Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has died aged 85 of heart disease, according to the Institut Jantung Negara, the hospital in Kuala Lumpur where he was being treated. Abdullah, Malaysia’s fifth leader, served from 2003 to 2009, when he was pressured to resign to take responsibility for the governing coalition’s dismal results in national elections. He kept a low profile after leaving politics. In 2022, his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, disclosed that Abdullah had dementia that was progressively worsening. He said Abdullah had trouble speaking and could not recognize

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has expressed concern over the lengthy wait times for surgeries in the province, announcing plans to introduce a new funding model aimed at addressing the issue. Smith made the remarks during a phone-in segment on the show Your Province, Your Premier. She noted that some patients are forced to travel long distances within Alberta to receive treatment, and in some cases, even seek medical care abroad. To address these challenges, Smith said her government is working to implement activity-based funding. The premier emphasized that the current strain on the health c

The British Columbia government is calling on the federal government to raise its 2025 allocation under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), citing urgent workforce needs. The province reports that it met its 2024 target of 8,000 workers and is now requesting an increase to 11,000 nominees for 2025. However, Ottawa has reduced B.C.’s allocation to just 4,000, a move the province says is undermining its ability to meet labour market demands. The B.C. government argues that a higher quota would enable the province to process the majority of pending applications and accept approximately 1,100

Candidates in the race to become the next Prime Minister of Canada including Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, and Jagmeet Singh will participate in national debates in both French and English on April 16 and 17. Key topics have been outlined for each debate. The French-language debate will primarily focus on the cost of living, energy and climate, trade disputes, identity and sovereignty, immigration, and foreign affairs. Meanwhile, the English-language debate will cover affordability and the cost of living, energy and climate, public safety and security, as well as tariffs and threats to Canada

Former Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh, has strongly criticized the re-election of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal. In a sharp social media post, he referred to Badal not as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, but as the leader of the "Shiromani Bhagaura Dal", using the term Bhagaura (deserter) to question his legitimacy. Giani Harpreet Singh also alleged that the election process was undemocratic. He pointed out that the delegates who voted for the president were initially selected by the president himself, calling it a circular and

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has declared that individuals convicted of murder will face life in prison with no chance of release. He emphasized that perpetrators of mass murder will be denied bail and, in his words, "Multiple-murderers should only come out in a box." Poilievre stated that he plans to introduce legislation in Parliament that would empower judges to hand down life sentences for multiple murder convictions, all while respecting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The announcement came during Poilievre’s visit to Montreal this morning and reflects his co

A record number of candidates of Indian and Punjabi origin are contesting in the ongoing Canadian parliamentary elections, reflecting the growing political influence of the South Asian community. This time, candidates from this background are contesting in around 65 constituencies across the country. In the 2021 elections, 45 Punjabi-origin candidates stood for election, with 17 securing seats in the House of Commons. In 2019, 47 contested, and 22 were elected. The current elections feature Punjabi candidates not only from major parties such as the Liberal Party, Conservative Party, and the Ne

Sukhbir Singh Badal has been re-elected as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. In his victory speech, Badal alleged that a conspiracy had been orchestrated over the past six months to weaken the Akali Dal and eliminate the leadership of the Panth. He claimed that this conspiracy began after the Shiromani Akali Dal parted ways with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Badal further asserted that unlike other political parties, which he said have no real concern for Punjab, only the Shiromani Akali Dal is capable of leading the state toward progress. Speaking at a rally in Ta

Canada's central bank is set to announce its interest rate decision on Wednesday. The Bank of Canada's meeting comes at a time when the federal election and economic uncertainty exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump's shifting tariff policies, have made it difficult to forecast the economic outlook. Financial markets and analysts remain divided on the likely outcome. Some expect the bank to cut interest rates by another 0.25 percentage points on April 16, which would bring its key policy rate down to 2.5%. However, others believe that after seven consecutive rate cuts, the Bank of Canada