The Vatican has released the itinerary for Pope Francis' July 24-30 visit to Canada. The publication of the program on Thursday is a sign he intends to go ahead with the trip despite knee problems that forced him to cancel a six-day visit to Africa that was also planned for next month. Francis is due to visit Canada to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses at Catholic-run residential schools. The 85 year old pope has been using a wheelchair for over a month because of strained ligaments in his right knee that have made standing and walking difficult. The itinerary was delayed for nearly

A 25-year-old Indian national was shot dead in Maryland on Sunday morning. The deceased, Sai Charan Nakka, graduated from the University of Cincinnati in January of 2022 and was a native of Telangana. After he was shot, Sai Charan Nakka was taken to the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead after a while. His father Nakka Narsimha, a retired headmaster in Telangana's Nalgonda, said, "We did not want to send our son to the US. We wanted him to be here. I had no interest in sending him there and told him not to go." According to Baltimore polic

The U.S. will send another $450 million in military aid to Ukraine, including some additional medium-range rocket systems, U.S. officials said Thursday. The latest package will include a number of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. The initial four that the U.S. sent have already gone into Ukraine and are in the hand of troops there. The package will also include ammunition and other supplies. The new aid comes just a week after the U.S. announced it will send an additional $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, as America and its allies send Ukraine the longer-range systems th

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a restrictive New York gun law in a major ruling for gun rights. The justices’ 6-3 decision is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities — including New York, Los Angeles and Boston — and elsewhere. About a quarter of the U.S. population lives in states expected to be affected by the ruling, the high court’s first major gun decision in more than a decade. The ruling comes as Congress is actively working on gun legislation following recent mass shootings in Texas, New York and

Former Punjab DGP and senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Dinkar Gupta was on Thursday appointed as the new Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a central anti-terror probe agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The 1987 batch IPS officer, Gupta, has been given the charge up to March 31, 2024-- the date of his superannuation-- or till further orders whichever take place. Gupta was removed as the state police chief by the Congress government under Charanjit Singh Channi in October last year and was posted as chairman of Punjab Police Housing Corporation (PPHC

Alberta's health minister says the province will remain vigilant despite lifting most restrictions in the province related to COVID-19. Alberta lifted the last few pandemic restrictions last week including mandatory masking on public transit and isolation for people who test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms. Health Minister Jason Copping said Alberta is bracing for an increase in colds and flus again in the fall but he says more has to be done to reduce the strain on the health care system, which was already a problem before the pandemic. Copping says during the pandemic many people sto

Alberta's United Conservative government has announced two measures to help curb an increasing cost of living. The province says will keep a 13-cent provincial excise tax on gasoline in place for three more months after it first came into effect in April. The fuel tax relief program is to be reviewed in September. The province said in a second news release it will also provide homes, farms and small businesses with $50 monthly credits for electricity bills in July, August and September. The rebate will be applied to the bills automatically. The announcements were made after Statistics Canada r

Premier John Horgan has pulled the plug on a controversial 800-million dollar plan to build a replacement for the aging Royal BC Museum in Victoria. Horgan says he's heard quite clearly from the people of BC that it's the wrong time for such a project and they want his government to rethink its plans to protect the museum's priceless artifacts. He says he made the wrong call and his government will go back to the drawing board to find a project that all residents can get behind. His government had said it approved the project because the museum can't withstand a flood or earthquake, and renov

The Coquitlam RCMP is updating that the investigation into missing youth Noelle Elli O’Soup has come to a tragic end. The 14 year old reported missing on May 12, 2021, has been located deceased, in Vancouver. The Vancouver Police Department currently has conduct of the investigation into the circumstances of Noelle Elli O’Soup’s death and the Coquitlam RCMP will continue to support the VPD investigation, as is needed moving forward.The Coquitlam RCMP offer their deepest condolences to the family and friends and thank the public and media for their assistance with the investigation.Furthe