India resumes e-Visa services for Canadians after diplomatic row
Ottawa/New Delhi, Nov 22: India on Wednesday resumed issuing electronic visas for Canadian nationals after suspending it following a diplomatic row over Ottawa's accusation of possible Indian government involvement in the murder of a Canadian Sikh separatist leader.
The latest move is being seen as a step that could reduce tensions between the two countries.
India had started issuing Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa, and Conference visa from October 26 after halting its visa services for Canadian nationals following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.
Tensions flared between India and Canada in September after Trudeau's allegations. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
India has rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated". Days later, New Delhi announced it was temporarily suspending the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.
On Wednesday, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa issued a notice on X, saying Indian eVisa facility has been restored with effect from 22 November 2023, for all eligible Canadian citizens holding Regular/Ordinary Canadian passports.
"Holder of any other category of Canadian passport will need to apply for regular paper visa, in accordance with the existing modalities - details may be found on the respective websites of High Commission of India, Ottawa; Consulate General of India, Toronto and Consulate General of India, Vancouver," it said.
eVisa may be applied at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html, the notice said.
Since Trudeau's remarks in the Canadian Parliament, India and Canada have expelled a senior diplomat each. India has also forced "parity" in diplomatic presence at Canadian missions here leading to the withdrawal of 41 diplomats.
India has said that Canada had not provided any evidence to back Trudeau's claims.
"If you have a reason to make such an allegation, please share the evidence with us. We are not ruling out an investigation and looking at anything which they may have to offer. They haven't done so," Jaishankar said during a visit to the UK recently.
India had also asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
