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british-columbia-employment-minister-defends-job-growth-amid-national-decline
BCApr 04, 2025

British Columbia Employment Minister Defends Job Growth Amid National Decline

British Columbia Employment Minister Diana Gibson has defended her government's stance on the employment figures released by Statistics Canada. While acknowledging that the national job trend declined in March, she pointed out that B.C. added 5,700 jobs during the same period. Gibson highlighted that B.C. has seen an increase of 35,400 full-time jobs so far this year, the highest among all provinces. However, she stressed the importance of continuing to support the private sector, which is facing challenges due to the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Gibson also noted that B.C
punjab-government-cracks-down-on-private-schools-exploitative-practices-with-books-and-uniforms
IndiaApr 04, 2025

Punjab Government Cracks Down on Private Schools' Exploitative Practices with Books and Uniforms

The government has instructed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all districts to take action against the unfair practices of private schools in Punjab concerning books and uniforms. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains shared this information, highlighting that complaints about these issues have been coming from several districts. The Education Minister revealed that some schools have even changed the books that were released last year, forcing students to buy new ones. In Punjab, books and uniforms are sold at high prices through shops chosen by private schools, making it difficult t
stock-markets-plunge-amid-trumps-tariffs-oil-and-gold-prices-drop
CanadaApr 04, 2025

Stock Markets Plunge Amid Trump's Tariffs; Oil and Gold Prices Drop

The Canadian and American stock markets have experienced a sharp decline for the second consecutive day due to President Trump's tariffs. The S&P/TSX Composite Index of the Toronto Stock Exchange fell by more than 1,000 points, or 4.16 percent. On Thursday, the Canadian market closed down 3.8 percent, marking the largest drop since June 2020 during the COVID-19 period. At the same time, the leading index of the American stock market, the Dow Jones, fell by more than 1,900 points during trading today. However, some recovery was seen later from this low point. Meanwhile, crude oil prices dr
us-urges-nato-allies-to-boost-defense-spending-to-5-of-gdp
CanadaApr 04, 2025

US Urges NATO Allies to Boost Defense Spending to 5% of GDP

While the trade war between Canada and the US threatens to slow down the economy, the Trump administration has urged Canada and other NATO countries to increase defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP. This request was made during a meeting held in Brussels on Thursday. Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly attended the meeting. She pointed out that the US itself does not meet that target. Meanwhile, during the election campaign in Quebec, when journalists asked Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre whether the US had urged NATO members to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, he
premier-david-eby-meets-forestry-leaders-to-address-potential-u-s-tariffs-on-b-c-lumber
BCApr 04, 2025

Premier David Eby Meets Forestry Leaders to Address Potential U.S. Tariffs on B.C. Lumber

Premier David Eby is meeting with forestry leaders in Prince George today to discuss strategies to protect British Columbia's largest export industry from potential tariffs. Eby has raised concerns that President Donald Trump may impose additional tariffs on top of the existing 14.5 percent duty on B.C. softwood lumber. B.C.'s forestry sector is a critical component of the province's economy, contributing $17.4 billion to the GDP and providing thousands of jobs. The U.S. has long accused B.C. of subsidizing its lumber industry. According to the Business Council of B.C., if Trump imposes an ad
congress-announces-bharat-bhushan-ashu-as-candidate-for-ludhiana-west-by-election
IndiaApr 04, 2025

Congress Announces Bharat Bhushan Ashu as Candidate for Ludhiana West By-Election

In the upcoming by-election for the Ludhiana West assembly seat in Punjab, Congress has named Bharat Bhushan Ashu as its candidate. Ashu has previously served as an MLA from this seat. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already declared its Rajya Sabha member, Sanjeev Arora, as their candidate for the seat. The Ludhiana West assembly seat became vacant after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi. The AAP government is making significant efforts to secure a win in this constituency. It is speculated that if Sanjeev Arora wins, his Rajya Sabha seat could be vacated and potentially offered to
pm-modi-meets-bangladesh-interim-leader-yunus-urges-early-elections-and-stability
WorldApr 04, 2025

PM Modi Meets Bangladesh Interim Leader Yunus, Urges Early Elections and Stability

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the head of Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, in Bangkok on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit. During the meeting, PM Modi urged Yunus to hold early elections in Bangladesh and advised him to avoid making statements that could harm the relations between the two nations. This marked the first conversation between the leaders of the two countries since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from power last year and granted political asylum in India. In the discussion, Prime Minister Modi expressed hope for a democratic and stable govern
sukhpal-khaira-demands-investigation-into-drug-mafia-and-police-nexus-after-constables-arrest
IndiaApr 04, 2025

Sukhpal Khaira Demands Investigation into Drug Mafia and Police Nexus After Constable's Arrest

After the arrest of Punjab Police senior constable Amandeep Kaur for her alleged involvement in a heroin case, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the connection between the drug mafia and the police force. Reports suggest that during her arrest, constable Amandeep Kaur reportedly tried to extort money by leveraging her ties to a senior IPS officer. Khaira has accused the government of attempting to protect the senior officer involved. The Congress MLA also questioned the government and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, asking whether
trumps-next-tariffs-target-could-be-foreign-made-medicines
WorldApr 04, 2025

Trump’s Next Tariffs Target Could Be Foreign-Made Medicines

US President Donald Trump is set to impose a significant blow on countries around the world, including Canada, with his new threat of pharma tariffs. While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he warned that the pharma tariffs would be at an unprecedented level. He stated that medicines would be kept in a separate category and that the tariffs would be announced very soon. Research conducted by the American Medical Association reveals that a 25 percent tariff on Canadian-made medicines could increase costs for American consumers by $750 million. Additionally, as a result of Trump's new

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BCJul 24, 2026

Woman fatally shot in Toronto's Etobicoke; suspect arrested, police say

A woman was fatally shot in Toronto's Etobicoke neighbourhood early Saturday morning, and a suspect has been arrested, according to Toronto Police. Police said officers responded to reports of a shooting at about 7:20 a.m. near Humberwood Boulevard and Rexdale Boulevard. The woman was found with gunshot injuries and was pronounced dead. Police have not publicly identified the victim or the accused, and the investigation remains ongoing. An eyewitness told media the victim appeared to be a woman in her early 20s and was walking from a nearby bus stop when a man approached her from behind, brief
BCJul 24, 2026

Surrey Council to Vote on Contract for 56 New Speed Bumps Near Schools and Parks

The City of Surrey is moving ahead with plans to install 56 new speed bumps near schools and parks as part of efforts to improve safety for children and pedestrians. Surrey City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a contract to carry out the project. According to the council agenda, the project will be funded through the City's 2026 transportation budget. If approved, installation is expected to begin later this month, with work targeted for completion by the end of September ahead of the new school year. The proposed construction schedule would allow work to take place Monday through Frida
roundtable-to-examine-canadas-proposed-safe-social-media-act
EnglishJul 24, 2026

Roundtable to examine Canada's proposed Safe Social Media Act

The federal government is set to hold a roundtable discussion on Monday to examine the proposed Safe Social Media Act, known as Bill C-34, as consultations continue on new digital safety measures. According to the government, Canadian Culture Minister Mark Miller will co-chair the discussion with British Columbia Member of Parliament Patrick Weiler. The meeting is expected to focus on key provisions of the proposed legislation and broader digital safety regulations. The government introduced Bill C-34 in the House of Commons in June. The proposed legislation would prohibit children under the a
BCJul 24, 2026

Livingstone Avenue closed through the weekend in Abbotsford for Highway 1 widening project

Abbotsford Police have issued a traffic advisory as construction continues on the Highway 1 widening project through the Fraser Valley. According to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation, Livingstone Avenue in Abbotsford will be fully closed through the weekend. The closure begins Friday and is expected to remain in effect until Monday morning. The affected section extends from east of Mall Access Road to west of Gardner Park. According to Abbotsford Police, access to local businesses and residential properties will be maintained throughout the closure. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate
BCJul 24, 2026

Wildfire smoke degrades air quality across parts of B.C.; warnings remain in effect

Smoke from ongoing wildfires in British Columbia continues to reduce air quality across several parts of the province, with Kelowna experiencing hazardous conditions on Thursday. According to IQAir, Kelowna's Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 300 at one point Thursday afternoon, making it the city with the poorest air quality in the world during that period. Earlier in the week, Ashcroft recorded Canada's worst air quality on Monday morning. Environment Canada has maintained high-impact air quality warnings for several regions, including the Fraser Canyon, Merritt and Kelowna. The agency says w