India's cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 54.58 crores, said the Central government on Monday. As per the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 54,58,57,108 vaccine doses have been administered through 61,54,235 sessions out of which 17,43,114 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. The country's recovery rate stands at 97.48 per cent and out of the people infected since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,14,11,924 have already recovered from COVID-19, and 35,909 patients recovered in the last 24 hours. The data revealed that 32,937 new cas

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has appointed Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary (Organisation).A circular issued by Sidhu stated, "With the approval of Hon'ble Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) Sh. K.C. Venugopal and Punjab Congress in-charge Sh. Harish Rawat, I hereby appoint S. Pargat Singh as PPCC General Secretary (Organisation) with immediate effect."Former hockey captain-turned-politician Singh is considered a close confidant of Sidhu. Singh was earlier with S

Ottawa is requiring that federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. Dominic LeBlanc, president of the Privy Council, says the government expects employers in federally regulated industries to do the same. There are close to half a million people who work directly for the federal government, a Crown corporation, the military or the RCMP.Nearly a million more work in federally regulated industries, which includes banks and airlines.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a week ago that he had asked the clerk of the Privy Council, the nation's top bureaucrat, to consider the mandate. Tran

B.C. is reporting 717 new cases of COVID-19, including 11 epi-linked cases, for a total of 155,079 cases in the province.There are 4,277 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 148,964 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 82 individuals are in hospital and 39 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:140 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 821101 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 593376 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 2,44660 new cases in Nort

As we head into a warm and sunny weekend, Vancouver Police are reminding everyone that open alcohol in public places is prohibited."Generally speaking, we have seen a substantial increase in open consumption of alcohol in the downtown core, despite there being designated spaces set out by the City of Vancouver," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD.Along the Granville Entertainment District, officers report a 607 per cent increase in liquor pour outs since June 1, compared to the same period last year, and an 84 per cent increase since 2019."The Granville Mall is a place people are congregating

The Canadian government is facing urgent calls to speed up its effort to save hundreds of former Afghan interpreters and their families as Western countries step up plans to evacuate Afghanistan after 20 years of war. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was asked if Canada has already shut down its embassy in Kabul, but she would not answer, citing operational security concerns. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says and diplomats and now find themselves in danger as the Taliban sweeps the country. Freeland says the government's priority is ``supporting the brave Afghans who worked f

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021.Fires:Since April 1, 2021:1,486 wildfires660,071 hectares of area burnedWildfires burning in B.C.: 268Active fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 33Coastal: 23Kamloops: 87Northwest: 5Prince George: 60Southeast: 60Resources:Total personnel: 3,793Contract firefighters: 1,214Out-of-province personnel: 411Aircraft (rotary and fixed-wing): 205Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 56 (+1)Evacuation alerts: 108 (+3)Properties:Number of properties on order: 6,237 (+1,645)Number

BC's deputy forests minister says heat, low humidity and wind gusts are hobbling firefighting efforts in the province.Rick Manwaring says there's no rain in sight, temperatures are rising and gusty winds are expected across several parts of southern B-C.He says fire personnel usually take advantage of cooler temperatures at night to put in fire guards and take advantage of the decreased blaze behaviour.But this year, he says they haven't had much of a dip in temperatures or an increase in humidity to help them, especially in the south-central part of the province.

The Taliban have seized four more provincial capitals and completed their sweep of southern Afghanistan.The Taliban now control more than two-thirds of Afghanistan -- raising fears of a return to the brutal, repressive rule it imposed before when it all but eliminated women's rights and conducted public executions as it imposed strict Islamic law.The Associated Press is reporting Canadian special forces are being sent in to evacuate Canadian Embassy staff in Kabul.