President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It's the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out Home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Ba

Expressing concern over the health of Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a hunger strike to demand justice for farmers at the Khanauri border of Punjab-Haryana, Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh, has urged the Punjab government to establish communication with the central government regarding this issue. He emphasized that the governments should address the farmers' demands promptly to prevent the loss of any human life. It is worth noting that Dallewal has been on a hunger strike for more than two weeks, and his health is steadily deteriorating. Jathedar Giani Harpreet S

Family of an Indigenous man whose braids were cut and thrown away while he was staying in an Edmonton hospital want answers. Eve Adams says this past spring she went to visit her husband Dexter at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital only to find the 84-year-old's braids, his eagle feather and some medicine had been put in the garbage can. Dexter's niece Kathleen Crowe says in the months that have followed the family has never received an explanation or an apology from hospital staff. Crowe says the braids held a deep cultural meaning, and to have them cut off without her uncle's

Canada Post and the union representing postal workers are in a war of words as a countrywide strike enters its 27th day. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers pushed back on recent criticisms from Canada Post in a bulletin to members Tuesday evening, giving a list of proposals it said are meant to bring the two parties closer together. The statement came after Canada Post said Monday that the union's latest proposals widen the gap between the two parties, claiming in some cases the union has increased its demands. The union said its latest proposals included wage increases lower than previously

Premier David Eby has called for reducing trade barriers between provinces to mitigate the impact of challenges posed by Trump’s tariffs in the new year. He also suggested exploring trade opportunities with provinces like Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba, as well as with countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and India. Eby stated that this could be a beneficial strategy. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business gave B.C. a B grade for interprovincial trade in a report released in July. The report highlighted that the province's dispute with Alberta over alcohol sales indicates the

The Bank of Canada cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points on Wednesday to take it to 3.25 per cent. Here is the text of the central bank's decision: The Bank of Canada today reduced its target for the overnight rate to 3.25 per cent, with the Bank Rate at 3.75 per cent and the deposit rate at 3.25 per cent. The Bank is continuing its policy of balance sheet normalization. The global economy is evolving largely as expected in the Bank’s October Monetary Policy Report (MPR). In the United States, the economy continues to show broad-based strength, with robust consumption and a solid labour

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says women's rights and women's progress is under attack, pointing to the recent defeat of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris as an example. Speaking on Tuesday night at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation — an organization dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics — Trudeau said there are regressive forces fighting against women's progress. "It shouldn't be that way. It wasn't supposed to be that way. We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult sometimes, march towards progress," Trudeau said, adding he is a pro

Palestinian medical officials say an Israeli strike on a home where displaced people were sheltering in the northern Gaza Strip has killed at least 19 people. That’s according to the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which received the casualties on Wednesday after the overnight strike in the town of Beit Lahiya. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has been waging a renewed offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza since early October. Hospital records show that a family of eight were among those killed, including four children, their parents and two grandparents. T

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia has criticized the Punjab Police's handling of the Sukhbir Badal shooting incident. Majithia accused the police of attempting to shield Narayan Singh Chaura, the alleged attacker. He pointed out that an FIR against Chaura was registered six and a half hours after the incident and framed in a manner that could facilitate bail. Majithia further alleged that the police described the attacker as a devotee. He asserted that this FIR exposes the Punjab Police and the state government's biased actions.