. The amount each business receives will depend on its province of operation and number of employees. The measure is part of Ottawa’s c

The Government of India has granted Z+ category security to Jasdeep Singh Gill, the newly appointed head of the Radha Soami Dera Beas in Punjab. Under the arrangement, CRPF commandos will be deployed for his protection. Officials said that whenever Gill travels outside Punjab, the respective state governments and local administrations will be responsible for providing additional security cover during his visits. Gill was appointed successor by Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the current Dera chief, on September 2, formally entrusting him with all organizational and operational responsibilities of

The Bloc Québécois is set to increase pressure on the federal government today by forcing a House of Commons debate on its proposal to raise Old Age Security (OAS) payments for all seniors. Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet has given the Liberal government until October 29 to approve the party’s $16-billion pension plan, warning that failure to do so will prompt him to begin talks with other opposition parties to bring down the minority government. Even if the Liberals agree, the move would likely only buy them a few months of Bloc support. Blanchet’s party plans to use its opposition

Law professors at McGill University have suspended their five-week-long strike, allowing classes to restart this week after the university and the faculty union agreed to resume negotiations. The Association of McGill Professors of Law and the university’s administration said they will work toward negotiating a joint collective agreement process alongside other faculty unions. Classes are expected to resume by October 3. The announcement came a day after McGill warned it could cancel the fall semester if no agreement was reached. However, a message sent to students Tuesday did not clarify wh

Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar was notably absent from the state party meeting held in Chandigarh on Monday, deepening speculation about his possible resignation. The meeting was chaired by Vijay Rupani, the party’s in-charge for Punjab affairs. Senior leaders discussed strategies for the upcoming panchayat elections and four assembly by-elections scheduled in the coming weeks. Party insiders said Jakhar has been in Delhi since September 27 and had already informed colleagues that he would not be attending the meeting. However, his continued absence from several key organizational gatheri

A tragic fire engulfed a school bus in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, leaving at least 25 people feared dead, according to Thai officials and rescue workers. The bus, carrying 44 students and teachers from Uthai Thani province to Bangkok for a school trip, caught fire around noon in Pathum Thani province, located just north of the capital. Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruengkit said the blaze spread rapidly before emergency crews could respond. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of fatalities as investigations continu