The artificial ice pyramids saving India's mountain villages
Jonathan David hat trick leads Canada over Qatar for historic 1st win in men's World Cup history
When in doubt, have no doubt. Go with your horses. Go with your heroes.
Canada’s men won the first World Cup match in their program’s history, demolishing
Qatar 6-0 in front of a deafening B.C. Place crowd on a glorious Thursday afternoon.
Their first goal came in the 16th minute from Cyle Larin, the 31-year-old veteran who had earned the start after he’d scored as a substitute in last week’s draw with BosniaHerzegovina.
At an altitude of almost 4,000m (13,000ft) and receiving almost no rainfall, the Himalayan village of Sakti is a hostile place to be a farmer. "Ladakh has a brutal, singlecultivation season," says Gelak Gutme, who has been growing wheat, peas and potatoes there for most of his 65 years.
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Carney and Eby announce $3.2B developer subsidy; plan to buy unsold BC condos
Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Vancouver Thursday, June 18 to announce measures to “unfreeze” the province’s real estate market with the aim of creating greater affordability for British Columbians. Carney made the announcement with Premier David Eby and their respective housing ministers Gregor Robertson and Christine Boyle in South Vancouver’s River District, flanked by condo towers where twobedroom units are selling for close to $1.1 million. First, Carney announced $1.6 billion over the next 10 years, to be matched by the provincial government, to lower development cost charges (DCCs) for multi-unit housing by up to 50 per cent, or as much as $40,000 per unit in “priority communities.”
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Now he’d scored again, this one from close range after Jonathan David’s long volley rebounded off the chest of the helpless Qatari goalkeeper.
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Vancouver bar drunk dry by Aussie fans as World Cup brings surge in businesses
Vancouver's Tyler Broers said he's never seen anything like what unfolded on Saturday.
Australian World Cup fans filled his multilevel sports bar, Dublin Calling, before and after their team's match against Turkey, and
nearly drank the bar dry.
"That never happens. That was the first time I've ever felt like I was actually going to run out of booze," Broers, the bar's manager, said Tuesday.
Now he and other Vancouver bar operators are bracing for Thursday's match at B.C. Place between Canada and Qatar, and the next five matches in Vancouver. Reinforcements of staff and beer are being rushed to Granville Street, which has been pedestrianized for the tournament and is the front line in the World Cup's war on thirst. Continued on Page 7...
India has witnessed transformative growth across sectors in last 12 years: PM Modi tells diaspora
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India has witnessed transformative growth across sectors in the last 12 years and beyond economic growth, the country's journey is about empowering people and transforming lives. Addressing members of the Indian diaspora here, PM Modi said 25 crore people have been brought out of poverty.
"Over the past 12 years, India's exports have increased 35-fold. The country's mobile manufacturing units have experienced a remarkable 100fold growth, making India the world's second-largest mobile manufacturer. Fuelled by this rapid progress and development, India now stands as the fastestgrowing major economy," he said.
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The funding will be used to “expand housingenabling infrastructure such as water systems, wastewater systems, and local roads.”
It is not yet clear if this funding will directly compensate the Metro Vancouver Regional District, whose board slashed DCCs in April by $387 million over the next three years at the behest of development companies. Last month the board wrote a letter to senior governments asking to recover those costs.
Metro Vancouver chair and Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley told Business in Vancouver the same day he was not made aware of the funding but the fact that it will go to water and wastewater systems indicates it will go to the utility provider.
“The devil will be in the details,” said Hurley, who
did not vote for the developer subsidy in April, asserting "growth should pay for growth."
Port Coquitlam Mayor and Metro board member Brad West did vote for the subsidy, saying it was a compromise toward other board members who wish to do away with DCCs altogether.
The new federal and provincial funds will be derived from general taxation revenue—the federal government’s new Build Communities Strong Fund. Carney said development charges had “reached a level that they were pricing out people.”
“It’s a chance to prove this model at scale; more affordable housing, better communities," he said. "And we will see as we move forward about extending it.” BIV then asked Carney if he would like to see housing prices fall further in Metro
Vancouver.
“What we want is to establish … across Canada is to build more and make more available affordable housing—housing that works relative to what people’s incomes are," he said. "That means more supply obviously and it means part of that housing coming in innovate ways.” According to Statistics Canada, there is a surge in unsold condo units, which brought Carney to hint at another measure coming: the federal government buying those unsold units and converting them to so-called “affordable” housing.
“Looking out at condos that have been built, that are unoccupied, that are going to sit there potentially for another couple of years; we are going to go and use the right financing mechanisms and convert those into affordable housing so people
Liberals dismiss ‘tinfoil
can move in and use those,” said Carney. Carney added “models” will be released in the fall.
“Effectively what you are doing is buying them at a price and spreading out the financing because you can do that for the underlying condo at our financing rate, but targeting at a level that is affordable," he said. "It is a way to clear off on the books this overhang.”
Through Build Canada Homes and BC Housing, the senior governments will "convert more than 2,200 vacant condo units in priority growth areas into affordable homes," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. West said his attendance at the event was as chair of the Mayor’s Council, which oversees TransLink, the regional transportation authority.
hat’ privacy fears as lawful access bill passes
Liberals are dismissing the privacy concerns surrounding the government’s lawful access bill as “tinfoil hat” and “paranoid” conspiracy theories, even after amending the controversial legislation to address some of those issues.
The House of Commons passed Bill C-22 on Thursday before breaking for the summer, a day after approving a motion to fast-track the bill and end debate at the public safety committee, which was then forced to approve it just before midnight without debating dozens of outstanding amendments. The amended bill will now head to the Senate.
The legislation would give law enforcement the ability to get access to digital information more
quickly and easily for investigations under a judicial warrant.
Yet provisions in the bill that would allow the public safety minister to secretly order electronic service providers to retain user metadata and create access capabilities for their systems have sparked alarm from privacy advocates, academics, tech companies and opposition parties.
At a press conference outside the House of Commons on Thursday, Government House leader Steven MacKinnon accused Conservatives of “obstruction” during the committee’s debate while defending the decision to fast-track the bill. “It used to be that Conservatives were the law and order party,” he told reporters.
Man convicted of shooting at pop star AP Dhillon's B.C. home is ordered deported
A man convicted of arson and firing a gun at IndoCanadian pop star AP Dhillon’s British Columbia home in 2024 has been ordered deported from Canada. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada confirms that Abjeet Singh Kingra was found inadmissible to Canada on Monday.
The board says the ruling is based on a section of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that says a foreign national or permanent resident is inadmissible for engaging in organized
criminality.
Kingra was convicted last year and sentenced to six years in prison after the attack that took place in Colwood on Sept. 2, 2024.
Assailants shot at Dhillon’s home and set two vehicles on fire before fleeing, although no one was injured in the attack.
Kingra was arrested in October of that year in Ontario while police have identified a second suspect who remains at-large.
War of words continues between First Nations chiefs, Alberta premier
A war of words between First Nations chiefs and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith continues to escalate with no sign of either side backing down.
In an interview with Global News on Thursday, the Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, Trevor Mercredi, defended a call for the premier to be investigated for treason and said chiefs from treaties 6, 7 and 8 will be meeting with the RCMP to discuss their demand.
Among their concerns are the premier’s “disrespect of Indigenous treaty rights that are entrenched in the Constitution,” her decision to hold a referendum in October that could kickstart the process of Alberta’s separation from Canada, and the UCP government’s push for a new pipeline to the West Coast without “healthy discussions” involving First Nations.
“It’s quite concerning to have a premier that’s publicly diminishing our rights at every news conference,” said Mercredi. Asked about the chief’s call for an investigation into possible treason, Smith said, during an unrelated press conference in Calgary on Wednesday, that the chiefs should “check themselves,” adding “this kind of overwrought language has no place in a
democracy.”
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs (AOTC), representing treaties 6, 7 and 8, announced they had “unanimously passed a resolution” calling for an investigation by the RCMP and auditor general into the actions of the premier and members of the United Conservative Party (UCP) to determine if they constitute treason under section 46 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
“But we have to use that strong wording because of the fact that when you’re starting to tear apart treaties, tear apart the Constitution, that, you know, basically binds Canada. We have to really take a serious look at what’s happening here. It’s not child’s play. There’s real impacts to this,” Mercredi added.
12 yr boy among 3 charged with attempted murder of Toronto police officer
A 12-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly struck a Toronto police officer while driving a stolen car in the city's east end Sunday night, police say.
Two other boys, aged 12 and 14, were also charged in the incident, Toronto police said in a news release Wednesday.
Police allege in the release that officers tried to stop a stolen car in East York near Donlands Avenue and O'Connor Drive after they were alerted to a vehicle theft at about 11:40 p.m.
The driver of the stolen car struck an officer and then an officer fired his gun, police allege.
The second 12-year-old boy has been charged with motor vehicle theft, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, dangerous operation of a conveyance, while the 14-year-old boy has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Both are scheduled to appear in court on July 15.
None of the boys' names have been released as they are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Boy shot at by police now out of hospital, SIU says Kirsty Denette, spokesperson for Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), said Wednesday that the boy has had surgery and has been released from hospital into custody at a youth centre.
The driver then fled the scene and the officer was taken to hospital with serious but non-lifethreatening injuries, police said. Police said the driver was then arrested a short distance away and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In addition to attempted murder, the 12-yearold has been charged with motor vehicle theft, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, assaulting a peace officer and leaving an accident scene.
The boy was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The SIU, which probes the conduct of officers in incidents that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person, has taken over the investigation.
At a news conference Monday, Denette said two police cruisers, each with two officers inside, attempted to stop the car on a bridge. While they did so, there was "contact" between the car and one or both of the cruisers.
At some point, the same officer exited the cruiser and was struck by the car, she said.
Denette also said one officer fired multiple shots at the car, but added the SIU didn't know the sequence of events.
Two other youths were in the car at the time, according to Denette.
In a news release Monday, the SIU said the car was abandoned at Floyd Street and Donlands Avenue, before the driver was arrested a short distance away.
The SIU release also said police were alerted to the car theft at 1:30 a.m., not 11:40 p.m., as police said in its release.
‘Foreign entity’ hired people to shoot at Toronto synagogues
Canada’s secretary of state responsible for combatting crime told her colleagues in the House of Commons that she believes a “foreign entity” is behind shootings at synagogues.
Ruby Sahota, the Liberal MP for Brampton North—Caledon, said the synagogue shootings were carried out by people who had been hired and paid by a foreign power.
She suggestedthe shooters were recruited online and said that if authorities had been able to find them sooner, there would have been fewer victims.
Sahota’s comments come as Toronto police allege that a network of “criminals for hire” is responsible for a shooting at the U.S. Consulate in March, as well as synagogues and businesses in the city.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said at a news conference on Tuesday that the shootings
shared a “recurring and similar modus operandi” which involved criminals recruiting people to carry out the shootings.
“Through encrypted messaging apps, young people are hired to carry out attacks against various targets,” he explained. “And in order to get paid, they’re required to film their attacks.” Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp are the apps being used, investigators said. Speaking at the same news conference, Chief Supt. Joe Matthews said officers had linked a variety of shootings across the city. He said that, on March 25, officers responded to shots being fired at a building in Scarborough. The next day, they were called to a similar crime in Etobicoke. Both, he said, were believed to involve the same individuals as the shooting at the U.S. Consulate.
Mounting criticism over beleaguered new George Massey Tunnel project, with concerns cost could reach at least $9 billion
The BC NDP-led provincial government’s decision to terminate final contract negotiations with the European-led consortium selected to design and build the replacement George Massey Tunnel has sparked sharp criticism from the opposition party and municipal politicians and renewed questions about the cost escalation and timeline of the long-awaited project to replace the regionally vital route with a seismically safe, highercapacity crossing.
On Monday afternoon, the provincial government announced it had ended negotiations with Cross Fraser Partnership, which is a private consortium comprised largely of some prominent European firms — with decades of experience in building major tunnel projects — and some Canadian firms. Instead, the bidding process for a contractor will now be completely restarted, with the work split up into smaller contracts rather than the typical approach of having one contractor be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery. The original bidding process began in Summer 2023 and led to the Summer 2024 selection of a team led by a company that was deeply involved in building the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France. While preliminary construction and site preparation work will continue, the provincial government has not publicly released a revised project budget, with the previously stated figure of $4.15 billion now being more than five years old — during a period when the market construction prices for labour, equipment, and materials have skyrocketed from rampant pandemic-induced inflation. According to the provincial government, some progress has been made on establishing the technical design of the new tunnel. The new contractor is expected to continue from where the previous team left off.
Delta mayor George Harvie also added to the chorus of criticism the provincial government is now facing over the extensive delays and apparent steep cost escalation, stating that the announcement “raises more questions than answers.”
“The public deserves to know whether this procurement restructuring will keep the project on track for completion by 2030, or whether British Columbians are being asked to wait even longer for a replacement crossing that is already years overdue,” said Harvie.
“With the Province now restructuring procurement, our community needs clear answers regarding project costs, timelines, risks, and whether this revised approach will realistically keep the project on schedule.”
Delta’s mayor also highlighted that the poor reliability of the existing four-lane, counterflowcontrolled tunnel has had a major economic impact on the South of Fraser.
“Businesses south of the Fraser River already face challenges attracting and retaining employees. Commercial and industrial operators continue to absorb increasing transportation costs, while residents face daily uncertainty about whether they can reliably reach work, school, medical appointments, or family commitments,” continued Harvie.
‘No secret’ Trump dislikes CUSMA, Carney says after threat to terminate it
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday said it’s “no secret” U.S. President Donald Trump dislikes the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) amid growing concerns about the trade pact’s future, while assuring it will remain in place — at least in the short term.
Carney was asked about Trump’s comments Wednesday that he would prefer the continental trade deal be “terminated” rather than extended another 16 years or enter a 10-year period of annual reviews.
July 1 marks the day when all three countries will have to enter formal talks on CUSMA’s future.
Speaing to reporters in Vancouver, Carney cited comments made in recent weeks by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that “the underlying structure of CUSMA” was solid and will remain in place through the negotiations.
boost non-U.S. forestry exports while pushing the Americans to reinvest in Canadian materials.
“To see the Americans increasing their imports of lumber from Russia instead of from British
Columbia and Canada doesn’t make any sense to us at all,” the premier said.
“There’s always been the opportunity for any of the parties to cancel it with six months’ notice,” Carney said.
“It’s no secret the president in recent years has not been the biggest fan of CUSMA or other trade deals. But there are specific things that we can work together on.” One of those is Canada’s forestry sector, Carney added, which is facing punishing tariffs and anti-dumping duties from the U.S. that current trade talks are in part focused on reducing or eliminating.
Carney, who was appearing alongside B.C. Premier David Eby for an infrastructure funding announcement, said the federal government was working with the province on a forest product strategy for “transformation of the industry,” including prioritizing domestic supply chains for homebuilding. Eby said the strategy and a new federal technical advisory group was working to
“I am very hopeful that the president and his trade team respond to the engagements of Canada at the national level, to sit down and talk about this, because there is a win-win here for everybody.”
Trump said Wednesday that he may end up signing a renewal or extension of CUSMA, but insisted the U.S. would “do better as a country when we don’t have an agreement.”
“It’s not sticking around — it’ll be terminated, in other words, it expires. I prefer that,” he said.
Carney said Thursday he spoke with Trump about “some of the commercial aspects” around CUSMA among “a range of issues” discussed on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France this week.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette met with Greer at the summit as well, where LeBlanc said they “took stock ” of the work done since their meeting in Washington earlier this month and agreed to get in contact again soon.
B.C. cities want province to speed up e-scooter regulations
As injuries from e-scooters in British Columbia continue to rise, the provincial government continues to take an approach to regulations that many municipalities argue is too slow.
“It’s nonsense,” said New Westminster Coun. Tasha Henderson, of the province’s seven-year pilot program to study e-scooter uses in certain municipalities.
“Seven years is ridiculous. We need blanket legislation so we have direction on how we're going to enforce the laws, and what direction we're going to take around engineering to make roads safer," she said. In 2021, the province began its pilot program for electric kick scooters in six municipalities, saying the limited pilot would help them gather data and decide best practices across B.C.
Since then, the number of municipalities participating in the pilot has expanded to 36, and in 2023 the province announced it would extend the pilot until 2028.
But several municipalities say the patchwork of rules and extended period of uncertainty is less than ideal. Henderson put forward a resolution at the Lower Mainland Local Government Association conference, which ultimately passed, calling on the province to conclude the pilot and establish province-wide regulations.
“People love them, people hate them. I think at the end of the day, they are going to be part of our active and alternate transportation system, so I think that we need to embrace it, but figure out a way to move forward,” she said. Tony Valente, a City of North Vancouver councillor who has been an advocate for e-scooters in his municipality, isn’t as critical of the province’s approach as Henderson — but he also thinks clarity is needed.
“There’s an expectation that we're going to do certain things, and I'm hearing from constituents basically that they are frustrated and worried about their safety. And I think that's where I get concerned — we do need to show a response to that.”
Valente is putting forward a motion for the city to lead a new education campaign around the safety of e-scooters. While the devices aren’t legal on sidewalks in British Columbia, he and Henderson argue that raising public awareness of the rules is just as important as enforcement.
At the same time, he knows there are long-term questions about where e-scooters will be allowed that only the province can answer.
“There's the road for cars, but there's not always a bike or mobility lane, and then we have the sidewalk. And so in those places where we don't have that middle ground, where are we asking these people to go?" Valente said. Renewed focus on the safety and future of e-scooters happened this week after the B.C. Children’s Hospital reported that its emergency department saw 81 visits related to e-scooter use among children and youth from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026 — more than double the 37 visits recorded the year before.
The majority of those visits to the emergency room were from children aged 13 to 15, despite 16 being the legal age to use them in B.C.
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Will Canada’s struggling economy bring an end to Carney’s political honeymoon?
It’s reasonable to say that Prime Minister Mark Carney has been on an extended political honeymoon. Longer than most assumed it would have lasted. It’s not over, either.
Carney and his Liberal government have led in almost every public opinion poll in 2026. The one outlier was a Jan. 14 Abacus Data poll, which had them in a statistical tie (40 per cent to 40 per cent) with Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives. The Liberals motored ahead a couple of weeks later, and it has largely been a double-digit margin since late February.
Here are three recent examples. Nanos Research had the Liberals ahead of the Conservatives by 42.3 per cent to 32.7 per cent in a May 15 poll, or a margin of 9.6 percentage points. Abacus Data suggested the Liberals led by 47 per cent to 35 per cent on May 20, which is a gap of 12 percentage points. Liaison Strategies put the Liberals out in front by 43 per cent to 31 per cent on May 23, which is also 12 percentage points.
Could some of these polls be incorrect? Yes. There’s an understood margin of error in the science of polling of two to three percentage points, so it’s certainly possible. world. Could there be a logical explanation for Carney’s surge in the polls?
No. Carney really hasn’t accomplished much of anything since he became prime minister on March 14, 2025. He was unable to take on Trump, in spite of last year’s Ipsos poll during the federal election suggesting he was the best party leader to “stand up” to the president.
Our relationship with the U.S. is at an all-time low, and a signicant amount of blame rests on his shoulders. Most of his government’s policies were swiped from the Conservatives, with an additional few from the NDP.
The Liberals have spent far too much time either arranging questionable deals with countries like Communist China that may never come to fruition or engaging in political irtation with the European Union. He has made an unusually high number of trips—18 to 26 dierent countries—during the past
14 months, and has been criticized for spending more time out of the country than in the House of Commons. His ludicrous “elbows up” campaign that pulled at the heartstrings of delusional Canadian progressives has nally met its demise, too.
What is the appeal of Carney’s leadership, then? It’s probably a combination of several things. There are Canadians who like him or feel comfortable with him as a leader. There are Canadians who think his background as an economist and former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England makes up for his lack of political experience.
There are Canadians who aren’t particularly fond of Poilievre or any of the other party leaders. There are Canadians who are perfectly ne with mediocre political leaders at the helm, as evidenced by Justin Trudeau winning three elections. There are Canadians who think he’s accomplished a great deal in oce, and are completely
ignorant of his lacklustre record to date. Maybe things will change when a majority of Canadians wake up to the realization that the Canadian economy has struggled mightily under Carney’s leadership. A recent poll from Canada Pulse Insights for CityNews revealed that 67 per cent of respondents believe that our national economy is on the wrong track. “Only 33 per cent believe the economy is heading in the right direction,” according to this poll, and “only three in 10 believed that the national or their local economy would improve over the next 60 days.” Alberta had the highest percentage at 73 per cent, followed by the Prairies and Atlantic Canada (69 per cent), Ontario (68 per cent), B.C. (65 percent) and Quebec (64 per cent). While this data has had virtually no eect on the Liberal government’s rise in the polls to date, it does seem to be having a small eect on the prime minister’s personal popularity.
Canadian shot dead during picnic at South African wildlife park in alleged accident
A Canadian was shot and killed at a South African wilderness park on Wednesday in what authorities said appears to be an accident.
The South African Police Service said a 69-yearold Canadian man asked a park guide whether his gun was real, resulting in him being shot to death.
South African National Parks reports the incident happened in Kruger National Park at an evening barbecue picnic. It says the Canadian was part of a group which was invited inside the park for what’s known locally as a bush braai.
In a statement offering condolences, the agency said preliminary information indicates a private guide “accidentally discharged a firearm, resulting in the fatal injury.”
The police offered a more detailed account.
“It is alleged that the 69-year-old male tourist approached the concession operator, who was holding a rifle, and asked if it was a real
firearm. While the operator was demonstrating that it was a real rifle, the firearm reportedly discharged. The bullet struck the tourist in the upper body,” says a release from the South African Police Service.
The man was confirmed dead at the scene, according to police, who have opened an investigation into possible charges of culpable homicide and reckless handling of a firearm.
Vancouver bar drunk dry by Aussie fans as World Cup brings surge in businesses
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"Today we ordered 200 kegs for the weekend," he said. "The Australians were actually trying to drink us dry. They said 'we're going to drink you dry before we leave.'"
Broers said one of the bar's DJs had to use his van to pick up 20 kegs from a local brewery on Saturday to shore up their dwindling supply. He said he "hired a whole army" ahead of the tournament, and then even more staff for the upcoming games.
Premier David Eby, for his part, said he will be hosting and yelling "go Canada go" during Canada's match on Thursday.
He told a crowd gathered in Vancouver on Tuesday that everyone in B.C. and across the country should mark the occasion by wearing red.
Eby said Canadians have "been through a lot" over the last few years, and it would be an opportunity to celebrate how Canada is standing up on the world stage.
The premier said the World Cup has Vancouver abuzz, as parades of fans take to the streets. Business at bars and restaurants on Granville Street was up 20 to 40 per cent, he added.
Tom Young manages Donnellan's Irish Pub further up Granville, and said the Australian fans came out in "full power" on Saturday.
"The vibe down here was like nothing I've ever seen," Young said. He said the street's closure to vehicles until the tournament's conclusion July 19 had been great for business. It was showcasing a part of the city that sometimes looks rough.
"The concerns I suppose everybody had was, will it be clean enough and will it be good enough? And it was, and they've done it, and it's been really good," he said.
The weekend crowd was also good-natured — police said there was just one arrest, fewer than on a normal weekend. Young said he'd like to see year-round foot traffic, or at least on weekends, like before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We need to get back to that because it's the entertainment district. It's not just a main street," he said.
Young said he had also brought on extra staff. Luckily there were "loads of people looking for work" as the school year ends and summer begins, all coinciding with the World Cup. He said Saturday's match has given staff an idea of what to expect on Thursday.
Back at Dublin Calling, Broers said the bar had high hopes for the World Cup, but was caught off guard in a positive way on Saturday. They're now better prepared as the tournament continues.
Thursday's match is at 3 p.m. PT, while New Zealand plays Egypt on Sunday, with a 6 p.m. PT kickoff.
The 9 p.m. PT kickoff for the Australia-Turkey match gave Aussie fans more time in the bar before heading to the stadium, and Broers suspects they have set a high benchmark.
"We didn't really anticipate that sort of first opening weekend for it. I'm not sure if anyone's going to be able to top the Australians," he said. "That was a very unique and amazing experience to have."
Confusion spreads as Ottawa defends orders to surrender citizenship certificates
The immigration department says it’s working “as quickly as possible” to resolve questions about citizenship by descent claims — even as some claimants say they did everything Ottawa asked them to do. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says “a few dozen” people who got citizenship certificates under the new citizenship by descent law received letters from the department over the weekend demanding they surrender them.
They include health psychologist Bridget Burnett, who said she has already sold her family home in Colorado ahead of moving her life and practice to Victoria next week. She said the movers are coming on June 24. Burnett received a citizenship certificate under Canada’s citizenship by descent law. Over the weekend, she received an email from IRCC telling her she needs to surrender the document that says she’s a Canadian.
“I called IRCC first thing Monday morning and it was very clear that the worker, although very kind and very supportive, had no idea what was going on. Couldn’t tell me what was missing from my file, if anything was missing for my file. Didn’t know what I was supposed to do. Couldn’t really help give any guidance with my move,” Burnett said. “They really just didn’t know what was going on, if it was an error with the physical certificate, if it’s something in my file or if it’s an error in the system.”
A statement issued by IRCC Wednesday evening says “the department is reviewing how this occurred” and is not in a position to provide additional details while that review is ongoing.
Following the passage of bill C-3 last year, people born before Dec. 15, 2025 can claim citizenship by descent so long as they can prove generation-by-
generation direct lineage to a Canadian.
Burnett said she has a Canadian social insurance number and bank account and already has purchased a home in B.C. She has not obtained a Canadian passport yet.
IRCC says it is in the process of telling affected passport holders they cannot use the travel document. Immigration Minister Lena Diab said Wednesday that citizenship by descent claimants must prove Canadian lineage generationby-generation with “verified, authenticated” documents. On Tuesday during question period, Diab said that “genealogy websites are not enough.”
The IRCC letters viewed by The Canadian Press all say the claimants either failed to provide documents from original sources or did not provide a written explanation of why source documents were not obtained, with evidence of attempts to obtain them.
IRCC quietly updated its online guidance document Wednesday to state that documents submitted in support of a citizenship by descent claim must be provided by an original authority, like a provincial archive.
The updated guidance says that if a birth certificate is not available, alternatives like a census record or a certified baptismal certificate can be accepted. Burnett said her mother and child also both received letters directing them to surrender their citizenship certificates.
She said she’s baffled by the order because she submitted a certified census record from 1861 from Library and Archives Canada showing her great grandfather was a British subject in Canada. She said she also submitted an email from the New Brunswick archives saying it does not have a copy of her great-grandfather’s birth certificate.
Attempted murder among 50+ charges against a U.S. man in Ontario IPV investigation
A 25-year-old American man has been charged with dozens of offences following an extensive investigation into alleged intimate partner violence spanning multiple locations in Ontario throughout May.
The UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service said officers responded to a domestic violence complaint in Sheshegwaning First Nation on May 31 after receiving information that a female victim had escaped from a residence and was seeking assistance. According to police, officers attended the area, contained the residence and arrested the accused after he fled into a nearby bush area. The investigation uncovered a series of allegations of incidents in both Sheshegwaning and elsewhere in the province.
“As the investigation progressed, officers obtained detailed information regarding a series of alleged incidents that occurred between May 2 and May 31,” police said in a news release June 18.
Police added that the allegations included repeated physical violence, forcible confinement, criminal harassment, thefts, sexual violence, choking and strangulation incidents, property damage, and the non-consensual taking and publication of an intimate image.
“Investigators also obtained information relating to an alleged attempted murder occurring during an incident in Richmond Hill, Ont.,” police said. As a result, the accused, from Halethorpe, Maryland, has been charged with:
• attempted murder,
• voyeurism, publication of an intimate image without consent,
• 4 counts of criminal harassment,
• 12 counts of assault — spousal,
• 2 counts of assault with a weapon,
• 7 counts of assault causing bodily harm,
• 2 counts of sexual assault,
• 6 counts of forcible confinement,
• 2 counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose,
• 7 counts of theft under $5,000,
• 3 counts of possession of property obtained by crime and
• 3 counts of mischief.
The accused was held for a bail hearing and appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice on June 1. “As this matter is now before the courts, no further information will be released at this time,” police said. “UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service recognizes the significant impact that intimate partner violence has on victims, families, and communities,” police said.
Anyone experiencing abuse, threats, coercive control, or violence is encouraged to seek assistance and report incidents to police.
If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.
A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found at ReeseCommunity.com. Resources in your community can be found by entering your postal code. Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.
24-hour crisis line: 1-416-597-8808
Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 1-866-863-0511
National Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866925-4419
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833900-1010
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366
Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: 1-844-7501648
Construction Begins on Copper Mountain Mine Expansion in Princeton
Princeton, B.C. — Construction has officially begun on the new Ingerbelle Expansion Project at the Copper Mountain Mine, marking a major milestone for British Columbia’s mining sector and regional economy.
During a ground-breaking ceremony held Tuesday, B.C. Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, Jagrup Brar, joined representatives from Hudbay Minerals Inc. to celebrate the start of construction on the project.
The expansion is expected to extend the mine’s operational life until 2040, helping secure the future of one of British Columbia’s key copperproducing operations. The project will also sustain approximately 800 existing jobs while generating hundreds of additional construction positions during the development phase.
“This investment demonstrates confidence in British Columbia’s mining sector and the skilled workforce that supports it,” Brar said during the event. “Projects like the Ingerbelle expansion help create good-paying jobs, strengthen local communities, and support the growing global
demand for critical minerals.”
Hudbay is investing more than $285 million in the expansion, a significant capital commitment that is expected to deliver economic benefits throughout the region. Copper is a key mineral used in clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, and modern infrastructure, making the project strategically important for both provincial and global markets.
The ground-breaking ceremony brought together government officials, industry leaders, and mine employees to mark the beginning of construction. Photos from the event showed participants taking part in a ceremonial shovelturning and highlighted the scale of the existing mining operation overlooking the Princeton area.
The new Ingerbelle Expansion Project is expected to play an important role in maintaining long-term employment and economic activity in the region while supporting British Columbia’s position as a leading supplier of critical minerals for the clean-energy economy.
Shots fired in Surrey City Centre VPD report death of man in city jail
Shots were fired at a parked car in Surrey City Centre early Tuesday but police don’t think it’s related to the continuing extortions in the region.
Surrey Police Service officers were called out just after 2 a.m. after shots rang out near Central Avenue and 133rd Street. An unoccupied vehicle was found with gunshot damage.
“The investigation is in its early stages and the motive for the shots fired is unknown, but it is believed to be targeted and not extortion-related,” said Sgt. Ali Gailus in a news release.
The major crime section is investigating and officers are likely to be in the area Monday looking for physical and digital evidence. Anyone with information about possible suspects, or surveillance or dashcam footage, is asked to call the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502.
Investigators to look into death in VPD jail
The Vancouver Police Department has called independent investigators after a man was found unconscious in police cells Monday.
At about 8 a.m. on June 15, staff at the VPD jail found a prisoner unconscious and called in first responders from B.C. Emergency Health Services.
The man, whose identity isn’t being released, was pronounced dead by paramedics. The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which looks into serious injuries and death where police were involved, has been notified and will take over the case.
The chief civilian director must determine the facts of the case and whether the death was the result of any police actions or inaction.
StatCan reveals new data on mass casualty victims, accused
Men and boys were most often the victims and suspects in mass casualty events in the country, according to new information released by Statistics Canada on Thursday.
Out of 26,634 victims of mass casualty events from 2010 to 2024, 62 per cent were men and boys. Meanwhile, they comprised 48 per cent of victims of overall violent crime.
the nature and prevalence of mass casualty events in Canada, using police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
Mass casualty events are considered “intentional acts of violence” in which at least four victims died or suffered minor or major physical injury. Women and girls made up 38 per cent of victims of mass casualty events, while they comprised 46 per cent of victims who died.
For the 14-year period, nearly eight in 10 (78 per cent) of those accused in mass casualty events were men and boys. The total accused was 7,402 individuals. When it comes to violent crime overall, 77 per cent of the accused were men and boys.
The data was published Thursday in an article in StatCan’s Juristat journal. The article delves into
A greater proportion of women and girls (1.2 per cent) died from mass casualty events, compared to men and boys (0.8 per cent). Between 2010 and 2024, 256 victims died.
Major injuries (6.4 per cent) and deaths (one per cent) were “relatively rare.”
Most mass casualty victims suffered minor injuries (88 per cent) and nearly all were physically injured at 96 per cent.
From 2010 to 2024, there were 5,475 mass casualty events, 3.3 per cent of which involved at least four victims who suffered significant physical injury or died. Mass casualties made up only 0.1 per cent of nearly 5.2 million incidents of police-reported violent crimes for this period. The information refers to incidents of police-reported violent crime, excluding criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death.
19-year-old arrested in connection with U.S. Consulate shooting in Toronto
A 19-year-old has been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting at the U.S. consulate in March, said police.
The arrest of Zara Jabbi occurred on Wednesday. He is facing six charges, including discharge of a firearm at a place, attack on premises of internationally protected persons and theft of a vehicle. Officers responded to reports of a shooting at the consulate around 5:29 a.m. on March 10, said Toronto police in a news release Thursday. They allege two individuals exited a white vehicle outside of the consulate and shot multiple times at the building.
They said video surveillance showed the suspects firing at the building while recording on their phones. Police said evidence at the scene included shell casings and damage to the glass and doors. The white vehicle, which had been stolen before the incident, was later found abandoned in Scarborough, police said.
Jabbi appeared in court Thursday morning. Toronto police and the RCMP also arrested 18-year-old Sheldon Tracey-Stewart on June 11 in relation to the incident.
While Toronto police are in charge of the investigation, the RCMP and Integrated National Security Enforcement Team have a parallel investigation as they're "treating the incident as a national security threat," according to the release.
News of the arrest comes after Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43, died after he was shot last week while police carried out search warrants in connection with shootings in the city, including at synagogues and the one at the U.S. Consulate.
At a news conference last week, police urged Jabbi to turn himself in with relation to the consulate shooting investigation. They said he was not necessarily tied to the shooting of the officer.
Man charged in attempted child abduction in Surrey
A 22-year-old man has been charged with the attempted abduction of a child from a driveway in Surrey last weekend, police said.
Police allege a child was playing in a driveway outside a home in the 8100-block of 136A Street at around 6:40 p.m. on Saturday when a stranger approached the child and “physically picked up” the child. Bystanders intervened. The stranger put the child down and left the area.
The child wasn’t harmed.
Liam Robert Dobbs-Morency is facing one count of abduction of a person under
14 and one count of possession of a prohibited
A First Nation in northwestern British Columbia has banished five people from its territory for three years.
The Taku River Tlingit First Nation says in a statement on Facebook that its council issued the banishment order after receiving “significant concerns” from the community.
It says that information led the council to determine they pose “a serious risk to the safety and well-being” of community members.
The order says the five people will not be allowed in the area of Atlin, Five Mile and the Taku Watershed until June 2029.
No further information on the complaints has been released, and the council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The nation’s statement urges community members to report any individuals who may pose safety risks or who may be violating the banishment order.
"It is a desert with an extreme climate," he says.
Conditions have become worse in his lifetime. Global warming means that the smaller, low altitude glaciers they relied on to water their crops have disappeared.
"Now there is scarcity of water. Last year I lost everything - my entire field got dried due of lack of water," Gutme says. "For generations, small glaciers sitting right above the valleys acted like frozen water towers, holding onto water all winter and releasing it right when spring farming began," explains Lobzang Fardod, who is a member of a local water management committee in Ladakh.
"Now that those lower glaciers have completely vanished into a desert of dry rock, there is nothing left at the top to melt," he says.
The mountain summer is short, so farmers have to plant their crops by May, otherwise the crops will not be ready before the winter hits again.
A reliable source of water in early spring is crucial for them.
To secure that vital resource, in the early 2010s some Ladakh villages attempted to create their own reservoirs of ice.
The system involved piping water from higher up in the mountains during the winter and spraying it into the air, where it would freeze, and over time form large towers of ice, called ice stupas.
They successfully supplied melt water in the spring, but were a "nightmare" to manage under harsh winter conditions, says Fardod.
quickly below minus 20C, or sometimes minus 30C, the water in the pipes was liable to freeze, cracking the pipes and ruining the whole system.
To guard against that, during the winter teams of four or five farmers would camp high-up, near the water source, rushing to any potential blockages with boiling water, often during the night when temperature drops were most likely.
But enduring those freezing, winter nights high in the mountains could be phased out.
"Because traditional water systems are failing, Leh-Ladakh has become a hub for innovative, grassroots hydraulic engineering," says Murtaza Ali, executive engineer in the Irrigation and Flood Control Division, at the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
Leh is the capital of Ladakh, a disputed region in Indian-administered Kashmir that is sandwiched between China to the east and Pakistan to the west. As well as the potential for cracked pipes, the ice stupa system was not very efficient, says Ali.
Because water flowed constantly, on warmer days fresh water would melt the ice that had already formed.
But over the last couple of years that method has undergone a tech upgrade.
If temperatures dropped
Jonathan David hat trick leads Canada over Qatar for historic 1st win in men's World Cup history
Continued from Page 1...
In a stadium that was dressed nearly entirely in red, the release, the relief, threatened to take off the roof. David scored next, screaming home a volley from distance in the 29th minute. He was chased by his thrilled teammates into a corner of a suddenly historic ground and engulfed in what felt like a now-inevitable victory.
The result was no longer in question after Homam Ahmed took down Tajon Buchanan on a breakaway and Qatar was reduced to 10 men. Larin’s and David’s shared place in Canadian soccer history was doubtless, too. They combined for a third goal before the end of a dream first half after David bundled home Larin’s saved header.
Now David had 41 goals for Canada, extending his all-time men’s national record. He first claimed it by breaking Larin’s former mark. Larin, still second on the list, had 32. The second half was seared into the side’s, and the country’s, collective memory for far less happy reasons.
Ismael Koné, Canada’s Man of the Match against Bosnia-Herzegovina and a creative force against Qatar, suffered an apparent broken leg when he was tackled from behind by Assim Madibo.
His red card left Qatar with nine men and the air rushing out of a stadium that had felt so full.
Te sound of the break was audible in the upper reaches of an immediately silent BC Place. Koné held his left leg in the air, his eyes and mouth wide with shock. Stephen Eustaquio was the first to see how bad the damage was and waved frantically to the bench.
After Koné was wheeled away on a stretcher — after he received a long embrace from a devastated Marsch — he was replaced by a clearly distraught Nathan Saliba. Canada literally wrapped him up
in their arms when he walked out onto the pitch, in something like shock himself.
Almost cinematically, Saliba then scored Canada’s fourth goal on an inch-perfect free kick. He ran to the touchline and lifted Kone’s black jersey, No. 8, up to the crowd, a heart-swelling response to such a brutal moment.
Jacob Shaffelburg later added the fifth. David earned his hat trick, and the 42nd goal of his unbelievable national-team career, with the sixth.
Canada will have to rally again before its next game against Switzerland, also in Vancouver, on June 24. The lopsided result against Qatar almost certainly puts Canada through to the knockout rounds, but also leaves it the chance to win Group B with anything other than a loss against the Swiss. Their late domination of Bosnia-Herzegovina earlier in the day — a game that was scoreless with 16 minutes to play somehow finished 4-1 for Switzerland — seemed to leave Canada with only a distant chance of winning the group.
The first tiebreaker between teams tied on points after the group stage, beyond head-to-head results, is goals scored.
Canada’s sensational six gives it to them. First place is a massive advantage. Group B’s winner, after a full week of rest, will face a thirdplace team in Vancouver in the Round of 32. The second-place finisher heads to Los Angeles to meet the second-place finisher in Group A after only three days off.
Marsch’s men will have to manage that allimportant game, and the rest of their tournament, without Koné. There is a case to be made that he’s worst player for them to have lost. In any other game, given any other result, his tragedy would have been all that anyone remembered.
No probe on Neiko
Criminal Investigations Department director Serupepeli Neiko is not currently being investigated over allegations linking him to the $3billion Vatia cocaine bust in Tavua.
Police confirmed this after allegations were made that Mr Neiko had been “suspended” over alleged links to Nadi businessman Anand Kumar, also known as Bobby, who’s file relating to the same cocaine case is currently before the High Court in Ba. Police said Mr Neiko, the former Counter Narcotics Bureau director, had not been suspended but had instead been sent on leave.
Police also confirmed an investigation file involving Mr Neiko had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions over abuse of office allegations.
“SSP Neiko was not suspended, he and other officers have a lot of accumulated leave, and were directed by COMPOL to proceed on leave order,” police said in a statement.
“The investigation file with DPP for alleged abuse of office dates back to 2022 and is not a recent allegation.” Mr Kumar is currently in remanded.
It’s alleged he and others imported 2644.5kg of cocaine into Fiji between November 1, 2025, and January 15, 2026.
It is also alleged they were later found in possession of the cocaine at Vatia Wharf, Tavua, and police found $2300 and $AU4550 ($F7086) at his home in Malolo, suspected to be proceeds of crime. This matter will be called again on June 22.
FCCC to decide on fuel price reduction
International fuel prices have started to ease, but any reduction in local fuel prices will depend on assessments by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), says Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
Speaking to this masthead after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Rabuka said ministers had been informed that global fuel prices were beginning to decline following recent market volatility.
“Prices have started to come down, but because the prices of the oil that are now with the distributors in Fiji were bought at a higher price, we will allow the FCCC to make that call,” Mr Rabuka said. He said Cabinet had received an update from fuel
companies through the National Fuel Controller, Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau, regarding the country’s fuel supply situation.
“It was just an update from the fuel companies to the National Fuel Controller, that’s the honourable Minister for Works, to say that supplies are steady, there’s no threat to that.”
The Prime Minister described the Cabinet meeting as brief, with discussions focused mainly on fuel supplies and two fisheries-related submissions. “It was a very short meeting.
“Another one was just two other papers from fisheries, and they are straightforward ones, to do with security of our industry, as well as environment.”
Pilot rescued after helicopter incident off Wailoaloa Beach
A pilot was rescued after a Robinson R44 helicopter entered the sea off Wailoaloa Beach near the Nadi Boat Club this afternoon.
In a statement, Fiji Airports confirmed the incident occurred at approximately 5:23pm.
The helicopter had departed Nadi with one person on board and was en route to Denarau when it entered the water. The pilot was safely rescued and received immediate medical attention from a doctor at the scene.
Fiji Airports said relevant emergency response agencies were activated and attended the incident site. The airport authority is now working closely with the aircraft operator and relevant authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Fiji Airports confirmed that the incident has not affected operations at .
“Safety remains the cornerstone of Fiji Airports’ operations, and we will continue to work closely with all relevant agencies throughout the investigation,” the statement said.
Further information is expected to be released as investigations progress.
Tui Nayau labels economy dialogue ‘talkfest’
Gone turaga bale na Tui Nayau Ratu Tevita Mara has criticised the recent State of the Fijian Economy Dialogue in Suva labelling it as a “talkfest” rather than a platform that generated real solutions.
Ratu Tevita said the forum was a steady undermining of the Coalition Government dressed up as a civic dialogue.
“Let me say it plainly, a nation is not led by political posturing, nor by those who gather mainly to criticise the Government,” he said.
“It is led by those who bring real solutions to the table and put their shoulders to the work.
“By that measure, the dialogue failed.”
Ratu Tevita questioned whether the two-day talks discussed workable solutions to the problems that affect ordinary Fijians.
“There was no credible plan to repair our economy and restore the livelihoods of our people.
The Suva Magistrate’s Court has acquitted former Telecom Fiji Ltd and Amalgamated Telecom Holdings board member Sanjay Kaba. Magistrate Charles Ratakele upheld Mr Kaba’s no-case-to-answer application, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove the elements of the offence. FICAC alleged Mr Kaba, between January 27, 2017, and January 2019, while being a board member of TFL and ATH Ltd, engaged in a conduct namely using information and influence obtained by virtue of his position to procure the submission of a tender through Houng Lee Kaba Jacob Pie Limited, a company in which he was a director and shareholder. It was also alleged that as a result, Mr Kaba obtained $766,327.22 between
A family from Nausori, including a husband, wife and their nine-year-old daughter, were among four people who lost their lives in a tragic road accident in Vatukoula this morning.
The victims have been identified as 43-year-old Ajeet Kumar, his wife Shonika Kumar, their nine-year-old daughter, and a female relative.
A family member said the family had travelled to Vatukoula to attend a wedding and were returning to Rakiraki, where they were expected to stay at the home of Mrs Kumar’s mother.
It is alleged the vehicle, driven by Mr Kumar went into the Nasivi river around 1am today.
National Fire Authority and nearby villagers tried to rescue the occupants of the vehicle.
The four occupants were rushed to Tavua Hospital, where medical officials later
June 2022 and July 2023, knowing or believing that HLK Jacob was not eligible to receive that financial advantage.
Mr Kaba is represented by Lawyers Devanesh Sharma, Gul Fatima and Wasu Pillay.
confirmed their deaths. A fifth passenger who was travelling in the vehicle survived the crash and escaped serious injury.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident are continuing.
“There was no serious reckoning with the drug crisis now spreading through our communities — a scourge that, left unchecked, threatens to turn Fiji into a semi-narco state and consume a whole generation of our young.
“There was no answer to the alarming rise in HIV infections among our people. There was no plan for our failing hospitals, our broken roads, our crumbling infrastructure. And there was too little honest regard for the Constitution Review now under way — the most important work of all, by which we may finally set right the foundations of our nation.” The Tui Nayau also criticised the organisers for allowing former finance minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to speak during the forum.
“To hand such a man a platform to lecture the nation on its economy is not merely poor judgement; it is an affront to every Fijian who is paying the price of his record.”
Sanjay Kaba acquitted as
Wedding trip ends in tragedy for Nausori family
Roots Of Unrest In Pakistan-Held Kashmir And Gilgit-Baltistan – Analysis
Islamabad has been unable to give in to popular demands for constitutional and national security reasons, but repression has only prolonged the agony. From time to time, trouble keeps flaring up in two regions of northern Pakistan – Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and that part of Jammu and Kashmir which India calls Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Pakistan calls Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Behind the unrest in these two places, are longstanding popular grievances against successive governments of Pakistan, based in Islamabad. The aggrieved people resort to mass action, braving baton charges, teargassing and firing by the police and para-military forces.
Last week, in the unrest in AJK/POK, estimates of the death toll ranged from 14 to 30 and even more. Islamabad’s action drew condemnation from India as well as the UK.
such as from the Mangla Dam. The locals have been demanding that they should benefit more from these via royalties or lower rates based on production costs. They also complain about rising wheat flour prices. Other demands include restoring/maintaining subsidies equivalent to other areas like Gilgit-Baltistan, relief from inflation, and better access to essentialscommodities.
Locals feel that their natural resources (water, hydropower, forests) are exploited for the benefit of the rest of Pakistan, without fair returns for the
In Bradford, UK, home to many immigrants from POK/AJK, there was a demonstration and British MPs called for action by their government.
In the POK/AJK, the agitators were led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a broad civil society coalition of traders, transporters, students, lawyers, and activists. The JAAC led repeated waves of protests in 2024, September–October 2025, and now in June 2026, often turning violent. Major Grievances and Demands
The POK/AJK generates significant hydropower,
people of POK/AJK and GB. Local development is neglected, contributing to poverty, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.
Locals accuse the rulers of rank corruption and inefficiency, and point to oversized cabinets and ministerial perks such as free electricity and vehicles.
Local satraps of the rulers in Islamabad lack accountability. The long list of demands includes downsizing the local government, investigating officials, ending special allowances, and improving health, education, and social welfare.
Chinese AI firm exposes Pakistani defence installations and assets
New Delhi: A Chinese AI firm released intelligence tracking information of Pakistani military installations and naval assets to the global public domain, a report said on Sunday, calling it "an extraordinary and highly calculated breach of operational security".
The report in the Sunday Guardian noted that the exposure is not part of a Western intelligence operation or an Indian leak but a deliberate and granular disclosure.
MizarVision, a Chinese commercial remote sensing and AI intelligence firm, has published high-definition satellite imagery and an automated assessment documenting "sensitive developments" at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Nur Khan base and Pakistan Navy task group berthed at a Sri Lankan port. Runway and infrastructure upgrades at PAF's Nur Khan base were captured in an overhead surveillance log, which was captured on April 15. This was processed through an automated AI object-detection system.
The report revealed "the rapid construction of a reinforced concrete hangar measuring roughly 50-70 metres in length and 20-30 metres in width, designed to shelter between two and four medium multirole fighter aircraft, specifically identifying Chinese-supplied JF-17 Block III and J-10C fighters, as well as other high-value aviation assets".
The assessment also characterised the new structure as a reactive measure intended to reduce vulnerability. The construction site is adjacent to an impact point of an Indian stand-off cruise missile from recent attacks.
Another revelation comes from material dated June 5, where
"MizarVision released high-resolution imagery showing a Pakistan Navy task group berthed at a Sri Lankan port. Prominently identified by the platform's automated classification systems was a Pakistani Agosta-90B diesel-electric attack submarine operating alongside escort frigates. The software automatically outlined and tagged the vessels, effectively exposing the submarine's location and undermining its principal operational advantage, stealth, while deployed outside Pakistani waters". The report noted that the intense competition within China's militaryindustrial ecosystem is a better answer to the paradox of a Chinese entity publicly revealing the vulnerabilities of Pakistan, "Beijing's closest regional partner".
“The continued availability of these disclosures on Chinese platforms, despite China's tightly controlled information environment, suggests alignment with broader state objectives," the report said.
The message to Pakistan appears to be one of strategic vulnerability and technological dependence, where its sensitive defence assets, including attack submarines, can be located and identified publicly "Beijing effectively signals that Islamabad possesses little operational privacy".
‘Not me, actor used in fake video’: Mann cites 2 forensic lab reports
Days after Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldip Singh Gargaj declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann “Guru Dokhi” (one who disrespects Gurus) and “Panth Virodhi” (anti-Panth), the CM on Thursday reiterated that the individual in the controversial video was not him.
In a statement, Mann claimed that a frame-by-frame technical analysis by two independent forensic laboratories outside the state had confirmed that the individual in the video did not resemble him.
Claiming that the two reports had uncovered the truth behind the fake video controversy, the CM said not a single one of the 1,191 frames examined by the labs matched his profile, including face, height or physique.
of passing it off as Bhagwant Mann,” the CM said.
“The reports also state that the individual in the video is nearly two inches taller than me. How is it possible that my height has increased by two inches in a video?” the CM argued, adding that it was an attempt to malign him because “certain forces can’t tolerate Punjab’s progress and my popularity among the masses”. Mann said he had directed DGP Gaurav Yadav to identify those involved in creating, financing and circulating the “fake” video, and expose them before the “sangat”.
“The reports clearly establish that someone used an actor to create this fake video with the intention
An AAP delegation earlier met the DGP and submitted the two forensic reports, demanding strict legal action against those involved. The delegation included AAP state president Aman Arora, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, state media in-charge Baltej Pannu, and other senior party leaders.
Akalis gave safe exit to culprits in 1978
Sikh-Nirankari clash: CM Mann
As the Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal continue to attack each other over Panthic issues, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann once again targeted his rival during a Lok Milni programme here on Thursday evening.
Attacking the SAD, Mann raked up past incidents. “They are the same people who bestowed upon themselves the title of Fakr-e-Qaum, whereas it was former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who facilitated the safe exit of those accused in the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash. Those who had killed unarmed Sikhs were taken away safely in his own car. So, is there anything in them that the community should feel proud of?” he asked. His attack on the Akalis began right at the start of his speech. “It was during their tenure that drugs were supplied in official vehicles carrying red beacons. The police had instructions not to stop any of those vehicles,” he alleged.
Claiming that the SAD was planning an alliance with the BJP to return to power, Mann said, “But I tell you they will meet the same fate as the tortoise and the mouse when they became friends. Both
died after their tails were tied together. Likewise, such an alliance will spell doom for both parties,” he told the gathering, narrating the story in detail.
The Aam Aadmi Party also appeared to build an atmosphere of support for the Chief Minister amid the ongoing Panthic controversy during the rally. A woman came forward to present him with a saffron robe, while around 10 to 12 Nihang Sikhs were seated among the audience. Accusing the Akali leadership of misleading people, Mann said those who had lied before the Akal Takht could not be loyal to anyone. He further remarked that the Congress was on its deathbed because of internal infighting.
BJP chief Nabin on 3-day Punjab visit
BJP national president Nitin Nabin will begin a three-day visit to Punjab on June 20 with an obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the party announced today.
BJP state general secretary Anil Sarin said Nabin would arrive in Amritsar on June 20 and, besides the Golden Temple, visit Jallianwala Bagh, Sri Durgiana Mandir and Sri Ram Tirath Mandir to pay tribute to the state’s spiritual and cultural heritage. He would proceed to Jalandhar in the evening and meet party workers.
On June 21, Nabin will take part in International Yoga Day celebrations at Lovely Professional
University before moving to Ludhiana, where he will inaugurate the district BJP office on Dugri Road and hold a meeting with sub-circle heads and senior organisational functionaries. He will also interact with industrialists and members of the business community in the evening.
On the concluding day, June 22, Nabin will meet Members of Parliament, former MPs, MLAs and former MLAs, besides youth representatives.
A youth conclave and separate meetings with state office-bearers, district presidents and the BJP Punjab core group are also on the schedule.
Sarin said the visit, Nabin’s first to Punjab after taking over as national president, would give fresh momentum to the party’s organisational expansion in the state and strengthen its outreach among various sections of society. He added that BJP workers across Punjab were preparing to make the visit a success. Party sources said the tour assumed significance ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, which the BJP has decided to contest on its own without the SAD. The decision to begin the visit with stops at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Temple was being seen as an outreach to the Sikh community, they said.
Invoking Sarkar-e-Khalsa, the system of governance established by Maharaja Ranjit Singh during his reign, Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon and BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh centred their Amritsar visit on reviving Punjabi pride and prosperity while calling out the “failures” of the AAP government in the state.
On his maiden visit to Amritsar after assuming office, Dhillon was critical of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying no one was above the Akal Takht, and that Mann must appear before it after being designated “Guru Dokhi”.
“First, Mann said the video was AI-generated and then, when it turned out to be genuine, he said the person in the video was not him. Mann must appear before the Takht, resign and seek pardon,”
said Dhillon.
Chugh described Mann as “arrogant”, referring to the Chief Minister’s rejection of the Akal Takht decree.
The Ropar police today arrested five alleged drug smugglers after a brief exchange of fire near Nangal town in the district. One of the accused sustained a bullet injury during the operation and was admitted to the BBMB Hospital in Nangal for treatment.
Police sources said the accused were allegedly carrying heroin to supply local peddlers operating in the Nangal area. Acting on a specific intelligence input, a police team laid a naka near Naya Nangal and intercepted a suspicious white Hyundai Accent car. Ropar SSP Maninder Singh said the police had received information that a group of drug smugglers was moving towards Nangal in the vehicle. Following the tip-off, a team led by officials of Naya Nangal police post set up a checkpoint to intercept the suspects.
“When the police party signalled the vehicle to stop, the occupants attempted to flee and fired two
rounds at the naka party in an effort to escape,” the SSP said. He added that the police immediately launched a chase and pursued the vehicle for nearly 10 km.
During the pursuit, police personnel managed to stop the vehicle. To prevent the accused from escaping and neutralise the threat posed by the armed suspects, one round was fired from a service weapon, which struck one of the accused, identified as Lovepreet Singh, on the shoulder. He was taken into custody and shifted to the BBMB Hospital, Nangal, where he is undergoing treatment. Police officials said his condition was stable.
The other accused were apprehended on the spot. They were identified as Lovepreet Singh of Jangpura in Mohali district, Rohit of Hisar, Shubham of Jind, Parikshit of Sonipat and Lehmastak Pratap Singh of Chandigarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday jointly participated in VivaTech 2026, Europe’s largest technology and start-up event, with the Indian leader outlining New Delhi’s vision for human-centric artificial intelligence and highlighting the expanding India-France partnership in emerging technologies.
Addressing an audience comprising entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors and business leaders in Paris, Modi underlined how technology had driven transformative changes in India, ranging from digital payments and AI-enabled agricultural solutions to cuttingedge space applications
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of ensuring that advances in artificial intelligence and frontier technologies remain human-centric and inclusive, while pointing
to the growing scope of cooperation between India and France in critical and emerging technologies.
Following the keynote address, Modi and Macron interacted with Indian start-ups and innovators exhibiting advanced technologies and practical solutions in sectors such as healthcare, mobility, sustainability and industry.
India is the AI Country Partner for VivaTech 2026 and has mounted its largest-ever presence at the annual event, with pavilions showcasing the country’s innovation ecosystem across artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, health-tech, clean technologies, mobility and advanced computing. More than 80 Indian deep-tech companies and start-ups are
participating in the event.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi’s participation is expected to further strengthen
collaboration between the Indian and French technology ecosystems.
India’s engagement with VivaTech has steadily expanded over the years. Modi had delivered the keynote address at the event in 2021, while India became the first “Country of the Year” at VivaTech in 2022. The organisers have also recently formalised cooperation with the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
This year’s participation assumes added significance as India and France are celebrating 2026 as the India-France Year of Innovation, reflecting the growing strategic convergence between the two countries in the field of technology and innovation.
Rs 657-cr bank scam: CBI arrests IAS RK Singh
The scam involved officials of IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, who allegedly colluded with government officials, including IAS officers, to siphon off funds from the bank accounts of eight Haryana government departments and two Chandigarh Administration departments.
While the CBI has put the quantum of loss at Rs 657 crore, the ED, which is also investigating the scam, claims a loss of Rs 645 crore.
Ram Kumar Singh is a 2012-batch IAS officer. He was promoted to the IAS from the Haryana Civil Services. After his name cropped up in the scam, the Haryana Government suspended him on April 8, along with another IAS officer, Pardeep Kumar of the 2011 batch, who was also allegedly involved.
Ram Kumar Singh served as the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Panchkula, from October 26, 2020, to May 12, 2021, and then again from July 10, 2025, to January 28, 2026. According to the CBI, in the Panchkula MC case, Rs 79.46 crore was siphoned off from the IDFC First Bank account in Sector 32, Chandigarh. The residences of RK Singh in Chandigarh and Karnal were searched and several incriminating documents recovered, the CBI claimed.
The agency added that “the misappropriation was carried out with the knowledge and active participation of the then Commissioner and senior accountant of the Panchkula MC.” Earlier, the CBI had arrested the senior accountant, Surinder Jain, in the case.
Govt okays 8.25% interest rate on EPF for 25-26
The government has approved an interest rate of 8.25 per cent on deposits made to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) for 2025-2026, said sources on Thursday. With this, more than 7 crore contributing members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) are expected to receive the interest this month.
The EPFO provides the rate of interest on the EPF after it gets ratified by the government through the Finance Ministry.
According to a source, the Finance Ministry has approved the 8.25 per cent rate set by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), the EPFO's highest decision-making body. Earlier, in a meeting chaired by Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on March 2, the CBT agreed to set an interest rate of 8.25 per cent for the fiscal year 2025-2026. This is the third year in a row that this rate has been
maintained.
Since the Government of India is the EPF's guarantor, the plan was then forwarded to the Finance Ministry for approval. The source said that the proposal had been okayed by the Finance Ministry after being reviewed, and the EPFO would likely credit the 8.25 per cent rate of interest for 2025-26 into subscribers' accounts this month only at the Labour Ministry's request.
In February 2025, the EPFO had maintained the 8.25 per cent rate of interest for FY 2024-2025. The interest rate was slightly raised by the EPFO in 2024 from 8.15 per cent in 2022–2023 to 8.25 per cent for 2023–2024.
The interest rate on post-retirement deposits for 2021-2022 was reduced by the EPFO in March 2022 from 8.5 per cent in 2020-2021 to an over four-decade low of 8.10 per cent.
US-Iran peace deal offers India oil import relief, strategic space
The US-Iran peace agreement could prove to be an economic and strategic boon for India, which has watched the conflict in West Asia with growing concern over energy supplies and regional stability.
The biggest immediate gain is likely to come from lower oil prices. Any sustained reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the return of Iranian crude to global markets would ease supply concerns and help moderate India’s import bill. As the world’s third-largest oil importer, India stands to benefit directly from greater stability in the Gulf.
The agreement could also restore an element of energy diversification that New Delhi has lacked in recent years. Sanctions had virtually eliminated Iranian oil from India’s basket, forcing refiners to rely increasingly on Russia and Gulf producers. A gradual return of Iranian supplies would give India greater leverage and flexibility.
Another significant implication concerns connectivity. The easing of sanctions could revive India’s plans centred on Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor, which are aimed at improving access to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Russia while bypassing Pakistan. Strategically, the accord is consistent with India’s long-standing preference for dialogue and diplomacy.
What India-New Zealand Free Trade agreement really means
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit New Zealand in July, which would be Modi’s first head of government. This is a historic trip given that India and New Zealand, on 27 April 2026, concluded a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in New Delhi. The deal, which is undergoing ratification, gives a practical shape to the longstanding desire of both nations to deepen their commercial ties.
New Zealand has for a long time considered India as a “strategic partner,” given the weight of
by opening wider access to markets on both sides and removing obstacles that have so far limited commercial exchanges. For New Zealand, the agreement is also part of a wider strategy to grow export income over the next ten years.
At the heart of the agreement are the tariff reductions. Nearly 95% of New Zealand’s current exports will either enter India with no tariffs or will face reduced rates. More than half of these products will be duty-free immediately when the agreement comes into effect, while over 80% will reach that status once the various transition phases have been completed. This represents a considerable reduction compared to the tariffs that New Zealand exporters currently face.
the Indian economy, its increasing role in global politics, and its geographical centrality in the IndoPacific. A stronger bilateral relationship also helps New Zealand to not rely too heavily on a small group of countries for its exports.
One factor that has brought the two countries closer is the presence of a large Indian community in New Zealand, estimated at around 300,000 people (six percent of the population). Through commerce, academic exchanges, cultural activities and family connections, this diaspora has served as a link, referred to as a “vital living bridge” between the two governments over many years.
The trade between the two countries is still relatively small when compared to the overall size of the Indian economy. New Zealand exported to India goods and services valued at NZ$2.03 billion in the year ending December 2025, which made India only its 11th largest export market. This figure suggests that much of the trade potential between the two economies is yet to be realized.
The FTA is intended to change this situation,
Taking present trade flows as a reference, the estimated tariff savings for New Zealand exporters are around NZ$43 million annually at the time the agreement enters into force. This number is projected to grow to approximately NZ$62 million after all tariff phases are fully implemented. Should bilateral trade expand, these savings would naturally be higher.
The agreement also addresses the question of how goods move across borders. Customs formalities will be made simpler, costs related to administrative procedures will go down, and companies will have a clearer picture of what to expect when sending products to India. The Indian customs administration has given a commitment to process the release of goods within 48 hours in general, and within 24 hours when dealing with express consignments or products that can deteriorate quickly.
For the services sector, too, the FTA opens new possibilities. Firms active in fintech, education, professional services and environmental consulting will find it easier to enter the Indian market, and will do so on terms that are comparable to what companies from other FTA partner countries already enjoy.
India has witnessed transformative growth across sectors in last 12 years: PM Modi
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PM Modi said serving the country as an elected PM for 12 consecutive years has been a great privilege of his life
"It is the power of India's democracy that has brought a tea seller to this position. The last 12 years have been a testament to the incredible potential of 1.4 billion Indians. In this period, India's GDP has doubled. The number of airports has doubled. The number of universities has also doubled. Highway construction has doubled," he said. The Prime Minister also lauded the contributions of the Indian diaspora.
"When I arrived in Nice on June 14th, the first thing I did was participate in the Bharat Innovates program. Today, as I prepare to return from France, I feel as if I have come to the Bharat Connect program. The way you have connected the 21stcentury India-France relationship, it is becoming a major strength of our strategic partnership. I bring to you the greetings of 1.4 billion Indian citizens. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for this warm welcome," he said.
"Paris is a city of lights. This is the city of colours. There are ideas and there is inspiration for innovation. All of you, coming from different states of India, make this city even more beautiful. You fill it with new colours. Some are Tamil, some are Punjabi, some are Gujarati, some are Marathi, and some are Bengali. Every corner of India is
BJP chief Nitin Nabin gets Lutyens’ Delhi home near Manmohan Singh’s residence
Ending months of scouting, the government’s Directorate of Estates has allotted an official bungalow to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin, who moved into his new sprawling Lutyens home on Wednesday after performing elaborate housewarming rituals.
Nabin’s residence, 1, Motilal Nehru Marg, was earlier occupied by the late patriarch of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Shibu Soren. The official informed that the JMM leader was allotted this residence in 2020 and he lived here until he passed away on August 4, 2025, after which the residence was vacant.
Also, it is located in an elite zone and in the neighbourhood of 3, Motilal Nehru Marg bungalow, which was allotted to the late prime minister Manmohan Singh after he vacated the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Delhi (earlier named 7, Race
Course Road- RCR). Currently, Dr Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur, is the occupant of this house and is now the neighbour of Nitin Nabin.
Nabin was appointed the 12th BJP chief on January 20. It took the government a good long time to find him a suitable residence in Delhi. On the occasion, convoys of white SUVs turned into 1 Motilal Nehru Marg, one of the most sought-after addresses in the capital's power corridor. Within hours, marigold decorations appeared across the sprawling lawns and the sound of rituals filled the air as Nabin performed a griha pravesh ceremony.
Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders, including Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Kiren Rijiju and G Kishan Reddy, visited Nabin on the occasion. Visitors also included other MPs and Bihar’s chief minister, Samrat Choudhary.
China minister Wang Yi to visit India for BRICS meet
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India next week to attend the 16th meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors and High Representatives on National Security, marking his another trip to the country in less than a year amid continuing efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise bilateral ties.
Beijing announced on Thursday that Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, would attend the meeting in India from June 22 to 23 at the invitation of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Sources indicated that Wang is
likely to hold bilateral meetings with Doval and Jaishankar during his stay in New Delhi, although no official schedule has been announced.
The high-level gathering is expected to bring together national security representatives from BRICS member countries to discuss strategic and security-related issues facing the grouping.
Wang last travelled to New Delhi in August 2025, when he held talks with Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Both sides had then underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas and agreed that differences should not be allowed to turn into disputes.
represented here," he added.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi, accompanied by French President Emmanual Macron, participated in VivaTech 2026 in Paris, Europe's largest technology and start-up event.
Addressing the gathering of tech-entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors and business leaders, the Prime Minister highlighted India's vision for a human-centric AI and frontier technologies, and the growing expanse of India-France cooperation in emerging technologies.
He noted that technology had enabled transformative changes in India, from digital payments, AI-enabled agricultural progress to cutting-edge space applications. Following the keynote address, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron interacted with Indian start-ups and innovators displaying frontier technologies and practical solutions for industry, healthcare, sustainability, and mobility.
India is the AI Country Partner in VivaTech 2026. This is also India's largest ever presence at VivaTech with pavilions set up to showcase its innovation ecosystem across Artificial Intelligence, digital public infrastructure, health-tech, clean technologies, mobility, advanced computing, etc. Over 80 Indian deep-tech companies and startups are participating in the event.
Prime Minister's participation at VivaTech is expected to further deepen partnerships between
