The Punjab and Haryana High Court has overturned the Centre’s decision to deny political clearance for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s proposed visit to France. According to reports, Mann may now leave for France tomorrow. The Union Ministry of External Affairs had refused permission, citing security concerns and the absence of a formal invitation from the French government. The Punjab government challenged the Centre’s decision in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court’s ruling today has provided relief to the state government. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada from December 11 to 12. Carney made the announcement Thursday morning while speaking with members of the public at a restaurant in Calgary, where he was meeting Alberta residents ahead of Monday’s referendum. Carney said he had recently spoken with Modi over the phone. The planned two-day visit is expected to focus mainly on Toronto and Ottawa, although the Canadian government will try to extend the itinerary to other cities. The visit is also expected to be significant for

Punjab observed a complete shutdown today in protest against the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota. Government and private schools remained closed across the state, while public and private bus services were also suspended. Police set up barricades at several locations to stop people from travelling towards Mansa. Leaders of various organisations were detained as protests and demonstrations against the government took place in different cities. Several toll plazas across Punjab were also made toll-free, including the Ladowal Toll Plaza, where members of the Waris Punjab De organisat

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has assured that no accused will be spared in the murder case of Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa. He has issued strict instructions to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav to conduct a thorough investigation and get to the bottom of the case. Mann said the accused would face strict punishment. He added that if any conspiracy behind the murder comes to light, those involved in planning it would also be held accountable. Expressing his condolences to Parvinder Singh Jhota’s family, the Chief Minister said the loss of a young son was deeply painful and that such an inciden

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand met Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi. Speaking to Bloomberg, Anand said Canada’s relations with India have improved following several years of tensions. She added that both countries are on track to complete a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of the year. Addressing the forum, Anand emphasized the role of middle powers in reshaping the changing global order. She said countries could work together to addre

Punjab is witnessing widespread anger among the family members and supporters of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh, who was shot dead in broad daylight in Mansa on Tuesday. A Punjab bandh has been called for October 15 to protest the killing. The activist’s supporters have alleged a nexus between drug traffickers and the police in Punjab and demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police (DGP). Meanwhile, the Congress has accused AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of running a drug nexus in Punjab, while the BJP has urged the Governor to orde

Parvinder Singh, also known as Jhotta, who had been raising his voice against drug abuse in Punjab’s Mansa district, was shot dead on Tuesday morning. According to the information, he was questioning medical store owner Ashwani over the alleged illegal sale of narcotic medicines and recording the incident on his mobile phone. During the ensuing argument, the medical store owner allegedly pulled out a pistol and opened fire, critically injuring Parvinder Singh. He died while being taken to the hospital. Four of his associates were also injured in the incident. The accused fled the scene follo

The Punjab government has appointed IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the permanent Director General of Police (DGP). He had been serving as the acting DGP since July 2022. With the appointment, Punjab Police will now have a permanent chief after operating under an acting DGP for nearly four years. The Punjab government had submitted a list of 14 IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the selection of a permanent DGP.

Akali Dal Waris Punjab De is likely to field MP Amritpal Singh against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Amritpal Singh is expected to contest from two Assembly constituencies. The decision was reportedly taken during a high-level meeting of senior party leaders held in Mohali on Friday. Amritpal Singh’s father, Tarsem Singh, and other senior leaders attended the meeting. According to sources, Amritpal Singh may contest from either the Lambi or Gidderbaha constituency. The party has also reportedly co