Five ridiculous ways taxpayer dollars were spent in 2024
Canadian taxpayers have faced an onslaught of jaw-dropping expenditures this year, with government spending sometimes leaving taxpayers scratching their heads.
While 2024 saw billions of taxpayer dollars wasted on things taxpayers might not agree with, some expenditures were less expensive but even more jawdropping and outlandish.
Here are some of the most ridiculous examples of how taxpayer dollars were spent in the past year. Not all of the spending occurred exclusively in 2024, but all of these expenditures came to the public’s attention this year. Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau’s four-day trip to Italy and Switzerland racked up a $71,000 food bill, with $43,000 spent on dining aboard the government’s airplane. Continued on Page 4...
Fears of all-out war between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Afghan Taliban forces have targeted “several points” in neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said, days after Pakistani
aircraft carried out aerial bombardments inside the country. The statement from the defence ministry on Saturday did not directly specify that Pakistan was hit, but said the attacks were conducted “beyond the ‘hypothetical line'”. The hardline Islamist group boasted it had obliterated 'several' Pakistani positions and mobilised battalions of fighters to confront any retaliation from Islamabad, in a chilling show of force. The attacks come in response to Pakistani airstrikes targeting the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP), an ally of the Afghan Taliban, in eastern Afghanistan.
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Vancouver Canucks winger Arshdeep Bains reached a major milestone, but it has nothing to do with hockey. Continued on Page 12...
Vancouver police say a 66-year-old suspect is facing multiple criminal charges following an attempted armed robbery at a downtown retailer.
Police say officers arrived at Holt Renfrew just before noon on Monday after reports that someone had entered the store, threatened to shoot staff and attempted to steal merchandise.
Police say officers then seized weapons, including a firearm and two improvised explosive devices, which were rendered safe by explosive technicians with the department's Emergency Response Section. They say the suspect has been arrested and charged with robbery, uttering threats to cause death and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Six things that will cost more in BC in 2025
A new year brings fresh hope and opportunity, but also rising costs.
Canada’s inflation rate is just under two per cent, after peaking at 8.1 per cent in June 2022. Compared with the past three years, cost-ofliving hikes should slow down in 2025.
But prices for goods and services will still rise. Here is a look at some increased costs for British Columbians this year.
1. Food
Canada’s 2025 Food Price Report says families will spend around $800 more for a set bundle of groceries in the new year.
Researchers say that food prices are expected to go up by three to five per cent. Meat is expected to rise between four and six per cent, vegetables between three and five per cent, and baked goods between two and four per cent.
A Canadian family of four will spend around $17,000 on food in 2025, compared to $16,200 in 2024. Continued on Page 6...
A Canadian criminologist who once worked on inland immigration enforcement for the Canada Border Services Agency says Canada needs to better track foreign nationals who arrive in the country on student visas.
Kelly Sundberg, a professor at Mount Royal University, says it does not surprise him at all that Indian law enforcement agencies are investigating links between Canadian colleges and a scheme to ferry international students across the Canada-U. S. border. India’s Enforcement Directorate said on Tuesday it had uncovered evidence of human trafficking after probing the Indian connection to a family that died in a frigid winter trying to cross the border from Manitoba into Minnesota in 2022. Neither Public Safety Canada nor the RCMP would comment on the allegations Friday,
which have not been proven in court.
Sundberg says Canada needs to collect biometric data of people coming to Canada, tie that to immigration documents, and have a way of determining when people leave the country.
These latest allegations land as Canada is making major changes to its immigration system, including significant cutbacks on the number of student visas it issues.
At an immigration committee meeting last month, the Conservatives asked how Canada tracks international students if they leave the country. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the vast majority of people on temporary visas, including students, leave once their visa expires. He said there is work to do to curb asylum claims from international students.
An overnight fire has destroyed businesses at a Surrey, B.C., strip mall.
Acting assistant chief Kevin Copeland with the Surrey Fire Service told Global News that crews were called at 10:47 p.m. on Wednesday to the 10600 block of 135A Street. Copeland said they were met with heavy smoke and flames from the rear corner of the strip.
The fire was also fuelled by a damaged gas line, which was eventually turned off.
In total, 24 firefighters were called in to fight the blaze.
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are unknown but it appears that a restaurant, a tea shop and a counselling service are all heavily damaged.
A difference in development between two Metro Vancouver municipalities has resulted in an unusual intersection and a main road coming to a dead end. 24th Avenue crosses from Surrey into Langley Township.
In Surrey, the city expanded the road to four lanes with sidewalks and lane dividers to serve the Campbell Heights industrial district.
However, when 24th Avenue hits Langley Township, it turns into a narrow two-lane rural road with no sidewalks.
The Township has also put up barricades to block off its part of the road. “When Surrey completed a four-lane arterial road up to the 196 (Street) border, Township of Langley
council opted to leave the road closed because 24 Avenue on the Township side is a rural standard and probably needs some upgrades before the two roads can be connected,” Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward said.
He added that council is currently looking at the budget process to upgrade the stretch of road. “Given that Surrey, I think. is looking for us to provide a connection and another east-west connection in 24th Avenue into Campbell Heights, I think it’d be appropriate for our new council to have a look at seeing if we can open that up,” Woodward said. In a statement, the City of Surrey said it is collaborating with the Township of Langley.
A Canadian Ultrarunner Was Arrested in India for Carrying a Garmin inReach
In early December, a Canadian trail runner named Tina Lewis was two months into her extended trip to India when she ran into legal trouble due to her backcountry GPS communication device.
On December 6, Lewis, 51, arrived at Dabolim International Airport in the city of Goa, to fly to the nearby city of Kochi. She was traveling with a Garmin inReach Mini, a popular GPS and satellite messaging device often used by backpackers and climbers.
“It had been an amazing trip, the trip of a lifetime,” Lewis told Outside.
But when Lewis removed her InReach from her carry-on bag and placed it onto a scanning tray, she said a security officer approached her and asked her questions about the device. Lewis said armed guards then removed her from the line. Lewis missed her flight. For the next four hours she was detained and interrogated about the InReach. Although her eventual fine was just $11, Lewis said she spent more than $2,000 to pay legal fees and bail.
six days attempting to get her passport back from authorities. She had to appear in court on three consecutive days, and she eventually hired lawyers to avoid jail time.
India’s laws prohibiting individuals from owning satellite devices are published online: Unless registered and licensed by the government, satellite communicators are illegal. The Garmin website lists India as one of 14 countries that may “regulate or prohibit the use or possession of a satellite communicator” or are otherwise embargoed by the United States. The other nations on the list are Afghanistan, Ukrainian Crimea, Cuba, Georgia, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Russia.
“They treated me like a frickin’ fugitive,” she said. Outside reached out to India’s Central Industrial Security Force public relations office, as well as the Goa airport division, but neither agency provided comment. Outside also reached out to the Indian embassy in Washington D.C. but did not receive a comment.
Lewis had unknowingly violated an Indian law that requires individuals to obtain a license before owning or using a personal satellite communication device. Lewis spent the next
But the roots of the law are tied to an obscure rule from India’s past. The ban on satellite communication originated with the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933. According to Global Rescue, an international medical and security evacuation service, these older laws were reinforced after the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, when an Islamist militia used satellite communicators to coordinate bombings and shootings that killed nearly 200 people.
Lewis argues that the GPS device was an integral part of her travel kit. She spent much of her vacation traveling alone, and the device provided an added layer of safety. “I was just using the device to stay in touch with my family, to let them know where I was,” she said. Before her arrest, she had used her inReach twice, both when in regions with little to no cell reception.
BC claims millions in property transfer taxes at stake in battle over debt-ridden projects
The province of B.C. claims buyers of massive debt-ridden real estate projects are trying to dodge millions in property transfer taxes through a unique financial mechanism supposedly designed only for "exceptional circumstances."
With cash-strapped developers facing stiff economic headwinds, the province wants Canada's top court to weigh in on the increased use of so-called "reverse vesting orders" in insolvency proceedings — claiming both the public purse and Indigenous consultation are at stake.
the proposed $72 million sale of Southview Gardens, an 18-building, 140-unit rental property in Vancouver's Champlain Heights neighbourhood.
The receiver overseeing the deal wanted the purchase made through a reverse vesting order, which involves placing a debtor company's unwanted assets and liabilities in a shell corporation and transferring shares for the ownership of the desirable assets that remain.
The end result is that the shell company stays in receivership, and the buyer ends up with beneficial control of the debtor company and its property — without having to register a transfer of title with B.C.'s land title office.
"The views of [the Supreme Court of Canada] ... are required before reverse vesting orders become even more widespread and have an even greater impact on regulators, Indigenous Peoples, and the provincial and federal treasuries," the province says in an application to the court.
"Until this court addresses the matter, B.C. and other governments with similar tax regimes will lose millions of dollars in tax revenue, and Indigenous Peoples will be forced to expend more resources defending their rights than otherwise would be the case."
The province has asked the court for leave to appeal a 2024 B.C. Court of Appeal ruling on a battle over insolvency proceedings involving
In the sale of Southview Gardens, that meant avoiding $3.5 million in property transfer taxes — money the receiver argued would be better placed in the pockets of creditors than the government.
At the appeal court, the judges said granting of a reverse vesting order in the Southview Gardens case met the goals of Canada's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act: "namely by maximizing return for creditors while balancing other risks."
The receiver's arguments were grounded in a fact not widely known to people only familiar with residential home sales: multi-billion dollar commercial properties change hands in B.C. all the time without any payment of property transfer tax.
The court file includes an affidavit from one of the province's top investment sales brokers claiming it's "highly commonplace" for commercial real estate transactions to occur through the transfer of shares — without the need to incur a change of land title.
Toronto-area teen arrested over alleged plan to travel to join ISIS BC's home-flipping
A Toronto-area teen has been arrested on suspicion he was planning to travel abroad to join ISIS.
Court records show the RCMP applied last month for a terrorism peace bond in the case, which would restrict the movements of the 18-year-old from Newmarket, Ont. The accused can't be named due to his age.
"Although the defendant is an adult now, much of the allegations occurred while he was a young person," said Nathalie Houle, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The RCMP announced on Dec. 19 that it had received the attorney general's
consent for proceedings related to terrorismrelated offences, but investigators declined to provide any specifics on the allegations, or the accused.
The court records obtained Thursday show the Mounties sought a peace bond against the teen on Dec. 18, alleging he may be planning to leave Canada "to participate in the activities" of the listed terrorist group, ISIS.
The teen was released on bail last month and is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 15. The RCMP said he faces "strict court conditions," pending the outcome of the Mounties' peace bond application.
Monday-Friday - 12:00pm
If you’ve owned a home in B.C. for less than two years and are now looking to sell it, your profit from the sale may be subject to a new provincial tax beginning Jan. 1.
The Residential Property (Short-Term Holding) Profit Tax Act — also referred to as the home-flipping tax, will take effect in B.C. at the turn of the New Year.
This means if you bought a property as early as May 2023, you may be subject to the fee.
The province first introduced the idea of the tax in 2022. The legislation, outlined in the BC NDP’s pre-election budget in February of this year, aims to “discourage investors from buying housing only to turn a quick profit.”
The government has explained that, under these proposed rules, homes sold within the first year of being purchased will face a tax rate of 20 per cent of the profit, declining to zero per cent over the second year.
Approximately seven per cent of homes sold in B.C. between 2020 and 2022 were resold within two years, the government noted in February.
“Buying a home is one of the biggest milestones in people’s lives – whether it is their first apartment or sizing up for a growing family
tax comes in effect
– everyone wants to find a place to call home and build a good life,” then minister of finance Katrine Conroy said in April when the Legislation was tabled. “We don’t think families should have to compete against wealthy speculators when they are purchasing a home, which is why we’re taking action against investors who use the housing market as a stock market.”
Some people have critcized the tax and questioned whether it will actually have the desired effect. In response, Conroy said Wednesday the flipping tax is just “one of the tools in our toolbox.”
“It’s one more tool to say that we need to lower the prices, and speculators actually increase the prices of housing in the province,” she explained, adding B.C.’s flipping tax will complement the federal one.
Certain exemptions to the tax do apply, including for “unavoidable life changes,” such as divorce, illness, death, and relocation for work.
The province says builders may also be exempt from the tax, if what they are doing is “adding to the housing supply, including building housing on residential property with no existing housing, or adding an additional suite or housing unit to a property that has an existing home.”
Major Canadian airlines rank bottom of the pack for being on time, data shows
Mexican airline Aeromexico had the world's best record for on-time arrivals in 2024, according to an annual ranking released Thursday. Delta Air Lines scored the highest among U.S. carriers despite a computer outage that caused thousands of flight cancellations in July.
Aviation-data provider Cirium said in a report that nearly 87 per cent of Aeromexico flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival, a widely used measure of ontime performance among airlines.
Saudia, the flagship carrier of Saudi Arabia, ranked second worldwide, with an on-time performance rate of just over 86 per cent, according to Cirium.
Cirium has rated airlines for timeliness for 16 years. CEO Jeremy Bowen said 2024 was a difficult year for airlines due to severe weather patterns and the summer technology outage. The winning airlines therefore deserved credit for getting most passengers to their destinations on time, Bowen said. Atlanta-based Delta
achieved an on-time rate of more than 83 per cent, good enough to rank third worldwide. The next-best U.S. carriers were United Airlines, at nearly 81 per cent, and Alaska Airlines, at just over 79 per cent, Cirium said. Canada's WestJet, Air Canada and Denverbased budget airline Frontier finished at the bottom of the pack among U.S. and Canadian carriers, with on-time ratings below 72 per cent. Other regional winners around the globe, according to Cirium, were Japan Airlines, lowcost Spanish carrier Iberia Express, Panama's Copa Airlines, and South African low-cost carrier FlySafair.
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“The per person food bill for Trudeau and his entourage on this trip was more than the average Canadian family spends on groceries in a month,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
“It would have been cheaper for each member of the prime minister’s delegation to go to the Keg, order a prime rib steak, a Caesar salad, baked garlic shrimp, and a bottle of pinot noir for every meal.”
Meals included veal piccata and lamb ribs, paired with fine wines and Swiss chocolate cake. Canada’s Climate Change Ambassador Catherine Stewart spent $254,000 on luxury travel in under two years, with hotel stays costing up to $623 per night.
Since her first day as ambassador, Stewart began taking international trips.
“Nothing screams fighting climate change like burning through jet fuel and taxpayers’ cash,” said Terrazzano.
One flight from Ottawa to Toronto cost $10,096, including airfare and a $323-per-
night hotel. Other trips saw nightly high-end hotel costs of $390, $454, and $551.
A total of nearly $3 million was spent to send hundreds of people to Dubai for the COP28 summit, including $1.3 million to host a “Canada Pavillion.”
The summit featured rapper Baba Brinkman, son of Liberal MP Joyce Murray, performing a song on “climate disinformation.”
The Liberals sent at least 193 people to the COP28 summit between Nov. 20 and Dec. 12 in 2023.
The majority of hotels for the 193 people sent to Dubai by the Liberals cost between $150 and $400 a night. However, some attendees stayed at the Pullman Dubai Jumeirah Lakes Towers, with rooms costing $816 nightly.
Initially, reports estimated the trip to cost $1.4 million in total. However, the updated records tabled saw the price more than double to $2,954,188.
“Here’s a crazy idea: maybe the feds don’t need to spend $3 million flying 182 politicians and bureaucrats to Dubai,” said Terrazzano.
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What the data really says about “systemic racism” in Canada
New study challenges Canada’s systemic racism narrative
By Matthew Lau : Significant federal program spending is premised on the idea that visible minorities in Canada are systemically disadvantaged.
Take the latest: Earlier this fall, the federal government released a 45-page anti-racism strategy for 2024-2028, which “aims to tackle systemic racism and make our communities more inclusive and prosperous.” Such a strategy is necessary, according to the government, because systemic racism exists throughout our institutions and “(perpetuates) a position of relative disadvantage for racialized persons.”
But where is the evidence for this premise? Not in the income statistics. Directly contradicting the idea that visible minorities are systemically oppressed, a new Statistics Canada study shows many Canadians from minority backgrounds thrive and even do better on average than their white counterparts. The StatCan study started with 1996 and 2001 census data, used T1 and T4 tax files and other data to measure cumulative earnings over 20 years among Canadian-born men and women from four racial cohorts – white, South Asian, Chinese, and Black – and found minorities outperforming the majority population. Clearly, if Chinese and South Asian men have higher earnings power than white men, it is dificult to conclude Canada is systemically racist against minorities. What about the inverse? Does the data suggest Canada is systemically racist against white men? No. “The fact that Chinese and South Asian men have higher education levels than white men and are more likely to be in STEM fields is the single most important factor explaining why these two groups have higher cumulative earnings than white men,” the StatCan report found.
In other words, education, not racism, drives the difierence in earnings. So what happens when we control for education and other factors like employer size, industry, and geography? The earnings gap between white and black men remains. As well, while Chinese and South Asian men out-earned white men, after controlling for education and other factors, white men actually earned more. Alas, have we found evidence of systemic racism? Is this evidence that the country is systemically racist because these employers paid minorities less than their white counterparts with similar educational backgrounds?
Vancouver Canucks' Arshdeep Bains is getting married
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The 23-year-old winger got engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Raman Rai. The couple posted photos of the happy moment to social media, and the Abbotsford Canucks, where Bains currently plays, reposted some of them. They have been together for a long time and have photos of the two of them from when Bains was in junior high.
There are a lot of pictures of the happy couple together, including one of Raman posing with the ring. Bains has been bouncing between the NHL and AHL so far this season. He scored his first NHL goal earlier in the year and has 11 points in 11 AHL games in Abbotsford.
He has one of the best stories on the Canucks. Despite going undrafted in both the junior and professional ranks, he continues to climb upwards with his hard work.
The Surrey native has continued to take massive steps in his development with each passing year. He went from roughly a half-point-per-game player during his first professional season to an AHL All-Star in his second. This year, he’s played more NHL games than ever before.
The winger is in the final year of his entrylevel contract. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer and free to sign the second deal of his career.
The Canucks forward group is deep, which has made it hard for Bains to crack the roster full-time this year, although he’s clearly impressed many inside the organization. Bains is also hugely popular with the fanbase and is one of just four Surrey natives to have scored a goal for the Canucks, alongside teammate Noah Juulsen.
Canada's top-paid CEOs made over 200 times more than the average worker in 2023, says a new report — yet the gap between executives and employees narrowed slightly that year, as workers' wages rose and corporate profits declined during the comedown from high inflation.
The annual report, released by the progressive think-tank Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says chief executives were paid 210 times more than the average worker that year, down from a high of over 240 times more in 2022 and 2021.
The report's authors attribute that high to a boost in corporate profits helped by record-setting inflation — a claim that some executives have disputed in the past — and, by extension, higher bonuses for executives whose compensation is tied to company performance.
David Macdonald, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) and a co-author of the report, said the CEO-to-worker pay ratio continues to grow
Continued from Page 1...
2. Electricity
B.C. Hydro has not yet asked the B.C. Utilities Commission for permission to increase rates for its next fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
A spokesperson said the annual “revenue requirements application” for the coming financial year had not been finalized, but would be lower than the rate of inflation.
The BCUC has, however, approved a 5.56 per cent rate increase for FortisBC customers In the province’s southern interior. Effective Jan. 1, the average customer in Kelowna, south Okanagan, Boundary and Kootenay regions will pay an extra $7.88 on their monthly electricity bill.
Meanwhile, a monthly credit that started being applied to energy bills in April will expire at the end of March. The province said the B.C. electricity affordability credit would save the average residential customer about $100 over 12 months.
3. Taxes
The amount property owners pay to municipalities goes up each year. For 2025, the City of Vancouver has determined property taxes will go up 3.9 per cent.
The B.C. government is introducing a homeflipping tax on Jan. 1 for anyone who buys a home and sells it within two years — unless the sale is due to divorce, job loss or change in household membership. If you sell within the first year, you pay 20 per cent of any profit made on the sale. The rate diminishes until it hits zero at the end of two years.
B.C. was the first jurisdiction in Canada to introduce a carbon tax in 2008. This past year,
despite the recent contraction.
"The long-term trend is pretty clear," Macdonald said in an interview with CBC News. "In the 1980s, CEOs made about 50 times the average worker. In the '90s, it was 100 times. We're now, I think, pretty solidly over 200 times." As high inflation put constraints on purchasing power, Canadian workers began demanding higher compensation to align with the rising cost of living (although some industries are still lagging on wage gains, the report notes). "It's better for them to have a good person that will increase the value of their shares than to have a few cents more at the end of the day on their own package," Boilard said.
the provincial tax increased to $80 a tonne from $65 to align with Ottawa’s price on carbon. The federal tax is scheduled to increase by $15 a tonne annually until it hits $170 in 2030. If the increase happens as scheduled on April 1, it would add about three cents a litre to the price of gas, bringing the tax to about 21 cents a litre.
4. Housing costs
Canada’s inflation rate in November was 1.9 per cent, just below the Bank of Canada’s target rate.
The interest rate peaked at five per cent in July 2023 and stayed there until June 2024, after which it began to drop to its present 3.25 per cent.
Maximum allowable rent increases each year are governed by the provincial government. In 2025, B.C. landlords will be allowed to increase rents by three per cent, a slight decrease from the 3.5 per cent cap in 2024.
5. B.C. Ferries
In 2023, the province said it was providing $500 million over four years to B.C. Ferries to help keep fares down. The Office of the B.C. Ferries Commissioner subsequently capped annual fare increases at 3.2 per cent until March 31, 2028.
6. Tip and waste disposal fees
Metro Vancouver and the City of Vancouver operate a network of recycling and waste disposal facilities across the region. As of Jan. 1, garbage tipping fees — the fee to dispose of waste — increase by $7 a tonne, or between 4.2 per cent and 5.8 per cent depending on the load weight. Yard trimming fees climb by $5 to $118 a tonne. The surcharge for loads containing hazardous materials increases to $76 a load.
Feds promised to test a new 'automatic' tax filing service — but recycled an old program
The federal government promised to "pilot a new automatic [tax] filing service" in 2024 to help get benefits to low- and fixed-income Canadians — but ended up recycling a program from the year before that saw little uptake.
Thousands of low-income Canadians are missing out on government benefits because they don't file a tax return each year. The parliamentary budget officer (PBO) has estimated that an automatic filing system would result in the government paying out between $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion to individuals who are not receiving those benefits now.
In most cases, only people who owe taxes are required by law to file a return each year with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Many people — notably those on government assistance — don't expect to owe the federal government anything,
so they seldom file.
The CRA announced earlier this year that it was expanding its SimpleFile program instead of piloting a new program. Through the SimpleFile program, the CRA mails invitations to a set number of low-income Canadians to call the tax agency and answer a short questionnaire in order to complete their tax returns.
When the CRA announced that expansion, it said that it would include paper and digital options "starting in summer 2024."
Last month, CBC News asked the CRA how many Canadians used the "new" digital and paper SimpleFile options in 2024. The agency said it hadn't finalized the numbers yet but pointed CBC News to a previous pilot from 2023 that offered digital and paper options under the SimpleFile program.
Quebec Liberal caucus wants Trudeau to resign
Quebec MPs are adding to the pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside as leader. Quebec caucus chair Stéphane Lauzon consulted with MPs individually over the holidays and communicated the caucus position to the national caucus leadership, according to sources who spoke.
One Quebec Liberal MP said that the consensus among them is that Trudeau should step down. The MP spoke on the condition that they not be named due to caucus confidentiality. Another MP, Alexandra Mendès, told CBC News that she understands the caucus consensus to be that "the prime minister should step away."
"That has been the consensus that was communicated to the caucus chair and that he was meant to convey to the national caucus."
Mendès says she was not one of the MPs that
Lauzon consulted. She says this was likely due to her already openly calling for the prime minister to step down weeks ago.
The Quebec Liberal caucus is scheduled to meet virtually in caucus on Jan. 9.
Mendès also spoke to Radio-Canada as well in an interview in French and said the call for Trudeau to leave was not "necessarily unanimous."
Radio-Canada contacted all the MPs in the Quebec caucus, but was unable to corroborate Mendès's statements.
Only four MPs — Mendès, Sophie Chatel, Anthony Housefather and Joël Lightbound — confirmed that they were calling for Trudeau to step down.
All four had already expressed this point of view at the start of the crisis caused by Chrystia Freeland's resignation earlier in December.
BC teen with avian flu is off oxygen, no longer infectious, health officials tell medical journal
A letter sent to the editor of The New England Journal of Medicine signed by Canadian health officials says the British Columbia teenager who tested positive for avian flu has been taken off supplemental oxygen and is no longer infectious.
The letter, which was published Tuesday and provides a summary and timeline of the case, was signed by doctors from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, B.C. Children's Hospital, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and B.C.'s agriculture ministry.
It says the patient was a 13-year-old girl who went to a B.C. emergency room on Nov. 4 with a fever and conjunctivitis in her eyes.
The teen, who is described as having a
history of mild asthma and an elevated body mass index, was initially discharged without treatment, but developed a cough, vomiting and diarrhea before she returned on Nov. 7 in respiratory distress.
Additional information posted to the journal's website says the patient was deemed no longer infectious on Nov. 29 and no longer required supplemental oxygen as of Dec. 18.
It also indicates both the girl and her family consented to releasing additional details on her case and notes that, to date, the source of her H5N1 exposure has not yet been determined.
It says there have been no secondary cases of transmission of the virus in the girl's home or at the hospital.
Repeat BC offender pleads guilty to sexually assaulting person under 16
A repeat offender has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a person under 16 years of age at a Kelowna, B.C., equestrian facility earlier this year.
Taylor Dueck, whom parole board documents show had a disturbing history of sexual offences against children, pleaded guilty on Monday to an assault that happened on Feb. 9.
Dueck, 30, also pleaded guilty to breaching probation orders, with a charge of invitation to sexual touching against him being stayed by prosecutors. The assault at the equestrian facility prompted major safety concerns, especially as Kelowna RCMP did not issue a public notification that a high-risk sex offender was living in the area. Dueck has been sentenced to two years, less a day, of jail. After credit for pre-trial detention, he will serve 240 days in prison. He will also be under
24/7 house arrest as part of a three-year probation period following his prison sentence, and he will be on the sex offenders' registry for life.
There was outrage in February that Mounties did not provide a public interest warning over Dueck's presence in the Kelowna area, which police are allowed to do under the Privacy Act of Canada if offenders are deemed a risk to reoffend.
The Parole Board of Canada had ruled in October 2022 that Dueck had a "high risk to reoffend" against both strangers and acquaintances, particularly those he considered vulnerable to his advances.
At the time, Dueck was applying for day parole and full parole while serving a sentence for sexually interfering with a 10-year-old child, according to the parole decision.
Christmas Day crash leaves one dead in Surrey
A woman has died after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 15 in the Surrey neighbourhood of Cloverdale.
Surrey Police Service spokesperson Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said the accident happened at 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
“A passenger in the vehicle that was struck, an adult woman, passed away despite life-saving measures at the scene,” Houghton said.
“B.C. RCMP Surrey police operations support unit officers responded and both the criminal collision Investigation team and integrated collision analysis and reconstruction service have both been called in to assist. The investigation is in its early stages and is continuing to determine the cause of the collision.
“The driver of the vehicle that struck the other vehicle remained at the scene of the collision and
is co-operating with police.” The B.C. RCMP Surrey police operations support unit is the remnant of the Surrey RCMP, which has been replaced by the SPS but is still providing support.
There are several road closures near the intersection of Highways 15 and 10, with Highway 10 being completely blocked for eastbound traffic. Road closures and traffic diversions are expected to last until the evening.
If you witnessed the accident or have any information, including dashcam footage, please call Surrey Police Service at 604-599-0502.
Meanwhile, a 44-year-old motorcycle driver was killed and their female passenger critically injured after colliding with an SUV at the intersection of Cornwall Avenue and Balsam Street in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m.
BC man sentenced to 53 months for drug dealing, trafficking
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has sentenced a drug dealer to 53 months in jail for possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine and carfentanil for the purposes of trafficking.
Michael William Gallant pleaded guilty to the charges related to events on July 30, 2020, and July 4, 2021, Justice Francesca Marzari said in her ruling.
In late July 2020, Gallant, together with a female co-accused, were arrested in their home after a police investigation and surveillance operation into Gallant’s involvement in trafficking drugs from their shared home in Nanaimo.
In the search of the home, police found:
• 23 grams of fentanyl, most of which contained some carfentanil, worth between $2,300 and $4,600 depending on how it was sold.
• 72 grams of methamphetamine worth approximately $7,200 on the street.
• 9.5 grams of cocaine worth approximately $900 to $950 on the street.
Police also found nearly $5,000 in cash, mostly in coins and $20 bills, ammunition (but no firearms), selling score sheets, powdered caffeine, digital scales with drug residue, mixing and packaging paraphernalia, and a debt list.
“I find that the amounts of the drugs and the paraphernalia are consistent with street level trafficking of these drugs,” Marzari said.
“The amounts and associated paraphernalia, including mixing, cutting, and weighing equipment establish that Mr. Gallant was also involved in the processing of these drugs for sale at the street level.” Marzari said the evidence showed Gallant was involved in the cutting and processing of the drugs.
Police, coast guard pull woman’s body from Port Moody marina, criminality not ruled out
Port Moody, B.C., police are investigating a woman’s death after she was pulled from the water at a local marina.
Police said officers were called to Reed Point Marina on New Year’s Day just after 9 a.m. for a report of a deceased person in the water.
A woman in her 60s was retrieved with assistance from the Canadian Coast Guard, police said. “Our Major Crime Detectives are in the
evidence-gathering phase of this investigation and are examining the circumstances surrounding the death but have not ruled out criminality at this time,” said Acting Sgt. Sam Zacharias, adding that, “initial information suggests the incident is isolated in nature and anyone with information is asked to contact our investigators.”Anyone with information is asked to contact Port Moody police.
Vancouver police appeal for witnesses in unsolved 2021 homicide
Luis Rosas Saenz was only 24 years old when he was stabbed and killed on the morning of July 10, 2021, after leaving a house party in Vancouver’s Southlands neighbourhood.
While Vancouver police have identified the suspect, no one has been arrested and police want more witnesses to come forward.
“There are people in our community who witnessed this homicide, and others who may have information that could help bring the person responsible for this crime to justice,” Sgt. Steve Addison said in a release.
police said, and Saenz was seriously injured. A passerby provided first aid, however, Saenz later died in hospital. Investigators from the Vancouver Police Department’s homicide unit believe Saenz was leaving the party when he had a verbal altercation with a group of people outside the house, police said.
They believe Saenz was stabbed by one of the people in that group.
“There were eyewitnesses to this stabbing who have yet to come forward and cooperate with this investigation,” Addison said.
“We’re asking these people to come forward and tell us what they know, so we can obtain answers and accountability in this unsolved case.”
Vancouver police officers were first called to Southwest Marine Drive and West 57th Street after passing motorists saw what they believed was a fight on the street.
When officers arrived, the suspects had fled,
“Their evidence could be pivotal, and we’re asking them to do the right thing, work with our investigators, and help us solve this case.”
Vancouver police also believe there may have been passing motorists, or people with dashcam video, who witnessed the stabbing and have yet to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call the VPD’s homicide unit at 604-717-2500. Anonymous tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
BC man who flipped 14 homes in four years is fined $2M for tax
A serial property flipper in British Columbia has been convicted of tax evasion and fined more than $2 million for failing to report nearly $7.5 million in earnings.
The Canada Revenue Agency says in a statement that Balkar Bhullar of Richmond was given a conditional sentence of two years less a day on Dec. 19 and fined about $2.15 million, matching the amount of unpaid federal income tax. The agency says Bhullar pleaded guilty on Aug. 3 last year to one count of tax evasion, relating to undeclared income of about $7.49 million from transferring assignment fees on 14 properties from 2011 to 2014.
Assignment fees are paid for the right to purchase a property, in which a contract’s rights and obligations are transferred from one buyer to another. The CRA says in a statement that it has made “significant progress” uncovering and
evasion
addressing tax cheating in the real estate sector.
A new home flipping tax will come into effect in B.C. on Jan. 1, with the tax of up to 20 per cent applying to homeowners who sell properties within two years of buying.
A statement from the Ministry of Finance says it’s estimated about 4,000 properties will be subject to the tax in 2025 and all revenue collected from the tax will go toward housing programs.
B.C.’s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says in the statement that measures like the home-flipping tax aim to ensure there are more affordable homes for buyers and renters and discourage speculative investors from buying houses for a quick profit.
The B.C. Real Estate Association has criticized the tax, saying there is a “significant risk” it will cause sellers to delay listing their homes, lowering resale housing supply and tightening market conditions.
As 2024 winds down, we’re looking back at some of the most captivating news stories we covered in Vancouver this year.
10. Downtown Vancouver’s massive grocery store ready to open for business
Sure, we talked about grocery prices this year, but our sneak peek inside the new Loblaws City Market in downtown Vancouver's The Post building seemed to have folks captivated.
The shiny new store opened on February 2, 2024, at 658 Homer St. The 40,000-squarefoot City Market is home to a wide variety of fresh, prepared foods, with nearly half of its 170 employees working in food preparation.
9. New direct flights from Vancouver: 2 top destinations for $350 round-trip
We love Vancouver, but, let's be honest, we also love getting away.
8. Downtown Vancouver restaurant quietly closes just weeks after opening
Seraphina, a modern European restaurant that officially opened in August 2024 at 905 Dunsmuir St, appears to have closed in the fall, possibly in early October.
Chef Rory Byrne, who helped launch Seraphina, left in October, citing internal disagreements over the direction of the business.
7. 'The Last of Us' transforms Vancouver street into wasteland
In May 2024, Vancouver's Alexander Street was transformed into an apocalyptic wasteland for the filming of the second season of The Last of Us, under the code name Mega Sword.
6. Metro Vancouver buses will run again starting Wednesday. But will the union expand the strike?
A Metro Vancouver transit strike disrupted bus and SeaBus services starting on January 22, 2024,
as CUPE 4500, representing over 180 transit supervisors, walked off the job.
Despite this temporary resolution, the union warned of expanding the strike to include the SkyTrain on January 29, which would lead to a region-wide transportation shutdown.
5. Vancouver restaurant closed temporarily after allowing guests to dance
Tocador, a Latin-themed bar and restaurant on Vancouver's Main Street, closed its doors from February 25 to 27 after a liquor license suspension stemming from its New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2023.
4. Prince Harry and Meghan dine at a legendary Vancouver restaurant during visit Prince Harry and Meghan Markle brought a touch of royalty to Vancouver in mid-February 15, dining at the iconic Vij’s restaurant alongside Canadian music legend Michael Bublé and his wife, Luisana Lopilato.
3. So you say there's going to be a solar eclipse...
Metro Vancouver's view of the muchanticipated solar eclipse was a bit of a washout, with heavy rain and clouds obscuring the sky on April 8, 2024.
2. Flooding in Metro Vancouver: Videos show huge floods, street kayaking
On October 19, 2024, an atmospheric river drenched Metro Vancouver with over 150 mm of rain, causing widespread flooding, road closures, and power outages.
1. Legendary rocker Daryl Hall leaves Vancouver stage mid-performance
On August 21, 2024, Hall of Fame rocker Daryl Hall cut his Vancouver performance short after only three songs during his PNE Summer Night Concerts at the Pacific Coliseum.
Man charged after nurse attacked and seriously injured at BC hospital
A man has been charged with assaulting a nurse at a Metro Vancouver hospital in an attack that police say left her seriously injured last month.
Police in Port Moody say a charge of assault causing bodily harm has been approved against a 41-year-old man with no fixed address.
He is scheduled to appear in court in Port Coquitlam on Feb. 10.
Investigators say the man was arrested after officers responded to a call at Eagle Ridge Hospital on Nov. 20 about a discharged patient attacking a female nurse.
Police say they arrested the man immediately after the alleged attack.
"I believe the suspect is known to police and has a criminal record," said Const. Sam Zacharias in an interview with CBC News.
Zacharias said the nurse sustained "serious injuries" but did not elaborate on her condition or additional circumstances surrounding the
assault. Adriane Gear, the president of the B.C. Nurses' Union, said she was relieved to see charges being brought against the alleged attacker — though she called it an "anomaly" and said people often got away with assaulting healthcare workers.
"We're looking for legislative changes, such as [in] the Criminal Code of Canada, that it would be considered an aggravating circumstance at the time of sentencing if somebody has assaulted a health-care worker, including nurses," she said. Gear also called for B.C.'s health employers to provide more security officers in health-care facilities.
Virgin
Australia crew members allegedly raped and robbed in Fiji
Authorities in Fiji are investigating allegations that one crew member of Virgin Australia was sexually assaulted and that another was robbed during New Year's Eve celebrations in the tourist hotspot of Nadi, the Fijian government said on Thursday.
The two separate incidents are said to have happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the Australian airline's crew members left a nightclub in Nadi, according to police and officials in the South Pacific island nation.
"These alleged incidents are regrettable," Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka said in a statement. "Our thoughts and concerns are with (the alleged victims) and for their health and wellbeing."
A suspect known to Fijian police has been questioned over the alleged sexual assault and investigations are ongoing, according to the country's tourism and aviation ministry.
Virgin Australia said it was aware of the alleged incidents and had sent staff to provide support to the crew members. The Australian government has not publicly commented.
The crew members had been on an overnight layover when the alleged incidents took place, and are now staying in a local hotel. They are expected to return home by the end of the week, Gavoka said.
"Regrettably, incidents like this can happen anywhere and Fiji is not immune," he said. "We, as always, remind tourists to exercise caution in nightclub areas and late at night."
Fiji welcomed nearly 77,000 tourists in November — mainly from Australia, New Zealand and the US — according to the latest statistics from the nation's tourism website.
Australia's official travel advice tells its citizens to exercise normal safety precautions in Fiji — the lowest of the government's four risk ratings for people travelling abroad.
“But SOMETHING happened” –
US national breaks silence on ordeal at Fiji resort
American national who claims she was hospitalised in Fiji with alcohol poisoning has hired a lawyer to ascertain what caused her to fall sick.
In a post on social media that has been shared to several Fiji tourism pages, Jill Juarez states she has been left “angry, scared, frustrated and sad” by the way the incident has been handled.
“I have kept quiet about what is to follow here as I thought I would have received more help/ answers,” she said.
“But I’ve reached the end of my patience. I simply want answers.”
Juarez said in the post she is still in Fiji as she recovers from the suspected poisoning, which left her unable to walk, all-over numbness and “massive non-stop heart palpitations.”
“I was in the Sigatoka hospital for 24 hours and then rushed by ambulance to the Lautoka hospital for another 24-hour stay,” she wrote.
“We STILL have not received our personal blood and urine toxicology reports from either the hospital in Sigatoka or the one in Lautoka. It’s
been 11 days. ELEVEN DAYS.”
She said she was initially interviewed twice by local police but has yet to hear from them since.
“It seems that once the results of the toxicology of the ‘selected samples of pina colada mix and/or alcohol’ from the Warwick were released showing no methanol, people were quick to move on,” she said.
“But SOMETHING happened.”
Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka had stated no illicit substances or methanol were found in the ingredients or liquor samples that was consumed by seven individuals who fell ill at the Warwick Resort.
Suva taxi operators help Police arrest man who stole vehicle from Victoria Parade
Quick action by Suva taxi operators resulted in the arrest of a man who tried to unlawfully drive off with a vehicle. According to Police, a 28-year-old woman was driving along Victoria Parade last night and got involved in an accident, and while she was waiting outside her vehicle for Police to arrive at the scene of the incident, she left the key in the ignition.
Police say a man jumped into the driver's seat and drove off with the said vehicle with the two daughters of the owner of the vehicle sitting in the backseat. Police add they contacted the taxi base around the Suva area and informed them
about the stolen vehicle, and they broadcast the information through their Radio Transmitters (RT). They say the stolen vehicle stopped at Rewa Street to offload the two girls when it was intercepted by a taxi, and this allowed time for Police Officers to catch up and apprehend the suspect. Police say the suspect ended up assaulting four Police Officers as he tried to resist arrest. They say he is now in Police custody as investigations continue.
ACP Driu says a team from Totogo Police Station will be visiting these Taxi Operators today to acknowledge them for their assistance.
Flash flood alert for Fiji
A flash flood alert is now activated for lowlying, flood prone areas and small streams of Fiji.
The Fiji Meteorological Service states an active trough of low pressure affects the Western and Northen division, Yasawa and Mamanuca group.
This trough is expected to gradually move over the rest of the Fiji group tonight.
Fiji Met states heavy rain will cause flooding of drains, small streams, low water bridges, iris crossings, roads and properties in low lying areas.
Parts of Western division without power
Electricity supply in some parts of Tavua, Ba and Lautoka has been disrupted. Meanwhile, eyewitnesses in Matawalu village in Lautoka confirm a fallen power pole located near the Matawalu River has also given way.
Affected areas include:
Tavua College, Ralulu Street, Nabukulu Street, Red Cross, LTA, Goundars Rental, GoldCart Supermarket, Sairan Supermarket, Tavua Primary School, Nands Seafood Restaurant, Tavua Motor Spares, Tavua ICT Centre Uni Fiji, Nationwide Service, Nadi Motor Spares, Michaels Restaurant, Sushil Shopping Centre, Vickys Internet, Westpac, Tavua Central Store, Tavua Seafood, Mobil Service Station, Malas Restaurant, Gold Town Slice Fish Shop, Hydraulic hose service, Prasad Rice and Masala Mill, G. Naidu Rentals, G.S Industrial Supplies, Jacks Fiji, Feroz Khan Furniture Shop, R . Baran and
Company, Vinod Patel, BSP Bank, Supercremina Restaurant, Bargain Box Fiji, Jesh Fashion, Avisheks Food Hub, Ali’s Tailoring, S.Kiran Shopping Centre, Leka Street, Amits Investment, Ratilal Brothers, Sanjay’s Barber Shop, Narendras Shopping Centre, Dynamic Electronic Service, Mythillis Investments, Goldfield Shoes, Tavua Cane Growers Limited, Paddys, Bargain Box, Sky Glory, Law Parmendar, R. C Manubhai, Colour Perfect Paints, Golden Appetite, Golden Liquor Planet, Urman Ali and Company, Lautoka Funeral Services, Qalela Loop Road, Vodafone Repeater Station, Maqere, FM 96 Repeater Station, Vatia Road, Maqere Exports Limited, Lausa, Vatutavui Village, Natanuku Village, Lutua Road, Bulolo Primary School, Navia Settlement and Bulolo Road, Yalandro Road , Part of Lakalaka Road , Malele No.1 Road , Hot spring and part of Masimasi and areas nearby.
Pakistan reduces pension benefits of civil, armed forces personnel
The Pakistan government has drastically reduced pension benefits of retired civil and armed forces personnel to reduce a growing pension bill which has already swelled over Rs 1 trillion. The Ministry of Finance on Wednesday issued three separate notifications to discontinue multiple pensions, reducing both the first home take pension and also lowering the base for determining future increases in pensions. After debt servicing, defence and development, the pension is the fourth largest expenditure in the budget, the paper said.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s notification, on the recommendations of the Pay and Pension Commission of 2020, “it has been decided that henceforth, in an event where a person becomes entitled to more than one pension, such person shall only be authorised to opt to draw one of the pensions”.
Bangladesh court rejects Hindu monk’s bail plea
A court in the southeastern port city of Chattogram on Thursday denied bail to Hindu monk and former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case.
A group of 11 lawyers stood for him with a bail petition during the hearing for which Das appeared virtually.
“The hearing continued for some 30 minutes when (Metropolitan Sessions) Judge Mohammad Saiful Islam heard both the prosecution and the defence lawyers and then rejected his (Das’) bail petition,” a court official said.
Das, formerly with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and now a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote organisation, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25. He was brought to Chattogram where the court sent him to jail rejecting his bail petition the next day.
Pak begins its two-year stint as UNSC member
Pakistan began its two-year tenure as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, with Ambassador Munir Akram saying that the Pakistani delegation will play an "active and constructive" role in addressing key challenges facing the world.
"Our presence will be felt in the Security Council," Ambassador Akram, Pakistan's top diplomat at the UN, told state-run APP (Associated Press of Pakistan) news agency.
Pakistan will sit in the Security Council for the 2025-26 term as a non-permanent member - the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the 15-member body's horseshoe table.
In June, Pakistan was elected to the council with a massive majority as a non-permanent member, polling 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly - far more than the required 124 votes representing a two-thirds majority.
"We enter the council at a time of great geopolitical turbulence, intense competition between the two largest powers, raging wars in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere and a sharply escalating and multi-dimensional arms race," Akram said.
The event was attended by the heads of resident missions of the UN Security Council Member States in Islamabad and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Biz tycoon Jindal attends wedding of Nawaz’s grandson
Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal along with his family attended the wedding festivities of the grandson of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, a PML-N leader said on Thursday. Jindal, the MD of JSW Steel, was among 700 local and foreign guests who attended the wedding of Sharif’s grandson Zayd Hussain Nawaz at their palatial Jati Umra Raiwind residence in Lahore on Sunday.
Not Mujib, now Ziaur is Bangladesh's hero as country begins to rewrite history
Bangladesh government has begun to rewrite history textbooks under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’ interim government, the country’s media, reported.
As per reports, the country’s new textbooks in 2025 will now credit Ziaur Rahman instead of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as the one who declared the country’s independence in 1971. He will also be credited with reiterating it on behalf of Mujib the following day.
Ziaur, founder of the BNP and husband of current BNP chief Khaleda Zia, is now positioned in a role historically attributed to Mujib, who led the liberation struggle and is widely regarded as the Father of the Nation.
Yunus is reportedly under the grip of Islamist demands to reshape history, including downplaying India’s pivotal role in the liberation war.
Afghan Taliban hit ‘several points’ in Pakistan in retaliation for attacks
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Local Afghan officials claimed the strikes killed 46 civilians, including women and children, further inflaming tensions.
In response, the Afghan government promised 'retaliation' on Saturday, with Afghan Taliban forces claiming to have targeted 'several points' near the Durand Line, the contested border between the two nations.
In a chilling statement to The Telegraph, Taliban officials declared they were prepared for the conflict with Pakistan to escalate further, raising fears that the region is edging closer to war.
'We don't care if they have a nuclear bomb – we have faith and know that God is with us,' a senior Taliban official said.
The Taliban has vowed to stand firm against any retaliatory strike from Pakistan, with Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence on high alert and additional forces poised to reinforce the volatile border. The Taliban foreign minister warned Pakistan over the weekend, urging Pakistani authorities not to 'underestimate our capabilities'. 'We will not forget Pakistan's benevolence during the time of jihad, but we will not forget Pakistan's aggression on Afghan soil today,' Amir Khan Muttaqi said. 'I have a message for Pakistani authorities: don't think we are weak and don't attack us,' he added. 'We are having difficulties but are very brave.'
But in a dramatic twist, Islamabad finds itself at odds with the very group it once supported.
Pakistan had covertly backed the Afghan Taliban during the US-led war in Afghanistan, hoping to secure influence in the region.
Yet, the fallout from the Taliban's return to power has seen Pakistan's long-running battle with the TTP intensify.
No direction to break Dallewal’s fast, only concerned about his health: SC 250 disabled, elderly receive aid at charitable camp
As farmers’ leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on fast-unto-death since November 26, 2024, refused to receive medical help, the Supreme Court on Thursday took strong exception to a “deliberate attempt” to create an impression that it wanted him to break his fast.
“There is a deliberate attempt in the media by your state government officers to give an impression that the court is pressuring him to
court said while hearing Labh Singh’s petition seeking contempt of court action against the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police for failing to implement its order on shifting Dallewal to a hospital.
“Your attitude is that there should be no conciliation. That is the whole problem,” Justice Kant told Singh who sought to clarify that the Punjab Government was all for conciliation.
break the fast. Our direction was not to break his fast. We only said let his health be taken care of and he can continue his peaceful protest even when he is hospitalised. You have to persuade him from this angle,” a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan told Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh.
“Shifting (him) to the hospital does not mean he will not continue his fast. There are medical facilities which will ensure that no harm is caused to his life. That is our only concern. His life is precious as a farm leader. He is not aligned to any political ideologies and he is taking care of only the farmers’ cause,” Justice Kant said.
“Once Dallewal’s health is taken care of, he can continue on fast… Of course, with the support of medical aid. Once we are satisfied that his life is not in danger, the role of the committee
“We have tried to convince him (Dallewal) to take medical aid as per your Lordships’ directions. Our people are on the site. He is of the firm opinion that he will definitely accept medical help subject to some intervention (by the Centre),” the Advocate General submitted.
“Mr Advocate General, not even a single time your officers have gone there… Your ministers have gone there... Please don’t force us to say many things. Have you ever told them that we have constituted a committee for this purpose?” the Bench asked. Stating that protesting farmers have been told about the court-constituted panel, Singh told the Bench that the committee has called them for talks on Friday.
“There are people who are making irresponsible statements... What are their bona fides is a matter to be looked into,” the Bench said. It also questioned the Centre for not making a statement that it would consider genuine demands of protesting farmers.
“Mr Mehta, you have been there for all these days, why your client (Centre) cannot make a statement that you will consider the genuine (demands) and we are open to consider genuine grievances of farmers… Our doors are open… Why can’t the Central Government also make a statement?” Justice Bhuyan asked the Solicitor
A total of 250 persons with disabilities and senior citizens above 60 years of age were registered at a welfare camp organised by the Chaudhary Raja Ram Jakhar Memorial Public Charitable Trust at Arorvansh Dharamshala. The camp aimed to provide much-needed assistance to vulnerable groups of the community.
The Trust, founded by the late veteran Parliamentarian Bal Ram Jakhar in honour of his father, Chaudhary Raj Ram Jakhar, has long been dedicated to social welfare. Chaudhary Raj Ram Jakhar was known for his pioneering work in promoting social equality, being the first to allow families from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to draw water from a common well in Panjkosi village. Despite resistance from upper-caste families, he later hosted a mass lunch for these families during the freedom struggle. The Trust has since continued its mission of serving the community through various welfare initiatives.
MLA Sandeep Jakhar and Mayor Vimal Thatai attended the camp, where Jakhar interacted with attendees to better understand their needs. The Trust provided refreshments and meals to all those present.
The camp was organised in collaboration with ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India), a public sector company that manufactures and distributes rehabilitation aids for people with disabilities. The MLA announced those registered would benefit from the Government of India's Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY), which provides free rehabilitation aids to senior citizens and people with disabilities. The MLA said beneficiaries would soon receive a range of items, including knee belts, waist belts, wheelchairs, hearing aids, sticks, commode chairs and cervical belts for those aged 60 and above. Additionally, motorised tricycles, wheelchairs and other aids would be provided to individuals with disabilities.
Amritpal supporters plan Maghi Mela event to form panel for party launch
Supporters of Khalistan sympathiser and Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh — who is currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail — will be holding a Maghi Mela conference here on January 14 to constitute a panel that will seek suggestions from people to form a political outfit. “We are holding a Panthic gathering during Maghi Mela in Muktsar on January 14. Faridkot Lok Sabha MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa will also be attending it. We will announce a five or seven-member committee to
father Tarsem Singh. “This committee will seek suggestions from the public, chalk out a strategy and decide on constitution of our party,” he added.
Amritpal Singh was arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) in April 2023 after a manhunt by the Punjab Police that lasted for over a month. Under the Act, a person, deemed to be a threat to the country, can be detained up to a year without trial. He got into limelight again when he won the Lok Sabha poll last year from the
Two hurt as mining mafia attacks cops in Nuh; 2nd assault in week
Two police personnel were injured when a team of the Haryana State Enforcement Bureau was attacked with stones by over 25 men as it intercepted tractor-trailers carrying illegally quarried stones in the Ferozepur Jhirka area of Nuh district. This is the second such attack within a week in the area.
An entire hill was blasted by the mining mafia in the same area nearly two weeks ago. No action has been taken against the accused so far.
The team was headed to the Ghata Shamshabad area following a tip-off about illegal mining, as per the FIR filed by ASI Rakesh Kumar.
“When we reached near the toll plaza, we noticed three tractor-trailers filled with stones moving towards us. As we signalled the drivers to stop, they tried to speed away. A chase ensued and two of the vehicles were intercepted. As we
tried to return with the vehicles, over 25 people from nearby villages came and started pelting us with stones,” said Rakesh Kumar in the FIR.
Two police personnel were seriously injured in the attack and rushed to a hospital. SHO Aman Singh said they had identified the suspects and raids were on to nab them. Six days ago, a similar attack was carried out on a team that was conducting a raid to check illegal mining in Punhana. The team tried to impound a JCB being used for illegal mining when it was attacked by villagers. In 2022, a DSP of the Nuh police was murdered by the mining mafia when he intercepted a vehicle carrying illegal stones. After a lull, illegal miners have once again become active in the region. They have been targeting hills on the Rajasthan border and have already blasted four such hills.
Amid row, Modi sends chadar for Ajmer shrine
PM Narendra Modi on Thursday presented a chadar to be offered on his behalf at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the 813th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
The Urs marks annual commemoration of the Sufi saint. The PM presented the chadar to Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who will travel to Ajmer to present the ceremonial chadar, the 11th such dedication by Modi since he became the PM. The PM’s offering for the dargah comes close on the heels of a court in Ajmer issuing notices in a civil suit claiming a Shiva temple under the dargah.
CBI books own officer in corruption case
The CBI has registered a case against its own Deputy SP-rank officer for bribing the very same people who were being investigated by him, a senior officer said on Thursday. The accused—
BM Meena— was posted in Mumbai. Searches were conducted at 20 places, which led to the recovery of Rs 55 lakh.
Maldives minister in Delhi as FTA with China kicks in
As Maldivian Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Abdulla Khaleel’s arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, the nation announced that the ChinaMaldives Free Trade Agreement (CMFTA) has come into effect from Wednesday.
Khaleel is on a two-day visit to India, and will meet External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday. Recently, the ties between the two countries have started flourishing again after Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu’s first bilateral visit to India in October last year.
Earlier, in August last year, following EAM
Jaishankar’s visit to Maldives, Muizzu had expressed gratitude for India’s assistance following New Delhi’s rollover of $50 million payment due. Muizzu also declared India as “true friend”.
On the other hand, the CMFTA, which came into effect starting Wednesday, aims to enhance trade volumes, increase exports, increase productive capacity, reduce trade barriers, and create new opportunities for businesses in both Maldives and China, a release from the Maldives’ Ministry of Economic Development and Trade said.
Prison rules amended to end caste-based discrimination
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the model prison manual to address the issue of ‘caste-based discrimination of the inmates’ in compliance with a recent Supreme Court verdict.
In October last year, a Division Bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra directed the Centre and states to revise their prison manuals and rules to address caste-based discrimination in prisons.
binding effect even in Prisons and Correctional Institutions.
“Manual scavenging or hazardous cleaning of a sewer or a septic tank inside a prison shall not be permitted,” it said.
According to the new addition in the manual, the prison authorities will have to strictly ensure that there is no discrimination, classification, or segregation of prisoners on the basis of their caste.
The Ministry noted that the provisions of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, shall have a
The MHA has also announced that it will replace the existing definition of ‘Habitual Offender’ in the Model Prison Manual, 2016, and the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023. From now onwards, a habitual offender would mean a person who during any continuous period of five years, has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment on more than two occasions on account of one or more offences committed on different occasions and not constituting parts of the same transaction, such sentence not having been reversed in appeal or review.
Community leaders, campaigners, academics and medics are among over 30 Indian-origin professionals to be recognised in King Charles’ 2025 New Year Honours List released in London in time for New Year’s Eve.
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena, a Conservative member of Parliament of Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, has been conferred a knighthood for political and public service along with recently resigned England men’s football team manager Gareth Southgate, for services to the game.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and former West Midlands Mayor Andy Street are also among those receiving knighthoods among more than 1,200 recipients on the 2025 honours list released on Monday night across all sectors, with particular
commendation to role models in sport, healthcare, academia and voluntary service.
“Every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities,”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “They represent the very best of the UK and that core value of service which I put at the centre of everything this government does,” he added.
The list includes CBEs for Satwant Kaur Deol for services to further education, Charles Pritam Singh Dhanowa OBE for services to Competition Law, and surgeon Professor Sneh Khemka for services to healthcare, science and innovation and technology. Leena Nair, Global CEO of Chanel, will also be receiving a CBE for services to the retail and consumer sector.
India and other Quad member nations on Tuesday reaffirmed the grouping’s steadfast commitment to work towards a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.
The foreign ministers of the member nations of the grouping made the pledge in a joint statement commemorating the 20th anniversary of “Quad cooperation”.
India, the US, Australia and Japan came together 20 years ago to extend assistance in
India has reduced its greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new data submitted by India to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In its fourth biennial update report India stated that in the period 2005 to 2021, an additional
Firing a salvo at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BSF of allowing infiltration from Bangladesh to destabilise the state, calling it the Centre’s “nefarious blueprint”.
The CM said during an administrative meeting that the Border Security Force (BSF), which guards West Bengal’s border with Bangladesh, was allowing infiltration into the state. Banerjee’s remarks follow Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s charge made earlier saying “infiltration from Bangladesh” was disrupting peace in Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee said, “The BSF is allowing
Looking to tackle enemy drones, the Army wants to get specialised ‘anti-drone’ ammunition for two of its Russian-origin weapon systems.
The Ministry of Defence on Thursday issued a request for information (RFI), asking Indian suppliers to send in their proposals to indigenously make 23-mm anti-drone ammunition. The RFI is the first step in the acquisition process. Defence public sector undertakings and private vendors are eligible to send their proposals to the ministry.
Elsewhere along the India-Pak border, the Border Security Force already uses laser-guided jammers to tackle drones carrying narcotics from
response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and that coalition subsequently took form of the Quad.
In the last few years, the Quad has rolled out a number of initiatives addressing some of the most pressing needs and challenges of the Indo-Pacific region, including in areas of maritime security, infrastructure and connectivity.
India is scheduled to host the next Quad Summit that is likely to take place in the second half of 2025.
carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent has been created. Carbon sink refers to plantation of forest, river and trees which could absorb more carbon emissions.
Biennial update reports are submitted by developing countries to the UNFCCC every two years.
infiltration from different areas into Bengal. The TMC is not guarding the borders. The border is not in our hands, so if someone accuses the TMC of permitting infiltration, it must be pointed out that it was the BSF’s responsibility”. Banerjee said she would write a strong letter to the Centre regarding the BSF allowing infiltration from Bangladesh.
Stating that it is important to maintain peace in West Bengal and also have good relations with Bangladesh, Mamata Banerjee said, “We have no enmity, but goons are being allowed here. They commit crimes and return across the border. BSF is enabling this, and the Centre has a role in it.”
Pakistan. In 2024, around 290 small drones were recovered in Punjab. Some of these had been jammed and disabled mid-air.
The project which the Army is looking at is different. The military-use drones pose a different kind of threat and could carry a small explosive and drop it at a group of troops, tank or an artillery gun. It needs to be tackled with a different method.
The 23-mm anti-drone ammunition is intended to be used with the existing air defence weapons the ‘Zu 23-mm’ and the ‘Schilka’. Both weapons are used by the Army for close air defence.
