Australia’s federal government says it will temporarily bar Iranian nationals from entering the country on tourist visas, citing concerns about visa overstays. According to a government announcement, the measure takes effect Thursday and is expected to remain in place for about six months. Home Affairs officials say the restriction applies specifically to new arrivals on short-term visitor visas. The federal home affairs minister said the decision was made due to concerns that some travellers may remain in Australia after their visas expire. Authorities estimate about 7,000 Iranian nationals

Residents in Wetaskiwin, a city south of Edmonton, say frustration is growing over a lack of information surrounding restrictions placed on Mayor Joe Branco that have kept him out of city hall for more than two months. Branco has been attending council meetings virtually since mid-January. The city has said the decision relates to “confidential personnel matters,” but has not provided further details, citing privacy obligations. According to statements made during recent council discussions, the lack of public information has contributed to speculation in the community. Resident Maggie Tol

Senior leaders of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday, submitting a memorandum seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the death of a state warehousing official. According to a party statement, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and working president Ashwani Sharma led the delegation. The memorandum calls for a CBI investigation into the alleged suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, identified as a district manager with the Punjab Warehousing Corporation. BJP leaders alleged that the state government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party

Prime Minister Mark Carney says an English-only condolence message from Michael Rousseau following a fatal crash in New York lacked compassion, as scrutiny grows over language obligations at federally regulated companies. Rousseau, the CEO of Air Canada, is being summoned to testify before the House of Commons official languages committee after posting a four-minute video message that included only two French words. According to federal officials, the video prompted dozens of complaints to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. The crash occurred Sunday evening at LaGuardia Airp

Harmit Singh Pathanmajra, a sitting MLA from the Sanour constituency representing the Aam Aadmi Party, has been arrested by Patiala police in connection with a sexual assault case, according to police. Authorities said Pathanmajra had been evading arrest for approximately six months. A court had earlier declared him a proclaimed offender and police had issued a lookout notice against him. The case includes allegations of sexual assault, fraud, and criminal intimidation, though the charges have not been proven in court. Following his arrest, a local court remanded Pathanmajra to five days of po

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will travel to France from March 25 to 27 for bilateral meetings and to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, according to a Global Affairs Canada news release. The department said Anand is scheduled to meet March 25 in Paris with Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie, where Canada will formally advance its candidacy to host the 2028 Francophonie Summit. The meeting is also expected to reaffirm Canada’s support for the international organization. From March 26 to 27, Anand will attend the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at

A 45-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter following a fatal altercation at a home in Maple Ridge earlier this month, according to police. Investigators say officers responded to a residence at حوالي 7:30 p.m. on March 16, where they found a 49-year-old man in medical distress. The man was treated at the scene but later died from his injuries. Police said the BC Prosecution Service approved a manslaughter charge on Monday, upgrading an earlier charge of assault causing bodily harm that had been laid the previous week. According to investigators, the two men were known to each ot

Afghanistan’s Taliban government says it has released American academic Dennis Coyle, who had been held in the country since January 2025. According to a statement issued Tuesday by Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, Coyle was released in Kabul on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. The ministry said the decision followed an appeal from Coyle’s family and came after the country’s Supreme Court determined that his time in custody was sufficient. Afghan authorities had previously detained Coyle on allegations of violating local laws, but did not publicly spe

The British Columbia government is considering amendments to its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act that could alter how the province aligns its laws with Indigenous rights, according to a confidential letter shared with some First Nations leaders. According to a copy of the letter obtained by The Canadian Press, the proposed changes would shift the province’s obligation from taking “all measures” to align laws with the declaration to supporting “ongoing processes” to align selected legislation. The letter was distributed Monday to some First Nations leadership. The