Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has approved the resumption of the Teerth Yatra scheme for the people of the state. Under this initiative, individuals over the age of 50 will be able to travel to religious places free of cost, with the government covering the entire expense. A budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the scheme. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced that registration for the scheme will begin at the end of April, and the yatra will commence in May. Travel arrangements, including both bus and train options, will be provided for those aged 50 and above. The li

The Quebec government has introduced a bill to preserve the integrity of the electoral process by tackling deliberate disinformation and election interference. The bill tabled today by the province's minister for democratic institutions would make it an offence to knowingly spread false information to influence or disturb an election or compromise the public’s trust in the electoral process. Jean-François Roberge says it would also be an offence to falsely represent the chief electoral officer or a candidate in order to mislead the public. Roberge says examples of false representations incl

B.C.'s David Eby government is facing a significant setback. Global credit rating agencies S&P and Moody’s both downgraded British Columbia's credit rating on the same day. The agencies cited the province's growing deficit and lack of a clear plan to exit its fiscal crisis. Moody’s projected that British Columbia's deficit will widen to $14.3 billion this year, which is 31 percent higher than the estimate made by Finance Minister Brenda Bailey in last month's budget and 57 percent higher than the most recent estimate of last year's deficit. Moody’s stated that B.C.'s credit outlook

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to eliminate the GST on Canadian-made cars and light trucks if elected. He stated that this measure would save Canadians up to $2,500 on vehicles priced at $50,000 or less, while also boosting demand for domestic automobiles and protecting auto industry jobs. During a campaign stop in Kingston, Ontario, Poilievre urged provincial premiers to cut provincial taxes by the same amount, which could result in total savings of up to $7,000 per vehicle for consumers.

Senior Constable Amandeep Kaur, popularly known as the “Insta Queen” of Punjab Police, has been arrested after 18 grams of heroin was found in her purse in Bathinda. Following her arrest on Wednesday, she was dismissed from service. Kaur was previously stationed in Mansa Police and was recently posted at Bathinda Police Lines. Authorities have confirmed that she will undergo a dope test, and a case has been registered against her under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Known for her social media presence, Kaur frequently posted Instagram reels in uniform, often li

US President Donald Trump has targeted several countries with reciprocal tariffs ranging from 10% to 50%. However, some nations, including Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus, have been left off the list. This decision has led many to question why major trading partners like India, the European Union, and Vietnam have been hit with heavy tariffs while these countries were not. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained that Russia and North Korea were excluded because the US does not trade with them due to sanctions. He also noted that Canada and Mexico were not included in the new tari

Police have arrested a third suspect in connection with the February murder of Sukhvir Singh in Edmonton. The 32-year-old victim’s body was discovered near 17th Street and Yellowhead Trail on February 28, with an autopsy confirming that he had been murdered. On Tuesday, officers arrested 22-year-old Jasmeet Singh, who has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping. This follows the earlier arrests of 29-year-old Manpreet Brar on March 10 and 21-year-old Gursimran Singh on March 13. Authorities have also issued a Canada-wide warrant for 27-year-old Lovepreet Sidhu, who remains at l

A spike in retail theft, in what the City of Vancouver says is led by organized crime and repeat offenders, has prompted the launch a retail security task force. Vancouver council passed a motion creating the initiative aimed at curbing the thefts and improving safety for businesses and their employees. Mayor Ken Sim says in a statement that retail theft is hurting communities across the city, and the task force is aimed at tackling the situation. The statement says there were almost 7,700 shoplifting incidents in the city last year, an 11.7 per cent increase from the year before. The task for

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami has strongly criticized the Waqf Amendment Bill passed in the Lok Sabha, calling it a direct interference in minority affairs. Advocate Dhami stated that the bill was introduced without consulting the concerned parties, which, according to him, reflects the government’s intention to curtail minority rights and impose its own administrative control. He emphasized that minority communities have the right to protect their heritage and religious institutions, and laws like the Waqf Amendment Bill threaten to