Federal Liberals top Tories for 1st time in years, new Ipsos polling says
For the first time since 2021, Ipsos polling now shows the federal Liberal party with a slight lead over the Conservatives. The poll, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, shows if a federal election were to take place tomorrow, the Liberals would get 38 per cent of decided voter support compared to the Conservatives’ 36 per cent, overturning what was a 26-point lead for the Tories just six weeks ago.
According to the polling, conducted between Feb. 21 and 24 from a sample of 1,000 votingage Canadians, the Liberals have increased their numbers by 10
points compared to the last poll by Ipsos released earlier this month.
The polling is considered accurate within 3.8 percentage points, so the numbers are still within the margin of error.
But the results echo multiple recent polls indicating the Liberals are closing the gap between the Conservatives in the seven weeks since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation and as the country braces for damaging U.S. tariffs set to take effect next week.
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Trump announces delays to sweeping tariffs on Canada until April
U.S. President Donald Trump announced today that tariffs against Canada will be delayed until early April.
The tariffs were originally going to go into effect in February. They were then delayed by 30 days and were to kick in next week. This is the third delay.During a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump responded to a reporter’s question about whether he would continue the pause on tariffs
against Canada and Mexico. Trump confirmed that he was not going to stop the tariffs due to the U.S. having “lost millions of people due to fentanyl.”
However, he seemingly pushed back the start date of enacting the tariffs on Canada until the spring. “I have to tell you that, you know, on April 2 — I was going to do it on April 1, but I’m a little bit superstitious; I made it April 2.
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Immigration Minister Marc Miller accused Canadian universities of sourcing too many students from India, and said he expects a better “diversity” of international students in future. He also said Canada needs to return to relying on “quality” over “quantity” of immigrants. “I think we do need to make sure that the Canadian brand does focus on excellence, on quality, and less quantity,” he said. Continued on Page 10...
BC Conservatives having ‘family’ issues but not divided:
John Rustad
BC Conservative leader John Rustad says the party is having “family” issues ahead of its annual general meeting, with his attorney general critic defying his wishes and a lack of unity on display in the legislature. Continued on Page 6...
A Billion Indians have no spending money - report
India is home to 1.4 billion people but around a billion lack money to spend on any discretionary goods or services, a new report estimates.
The country's consuming class, effectively the potential market for start-ups or business owners,
is only about as big as Mexico, 130-140 million people, according to the report from Blume Ventures, a venture capital firm.
Another 300 million are "emerging" or "aspirant" consumers but they are reluctant spenders who have only just begun to open their purse strings, as click-of-a-button digital payments make it easy to transact.
What is more, the consuming class in Asia's third largest economy is not "widening" as much as it is "deepening", according to the report. That basically means India's wealthy population is not really growing in numbers, even though those who are already rich are getting even wealthier.
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BC Conservative non-confidence motion fails to bring down NDP government
The British Columbia government has survived a non-confidence vote after the Opposition Conservative party wasted no time in trying to overthrow the NDP.
In a vote that split along party lines, a motion brought forward by Opposition leader John Rustad was narrowly defeated, with every Conservative member voting for while both BC Green Party representatives voted against alongside NDP members. Rustad’s motion was to amend the throne speech to declare that the legislature does not have confidence in the government. The Opposition leader told reporters earlier in the day that he promised on election night that he would try to bring down the
government at the earliest possible opportunity.
He says it was technically the earliest opportunity for the Conservative party to bring a confidence vote on the government. B.C. Premier David Eby told reporters that it’s “bizarre” the Conservatives would introduce a non-confidence motion onto the throne speech, which in itself is a confidence motion, “in an attempt to drive to an election.” The NDP holds 47 seats to the Opposition B.C. Conservatives’ 44 members, while the Green Party holds two seats and has agreed to support the New Democrats on motions of confidence. A successful vote of non-confidence could have forced the government to dissolve, which would have set off a provincial election.
Canada’s Liberal government could save $10.7 billion this fiscal year alone by eliminating eight ineffective federal spending programs, says a new report by the fiscally conservative Fraser Institute. The study, “Identifying Potential Savings from Specific Reductions to Federal Government Spending” by Jake Fuss and Grady Munro, cites eight federal programs where it says “government spending does not appear to be accomplishing its stated goals, or where government spending is unnecessary.”
“Canada’s federal finances have deteriorated markedly over the last decade largely due to a rapid run up in spending, deficits and debt,” said Fuss. “A comprehensive line-by-line review of Ottawa’s spending is required to identify those programs or initiatives that are not fulfilling their purpose, or are not providing good value for tax dollars.” The eight programs with their current annual budgets identified by the Fraser Institute as failing to do what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals claimed they would, totalling $10.7 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal year are: Regional Development Agencies ($1.5 billion); federal Two Billion Trees program ($340
million); federal support for electric vehicle production and purchases ($586.7 million); Canada Infrastructure Bank ($3.5 billion); Strategic Innovation Fund (S2.4 billion); Green Municipal Fund ($530 million); federal support for journalism ($1.7 billion); Global Innovation Clusters ($202.3 million). Among other criticisms of these programs, the Fraser Institute study notes that, “despite research suggesting business subsidies do little to promote widespread economic growth, the seven regional development agencies (with 1,977 full-time staff) report vague objectives and results that make it difficult for government officials or Parliamentarians to assess the efficacy of the spending.”
Among other criticisms of these programs, the Fraser Institute study notes that, “despite research suggesting business subsidies do little to promote widespread economic growth, the seven regional development agencies (with 1,977 full-time staff) report vague objectives and results that make it difficult for government officials or Parliamentarians to assess the efficacy of the spending.”
An earthquake has struck off the British Columbia coast, less than four days after major population centres were shaken by a similar-sized tremor.
But Earthquakes Canada says the latest quake wasn’t felt by anyone and it occurred in the Pacific, 182 kilometres west of Port Alice in northwest Vancouver Island. It says the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5 took place at 9:37 p.m. Monday at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Earthquakes Canada says there’s no risk of a tsunami and there have been no reports of damage from the quake, which Emergency Info BC initially said had a magnitude of 5.2. On Friday, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit the southwest coast near Sechelt. Tremors were felt on the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Though several smaller aftershocks came from Friday’s quake, there were no reports of damage.
Fedral Liberal party kicks Ruby Dhalla out of leadership race
OTTAWA —
Former MP Ruby Dhalla was disqualified from the Liberal leadership race Friday after the party’s vote committee said she had violated multiple rules.
Dhalla rejected the decision — which comes five days after contestants paid the final deposit in the $350,000 entry fee and three days before the candidate debates in Montreal — and said the party just did not want her to win.
Party national director Azam Ishmael said in a statement published late Friday that the decision was made unanimously by a joint sitting of both the vote and expense committees, which “determined that Dr. Dhalla was in breach of 10 violations of the National Leadership Rules, Leadership Vote Rules, and the Leadership Expense Rules,” he said. He said those include alleged violations of the Canada Elections Act, not disclosing “material facts,” inaccurate financial reporting and other election finance violations.
Ishmael said the investigation was extensive, including “interviews, questionnaires and an opportunity for Dr. Dhalla to directly address the committees.” “The Leadership Vote Committee determined that the violations were extremely serious, accepted the recommendation of the chief electoral officer and disqualified Dr. Dhalla under section 8(i) of the National Leadership Rules,” he wrote. However, in an interview, Dhalla said she received a text from the party telling her she was going to be disqualified by the end of the day, before she was interviewed by the committee. She did still make a submission to the committee and said she then heard from CBC News that the decision had been confirmed, before she got
anything more from the party.
“It’s a sad day for democracy, it’s a sad day for the Liberal party,” said Dhalla. “They have taken out now the second person of an immigrant community out of the race, this is not the Liberal party, certainly, that is the voice of the immigrants who helped build it.”
Ottawa MP Chandra Arya was disqualified at the start of the race but the party did not provide a public explanation.
Dhalla called the allegations against her “false” and “fabricated.” “Yesterday was foreign interference, today it’s financial violations and who knows what they’ll say tomorrow, but it’s clear that they did not want me on that debate stage and wanted to keep me off the ballot.” Dhalla said her campaign’s internal polling showed that she was building momentum and that she and Mark Carney were “running neck to neck” in some areas and that the party eliminated her because they wanted to “complete the coronation for Carney.”
Multiple polls have suggested that Carney is the clear front-runner in the leadership race. A Leger poll for The Canadian Press also suggested with him at the party’s helm the Liberals would be tied in the polls with the Conservatives, which would be a stunning reversal after the Liberals trailed by more than 20 points for over a year.
Carney also leads the race in fundraising, with campaign data released by Elections Canada showing that he had raised $1.9 million as of Feb. 9. Dhalla came in last out of all the candidates, raising $144,880.
Dhalla said the timing of the allegations was also “interesting.”
She confirmed that the party had sent her 27 questions asking about various campaign issues but that they only came after she had sent the final instalment of the $350,000 entry fee.
Warrant issued for BC man who made ‘specific medical assessments’ without credentials, RCMP say
Authorities are asking for the public’s help tracking down a B.C. man accused of providing “specific medical assessments” to people, despite lacking the credentials to do so.
Xander Phoenix is charged with one count of forgery and one count of causing someone to use a forged document, both Criminal Code offences, the Kelowna RCMP said Thursday.
“These charges, in short, stem from a fraud investigation into Phoenix providing specific medical assessments to clients in Kelowna, allegedly without the appropriate credentials as a psychologist,” the detachment wrote in a news release.
The RCMP noted that the suspect previously lived in the Lower Mainland, specifically in New Westminster.
Back in 2021, B.C.’s College of Psychologists issued a public alert about a Xander Patrice Phoenix, who also went by “Dr. Pat,” who had been practising at the Omega Health Clinic in Burnaby.
The college noted at the time that Phoenix had “never been registered to practise as a psychologist” in the province.
Kelowna RCMP asked Phoenix to come forward to “rectify” the warrants against him, and urged anyone else with information on his whereabouts to contact the detachment.
Donald Trump says 'free agent' Wayne Gretzky wants Canada to stay Canadian
In a post Wednesday evening on Truth Social, his social media site, the U.S. president says the retired hockey player, who has come under fire from some Canadians for remaining silent amid Trump’s manifest destiny musings, is a “fantastic guy” who could win any political office in Canada.
“Wayne is my friend, and he wants to make me happy, and is therefore somewhat ‘low key’ about Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State, paying much Lower Taxes, a Free and
Powerful Military, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Economy,” Trump posted.
“Wayne and Janet, his wonderful wife, love Canada, and they should only support Canada, and whatever else makes the Canadian People, and Governor Justin Trudeau, happy. He’s the Greatest Canadian of them all, and I am therefore making him a ‘free agent,’ because I don’t want anyone in Canada to say anything bad about him.
“He supports Canada the way it is, as he should, even though it’s not nearly as good as it could be as part of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country in the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!” Gretzky is close with Trump, having attended an election-night event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in November. Trump has previously suggested Gretzky run for prime minister — or rather governor — of America’s 51st state.
Gretzky was booed after being picked as honorary captain of Team Canada at the 4 Nations Cup final that saw Canada beat the U.S. 3-2 in overtime last week.
BOC Chief Macklem warns there will be no 'bounceback' for the Canadian economy in trade war with USA
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem warns the Canadian economy will not be able to bounce back from a protracted trade war with the United States, as the impact from the trade disruptions will be structural in nature.
“In the pandemic, we had a steep recession followed by a rapid recovery as the economy reopened,” said Macklem, during a speech in front of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce in Mississauga on Friday. “This time, if tariffs are long-lasting and broadbased, there won’t be a bounceback.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to slap a 25-per-cent tariff on all Canadian goods and a 10-per-cent tariff on Canadian energy. Trump granted the Canadian government a 30-day pause after it promised to beef up security at the Canada-U.S. border.
During its last interest rate announcement on Jan. 29, the Bank of Canada provided scenarios illustrating the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on the Canadian economy.
In its benchmark scenario, the central bank estimated a protracted trade war with the U.S. would lead to a 2.5 per-cent hit to Canada’s GDP after the first year. Three days later, U.S.
On Friday, Macklem noted that, based on Trump’s Feb. 1 executive order, investment in the Canadian economy would decline by 12 per cent and Canadian exports would fall by 8.5 per cent after the first year.
“Lower export revenues would reduce household income,” he said. “And retaliatory tariffs would raise the prices of many consumer goods.”
Friendship Or Foreign Meddling? Trump’s $21 Million Bombshell Exposes Secret Cash Flow To Modi’s India—And A Global Democracy Crisis
It began as vintage Trump: red-meat rhetoric, swaggering boasts, the electric thrum of a comeback tour. But in a single incendiary swipe, the former president detonated a geopolitical grenade. Speaking at a rally last week, Trump alleged that USAID—the U.S. government’s global aid arm—had quietly funnelled $21 million to India’s election machinery under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his self-proclaimed “friend.” The claim, precise and pointed, ripped the lid off a Pandora’s box long sealed by diplomatic decorum.
For the first time, Trump tethered Modi’s name to America’s shadowy election-finance labyrinth, casting Washington not as a watchdog of democracy but as an alleged architect of its manipulation. As outrage erupted across continents, the revelation laid bare a chilling paradox: in an age where foreign interference is a political death sentence, the U.S. now stands accused of pulling the strings—and Trump, the disruptor-in-chief, is holding the knife that slit the secrets open.
The Forensic Breakdown: Trump’s Words, Modi’s Silence
Trump’s statement, delivered at the Governor’s
Working Association meeting, was not a mere offthe-cuff remark. It was a calculated disclosure, one that thrust Modi’s government into an unwelcome spotlight. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the claims “deeply troubling.” The
In the same scenario, the central bank estimates consumption would decline by more than two per cent by mid-2027 and Canadian output would fall by nearly three per cent over two years. Monday-Friday
opposition Congress Party demanded a white paper detailing all USAID funds received under Modi’s tenure. Yet, Modi himself—India’s master orator, a leader who thrives on control over his image—has chosen to remain silent. Instead, the BJP and its media ecosystem scrambled to spin the narrative. First, they claimed vindication—that Trump’s comments proved foreign powers had conspired to meddle in India’s 2024 general election, a frequent BJP talking point.
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Trump’s new world order demands a Canada First foreign policy
The time for feel-good sloganeering is over: Canada needs a hard-nosed, Canada First approach
By Randolph Mank (Former Canadian Dilplomat and Business executive): Only a month into his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump has been overturning foreign policy tables everywhere, offering dramatic glimpses of a potential new global reality. Pulling back from the Ukraine war and European security commitments, reducing great power defence budgets by half, and cutting nuclear arsenals are among his latest dramatic pronouncements. Meanwhile, on the North American continent, his threats of 25 per cent import tariffs continue to hang over Canada and Mexico as he attempts to reformulate trilateral trade to America’s advantage.
Clearly, he is thinking in revolutionary terms and intends to apply his deliberately mercurial negotiating tactics to friend and foe alike. For foreign policy practitioners, it’s a reminder of Charles de Gaulle’s maxim that “no nation has friends, only interests.” That’s a tough lesson for Canada. In a deeply cleaved country that must be governed more or less from the centre by whichever party forms the government, Trumpian radicalism doesn’t work. Our predicament now is what to do when America suddenly and shockingly changes the narrative. No Canadian leader would advocate fundamental divergence from U.S. foreign policy. We’re not about to exit the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) or join the BRICS group of countries. Yet no crisis should ever go to waste. Trump has already united Canadians in a frenzy of patriotism. Booing the U.S. national anthem at sports events is unpleasant evidence of that. A more constructive first step would be to understand that his moves are rational within his America First worldview.
Approaching US$37 trillion in debt, America cannot afford the status quo. His tariff threats are clearly an attempt to force countries to drop their trade barriers and take responsibility for their own security. Equally, lobbying for exemptions is absolutely within Canada’s vital national interest in the immediate term. But Canada also needs to come up with a broader playbook. When we reviewed our foreign policy from 1999 to 2003— (disclosure: I was foreign policy director at Foreign Affairs Canada from 1999 to 2003)—we recommended two moves that are as valid today as they were then. First, admit outright that the U.S. is the very centre of our foreign policy rather than pretending otherwise. Second, prioritize bilateral over multilateral relations, with priority countries being the G7 (or G8 when Russia was in the club), plus Mexico, Brazil, China and India.
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But Rustad says the Opposition party supports free speech and free voting among its caucus, dismissing suggestions he could face a leadership contest at the weekend meeting.
Five Conservatives voted against a motion on Monday condemning American tariffs that was supported by both the NDP government and the bulk in the Opposition ranks, including Rustad.
Opposition attorney general critic Dallas Brodie meanwhile continues to refuse Rustad’s request to delete a weekend social media post about residential schools. Rustad says of Monday’s vote that “as a family, you have these issues” and that there “isn’t a mechanism” for a leadership contest at the party’s weekend meeting.
Chilliwack North MLA Heather Maahs was among those who voted against Monday’s motion that condemned U.S. tariffs and backed
“proportionate retaliatory action,” but she says it’s “insane” to suggest Rustad is facing a revolt.
She says she’s proud to have Rustad as a leader who “actually gives us a voice.”
Brodie was also among the five BC Conservatives who voted against the motion.
On Saturday, she posted on social media platform X that there are “zero” confirmed child burial sites at the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., raising concerns from Rustad that the comment could be “misinterpreted.”
He said Monday that he had asked Brodie to delete the post but as of Tuesday it remained online, having been viewed almost 500,000 times.
Brent Chapman, Conservative MLA for Surrey South, said he voted against the NDP’s tariffs motion out of concern that going after Republican states could bring retaliatory pressure against B.C.
A man who was employed at a B.C. addiction recovery facility has been found guilty of sexually assaulting vulnerable women.
On Wednesday, a jury convicted Adam Haber on two counts of sexual assault, according to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
"I think it's a huge win for everybody that's been affected by him," one of Haber's victims, who can't be identified due to a court-ordered oublication ban, told CBC News.
"It continues to affect me to this day."
Haber worked as a fitness trainer at Last Door Recovery Society in New Westminster, B.C. — east of Vancouver — until 2023.
Haber was initially charged in May 2023 with three counts of sexual assault in relation to offences dating back to 2012 and 2013. Police said the incidents involved former clients of Westminster House, a substance-use recovery facility for women.
Police said Haber met the women through his involvement as a client, sponsor and later contract employee at Last Door starting in 2010. Last Door and Westminster House are separately owned and operated but they raise funds together and have clients attend the same community-based support meetings.
Police said a total of 11 women came forward with allegations.
The B.C. Prosecution Service said Haber's third sexual assault charge was stayed after the Crown
received further information. Haber will appear in court next week to select a sentencing date.
In a statement Tuesday, Last Door said, "Like many in our community, we were deeply troubled by this news, however, Last Door was neither contacted nor involved in the proceedings of this case."
Haber's lawyer and Westminster House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In previous statements, Last Door said it terminated Haber's contract within 24 hours of the organization becoming aware of the
allegations against him. It said he was effectively banned from all Last Door properties.
"Last Door Recovery Society is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all those associated with our organization," it said in 2023.
Liberals top Tories for 1st time in years, new Ipsos polling says
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The Conservatives, meanwhile, saw a five-point drop in support among decided voters, with the NDP and Bloc Quebecois seeing declines as well, dropping to 12 per cent and six per cent respectively.
“The Liberal leadership is changing, Justin Trudeau has left and there’s going to be a new leader of the Liberal party and I think people are interested in seeing who that’s going to be,” said Darrell Bricker, the CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs.
“The second thing is the threat from south of the border has moved us off of litigating whatever the Liberals did over the last 10 years to the here and now, which is dealing with the United States.”
The federal Liberals haven’t seen numbers higher than the Conservatives in Ipsos polling since 2021. Ipsos polling in early February had showed Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives with 41 per cent support among decided voters, while the Liberals sat at 28 per cent.
That was a boost from numbers in early January, when the Liberals had sat at just 20 per cent — a near-historic low just one point off from the alltime low when the party was decimated under Michael Ignatieff in the 2011 campaign. Bricker says the biggest movement in polling has been seen in central Canada, namely Quebec and
Ontario, but Atlantic Canada has also seen a jump in Liberal support.
“It’s basically everywhere east of the OntarioManitoba border that seems to be looking at the Liberals more, the Conservatives are still looking pretty good in Western Canada,” Bricker said.
For the past year, Poilievre and the Conservatives have been framing the upcoming federal election as hinging on voters’ feelings about the carbon price.
But the two most prominent Liberal leadership hopefuls, former central banker Mark Carney and former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, have backed away from the Liberals’ consumer carbon price.
And Trump, with his continued threat of damaging tariffs on Canadian exports, now represents a major economic danger both to individual workers and the economy writ large. With those tariffs still looming, and the president noting on Monday that they were planning to move forward with the March 4 date, Ipsos polling shows the urgency for an immediate federal election has also risen.
A majority, 86 per cent, of Canadians said they want a federal election immediately so Canada has a prime minister and government with a strong mandate to deal with Trump’s tariffs.
Sparks fly as Opposition MLAs hammer B.C. government over ER closures
Emotions boiled over during question period
Thursday in the B.C. legislature.
“When you’re trying to access an emergency room and it’s closed, that’s inconvenient,” said Surrey–White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, to desk-slapping and cheers in the chamber.
A steady stream of B.C. Consevatives demanded answers to the essentially same question for their region: When will the ER closures end?
“Elkford’s ER department in my riding has been closed for over two years, two years,” said an exasperated Pete Davis, the B.C. Conservative MLA for Kootenay-Rockies.
No fewer than 20 MLAs rose to flag emergency room closures in their part of the province over the past two years, including Tony Luck, the Fraser Nicola MLA.
“Twenty-six days this past year – to the premier, when will hospital closures stop in British Columbia?” queried Luck.
Donegal Wilson, the Conservative MLA for
Boundary-Similkameen, said her local hospital ER has been closed more than 1,000 times in the past couple years.
“The emergency room in Keremeos has been closed evenings and weekends for 1,213 days – why does this premier think that this is acceptable?” she demanded.
Health Minister Josie Osborne rose each time in response to the questions, acknowledging the problem and pledging more help is coming.
“I will stand up for health-care workers each and every day,” she told the MLAs in the chamber.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said the dramatic QP was intended to highlight the depth and breadth of the problem.
“We could have gone on with our entire caucus. Twenty speakers is a record. I don’t think any opposition party has ever put up that many speakers in a question period before,” he said following the contentious session Thursday morning.
Doug Ford’s PC Party wins snap Ontario election, securing third majority & crushing Liberals, NDP
Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party has won the Ontario election, securing a third straight majority win, CTV News declares, while Marit Stiles and the NDP will once again form the official opposition.
Ford, Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner have won their seats, while Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie remains locked in a tight race to win her Mississauga-East Cooksville riding.
Ford called the snap winter election – Ontario’s first February election in more than 140 years –saying he needed a “strong mandate” from voters to deal with the threat of U.S. tariffs that could devastate Ontario’s economy.
Polls showed for months that Ford’s PCs had the wind at their backs and the campaign did little to change that. Nightly tracking conducted for CTV News by Nanos Research showed the PCs with a roughly 15-point lead among decided voters throughout the election.
The writ was dropped just as $200 rebate cheques –announced in November – were mailed out to Ontarians. Ford opened his campaign, with its “Protect Ontario” slogan in Windsor, Ont., under the Ambassador Bridge to the U.S. setting the theme for his re-election effort. During the campaign, he twice travelled to Wahington, D.C. to lobby U.S. officials and promote Ontario, leading opposition parties to charge that he was blurring the line between premier and candidate in violation of the long-standing caretaker convention.
Ford defended the trip, saying it was important
for him to show up and present a united front with other Canadian leaders. Still, his campaign deleted a video post that blended his campaign slogan with footage from his Washington trip. The campaign defended the post, but said they deleted it “out of an abundance of caution.”
During the campaign, Ford promised some $40 billion in new spending. Those promises include a $1.8-billion plan to connect every Ontarian to primary care within four years; $2 billion for municipal infrastructure to support housing construction; and billions of dollars to bolster businesses and workers in the face of the tariff threats. The party also promised to build 30 new schools and expand 15 others at a cost of $1.3 billion. Political observers cautioned that the weather could lead to historically low voter turnout, especially in the wake of a major snowstorm that swept across the province last week.
Mother Nature also delivered a messy mix of winter weather on election day, with snow in the morning and rain in the afternoon across the Greater Toronto Area. A winter weather travel advisory was in effect for much of the province throughout the day, with some parts of Ontario under snowfall warnings as well.
However the official voter turnout won’t be known until all results are formally compiled by Elections Ontario.
The independent government agency said ahead of election day that it was working closely with municipal officials to ensure voting places were easy to access, no matter the weather.
Manslaughter, indignity to remains charges laid in connection to suspicious 2022 death in Delta
A 28-year-old Surrey man has been charged with manslaughter and indignity to human remains more than two years after a suspicious death in Delta, B.C.
The Delta Police Department announced the charges against Travis Gallant in a news release Thursday, though online court records show he was charged in November 2024 and remains in custody.
The department said Gallant was arrested that same month.
The charges against Gallant stem from “what was reported as the overdose death of an 18-year-old woman” on Feb. 2, 2022, police said in their release.
“The death was determined to be suspicious, and an investigation
followed,” they added.
The DPD said Gallant and the deceased woman were known to each other and there is no risk to the public.
Gallant’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 11 in Surrey.
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BC securities regulator permanently bans South Asian man from investment markets
British Columbia’s investment regulator has permanently banned a man from participating in the province’s financial markets after he was found liable for fraud and misrepresentation in a U.S. federal court. The B.C. Securities Commission says Amar Bahadoorsingh was accused by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of “secretly” gaining control of multiple companies and selling off shares to generate illicit profits.
He was also found liable for “clandestinely” selling stakes in a company he had promoted to retail investors, the provincial regulator said in a statement Thursday announcing that Bahadoorsingh had been prohibited for life from participating B.C.’s capital markets. The regulator says Bahadoorsingh was a resident of White Rock as recently as December 2023, when his driver’s licence listed a home address in the community. The BCSC says Bahadoorsingh did not attend or otherwise participate in the U.S. federal court proceedings in Boston, where a judge ultimately granted the SEC’s motions for two default judgments against him in 2022 and 2023.
The U.S. court permanently barred Bahadoorsingh from participating in penny stock
transactions and prohibited him from buying, selling or issuing any security, except those listed on a U.S. national exchange for his own personal accounts as a result of the judgments.
He was also ordered by the court to pay more than US$400,000 in civil penalties and more than US$980,000 in disgorgements and interest.
The BCSC’s executive director argued before the commission in a Feb. 24 filing that Bahadoorsingh’s “misconduct was deceitful and unscrupulous,” writing that a default judgment in the U.S. “conclusively establishes the liability of a defendant” and that the court was “required to accept as true all of the facts alleged.”
The BCSC director went on to accuse Bahadoorsingh of “flagrant disregard for U.S. securities laws,” saying he now poses “a significant ongoing risk to investors and the capital market of British Columbia.” The commission panel ultimately found it was in the public interest to ban Bahadoorsingh from trading or purchasing securities in B.C. The judgment also requires Bahadoorsingh to resign any position he currently holds as a director or officer of a securities issuer or registrant.
Cops bust 6 illegal ride-share drivers, dole out $13K in fines in Richmond
RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say they’ve busted another six illegal ride-share operators, resulting in more than $13,000 in fines. Mounties said they caught the drivers during a single-day enforcement blitz on Feb. 8, with the province’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) branch.
“Anyone using these illegal services is placing themselves at significant risk. Neither the drivers nor their vehicles have been subjected to the
mandatory safety regulations put in place to protect the public,” Richmond RCMP Staff Sgt. Paula Maan said.
“This includes criminal records checks; The importance of which we see clearly demonstrated during every operation, including this most recent where three of the six drivers stopped would be ineligible to drive for a legitimate service based on criminality.”
Alberta junior soccer coach accused of defrauding team arrested by RCMP
An Alberta junior soccer coach accused of vanishing with thousands of dollars raised by his team has been arrested.
RCMP say they found Randy Knodel on Saturday in a vehicle in a parking lot in Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton.
About $40,000 that was raised by players of the team disappeared days before they were to travel to Las Vegas for a tournament. Parents have said they learned the team wasn’t registered for the event, hotel rooms weren’t booked and the money was gone. Knodel faces 13 fraud charges and has been released on a promise to appear in court March 17.
Charges laid in South Surrey home invasions as health authority confirms incident at hospital
A 38-year-old man has been charged after a string of apparently random home invasions at a South Surrey mobile home park in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
David William Charles Hoffman has been charged with two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of mischief under $5,000, one count of assault and one count of breaching a release order, according to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
Hoffman remains in custody and his next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, March 3, in Surrey provincial court.
“We understand the matter remains under investigation and the police will be submitting further evidence for charge assessment in the coming days,” the BCPS said.
The charges stem from a string of incidents in the mobile home community near the intersection of King George Boulevard and 160 Street in South Surrey.
Surrey police said they were called to the scene around 1:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a man
entering homes and attacking people.
Security footage from one home obtained showed a man approaching the front door before banging on it. The male homeowner then opened the door before being attacked. The two then exchanged blows. At least 100 concerned community members attended a gathering Wednesday night to discuss the terrifying string of attacks.
“It could have happened to any one of us,” said Monica Star, who helped organized the meeting.
The Opposition party blamed the incident, in part, on a lack of action from the government on promises to expand involuntary care for people with mental health and addiction issues.
Police said the suspect is known to them and has a violent history. Wednesday night’s meeting provided some comfort for a shaken community, according to Star.
“It really touched my heart to feel the community and the love, neighbors coming together and just loving each other,” added Rocco.
Confidence among BC small businesses lowest in Canada,
survey finds
Confidence is waning among Canadian small businesses, and nowhere in the country has it wavered as much as in British Columbia, according to a new survey.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says its February Business Barometer recorded long-term small business confidence falling nationally for the third consecutive month. The survey found the biggest dip in B.C., with long-term confidence falling 3.7 points. B.C. was followed by Alberta (3.6 points), Manitoba (3.4 points) and Ontario (3.2 points).
“Canada got another tariff reprieve until early April, but the looming threat remains a constant concern for many small business owners, making it difficult to plan for the future,” CFIB senior policy analyst Emily Boston said. “Small firms operate on tight margins, and results from our special survey on the impact of U.S.-Canada tariffs released earlier this month show that a majority are not
prepared for the impact should the tariffs hit.” The CFIB survey found that short-term confidence among B.C. small businesses was also the lowest in Canada, at 41.8 index points, more than a dozen points below its historical average. The CFIB said the top concerns reported to be plaguing B.C. small businesses were taxes and regulations (77 per cent), insurance costs (70 per cent), wage costs (65 per cent) and low demand (59 per cent). Boston said more than half of B.C. exporters believe it will take them more than half a year to adapt to new markets and stabilize operations amid U.S. tariff threats.
“The uncertainty, coupled with ongoing inflationary pressures, is weighing down on small businesses, dampening their long-term outlook,” she said. As of Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s ever-fluctuating threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and 10 per cent tariffs on Canadian energy appeared to be on track to come into force on March 4.
Immigration Minister Miller accused Canadian universities of sourcing too many students from India
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The comments were delivered at a media roundtable in Brampton, Ont., one of the Canadian cities most impacted by an unprecedented spike in immigration overseen by the Trudeau government since 2021. Miller was hosted by Brampton Centre MP Shafqat Ali.
In just the last three years, Canada’s population has grown by 2.9 million — an average influx of 81,000 new people every month. Many of those have come in on temporary visas; as per a November report by Statistics Canada, there are now three million non-permanent residents in Canada. Brampton has experienced this immigration wave more acutely than anyone else, with immigration making it the country’s fastest growing big city. In just a single year between 2021 and 2022, the city’s population jumped by a record 89,077. In October, Miller introduced a package of reforms to “pause population growth,” including stricter quotas on both permanent and non-permanent immigration.
Miller opened the Brampton event by saying that he expected “hopes will be dashed” as many of Canada’s millions of temporary residents see their visas expire without having secured permanent residency.
“It’s going to be a rough ride; part of cleaning up this challenge that we see will mean that people’s hopes will be dashed to some extent,” said the minister, adding that “no one was guaranteed automatic permanent residency.”
He also said, “The solution is not to give visas to absolutely everyone simply because they don’t want to leave.”
Miller also maintained that none of the massive increase in immigration was his government’s fault, placing the blame instead on colleges, provincial governments and other “bad actors” who sponsored outsized numbers of international migrants, sometimes under fraudulent grounds.
Although he allowed that there “probably should have been better oversight, but that’s water under the bridge.” Miller also accused schools of relying too heavily on students from India – who at times have comprised up to half of all international students in the country.
The event was held just as Miller’s office published information showing that in 2024 alone, 50,000 people entered Canada on study permits and then never showed up to class.
Canada has also been seeing rising rates of students claiming asylum in an apparent bid to stave off deportation. In just the first nine months of 2024, 14,000 people who entered Canada on student permits claimed asylum.
“It doesn’t make sense that you come here, spend a year, and that if you didn’t have the conditions in your home country to cause you to be an asylum seeker on day one … that you should be entitled to (the asylum) process,” he said, adding that any exceptions are “rare.”
The current waiting list just to have an asylum claim reviewed is up to three years — during which time the claimant can stay in Canada and even secure work permits and government benefits. Miller said that if Parliament wasn’t currently prorogued, he would introduce a bill to ensure that student asylum claims were dealt with in a “more efficient” fashion.
Trump announces delays to sweeping tariffs on Canada until April
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The tariffs go on, not all of them, but a lot of them. And I think you’re going to see something that’s going to be amazing,” said Trump.
This comes just days after Trump confirmed that tariffs will proceed against Canada as early as the first week of March.
“We’ve been taken advantage of as a country for a long period of time,” Trump added. “We’ve been tariffed, but we didn’t tariff. Now, I did. When I was here, I tariffed. We took in $700 billion from China — $700 billion! Not one president in the history of our country took in 10 cents from China. At the same time, China respected us.”
The U.S.’s promise to slap tariffs on Canada has plunged the country into economic uncertainty. Earlier this month, Trump signed orders to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, which are scheduled to kick in on March 12.
Before this, the president had threatened to charge 25% on most Canadian products imported into the U.S., except energy, which
would be subject to a 10% tariff.
After a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on February 3, the all-encompassing tariffs have been paused for at least 30 days as negotiations continue.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab (BDL) released a report analyzing which cities in Canada will be hit the hardest by these tariffs.
“Canada and the U.S. have built a highly integrated and mutually beneficial economic relationship over more than a century, with cross-border trade playing a critical role in both economies,” reads the report.
“Our updated modelling suggests that Trump’s tariff would cause significant economic problems for Canadians and Americans — potentially even causing a recession.”
The BDL also ranked the 41 Canadian cities from most to least vulnerable to the US tariffs. Saint John, N.B., takes first place with a 131.1% chance of being slammed by tariffs, followed by Calgary at 81.6%.
Climate change threatens homes in Waicoka
The village of Waicoka in Bau, Tailevu, stands on the frontlines of climate change, where rising sea levels and extreme weather relentlessly erodes its shoreline and threatens homes. Village Headman Osea Kiliraki paints a grim picture of the crisis, highlighting the deteriorating state of their community hall, once a place of gathering and refuge, now unsafe due to weakened beams and worsening structural damage. Kiliraki says that with each passing season, the ocean inches closer, homes weaken, and the future of the village grows more uncertain. He adds that the unrelenting assault of encroaching tides has left its mark, exposing the harsh reality of climate change for coastal communities like Waicoka.
“The climate change is affecting our village, especially the villagers. A prime example is our village hall, which is no longer safe for meetings
on the top floor because its structure has weakened.” To combat the ongoing flooding, the community continues to strengthen the seawall by heightening it, although water keeps encroaching.
The villagers are pleading with relevant authorities to help keep them safe from the rising tides.
Fiji acknowledges Cuba’s support
Fiji and Cuba’s cordial relations continue to strengthen in both bilateral and multilateral arenas.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition Government and the people of Fiji, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Chief of Protocol, Kiti Temo, extended best wishes to the Government and people of Cuba on their national day.
Temo also acknowledged Cuba’s support for
Fiji over the years, notably through the provision of medical scholarships for local and regional students.
The Chief of Protocol highlighted the strong and growing partnership between Fiji and Cuba, emphasizing mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to global justice and equality.
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka joined members of the diplomatic corps and distinguished guests at the new Cuban Embassy yesterday to celebrate the National Day of the Republic of Cuba.
Traditionally celebrated on January 1st, the event commemorated a significant day symbolizing Cuba’s independence and national identity.
Tennessee man sentenced to life in prison
for
murdering his wife during their Fiji honeymoon
A man from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife during their honeymoon in Fiji in 2022, a court official said on Friday.
Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, will have to serve at least 18 years in prison before he can be considered for release, a Fiji High Court registry official in Lautoka said.
Dawson was convicted in December of murdering his wife, Christe Chen, who was 36, at the exclusive Turtle Island resort in the Yasawa archipelago two days after the newlyweds arrived in the South Pacific nation. He then fled by kayak to a nearby island. He was sentenced by Justice Riyaz Hamza on Wednesday. Hamza told Dawson he had shown disregard for Chen’s right
to life and her personal liberty.
Chen’s body was discovered in the couple’s room by resort staff with multiple blunt trauma wounds to her head after the couple was heard arguing and did not appear at breakfast or lunch the next day.
Dawson pleaded not guilty to the charge and was tried over eight days.
His lawyer Anil Prasad told the court that prosecutors had failed provide sufficient evidence to convict Dawson, the Fijian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Prasad said that while the prosecution alleged that Dawson was planning to flee Fiji, authorities failed to acknowledge that many of the couple’s personal belongings remained at the resort.
The Reserve Bank of Fiji Board has agreed to maintain the overnight policy rate at 0.25 percent.
Governor and Board Chair Ariff Ali, states that the decision was mainly based on the RBF’s current assessment of its monetary policy objectives, inflation and foreign reserves, remaining within comfortable levels.
Ali says that annual headline inflation rose to 4.0 percent in January 2025 led by one-off increases in prices of local market crops and vegetables owing to the December flooding in the western division.
He adds that foreign reserves are around $3.6 billion, sufficient to cover 5.8 months of retained imports of goods and services.
Tropical Cyclone Seru is currently located far southwest of Fiji and continues to track southeastward.
The Fiji Meteorological Service reports that this system is expected to bring rain to most parts of the country starting today.
Cloudy periods with showers and isolated heavy falls are forecasted for the Western and Northern Divisions, as well as Kadavu and the Southern Lau Group.
Showers are expected to increase and develop into more persistent rainfall throughout the day.
Persistent heavy rain may lead to flash flooding in low-
Looking ahead, the RBF expects inflation to moderate in the coming months with foreign reserves projected to remain adequate over the medium term.
The Board Chair adds that the banking sector remains supportive of growth with ample system liquidity of $2.1 billion and lending rates at near historical lows. He adds given this conducive environment, private sector credit grew by 11.8 percent in January.
Ali acknowledges the ongoing domestic challenges and emerging external risks to the outlook, particularly the potential effects of rising geopolitical uncertainty, increased trade tariffs and their impact on global activity and Fiji’s trading partners.
rain
lying and flood-prone areas.
A flash flood warning remains in effect for all small streams and flood-prone regions.
Meanwhile, a trough of low pressure with cloud and rain lies to the south of Fiji, directing a north to northeast wind flow over the country.
Implementing steps to end Ladakh conflict: China
The militaries of India and China are implementing the resolutions to end the standoff in eastern Ladakh in a “comprehensive and effective manner”, the Chinese Defence Ministry has said.
“At present, the Chinese and Indian militaries are implementing the resolutions related to the border areas in a compressive and effective manner,” Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Col Wu Qian said at a media briefing on Thursday, replying to a question on the status of the normalisation of the situation in eastern Ladakh sector.
“We are ready to work with the Indian side to jointly preserve the peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” he said.
India and China completed the disengagement process late last year after firming up a pact for withdrawal of troops from Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh ending over four years of freeze in ties.
After finalisation of the pact, PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan in Russia on October 23. In the meeting, the two sides decided to revive the various dialogue mechanisms. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi later held the 23rd Special Representative (SR) dialogue in Beijing on December 18 last year.
On January 26, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to the Chinese capital and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong under the framework of ‘Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister’ mechanism.
Pakistan a failed state, survives on handouts: India at UN
India today slammed Pakistan saying the country was a “failed state that thrives on instability and survives on international handouts”. The sharp retort came during the seventh session of the 58th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
India’s response came as a right of reply to what it called “baseless and malicious references” made by Pakistan at the UNHRC. Kshitij Tyagi, representative of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, blamed Pakistan for propagating falsehoods as dictated by its terrorist-military complex. He censured Pakistan for abusing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation as a propaganda mouthpiece.
Reasserting India’s stance regarding J&K and Ladakh, Tyagi said the region shall forever be a part of India. He said political, social and economic advancement in J&K in recent years was a testament to India’s abiding commitment towards development and stability. India also pointed to Pakistan’s record of human rights abuses, blaming it for persecuting minorities, undermining democratic values and sheltering UN-designated terrorists.
Protests against enforced disappearances intensify in Balochistan, major highways blocked
Karachi [Pakistan] February 27 (ANI): The demonstrations against enforced disappearances in Balochistan continued for a second day today, with protesters obstructing significant highways such as the Quetta-Karachi and Taftan-Quetta routes, as reported by The Balochistan Post (TBP).
The sit-in, which began at Nawab Hotel, has now spread to Lakpas, where demonstrators have blocked traffic on the Taftan-Quetta and QuettaKarachi National Highways. According to TBP, participants have warned that more road blockades will occur throughout Balochistan if their requests are not addressed.
The TBP report indicated that the protesters, who are demanding the immediate recovery of Zahoor Sumalani and Syed Gul Sidklani, expressed disappointment with the response from security officials. They alleged that the authorities who come for discussions
acknowledge their inability, stating they do not have the authority to take action. The protesters are urging higher government officials with the power to make decisions to intervene and resolve the situation.
TBP also highlighted that despite the severe cold and rain, the protesters remain committed, expressing gratitude to transporters and passengers for their understanding.
Bangladesh ex-PM Zia warns of ‘fascists’, calls for elections
Bangladesh's former premier Khaleda Zia on Thursday alleged that ‘fascist collaborators’ are still conspiring to undermine the achievements of the July uprising and called for a national election acceptable to all to restore the democratic system in the country.
Her son and the Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, asked the interim government led by
Muhammad Yunus to maintain neutrality, saying public doubt over its impartiality continues to grow. Zia, who served as the premier for three terms, in a pre-recorded video address to her party workers said the ‘fascist collaborators’ remained active in their schemes’ and urged everyone to work together to restore democracy.
“Although I'm in the UK for treatment, I'm always beside you,” she added.
UK launches awareness campaign in Punjab 'Visa Fraud
Ton Bacho'
New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): The United Kingdom has launched a campaign to raise awareness against visa fraud in Punjab, titled 'Visa Fraud Ton Bacho', encouraging people travelling to the UK to check facts and stay safe, and visa guidance freely available on the UK's government website or even through Whatsapp.
"Campaign will raise awareness of visa scam tactics in Punjab, helping protect people from exploitation, financial loss, and emotional distress. It encourages those travelling to the UK to check facts and stay safe. Visa application guidance is freely available on gov.
uk, and via a new WhatsApp support line," read a statement from the British High Commission.
The UK Government launched the 'Visa Fraud Ton Bacho' campaign on February 27 to help protect Indian citizens from the physical, financial, and emotional risks of visa fraud and irregular migration. The campaign includes a new dedicated WhatsApp support line (+91 70652 51380) in English and Punjabi. This line will help identify common visa scam tactics and provide access to official guidance for those seeking legal routes to travel to the UK.
Ridiculous to blame Punjab farmers for Delhi haze: Goyal
Union Minister Piyush Goyal has termed as “ridiculous” the contention that Punjab farmers are to blame for pollution in Delhi.
Goyal, who handles the commerce and industry portfolio, asked everyone to “apply their mind” before coming to such conclusions. “...for Delhi, don’t believe anybody who tells you it’s the farmers of Punjab who cause the pollution in Delhi,” Goyal said at an event organised by the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.
“Just apply your mind... I wonder how pollution travels 500 km through the high rises of Gurugram and finds a pathway to come to my home in New Delhi,” he said. It is “ridiculous” to place the blame on the farmers, Goyal said, making it clear that he was not supporting the burning of stubble either. Stubble burning by farmers after summer harvest
to prepare their fields for winter crop often gets blamed for high levels of pollution in the national capital. Goyal said construction activity and vehicle emissions were the main causes of pollution in cities, as he called for adopting precast construction and electric mobility.
He said both alternatives represented cost advantages or a business case for a switch. In the case of mobility, it made a business case to switch to the electric option from the conventional internal combustion engine, the minister said as he asked India Inc to ensure that goods were carried in and out of their units using electric mobility.
“Rather than blame somebody else, can we also think of our role? Can we think of electric mobility, personal use, our company use,” Goyal implored industry leaders.
Punjab okays new Excise Policy, eyes Rs 11K cr revenue next fiscal Bittu’s close aide Rajiv Raja gets
The Punjab Government has made the serving of liquor at farmhouse parties in the state costlier by raising the licence fee for such events from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh from April 1. This change is part of the Excise Policy for 2025-26, approved by the Council of Ministers on Thursday. The government aims at collecting Rs 11,020 crore excise revenue next fiscal. Under the new policy, while the prices of country-made liquor (Punjab Medium Liquor) remain unchanged from last year, the cost of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) will increase by Rs 10-15 per bottle. Beer prices are determined by market
The prices of premium beer will range between Rs 180 and Rs 200 per bottle. The government will continue with the open quota for IMFL sales while increasing the quota for countrymade liquor by 3 per cent, setting it at 8.53 crore proof litres. Additionally, after a threeyear hiatus, the cap on establishing liquor bottling plants in the state has been lifted. “We received numerous inquiries from investors interested in setting up bottling plants, and to attract investment, we have decided to allow new plants,” Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam told The Tribune. Currently, Punjab has 25 bottling
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Rajneesh has granted bail to Rajiv Raja, a former city Youth Congress president and a close associate of Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, in an alleged extortion case of Rs 30 lakh. He was arrested on February 10.
On February 7, the police had registered a case on the complaint of a businessman and resident of Mall Enclave Ravish Gupta. According to the complainant, he had been getting extortion calls
The police today demolished a two-storey house of a woman drug peddler at Rori Kut Mohalla in Lakkad Mandi here.
SSP Nanak Singh, along with over 50 cops, were present at the spot when the house of the peddler, Rinki, was being razed. Cops were deployed in strength to avert any law and order problem as
from some foreign numbers and the callers were demanding Rs 30 lakh or else threatening to kill him and his family.
He suspected that some local resident who knew him well could be involved in the conspiracy.
Three persons were arrested in the case. During their questioning, they took the name of Raja as the key conspirator.
However, Raja could not be released from jail as his lawyer could not get the bail order.
house. The SSP said, “The drug peddler faces over 10 FIRs registered under the NDPS Act from 2016 to 2023. Raids are already on to arrest her. She has been evading arrest for the past some months.”
He said, “We found that the house was constructed through the money earned from selling drugs following which the action was taken
Tamil Nadu dig shows Iron Age 'began' in India
For over 20 years, archaeologists in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu have been unearthing clues to the region's ancient past.
Their digs have uncovered early scripts that rewrite literacy timelines, mapped maritime trade routes connecting India to the world and revealed advanced urban settlementsreinforcing the state's role as a cradle of early civilisation and global commerce.
Now they've also uncovered something even older - evidence of what could be the earliest making and use of iron. Present-day Turkey is one of the earliest known regions where iron was mined, extracted and forged on a significant scale around the 13th Century BC.
Archaeologists have discovered iron objects at six sites in Tamil Nadu, dating back to 2,953–3,345 BCE, or between 5,000 to 5,400 years old. This suggests that the process of extracting, smelting, forging and shaping iron to create tools, weapons and other objects may have developed independently in the Indian subcontinent.
"The discovery is of such a great importance that it will take some more time before its implications sink in," says Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti, a professor of South Asian archaeology at Cambridge University. The latest findings from Adichchanallur, Sivagalai, Mayiladumparai, Kilnamandi, Mangadu and Thelunganur sites have made local headlines such as "Did the Iron Age Begin in Tamil Nadu?" The age marks a period when societies began using and producing iron widely, making tools, weapons and infrastructure.
Parth R Chauhan, a professor of archaeology at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (ISSER), urges caution before drawing broad conclusions. He believes that iron technology likely emerged "independently in multiple regions".
Also, the "earliest evidence remains uncertain because many regions of the world have not been properly researched or archaeological evidence is known but has not been dated properly".
If the Tamil Nadu discovery is further validated through rigorous academic study, "it would certainly rank amongst the world's earliest records", Mr Chauhan says. Oishi Roy, an archaeologist at ISSER, adds that the find "suggests parallel developments [in iron production] across different parts of the world".
Delhi court seeks trial records of 26/11 attack case from Mumbai
A Delhi court has sought trial records of the 26/11 terror attack from a Mumbai court ahead of the expected extradition of alleged mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
In an order dated January 28, District Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav directed officials of a Mumbai court to provide the case records. The directive came in response to a plea by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking the retrieval of documents related to the case.
connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkare-Taiba (LeT).
The trial court records were earlier transferred to Mumbai due to multiple cases linked to the attacks being pursued in both Mumbai and Delhi.
A US court had previously ruled that Pakistaniorigin Canadian businessman Rana could be extradited to India, where he is wanted in
Officials have stated that Rana became part of the conspiracy in 2005 as a member of both LeT and Harakat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), maintaining close ties with Pakistan-based operatives. US President Donald Trump, while announcing his administration’s approval of Rana’s extradition, described him as “one of the plotters and very evil people of the world”. Currently, 64-year-old Rana, a close associate of Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, is under supervised detention in Los Angeles after completing a 14year prison sentence in 2023.
Jaishankar meets European Commission President, lauds her views on re-energizing
India's engagement with Europe
New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called on the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and lauded her views on reenergizing India's engagement with Europe. The European Commission President is on a two-day bilateral visit to India, accompanied by members of European College of Commissioners. "Pleased to call on @EU_ Commission President @vonderleyen today in Delhi. Appreciate her thoughts on reenergizing India's engagement with Europe. The wideranging participation of Indian Ministers and EU College of Commissioners during this visit stands testimony to the importance we place on deeper
India-EU ties," Jaishankar said in a post on X. Ursula von der Leyen, who is on a two-day official visit to India, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and discuss how to take strategic partnership to the next level. She arrived in the national capital earlier in the day.
The Centre on Thursday appointed Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as chief of the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), replacing Madhabi Puri Buch whose terms ends at the end of the month. Pandey has been appointed as the SEBI Chairman for an initial tenure of three years, a government order showed. The government had invited applications for the position till February 17.
Amid the Hindi “imposition” controversy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin today said several regional languages had been lost to the supremacy of Hindi. “My dear sisters and brothers from other states, ever wondered how many Indian languages Hindi has swallowed? Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Magahi, Marwari, Malvi, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali, Angika, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh and Mundari.
Many more are now gasping for survival. The push for a monolithic Hindi identity is what kills ancient mother tongues.
Congress leader Ajoy Kumar raised concerns that the F-16s could be used against India, recalling how Pakistan had deployed them after the Balakot airstrike in violation of US end-use agreements.
“Even as the US promises stringent oversight, skeptics remember how these same F-16s were used against India,” Kumar said.
He accused the government of “meekly surrendering” to the US, failing to secure India’s interests. “The Modi government is afraid. The US is aiding Pakistan and our government doesn’t even have the courage to object,” he said. In an attempt to reassure India, the US has reportedly offered access to its advanced F-35 Lightning II
UP and Bihar were never just ‘Hindi heartlands’. Their real languages are now relics of the past,” Stalin said on X.
The BJP hit back at Stalin accusing him of attempting to sow divisions on the basis of language with electoral motives on mind. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in 2026.
Atishi, who was stopped at the entrance by security personnel and handed a letter from the Speaker listing the suspended MLAs, demanded to see official orders justifying their restriction from the Assembly premises. “This is the first time in the country’s history that elected MLAs are being prevented from entering the Assembly premises. The police have not shown us any order. This is BJP’s dictatorship,” she said. She alleged that
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All of this is shaping the country's consumer market in distinct ways, particularly accelerating the trend of "premiumisation" where brands drive growth by doubling down on expensive, upgraded products catering to the wealthy, rather than focusing on mass-market offerings. This is evident in zooming sales of ultraluxury gated housing and premium phones, even as their lower-end variants struggle. Affordable homes now constitute just 18% of India's overall market compared with 40% five years ago. Branded goods are also capturing a bigger share of the market. And the "experience economy" is booming, with expensive tickets for concerts by international artists like Coldplay and Ed Sheeran selling like hot cakes. Companies that
“Bharat’s spiritual journey is incomplete without the mention of Tamil culture,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, adding after Independence, if anyone had done the most for the promotion of Tamil Nadu’s culture and language, it was PM Modi.
stealth fighter — a historic shift, as Washington had previously denied India access due to its purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defence system, which triggered US CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions.
However, Kumar cited SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s skepticism about the F-35’s performance.
“The F-35 is not in India’s interest… It is too expensive,” he said. Kumar also criticised the government’s trade policies, warning that a failure to impose tariffs on foreign agricultural products would devastate Indian farmers.
“Will India become a dumping ground for US and Chinese products?” he asked.
AAP legislators were removed from the premises simply for raising slogans of “Jai Bhim.” AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh echoed Atishi’s concerns, warning that similar actions would soon be taken against opposition lawmakers nationwide.
“Delhi is just the beginning. Soon, opposition leaders across the country will be thrown out of Assemblies and Parliament. Many native languages lost to monolithic Hindi: Stalin Finance Secretary Pandey replaces Buch as SEBI chief
have adapted to these shifts have thrived, Sajith Pai, one of the report's authors, told the BBC. "Those who are too focused at the mass end or have a product mix that doesn't have exposure to the premium end have lost market share."
The report's findings bolster the long-held view that India's post-pandemic recovery has been K-shaped - where the rich have got richer, while the poor have lost purchasing power.
In fact, this has been a long-term structural trend that began even before the pandemic. India has been getting increasingly more unequal, with the top 10% of Indians now holding 57.7% of national income compared with 34% in 1990. The bottom half have seen their share of national income fall from 22.2% to 15%.
