Latest news with #Anand
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada facilitating commercial flights home for citizens fleeing Israel, Iran: Anand
OTTAWA — The federal government will help Canadians in Israel and Iran to fly home once they reach neighbouring countries, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Thursday. "We are planning commercial options for Canadians in Israel and Iran to leave the region through certain neighbouring jurisdictions," Anand told The Canadian Press in an interview. With airports closed across the region, Ottawa has stationed consular officials on the other side of certain crossings on the Israeli and Iranian borders to help those fleeing either country to get home. The same applies for people who manage to leave the West Bank, Anand wrote on X, and said there are officials in Jordan, Turkey and Armenia, while Azerbaijan is also allowing Canadians fleeing Iran to enter. "We have deployed additional consular services to aid Canadians who want to leave the region," she said. "We're looking at additional options, which include working with our allies." Canada has joined on allies in recent years to co-operate on everything from staging a military evacuation in Sudan to facilitating commercial evacuation flights out of Lebanon last year. Anand is urging Canadians in the region to register with Global Affairs' Registration of Canadians Abroad database, so that they can get the latest updates on ways to get home. "I am extremely concerned for all Canadians and we'll keep working on this file 24/7 to ensure their safety," Anand said. When asked whether she's calling on Canadians to leave the region immediately, Anand suggested otherwise. "We are assisting departures for Canadians who wish to leave, and we are here for you," she said. Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri wrote on X that she is in Israel and the outreach so far is insufficient, arguing Ottawa should provide evacuation plans for leaving Israel. Another former Conservative MP Rick Perkins also appeared to be in Israel and had similar criticism of Ottawa. "The daily emails from your department are worse than useless and have never offered to find arrangements out of the country," he wrote to Anand on X. Canada this week urged its citizens to "avoid all travel" to Israel as the country exchanges missile attacks and airstrikes with Iran. Canada has advised against visiting Iran for years. Ottawa and most of its allies have repeatedly called for de-escalation while saying Israel has a right to defend itself. On June 13, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, which retaliated with missiles. The two countries have a history of trading small-scale attacks and acts of espionage and sabotage. Israel said it hit Iran last Friday because the country was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it has no new evidence to prove this. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said American officials also said Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons in a Monday briefing to the intelligence committee he vice-chairs. For years, Israel has urged countries to call out Iran for supporting militant groups that attack Israelis, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. Prime Minister Mark Carney said during the spring election that Ottawa must be "clear-eyed" about "Iranian sponsors in the region." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
India.com
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Made for Rs 30 lakh, this Amitabh Bachchan film became a huge hit, earned Rs..., won 9 awards, has 8.1 IMDb rating, movie is...
Amitabh Bachchan is one of those actors who have been enthralling audiences for decades. For the last 55 years, the actor has carved a remarkable place for himself, which he continues to hold even at the age of 82. From Zanjeer, Deewar, Trishul, Silsila to Coolie, Baghban, Sarkar, Piku, and more, the Big B of Bollywood has delivered several hits. Today, we will talk about one of those films of Big B that became a huge hit, earned him 9 awards, and also has an IMDb rating of 8.1. This movie featured the late actor Rajesh Khanna and was released 54 years ago, becoming a massive success. The film we are talking about is Anand. Released in 1971, this film won the Filmfare Award for Best Film in 1972. Rajesh Khanna won the Best Actor Award. On the other hand, Amitabh Bachchan won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. This film also received the Filmfare Award for Best Story. Gulzar received the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue for the film. Hrishikesh Mukherjee was honored with the Filmfare Award for Best Editor and also received the National Award for this film. What stood out in the film was the powerful climax of Anand. Apart from that, the songs from the film also left audiences emotional and are still cherished to this day. The film was so loved by the audience that it received an 8.1 IMDb rating. If you are planning to watch the film, you can find it on Amazon Prime Video. Apart from Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, the movie also features Sumita Sanyal, the late actor Ramesh Deo, Seema Deo, and more.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Hyderabad traffic police to use cameras on high-rises for ‘eagle view' monitoring
The Hyderabad police are installing cameras on multi-storey buildings across the city to get an 'Eagle View' of traffic movement and congestion points. The initiative, supported by building owners, aims to help traffic officials detect problems in real time, alert ground staff, and suggest immediate solutions. This was announced during a traffic review meeting held on Friday by C.V. Anand, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad. Mr. Anand said that the average speed of vehicles in Hyderabad has increased from 17–18 kilometres per hour last year to 24–25 kilometres per hour now, thanks to the efforts of the traffic police. 'Around 1,600 new vehicles are being added to Hyderabad roads every day. Across the three Commissionerates, approximately 91 lakh vehicles are on the road daily,' said the Commissioner. Meanwhile, Mr. Anand said 'Operation Rope' has shown good results and will be strengthened further through a more scientific approach. On VIP movement, he said traffic is now being managed in a more planned manner. Instructions from the Chief Minister to avoid long traffic halts during his travel are being followed strictly, he added. 'About 80% of the traffic signals in Hyderabad now run on auto mode, helping improve the flow of vehicles. For traffic violations, the department is focusing more on the quality of penalties rather than the number of fines, which has led to a decrease in the overall fines being issued,' said the officer. He further added that drone cameras are already in use for monitoring traffic, and Google is providing technical assistance in addition to Google Maps to improve the traffic system. Traffic marshals To address staff shortage, the traffic department is introducing the 'Traffic Marshal' system, where corporate companies can appoint marshals under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). These marshals will be trained by the police and used for traffic control duties. Transgender individuals working as traffic assistants are delivering good results, Mr. Anand said, adding that a report has been submitted to the government. 'More appointments will be made in the traffic department and the government is also preparing to fill vacancies in other departments,' assured the Commissioner. Mr. Anand said preparations for the monsoon season are in progress, with coordination between the police, GHMC and HYDRA. He also mentioned that the disturbance caused by private travel buses is high, and a meeting will be held soon with their managements to take appropriate action. The meeting was attended by all the ACPs, Additional DCPs, Inspectors and SIs from traffic stations, along with Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D. Joel Davis, DCP Traffic-I B.K. Rahul Hegde, DCP Traffic-II Ashok Kumar and DCP Traffic-III R. Venkateswarlu.
National Observer
4 hours ago
- Politics
- National Observer
'We cannot waste any time': Anand pledges 'action' and reform in foreign affairs
Faced with escalating conflict in the Middle East, a collapsing global trade system and a department struggling to reform itself, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she relishes the job of helping Canada navigate a turbulent world. In a wide-ranging interview Thursday with The Canadian Press, Anand said her experiences in both politics and academia can help her streamline Canada's approach to global issues, allowing it to pursue its interests without losing sight of its values. "How do you ensure, when you have these large departments, that you're actually able to execute? That is the heart of government. It's the hardest thing to do," Anand said. "I enjoy difficult responsibilities." She cited her time as defence minister, when she pushed the Canadian Armed Forces to address sexual misconduct and organized donations of military supplies to Ukraine's front line. Previously, as procurement minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, she pushed one of Ottawa's largest and most unwieldy departments to deliver vaccines across the country within days. Anand spoke of "how hard it was to say, like, we gotta buy this stuff today." "That's kind of the same frame that I'm bringing to foreign affairs and it's super exciting," she added. Anand said her job involves listening closely to what the foreign service says, even if she doesn't always follow its guidance. "You have to think independently, taking into account the advice that you receive, but also ensuring that you're discharging your obligations to the Canadian public," she said. "I welcome the advice that my officials provide, but at the end of the day, the decisions that I make are based on an independent judgment about what is best for our country in terms of our diplomatic relationships and our foreign policy." Much of her job, she said, involves supporting Prime Minister Mark Carney 's quest to make Canada less dependent on the US for trade and defence. "We are considering every option to strengthen our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world," she said. "My role as foreign minister is to stand up for Canada in that process and to ensure that we are also standing up for peace, the safety of civilians and the respect for international law." Carney has set the tone for much of Canada's foreign policy and Anand is accompanying the prime minister on a diplomatic trip to Europe next week. Canada will sign an agreement Monday in Brussels with the European Union that largely focuses on defence procurement. Carney and Anand will then head to the NATO summit in the Netherlands, where they hope to use new spending pledges from Canada and allies to keep the United States committed to collective defence. Carney's approach to foreign policy features a major tilt toward Europe and might include more outreach in Asia and Africa ahead of summits he is set to attend this fall on both continents. While his government is heeding allies' calls for a steep increase in defence spending, it's also bucking an international trend by promising not to cut foreign aid. "We are deeply committed to multilateralism over unilateralism, to global co-operation over increased protectionism," Anand said. "We must showcase Canada's values in terms of peace, safety of civilians, and respect for international law. But we're at a time where we also need to strategically advance our economic interests here at home, and to ensure that we have defence and security arrangements in place for the protection of our own country." She said her ministerial background in defence, procurement, transport and the Treasury Board — which oversees all other departments' spending — gives her a unique perspective on how governments can actually follow through on their promises. At the recent G7 summit in Alberta, she had a front-row seat as Canada's closest peers drafted statements on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to transnational repression. The summit allowed her to meet face-to-face with both representatives of Ottawa's traditional allies and officials from emerging nations with increasing clout — including her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The Carney government is moving to restore diplomatic relations with India — a controversial move, given the recent history between Ottawa and New Delhi. In 2023 and 2024, former prime minister Justin Trudeau and the RCMP said there was evidence linking agents of the Indian government to the murder of Canadian Sikh separatist activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, BC, in June 2023. Last October, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the police force had evidence linking Indian government officials to other crimes in Canada, including extortion, coercion and homicide. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service identified India as one of the main drivers of foreign interference in a report it released this week. Anand said Ottawa is trying to restore parts of "a long-standing relationship that has been put on hold for the last couple of years," while respecting the law and institutions like the RCMP. "The global strategic environment is very volatile and we need to carefully ensure that we are respecting the foundations of our democracy," she said. Anand was born and raised in Nova Scotia by parents who immigrated from India. As a lawyer and professor in Toronto, she focused on the field of corporate governance — on how companies can reform the way they operate. Global Affairs Canada itself is under heavy pressure to change the way it works. The department launched a reform plan in February 2024 that included an admission that it can be "slow to react or not focused enough" when major crises erupt, and that its staffing policies aren't keeping up with its growing responsibilities and tighter budgets. Things have only grown more complex since then, with Washington cutting back on foreign aid and moving closer to a revanchist Russia, while China pitches more trade with Canada and other countries. Canada has meanwhile promised to appoint new ambassadors across Africa and to open new embassies in Fiji and Benin, while somehow containing spending across government. Canada's critics have a history of claiming it's all talk when it comes to international relations. Trudeau was frequently criticized for raising human rights issues and inserting environmental policies in trade deals while failing to meet his government's defence spending targets or supply allies with liquefied natural gas. Foreign diplomats and departmental staff describe Anand as cautious, attentive and focused on results. While she's taking some time to get thoroughly briefed, she wants to deliver a lot — and soon. "We have so much work to do and we cannot waste any time doing it," she said. "I am action-oriented myself and the prime minister knows this about me. And that's why we will make a good team on the foreign affairs front." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
Toronto Star
5 hours ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Canada facilitating commercial flights home for citizens fleeing Israel, Iran: Anand
OTTAWA - The federal government will help Canadians in Israel and Iran to fly home once they reach neighbouring countries, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Thursday. 'We are planning commercial options for Canadians in Israel and Iran to leave the region through certain neighbouring jurisdictions,' Anand told The Canadian Press in an interview.
