Canada's 'flagpoling' ban in effect to stop shortcut visa applications
Immigration measures announced as part of Canada’s border response to president-elect Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what’s known as “flagpoling.”
This is when someone who was in Canada on a temporary visa leaves for the U.S. then quickly re-enters Canada to access immigration services at a port of entry.
The restriction on providing work and study permits to flagpolers takes effect today.
Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that going forward temporary visa holders will have to apply online to extend their stay in Canada. The Canadian Border Services Agency processed more than 69,300 people who engaged in flagpoling in the 20232024 fiscal year.
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India alleges widespread trafficking of international students through Canada to U.S.
Indian law enforcement agencies say they are investigating alleged links between dozens of colleges in Canada and two “entities” in Mumbai accused of illegally ferrying students across the Canada-United States border.
A news release Tuesday from India’s Enforcement Directorate — a multi-disciplinary organization that investigates money
laundering and foreign exchange laws — said a multi-city search has revealed “incriminating” evidence of “human trafficking.”
The allegations have not been tested in court.
The federal government, the RCMP, and Indian high commission in Ottawa, and multiple Canadian college officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. Singh was one of India's longest-serving prime ministers and he was considered the architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance minister.
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B.C. Ferries cancelled sailings the morning of Thursday, Dec. 26 between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, saying the next available sailing will be at 2 p.m. from Tsawwassen and 3 p.m. from Swartz Bay. BC Hydro reports about 5,800 outages at about 9 a.m., the majority in Abbotsford. Continued on Page 2...
CBC CEO tops taxpayer group’s ‘naughty list’ over exec bonuses
The head of Canada’s public broadcaster has been among those serving up lumps of coal to Canadians.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s annual “Taxpayer Naughty and Nice list” has given CBC CEO Catherine Tait the top spot in the Naughty column for handing out “Santa-sized” executive bonuses that dwarf the average Canadian’s salary, especially at a time of financial pressure across the country for most people.
“Santa doesn’t like it when girls and boys are greedy, and forcing struggling taxpayers to pay for Santa-sized executive bonuses is as greedy as it gets,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF. “While Canadians are tightening their belts, CBC executives are living large.”
But Tait isn’t alone in the Naughty corner. Global Affairs Canada also made the list after racking up a jaw-dropping $51,000 a month in booze-related expenses. Continued on Page 6...
BC to recriminalize use of drugs in public spaces
After weeks of troubling stories about problematic street drug use in hospitals, parks and at bus stops, the province of British Columbia announced plans to recriminalize the use of drugs in public places Friday — radically altering a pilot program aimed at addressing the toxic drug crisis.
In a statement, Premier David Eby insisted that his government is "caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction," but that patience for disorder only goes so far.
"Keeping people safe is our highest priority," said Eby. "We're taking action to make sure police have the tools they need to ensure safe and comfortable communities for everyone as we expand treatment options so people can stay alive and get better," he said.
With an election looming, Eby's NDP government has been bombarded with a
string of headlines about concerns with decriminalization — a pilot program introduced in January 2023 allowed adult drug users in B.C. to carry up to 2.5 grams of drugs for personal use without facing criminal charges.
The program was possible through an exemption granted by Health Canada under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which allowed for open drug use in some public spaces. Eby's political opponents have seized on concerns from hospital workers and patients about illegal drug use and trafficking in the hallways of hospitals.
And last week, Vancouver Police Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson testified at a House of Commons health committee hearing about the struggles police are having responding to public complaints involving disturbances related to public drug consumption.
Tax evasion nets South Asian
A Richmond man failed to report almost $7.5 million in income from flipping homes and has been sentenced in provincial court to a conditional sentence and fines of more than $2.1 million.
Balkar Singh Bhullar pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of tax evasion under the Income Tax Act.
A Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) investigation showed Bhullar failed to report $7,485,246 in taxable income for the years 2011, 2012 and 2014.
The income was from assignment fees earned from flipping 14 properties between Jan. 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2014, thereby allowing him to evade $2,153,394 in federal Income taxes, according to a
news release from the CRA. Bhullar, who is 67 years old, was sentenced on Dec. 19 in B.C. Provincial Court (Robson Square) to a conditional sentence of two years less a day and a fine of $2,153,397.
Could BC Housing’s project to build the controversial new supportive housing tower next to SkyTrain’s future Arbutus Station in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood be re-contested in the court of public opinion?
This follows the BC Court of Appeal’s ruling on Monday, which sided with the Kitsilano Coalition for Children & Family Safety Society, an organization opposed to the project.
In July 2022, following a marathon public hearing, the previous makeup of Vancouver City Council approved BC Housing’s rezoning application to build the 13-storey supportive housing building with 129 studio units at the site of 2086-2098 West 7th Avenue and 2091 West 8th Avenue — the northeast corner of the intersection of Arbutus Street and West 8th Avenue. Shortly after, in October 2022, the Kitsilano Coalition filed a petition in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, seeking a judicial review of City Council’s decision. They requested that the court direct the City of Vancouver to completely redo the
Columbia introduced legislative amendments for the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act to override the petition before it could be heard by the BC Court of Appeal and enable the supportive housing project to proceed. These amendments were made at the request of the current makeup of City Council, which asked the provincial government to intervene in the petition filed by the group.
At the time, there were concerns by the provincial government that Kitsilano Coalition’s October 2022 petition would delay the municipal government’s adoption and enactment of the rezoning bylaw, which was the next step for the project at the time following its approval in the July 2022 public hearing.
rezoning process, including holding a new public hearing. In their petition, the group charged that the City’s approval process for the project lacked transparency, fairness, and democratic principles, including the public hearing meetings led by thenMayor Kennedy Stewart.
Then, in April 2023, the Government of British
In a November 2023 ruling, a Supreme Court judge sided with the provincial government’s authority by verifying the provincial powers to make such legislative amendments. However, the Kitsilano Coalition subsequently appealed. In Monday’s decision by the BC Court of Appeal, all three judges ruled that the provincial government’s legislative amendments amounted to an interference with the adjudicative authority of the court. They cited past legal precedents, where it was determined that “while a Legislature may not interfere with the Court’s adjudicative role, it may amend the law which the court is required to apply in its adjudication. The difference between amending the law and interfering with the adjudicative function is fundamental to the proper roles of the legislature and courts in our parliamentary democracy.”
However, in this particular case of how the provincial government pulled the rug out of the court’s ability to directly rule on the petition, “the Court is made irrelevant to the matters raised in the Coalition’s petition.”
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Thousands of people in British Columbia are without power on Christmas Day as ongoing rainfall and strong winds collapse power lines, disrupt travel, and toss around holiday decorations.
The stormy weather is also taking a toll on BC Ferries as more sailings have been axed throughout the rest of the day.
BC Ferries rolled out a series of travel advisories Wednesday afternoon, saying all sailings between Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Vancouver and Swartz Bay in Victoria have been cancelled. The ferry firm said all sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay in Nanaimo
have been scrapped due to a “severe weather forecast” while trips between Whaletown and Heriot Bay have been cancelled as well. BC Hydro said nearly 5,000 customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon. Several wind and rainfall warnings also remain in place across the province’s North Coast, Central Coast, western sections of Metro Vancouver near the water and the eastern edge of Vancouver Island. Environment Canada says the gusts are travelling up to 140 kilometres per hour in some coastal areas. So far, the strongest wild gust over the province has been recorded on Sartine Island with wind gusts measuring up to 162km/h on Wednesday.
Trump threatens to take over Canada, Panama Canal, Greenland in Christmas Day message
President-elect Donald Trump has once again repeated his desires for U.S. territorial expansion.
In a message delivered on Christmas Day, Trump took aim at the Panama Canal and Greenland, while also addressing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directly.
The president-elect also reiterated his previous intention to bring Greenland under American control, writing that the territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, “is needed by the United States for National Security purposes and, who want the U.S. to be there, and we will!”
“Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal,” the president-elect began in a Truth Social post, before claiming “38,000 people” died during the waterway’s construction. (BBC previously fact checked that the number was closer to 300.) He continued, writing: “United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about ‘anything.’”
Trump then mocked Trudeau, referring to him as the “Governor” of Canada, and once again floated the idea of the country becoming the “51st State,” while promising its “Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World.”
Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede made clear on Monday that the territory was not for sale. “Greenland is ours,” the prime minister said in a statement. “We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our years-long struggle for freedom.”
However, the Danish prime minister’s office issued a separate statement saying that the government is “looking forward to welcoming the new American ambassador. And the Government is looking forward to working with the new administration.”
On Monday, the Danish government later announced a huge boost in defense spending for Greenland, per the BBC.
Trump also took the opportunity to deliver another holiday message on Wednesday, urging Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky — who joined Trump in Mar-a-Lago after his election win in November — to run for prime minister of Canada. “I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles,” Trump wrote in another Truth Social post. “I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada – You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.'”
YVR sees two emergency landings on Christmas Day
Emergency crews were kept on their toes Wednesday, dealing with two emergency landings at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). A United Airlines flight coming from San Francisco early in the afternoon declared that it needed an emergency landing, due to potential mechanical issues.
United hasn’t specified what kinds of problems the flight was having. The airline says 120 passengers and 5 crew members were on board.
Fortunately, Vancouver was the intended destination, and the plane landed safely.
YVR says another emergency landing was required for an AirSprint — a private business
jet company — flight.
It’s not known how many people were on board the Cessna aircraft, nor where the AirSprint flight had originally departed.
Like the United flight, the AirSprint flight was destined for Vancouver and landed with no difficulty.
2024 in Review: Canada-India relations sour after Surrey Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder
Diplomatic relations between Canada and India soured considerably in 2024 after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government was involved in the assassination of Surrey Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The allegations led to both countries expelling the other’s top diplomats.
Nijjar, who was born in India and immigrated to Canada as a young man, was assassinated in Surrey in June 2023. The former president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara was labelled a terrorist by the Indian government, which accused him of being involved with a banned militant group in India.
of harbouring violent extremists.
The confrontation escalated in October 2023, when India told Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats over the allegations. Canada said it would not retaliate, with
But Nijjar’s followers in Canada said he was a community leader and an advocate for Sikh independence. Manimugdha Sharma, a PhD student at UBC’s Department of History and a Killam Laureate, says Canada and India have long been at odds over how they see the Khalistan movement, which calls for a separate, sovereign Sikh Nation out of existing Indian territory.
“India, which is on paper a sovereign democratic republic, has freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the constitution. But, people of the establishment, they don’t believe in absolute freedom,” Sharma explained.
“So they think that if they are talking about Khalistan or a foreign land they are directly challenging sovereignty, whereas in Canada they think, ‘Well, it is just a legitimate form of expression. As long as they’re not indulging in violence it is okay.'”
In September 2023, Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the Nijjar assassination, saying the allegations were based on credible Canadian intelligence. India’s Ministry of External Affairs shot back with a statement calling the allegations ‘absurd’ and accused Canada
then-Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly saying Canada was trying to hold diplomatic conversations with India in private. The diplomatic row intensified again in May 2024, when the RCMP arrested and charged four Indian nationals with first-degree murder in the killing of Nijjar. Police linked the alleged assassins to other targeted killings in Canada as well.
In October 2024, yet another bombshell allegation came when Canada said it had identified India’s top diplomat in Canada — the Indian high commissioner — as a person of interest in the Nijjar assassination, expelling him and five other diplomats from the country.
In response, the Indian foreign ministry expelled Canada’s high commissioner and five other diplomats, and issued a statement saying, “India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau government’s support for extremism, violence, and separatism against India.” The international row has some wondering what comes next for the embattled nations.
China acts against Canada rights campaigners backing Uighurs, Tibet
China said on Dec 22 it was taking countermeasures against two Canadian institutions and 20 people involved in human issues concerning the Uighurs and Tibet.
The measures, which took effect on Dec 21, include asset freezes and bans on entry.
The targets include Canada’s Uighur Rights Advocacy Project and the Canada-Tibet Committee, China’s Foreign Ministry announces on its website.
Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uighurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour in camps. Beijing denies any abuses. China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a “peaceful liberation” from feudalistic serfdom.
“It’s going to be a stormy relationship going forward, as long as there’s a Hindu Nationalist government in India and there’s a Liberal government over here, tensions are bound to go on,” said Sharma. Monday-Friday - 12:00pm - 9:30pm & Saturday-Sunday - 12:00pm - 10:00pm
International human rights groups and exiles, however, have routinely condemned what they
call China’s oppressive rule in Tibetan areas. For the two institutions, China said it was freezing their “movable property, immovable
property and other types of property within the territory of China”.
It was freezing the property in China of 15 people in the Uighur institution and five on the Tibet committee, banning them from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau.
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How MAiD became Canada’s fifth leading cause of death
We’re way beyond the slippery slope. We need new criteria for MAID
By Shawn Whatley : There’s a big difference between what we imagine about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada and what actually happens to patients. What began as a highly controlled and limited option for those with terminal illnesses has transformed into something far broader and more troubling.
In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada’s Carter decision overturned the ban on physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia for specific patients. It cited “grievous and irremediable medical conditions” and “enduring suffering that is intolerable to the individual” as the criteria for obtaining MAiD. The 2016 legislation that followed upon the decision required that death be “reasonably foreseeable.” At the time, this seemed like a carefully defined and compassionate response to the suffering of a small group of patients.
But today, the reality of MAiD looks very different. It is now proactively offered to vulnerable patients as part of the range of “treatment” options, even in situations where death is nowhere in sight. What was once limited to cases of terminal illness has expanded significantly. If we were initially slipping down the slope of terminal illness with increasing MAiD usage, we’re now skiing down a much steeper hill.
Leaving aside the inherently vague and non-medical nature of terms such as “intolerable sufeering,” the actual experience of patients often diverges dramatically from the law’s original intent. For instance, Canada recently made international headlines (again) after a 51-year-old woman in Nova Scotia was offered MAiD twice during two separate pre-operative assessments for breast surgery, 15 months apart. This example highlights how far the practice has shifted from its original intent. As reported in the National Post, Dr. Gus Grant, registrar and chief executive oficer of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, acknowledged it was “clearly inappropriate and insensitive” for a doctor to raise MAiD as a person was being rolled into a surgical suite. “I can understand why the patient was upset,” Grant said. Yet cases like this are not isolated.
India alleges widespread trafficking of international students through Canada to USA
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The U.S. embassy said Thursday it had no comment.
Indian officials say they launched their investigation after Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39, was found dead along with his wife and two children near a border crossing between Manitoba and the United States on Jan. 19, 2022.
Last month, a Minnesota jury found two men guilty — Steve Shand of Florida and Harshkumar Patel, an Indian national arrested in Chicago — on four counts related to bringing unauthorized people into the U.S., transporting them and profiting from it.
Patel is a common name in India, and the family was not related to the accused.
Prosecutors said Harshkumar Patel coordinated a sophisticated operation while Shand was a driver. Shand was to pick up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the border, prosecutors said. Only seven survived the foot crossing. Canadian authorities found the Patel
family later that morning, dead from the cold. Harshkumar Patel and Shand have not yet been sentenced and might appeal.
The Tuesday news release said officials launched an investigation following a report filed against Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel, who allegedly arranged the travel of the family.
Each member of the family was allegedly charged the equivalent of between $93,000 and $102,000to cross into the United States from Canada, the directorate claimed.
The incident has been called the Dingucha case in India, named after the village in the Gujarat state of western India from which the family originated. The Enforcement Directorate said it searched eight places last week in Mumbai, Nagpur in Maharashtra state, and Gandhinagar and Vadodara in Gujarat.
It also claims that Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel allegedly arranged people to get admissions to Canadian colleges, which helped in getting student visas. The news release did not specify
the schools alleged to be involved.
"Once the individuals or students reach Canada, instead of joining the college, they illegally crossed the U.S.-Canada Border and never joined college(s) in Canada," it said.
The fee paid toward college admission was then returned, it added.
The search has found that about 25,000 students were referred by one "entity" and over 10,000 students by another to various colleges outside India every year, the release claimed.
The network has about 1,700 agents in Gujarat and around 3,500 across India, of which 800 are active, it alleged.
The release claims that "around 112 colleges based in Canada" have entered into agreement with one entity, while "more than 150" colleges have done so with another entity.
It is unclear from the release whether any colleges have ties to both entities.
Anil Pratham, a former high-ranking police official in Gujarat who has since retired, was involved in investigating the case as far back as January 2022 when the Patel family died.
He told The Canadian Press his team looked at paperwork, such as certificates and documents used by students to apply to colleges and universities abroad. Police then contacted villagers through various societies, asking them
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“Santa likes eggnog as much as the next guy, but even he knows Global Affairs Canada is sipping on a little too much Christmas spirit,” Terrazzano said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford didn’t escape the Naughty List either. Trudeau earned his spot for raising the cost of living with his controversial carbon tax, while Ford’s embrace of political welfare made him an easy target.
And let’s not forget Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, who also joined the ranks for failing to keep his word on property tax increases, a promise that seemed to evaporate faster than a snowflake in the summer.
But don’t worry — not everyone’s been naughty. The Taxpayer Nice List highlights those who’ve shown a little extra holiday spirit with their fiscal responsibility.
Rowan Caseley, the former mayor of Kensington, is at the top of the Nice List after resigning over wasteful spending, ultimately saving taxpayers money. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey also earned a spot for his decision to cut gas taxes, much to the delight of drivers. In the provincial corners, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith were recognized for their efforts to fight Trudeau’s carbon tax, earning praise from Santa for their commitment to protecting their constituents’ wallets.
for help.
"We conveyed to the villagers that you should come out and tell (us) who are the victims and who are the agents who live there," he said in an interview from Gujarat. "This helped us in our investigation."
The process took nearly three years because the first step is to establish the crime, charge, investigate and finalize those charges, he said.
Police in Gujarat got help from their counterparts in Canada and New York, Pratham said. He also had advice for those wanting to go abroad to study or work.
News of the Indian investigation comes amid tensions with the U.S. over border security, a federal rethink of international-student policy, and diplomatic tensions with India over New Delhi's alleged targeting of Sikh activists in Canada.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has threatened wounding tariffs on Canadian goods if Ottawa does not sufficiently crack down on migrants and drugs crossing into the U.S. illegally, leading Ottawa to earmark $1.3 billion over six years to address border security.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly travelled to Florida on Thursday to talk about border security and trade with the incoming U.S. president.
“Santa is getting hammered by carbon tax bills on his reindeer barn, so Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lands on the Naughty List for making everything more expensive with his carbon tax,” said Kris Sims, CTF’s Alberta director. “Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe made Santa’s good books for taking action against Trudeau’s carbon tax.”
Finally, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux is getting a well-deserved mention on the Nice List, with the CTF praising his unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. So, as you prepare for the holiday season, it might be worth considering whether you’re on the naughty or nice list — or if your actions could land you on next year’s edition. But if you’re looking for a little extra cheer, it might be time to follow the lead of those on the Nice List and spread some fiscal goodwill this holiday season.
Naughty List:
CBC President & CEO Catherine Tait
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Global Affairs Canada
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham
The entire federal bureaucracy
Nice List:
Former Kensington Mayor Rowan Caseley
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe
Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux
Canadian icon Terry Fox, who famously ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research, has been selected to appear on the next version of the $5 bank note, according to the Liberals’ fall economic statement.
After having to have his leg amputated as a result of his cancer diagnosis, Fox began a crosscountry run that started in Newfoundland and Labrador when he dipped his prosthetic leg in the Atlantic Ocean.
His marathon was cut short in Thunder Bay, Ont. when his disease could no longer allow him to continue onward towards the B.C. coast.
“Terry Fox is a Canadian hero. He campaigned to raise awareness and funding for
cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. By February 1981, the Marathon of Hope had raised $24.7 million or $1 for every Canadian,” reads a statement from the federal government.
“His run was interrupted just past the halfway point when the cancer reached his lungs, and ultimately took his life. Through his efforts, the 22-year-old showed Canadians the difference that an ordinary person could make through sheer willpower and determination.” Fox will replace former prime minister Sir Wilfred Laurier, who will soon appear on the $50 note.
$1.1M fine meted out in Richmond court for crab sales
A crab company was handed a fine of $1.1 million in Richmond Provincial Court last week.
MPY Trading pleaded guilty of improper documentation and selling crab in a “misleading way.”
The company, that exported crab, was charged by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2023 on six counts.
Four counts were stayed.
In the end, the count of selling food in a “misleading way” resulted in a fine of $1,105,685, and the count of failing to keep documents "concerning the traceability of the crabs" resulted in a fine of $50,000. The offences occurred between December 2019 and January 2020 in Richmond and Vancouver.
MPY Trading must pay the fines by Feb. 10, 2025.
According to MPY Trading, the fines were given out because the company was exporting crabs from the U.S. via Canada. MPY Trading is no longer operating.
$4-million worth of cars recovered, over 100 charges laid in car theft ring in Toronto
Nearly $4-million worth of stolen vehicles were recovered and more than 100 charges have been laid after an alleged car theft ring operating around Pearson Airport and run out of Quebec was busted. Peel Regional Police said the joint investigation, called Project Tallahassee, ran from August to November.
Cops say the individuals charged are alleged to be responsible for more than 100 stolen vehicles in and around the airport.
Authorities say in July, the Airport Division Criminal Investigation Bureau identified crime patterns that indicated a auto theft ring was targeting newer model Lexus SUVs, Toyota Tundras, Sequoias, Highlanders, and Ram trucks in the area.
the routes they were using into and out of the airport area.
Six suspects from Quebec were arrested, arrest warrants for five other suspects were issued, and several residential search warrants were executed in Toronto, yielding computer programmers, master keys, and signal-jamming devices. On Aug. 20, Jean Junior Goureille, 23, of Montreal-Nord, Que., was arrested and charged by Halton Regional Police with two auto theft-related offences.
A Canadian woman who posed as a nurse and delivered care to hundreds of patients in British Columbia has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Brigitte Cleroux pleaded guilty in July to assaulting patients by IV injection while pretending to be a nurse.
It is not the first time Cleroux worked as a nurse without medical qualifications.
Tuesday's sentencing marks the end of decades for her in the court system - often as a serial imposter - where she has been convicted of fraud and other related crimes across Canada and in the US. The sentencing hearing, which began on Monday, heard from former patients, some of whom described how learning of the fraud undermined
their faith in the health system.
Cleroux, now in her early 50s, went by multiple aliases including Brigitte Marier, Brigitte Fournier, Melanie Cleroux, Melanie Gauthier, Melanie Thompson and Melanie Smith, according to the College of Nurses of Ontario.
In June 2020, she got a job using a false name and fake resume and references as a nurse at the BC Women's Hospital. She worked there until June 2021, when she was placed on leave following complaints. She was involved in caring - directly and indirectly - for hundreds of patients who attended the centre for gynaecological surgical procedures, according to court documents.
Investigators began to identify suspects and their specific methods and tactics including
On Sept. 10, Ala Zadi, 27, of Pont-Rouge, Que., was arrested and charged with 18 auto theft-related offences. He’s currently being held in a Toronto-area detention centre and a warrant is being prepared to charge him with 18 more auto theft offences.
South Asian man charged in protest tractor crash
A 54-year-old Chilliwack man has been charged after colliding a tractor with B.C. RCMP vehicles during a protest in Surrey a year ago.
The tractor was leading a slow-moving westbound convoy on the Trans-Canada Highway near 176th Street on Nov. 25, 2023, when the collision occurred. The convoy was protesting sexual orientation and gender identity programs, or SOGI, being taught in B.C. public schools.
The driver was seriously injured when the tractor flipped onto its side, while one officer received minor injuries in the collision.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which looks into police interactions resulting in serious injury or death, cleared the officers for their part in the crash.
On Dec. 9, Malkiat Singh (Bill) Shoker was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle, flight while being pursued by police and assaulting an officer with a weapon.
Shoker was arrested on Dec. 18 and is due back in provincial court in Surrey on Jan. 16.
Police seek 6 suspects who allegedly robbed a Markham bank and customers inside
York Regional Police are on the hunt for six suspects who are wanted in connection with a Markham bank robbery that happened on Monday afternoon.
According to police, six armed suspects allegedly entered a bank in the area of Markham Road and Highglen Avenue at approximately 5:30 p.m. and ordered everyone to drop to the ground.
The suspects fled the scene in a dark sport utility vehicle with an unknown quantity of cash and cell phones. The first suspect is described as a Black male with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, a black mask and grey shoes.
The second suspect is described as a Black male who was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, a black mask, black hat,
white socks, blue gloves and dirty white shoes.
The third suspect is described as a Black male with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black balaclava, grey Nike hoodie with matching track pants, blue gloves, blackand-white shoes and carrying a brown and black backpack.
The fourth suspect is described as a man with brown skin. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, a black mask, white gloves and black shoes. He was also carrying a blue-and-white bag and brandishing a firearm.
The fifth suspect is described as a Black male with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black Nike pants, a black mask, white gloves and black shoes. He was also spotted carrying a Jansport backpack and brandishing a firearm.
Mounties in Langley recover gifts stolen from under Christmas tree
Mounties say they saved a family from a Grinch-like burglary over the weekend, tracking down suspects who allegedly stole wrapped presents from a Langley home.
On Sunday, Dec. 22, the Langley RCMP says it began investigating a break in at a home on 28A Avenue in Aldergrove.
“It was reported that the suspects entered the residence in the early hours of the morning and stole several wrapped presents that were placed under the family’s Christmas tree,” Mounties said in a release Wednesday.
Police compared the theft to the story of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Mounties reported tracking down suspects and recovering the presents. “We rewrapped the presents and
returned them to the family to restore the joy of the holiday season,” said Corp Zynal Sharoom. Police say the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the alleged theft is asked to call the Langley RCMP and quote file number 2024-41544.
Christmas Day apartment fire drives families from homes in Prince Rupert
Multiple families were forced from their homes in the early hours of Christmas Day when fire broke out in an apartment building in Prince Rupert, B.C.
Fire crews were called to the Sherbrooke Apartments around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
“I just threw my hoodie on, put on my shoes and everybody was getting ready to evacuate,” said Gabriel Hill, who lives with his family on the third floor.
“I went out to the hallway, ran down the stairs and soon as I saw the smoke going off I ran back up and told everybody it’s actually happening and we all rushed out…. Everything was just so sudden. I just can’t believe it’s happening right now.” Hill, his parents, his aunt and his cat all got out of the building. He thanked local police for helping
his mother, who uses a wheelchair, to get out quickly.
The 99 residents of the building safely escaped the fire and were relocated to local hotels, according to the City of Prince Rupert.
The Salvation Army is collecting donations of food and essential items such as toiletries and hygiene supplies, diapers, bottles, and formula.
Hill said he is thankful to be safe, but is worried about the next couple days. His parents’ medications are still in the apartment and residents are not yet allowed back in.
“It’s really stressful,” he said, adding the Salvation Army has been helping people get access to new clothing and other necessities.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Hells Angels-linked Canadian gangster killed in targeted Mexico hit
Death came calling under the warm Mexican sun for a man wanted for drug trafficking and links to the Hells Angels.
Cops say Mathieu “Barbu” Bélanger, 39, of Repentigny, Quebec, who was on the run from a Canada-wide warrant, was killed in a targeted hit in Playa del Carmen on Saturday. Belanger was shot to death by two gun-wielding motorcyclists as he climbed into his new luxury Jeep SUV at a shopping plaza in the middle of the day.
He had been wanted by the SQ for unauthorized possession of a firearm, negligent use of a firearm and improper storage.
South
Asian man wants to know
why BC prosecutors stayed charges against him
A B.C. man is facing a court battle as he attempts to force prosecutors here to release the reasons why they decided not to go ahead with sex-crime charges against him in 2008.
Journal de Montreal reports that Belanger was part of a cartel that exported massive quantities of cocaine to Quebec and the rest of Canada. The paper said he was a high-ranking member of the gang.
Belanger then fled Canada with his partner, AndréeAnne Vignola Sullivan, 33, and their three children. She is also wanted in connection with the investigation. The family had been living in Playa del Carmen using bogus Mexican documents for the past two years. South of the Rio Grande, he continued to be a major player in the cocaine trade, police sources told JDM.
Now, cops in Mexico are attempting to piece together the connection between Belanger, the Hells Angels and the hyper-violent Mexican drug cartels.
Gurpreet (Garry) Dhillon is hoping to use that information to help him challenge his life sentence for similar crimes in the U.S.
Dhillon has made several attempts under B.C.’s freedom-of-information laws to obtain the records, going as far as the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Earlier this month, the B.C. attorney general went to court to block the release of the information, citing the importance of the independence of prosecutors to make decisions about a case.
Dhillon was charged in B.C. in 2007 with an unknown number of sexually based offences but all charges were stayed in 2008, records from the information and privacy commissioner show.
In 2008, Dhillon was also charged in the
U.S. with similar offences involving the same victim. He was arrested in 2015 in Canada and extradited to the U.S. three years later. In 2019, he was sentenced to four life sentences in a U.S. prison, according to the records. Attempts to determine where in the U.S. the crimes were committed were unsuccessful.
In 2023, Dhillon’s lawyer filed a court petition in the U.S. challenging his convictions. Dhillon believes the information from his Canadian case will help him overturn those U.S. convictions, the records state.
Dhillon’s attempts to obtain a 2008 prosecution memo to Surrey RCMP explaining why it was entering a stay of proceedings go back to 2015. But the Ministry of Attorney General, which oversees the B.C. Prosecution Service, repeatedly refused his requests, arguing, among other things, that it would lead to the release of information related to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion.
Police recover stolen search and rescue equipment
Mounties in Squamish say they have recovered B.C. Parks and search and rescue equipment that was stolen this fall. Police received a report on Oct. 18 that a B.C. Parks storage unit had been broken into overnight and “large items” were stolen. On Nov. 21, police received a report of a theft from a vehicle in Whistler, with the value of stolen items in both incidents totalling more than $20,000.
Canada's
About a week later, officers attending an unrelated call saw some of the stolen gear in the Squamish Valley area.
The Sea to Sky RCMP said in a news release Monday that a search was conducted on Nov. 29 and police recovered some of the stolen searchand-rescue gear and other valuables.
Officers are reminding the public to contact police immediately after a theft.
'flagpoling' ban in effect to stop shortcut visa applications
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There are still rare exceptions where a person will be granted a work or study permit even though they meet the definition of flagpoling, including international truck drivers with a work permit, professionals under certain free trade agreements and American citizens.
Miller first announced the plan to ban the practice on Dec. 17, alongside Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc who promised a border control package worth $1.3 billion. This includes removing the point value for having a job offer in Canada’s express entry immigration system. The stated goal of this change is to reduce and prevent immigration fraud.
In a social media post, Miller said this will take effect in the spring and that it will be a temporary measure.
A broader review of the express entry program is being conducted, and a future
decision on the value of a job offer in that system will be made at that time.
A labour market impact assessment, a key document required for an employer to hire a foreign worker, is currently worth 50 to 200 points in the express entry system.
Applicants are not supposed to pay for these, but a black market has emerged where people are charging tens of thousands of dollars for these documents.
Applications that are already in progress won’t be affected once this change takes effect.
Miller also said the government is looking at ways to streamline Canada’s asylum system at that Dec. 17 press conference. This includes exploring options to “quickly deal with” illegitimate claims.
The government’s broader border measures plan to respond to Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat also includes enhanced aerial surveillance and drug detection efforts.
Supreme Court of Fiji judge gets UN appointment Minister condemns sharing of private video
Indian national and a current judge with the Supreme Court of Fiji, Madan Lokur has been appointed as the chairperson of the Internal.
Justice Lokur has been appointed for a 4-year-tenure ending on November 12, 2028.
“I have the pleasure to appoint you, with immediate effect, as a member of the Internal Justice Council, in the capacity of Chairperson, for a term ending on 12 November 2028,” the letter addressed to Lokur by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
Justice Lokur joined the Fiji Supreme Court of Fiji bench in 2019, and his term was extended by 3 years in 2022.
Police on high alert for livestock thefts
Fijians have been urged to secure their livestock before the weather worsens or before it gets dark.
In light of recent livestock thefts, Fiji Police Force said they would continue to be on a lookout for opportunist especially during this adverse weather.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations (ACPO) Livai Driu said Police had received numerous complaints of livestock theft and opportunists would take advantage of the current weather situation.
“Our officers are also conducting community policing visitation during these festive operations and they are also providing advisory to members of the communities to be responsible and ensure their livestock are well looked after,” ACP Driu said.
He is calling on members of the communities to secure their livestock before the weather worsens or before it gets dark.
ACP Driu called on everyone to be on a lookout for each other.
Rakiraki town closed due to flooding
All entry into Rakiraki town from the Tavua and Suva side is now closed due to flooding of the Naqoro flats.
It has been raining in the district since early this morning that has resulted in the Nakauvadra river getting flooded.
The Rakiraki town has been closed for business today.
The Nadi weather office states an active trough of low pressure with associated clouds and rain remains slow moving over Fiji.
There will be periods of rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms all over Fiji today.
Major flooding situation unfolding in Western towns
There is major flooding underway in Rakiraki, Tavua, Ba, Lautoka and parts of Nadi.
The Rakiraki town has been closed due to heavy rain and the potential for more flooding today. Shops in Ba are also closed with flood
waters now entering the town.
The Sabeto river has burst its banks and there is flooding on adjacent roads to the river.
The Nadi weather office states a heavy rain warning remains in force for the whole of Fiji.
Flood waters enter Nadi town
Flood waters have entered the Nadi town a short while ago. Emergency workers are out to assist those who have been caught in the flooding. A video has been sent in by Tuirabe Wasasala shows people driving their vehicles
through flooded waters. The flooding is due to the Qeleloa river breaking its banks after heavy downpour earlier today. Several houses on Koromakawa road in Nadi also were affected after flood waters entered houses in the area.
Illegal to slaughter cattle, pig, sheep, goat & chicken in the backyard
The Ministry of Agriculture is advising the public to buy their festive season meat from authorised butchers or an abattoir.
In a public notice, the Ministry states it is illegal to sell the meat of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and chickens slaughtered in the backyard.
‘As we are in the festive season, we advise the public to only purchase meat from the butcher or abattoir, or from a registered slaughterhouse that has been approved by authorities for human consumption,” states the Ministry.
The Ministry states under the Meat Industry Act, inspectors are empowered to
enter any premises where sale of slaughtered animals is taking place.
“If you have a function that would require the slaughter of livestock, please contact the nearest Agriculture Office for a meat inspector.”
A cabinet minister has criticised the unlawful circulation of a private video after Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka revealed he had sought her explanation on the matter.
Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya stated the video was a private exchange between consenting adults taken out of context and in this case, a private exchange between her and her husband.
Ms Tabuya condemned the circulation of the footage, calling it an example of technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
“What I am dealing with is the grim reality of what two-thirds of women and girls in Fiji
face – online violence. This occurs when private images are shared without consent. It must stop if we are serious about ending violence against women and girls,” she stated. She emphasised that the criminal act lies in the illegal acquisition and distribution of such content.
“Individuals and organisations circulating the video and attempting to frame it as a scandal are promoting online violence. Women face this daily, whether through sextortion or revenge porn.” The minister also highlighted the disproportionate targeting of women online, particularly female leaders.
Imran demands party meeting ahead of talks with
Pak govt
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has sought a meeting with his negotiating team that is in talks with the Pakistan government saying it will make the process “meaningful”.
Khan, 72, founder of the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI), also put forth the demands of his party and said if the government agrees, he will postpone the civil disobedience movement announced earlier.
The PTI leader’s announcement came during a meeting with his lawyers’ team on Tuesday in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where he has been incarcerated since last year.
Yunus weaponising judiciary for ‘political witch-hunt’: Hasina’s son
Sanjeeb Wazed, son of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has accused the Muhammad Yunus led interim government of “weaponising the judiciary” for carrying out a “political witch-hunt” against the Awami League leadership. Wazed’s allegations, as a long post on X, came two days after the interim government on Monday said it has sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking Hasina’s extradition from India. On Monday, India confirmed receiving the ‘note verbale’ or diplomatic communication from the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi but refrained from commenting on it.
Pakistani airstrikes kill 46 in Afghanistan
Bombardment by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province on Tuesday killed at least 46 people, most of whom were children and women, the Afghan Taliban said, adding it would retaliate.
Six people were also injured in the bombing at four locations in Afghanistan, deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on Wednesday. Pakistani government and military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Afghanistan’s foreign office said it had summoned Pakistan’s head of mission in Kabul to deliver a formal protest note to Islamabad on the bombing by Pakistani military aircraft, warning the diplomat of consequences of such actions.
“Afghanistan considers this brutal act a blatant violation of all international principles
and an obvious act of aggression,” Enayatullah Khowrazmi, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, said in a statement. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered.” A Pakistani official with knowledge of the matter, but declining to be named, said Pakistan had carried out airstrikes against a camp of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) Islamist militant group.
TTP pledges allegiance to, and gets its name from the Afghan Taliban, but is not directly a part of the group that rules Afghanistan. Its stated aim is to impose Islamic religious law in Pakistan, as the Taliban has done in Afghanistan. A major TTP attack in Pakistan’s South Waziristan area, which borders the location of the alleged camp targeted in Afghanistan, killed 16 Pakistani security personnel on Saturday.
India to fund 33 projects worth Rs 2,371 mn in Sri Lanka
India is to provide Rs 2,371 million to Sri Lanka for 33 development projects in education, health and agriculture sectors in the eastern province, it was announced on Tuesday.
The cabinet has approved a proposal to sign an MoU to boost socio-economic development and bilateral ties between the two countries, cabinet spokesman and the Health Minister Nalinda Jayathissa told reporters here.
India is to provide Rs 315 million for education, Rs 780 million for health and Rs 620 million for agricultural projects under the arrangement.
$5 bn nuclear graft probe launched against Hasina
An anti-graft panel in Bangladesh has launched an investigation against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family in connection with the allegations of embezzling USD 5 billion in the Rooppur nuclear power plant, according to a media report.
Indian companies are participating in constructing the Rooppur nuclear power plant which is being built by Rosatom, Russia’s staterun corporation, in Bangladesh.
The first Bangladeshi nuclear power plant, the Russian-designed Rooppur, is being built 160 km west of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
Rosatom has refuted the “provocative statements” in the media about the Rooppur NPP project.
Along with Hasina, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Tulip Siddiq, her niece and the UK’s Treasury minister, were also questioned, BDNews reported on Sunday.
Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker wants to renew peace talks with New Delhi
“Even though the chance was missed, we should try again,” said Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan when asked about Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 1999 ‘bus yatra’, a bold attempt by the then Indian prime minister to put India-Pakistan relations on the peace track.
Vajpayee took a bus ride to Lahore on February 19, 1999. He and Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif signed the Lahore Declaration after a historic summit here. The agreement signalled a breakthrough, but just months later a Pakistani intrusion led to the Kargil War.
Wednesday is Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary.
“Vajpayee’s visit to Lahore in 1999 was a defining moment. Even though the chance was missed, we should try again. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who follows Vajpayee’s vision, leading India, and Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s brother, in charge in Pakistan, there is a real possibility of restarting the peace process,” says Khan, who is a senior member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Khan says the future of the region depends on free trade and unrestricted movement between countries. “Peace in the region is not just a good idea – it is necessary for growth and prosperity,” the Punjab Speaker adds. Another senior PML-N leader, Mohammad Mehdi, describes Vajpayee’s Lahore visit as historic. He believes the visit could have led to lasting peace if the Kargil conflict had not happened. Mehdi said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) held protests during Vajpayee’s visit, which many believe were organised by the military led by General Musharraf.
CM should stage dharna at PM’s house: Dallewal Punjab and Haryana under grip of severe cold conditions
Farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast at Khanauri, asked eight Punjab ministers who met him on Wednesday “why can’t Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stage a dharna” in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in support of farmers’ demands.
“If the CM can fast in support of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal a few months ago, why can’t he stage a dharna at the PM’s residence in support of farmers now?” Dallewal said.
This was revealed by senior leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and state general secretary of BKU (Sidhupur) Kaka Singh Kotra at Khanauri today. Kotra, however, did not say anything about the minsters’ response.
Dallewal asked the ministers that he had been observing fast since November 26, what the CM had done so far for getting the demands of the farmers fulfilled. Kotra said he also felt that the state government had done nothing concrete in that direction so far.
Meanwhile, the SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha held a meeting with representatives of various unions of transporters, ASHA workers, toll plaza workers, labourers, journalists, sarpanches, students, teachers etc. to ensure complete “Punjab bandh” on December 30. Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said various unions assured them of their complete participation in the bandh. After holding talks with employee unions, it was decided that staffers of government and non-government offices would also observe the bandh from 7 am to 4 pm on December 30.
Arhtiyasandricemillersrejectdraftagripolicy
Showing solidarity with farmers, commission agents and rice millers have rejected the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing.
During a discussion with a high-powered delegation of the state government, led by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, here on Thursday, representatives of commission agents and rice millers expressed fears over the draft policy’s intent to do away with the system of mandis.
They have asked the state government to call a meeting of the Vidhan Sabha and after taking
conveying the same to the Centre. The state government has to send its observations on the policy to the Centre by January 10. Earlier, representatives of farmer unions had also rejected the policy.
“When private market yards are to be encouraged, as envisaged in the new policy, it is a clear signal that the already established mandis will not get any central support. The policy clearly encourages creation of silos by private entities and allows them to directly purchase agricultural produce from farmers. This means that commission agents will be thrown out of
Several places in Punjab and Haryana reeled under severe cold conditions on Thursday, with the common capital of the two states, Chandigarh, recording a low of 7.3 degrees Celsius, MeT officials said.
Pathankot and Faridkot in Punjab recorded identical minimum temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department here.
Among other places in Punjab, Amritsar experienced a cold night at 5.7 degrees Celsius, while Gurdaspur recorded a low of 6 degrees Celsius.
Ferozepur and Rupnagar also endured intense chill, recording respective minimums of 5.7 and 5.9 degrees, while Ludhiana and Patiala registered identical minimums of 7.4 degrees Celsius.
In Haryana, Narnaul shivered at a minimum temperature of 4.5 degrees Celsius, while Sirsa recorded a low of 5 degrees Celsius.
Karnal also reeled under intense cold, registering a minimum of 5.5 degrees Celsius. Ambala recorded a low of 7.6 degrees, while Hisar registered a low of 6.9 degrees. Gurugram’s minimum settled at 8.8 degrees Celsius.
100% piped water supply in villages, says minister
The Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department has achieved major targets in providing clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities to the rural population this year.
Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme, Punjab had become the fifth state in the country to provide 100% piped water supply to rural households.
To address the issues of water quality and scarcity, 15 major canal water projects, worth
underway. These projects would benefit nearly 4 lakh families. Mundian further said all villages of the state had achieved open defecation free (ODF) status under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural). A total of 5.64 lakh household toilets and 1,340 public conveniences had been constructed. More than 10,435 villages of the state have become ODF Plus (desirable) and 1,289 villages have achieved ODF Plus (model) status. Facilities had been provided for solid waste management in 3,366 villages and
Alleging that the Constitution faces its “gravest threat yet”, the Congress on Thursday said Home Minister Amit Shah’s “denigration” of B R Ambedkar in Parliament is the latest instance of the RSS-BJP’s decades-long project to undermine the Constitution.
In its political resolution, the Congress Working Committee reiterated the demand for the Home Minister’s resignation as well as an apology to the nation from him.
Two resolutions were passed at the ‘Nava Satyagraha Baithak’ here attended by top Congress leaders, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, and general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, among others.
“Unfortunately, as we enter the 75th year of our Republic in exactly a month’s time, the Constitution faces its gravest threat yet.
Jawaharlal Nehru had said that ‘there is no doubt that no one took greater care and trouble over Constitution making than Dr. Ambedkar’,” the resolution read.
“The Union Home Minister’s denigration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament is the latest instance of the RSS-BJP’s decadeslong project to undermine the Constitution. The CWC reiterates the demand for the Union Home Minister’s resignation as well as for an apology to the nation from him,” it said.
The ruling BJP received contributions of over Rs 2,600 crore during 2023-24 while the opposition Congress got Rs 281.38 crore in its kitty, according to contribution reports of the two parties put in public domain by the Election Commission (EC).
The donations listed in the reports were received till March 31, ahead of the Lok Sabha election. BJP had declared donations worth over Rs 740 crore ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, while the Congress had claimed to have received over Rs 146 crore in 2018-19.
During 2023-24, while BJP received over Rs 723 crore worth of donations from Prudent Electoral Trust, it also got over Rs 127 crore from Triumph Electoral Trust and over Rs 17 lakh from Einzigartig Electoral Trust.
The Congress got over Rs 150 crore from the Prudent Electoral Trust, which was the sole trust donor to the party.
Interestingly, the Congress received multiple donations of Rs 1.38 lakh, including those from top leaders — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and Digvijaya Singh, among others. Multiple donations were made to the Congress under the heading “Happy Birthday to our leader — JKB”.
The contributions declared by the Congress and BJP do not include the donations received through electoral bonds as these have to be declared in the party’s annual audit reports and not contribution statements. AAP, which is also a recognised national party, received contributions of over Rs 11.06 crore during the fiscal. Another recognised national party, CPI-M, received donations worth over Rs 7.64 crore. The National People’s Party (NPP), which is the only recognised national party from the North East, got over Rs 14.85 lakh in its kitty. BJP was also a major beneficiary of electoral bonds purchased by big corporate groups like Vedanta, Bharti Airtel, Muthoot, Baja Auto, Jindal group and TVS Motors. The party also received Rs 3 crore through multiple donations from Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd owned by Santiago Martin, also known as ‘Lottery King’ of India. He is under scanner of ED and the IT department for alleged money laundering. Future Gaming was also the biggest donor through electoral bonds route with the TMC being the top beneficiary.
The company had donated Rs 542 crore to TMC, Rs 503 crore to DMK and Rs 154 crore to the YSR Congress Party.
US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Indian-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author Sriram Krishnan as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence.
“Sriram Krishnan will serve as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy,” Trump said on Sunday as he announced a number of appointments on artificial intelligence or AI. Krishnan will work along with David O Sacks who will be the White House AI and Crypto Czar.
“Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in AI and help shape and coordinate AI policy across government, including working with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sriram started his career at Microsoft as a founding member of Windows Azure,” Trump said. Krishnan said, “I’m honoured to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with David Sacks.” Krishnan’s appointment has been welcomed by the Indian American community.
Simran Singh, a popular freelance radio jockey from Jammu and Kashmir with nearly seven lakh followers on Instagram, allegedly committed suicide in her rented house in Sector 47 here, police said on Thursday. Her body was found hanging in her room on Wednesday night, they said, adding no suicide note was found from the spot. The Instagram profile of Simran, known by her fans as “Jammu Ki Dhadkan”, shows she last
posted a reel on December 13, police said. According to police, Simran who had 6,82,000 followers on Instagram lived on rent with other friends in House No. 58 of Sector 47 here for the last several months.
Sunil Kumar, SHO of Sadar police station, said that they got information around 9:30 pm on Wednesday from a friend of Simran, who was staying in the same house.
A shocking case of financial fraud has emerged from Maharashtra’s Divisional Sports Complex in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where a 23-year-old contractual computer operator allegedly siphoned off Rs 21.59 crore from government funds.
The accused, Harshal Kumar Anil Kshirsagar, who earned a modest salary of Rs 13,000 per month, is now on the run, leaving behind a trail of luxury purchases and accomplices under police scrutiny.
Harshal orchestrated an audacious scheme where he used an old letterhead of a sports complex to request a change in the email address linked to the institution’s bank account.
Creating a nearly identical email ID with a minor alteration, Harshal gained control over the account by activating its internet banking feature, reports NDTV.
Between July 1 and December 7, 2024, Harshal executed over a dozen transactions, diverting Rs 21.59 crore into 13 different bank accounts. The scheme came to light when a senior sports department official noticed
significant financial discrepancies and alerted the authorities. The stolen money financed an extravagant lifestyle that belied Harshal’s humble professional position. He splurged on a Rs 1.2 crore BMW car, a Rs 1.3 crore luxury SUV, and a Rs 32 lakh BMW motorcycle.
Harshal also purchased a 4 BHK apartment near the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport and gifted it to his girlfriend. To further impress her, he allegedly ordered diamond-studded glasses and other gold ornaments.
The Economic Offenses Wing of the police has launched an extensive investigation, arresting two of Harshal’s accomplices: his colleague, Yashoda Shetty, and her husband, BK Jeevan.
Luxury vehicles have been seized, and efforts are underway to trace the fleeing Harshal.
“We’ve filed an FIR against three individuals in this case. While two have been arrested, the main accused is still at large. We suspect others may also be involved and are interrogating people associated with the sports complex,” said DCP. Prashant Kadam.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he has lost his mentor and guide in former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
“Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family,” Gandhi said in a post on X.
“I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the
utmost pride,” the former Congress chief said. Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died here on Thursday night. He was 92. His death was announced by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, where he was admitted in the Emergency ward around 8.30 pm in a critical condition. An AIIMS bulletin said “he was treated for age related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home” on December 26.
Paying tributes to his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders whose wisdom and humility were always visible.
Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died here on Thursday night. He was 92.
Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist, Modi said, noting that Singh served in various government positions as well, including as finance minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.
In a post on X, Modi said, “His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives.”
Recalling their interactions when he was the Gujarat chief minister and Singh the country’s prime minister, Modi said they would have extensive deliberations on various subjects relating to governance. “His wisdom and humility were always visible,” Modi said, adding, “In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the family of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji, his friends and countless admirers. Om Shanti.”
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He had been admitted to a hospital in the capital Delhi after his health condition deteriorated, reports say.
Among those who paid tribute to Singh on Thursday were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wrote on social media that "India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders".
Modi said that Singh's "wisdom and humility were always visible" during their interactions and that he had "made extensive efforts to improve people's lives" during his time as prime minister.
Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and a Congress party member, said that Singh was "genuinely egalitarian, wise, strong-willed and courageous until the end".
Her brother Rahul, who leads Congress, said he had "lost a mentor and guide".
Singh was the first Indian leader since
Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after serving a full first term, and the first Sikh to hold the country's top post. He made a public apology in parliament for the 1984 riots in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed. But his second term in office was marred by a string of corruption allegations that dogged his administration. The scandals, many say, were partially responsible for his Congress party's crushing defeat in the 2014 general election.
Singh was born on 26 September 1932, in a desolate village in the Punjab province of undivided India, which lacked both water and electricity.
After attending Panjab University he took a master's degree at the University of Cambridge and then a DPhil at Oxford.
While studying at Cambridge, the lack of funds bothered Singh, his daughter, Daman Singh, wrote in a book on her parents.
