Pharmacare bill passes in the House of Commons, heads to the Senate
The Liberals' pharmacare bill is headed to the Senate after passing third reading in the House of Commons.
An Afghan journalist, who is now in Qatar, is telling the story of his escape from Afghanistan and his expectations for his life once he reunites with family in Canada.
Akbar Shinwari told CTV National News he has been in an evacuation centre in Doha, Qatar’s capital, for the past month after being rescued by the Qatari ambassador on the ground in Afghanistan.
"He was the one who was helping all others, including me," Shinwari explained.
He said the Qatari ambassador helped rescue about 150 members of the journalist community in Kabul, as well as their families, by leading them to the airport in a convoy of busses.
"He was wearing local clothes with a local hat and he was talking to the Taliban at multiple checkpoints," Shinwari said.
He said the journey took about 45 minutes, but he began to relax once they reached Kabul's former Green Zone.
Shinwari said he called the ambassador the "angel of life" for helping them flee.
"He was the one who was saving our lives with not only my life, the life of our families and everyone, because safety was not there. If he was not leading the convoy… forget about to get into the airport," Shinwari said.
Shinwari, who previously did some work for the Canadian government and The Canadian Press, is waiting in Qatar with his family to come to Canada so they can be with their relatives.
"My aunt is there and I also have some of my media friends there, and they are very happy. They're treated very well. I'm looking forward to a journey there," he said.
However, Shinwari said if was difficult to leave behind their life in Afghanistan and see the country deteriorate under Taliban rule.
"It was really painful because all those achievements that we had in the last 20 years, that is gone," he said. "Education system, the banking, the progress, the women's rights, the all of the rights that we had."
Shinwari said he understand that transitioning to a new life in Canada will have its challenges, but hopes there will be opportunities for all Afghans coming to the country.
He added that he is most looking forward to sending his daughters back to school, who were previously studying at the university in Kabul.
"They'll have a brighter future and maybe for the future they'll be very useful for Canada and also for Afghanistan," Shinwari said.
With files from CTVNews.ca's Brooklyn Neustaeter
The Liberals' pharmacare bill is headed to the Senate after passing third reading in the House of Commons.
A university student woke up one morning to find her car had been towed away without warning. She finally got answers - just not the ones she expected.
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
Some MPs began 'wittingly assisting' foreign state actors soon after their election, says a report released Monday, including sending confidential information to Indian officials.
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
One person is dead and 26 were injured after a bus carrying Quebec tourists was involved in a collision in Cuba on Sunday.
A new law protecting cyclists and pedestrians in British Columbia takes effect Monday, establishing minimum distances that drivers must keep from so-called vulnerable road users.
Newfoundland and Labrador has floated an eyebrow-raising trial balloon in a bid to further the public health fight against tobacco and nicotine.
Many people are familiar with the benefits of being in nature, but forest therapy goes a step further than a simple walk in the woods.
Many people are familiar with the benefits of being in nature, but forest therapy goes a step further than a simple walk in the woods.
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Car 14 is a luxury passenger car that once made regular runs from London to Port Stanley starting in 1917.
A hefty donation by a renowned local activist to the University of Winnipeg has created what is believed to be the most comprehensive two-spirit archives in all of Canada.
Leanne Van Bergen discovered a skulk of 10 baby foxes, and two mothers, had made themselves at home on her property in Beausejour.
An 81-year-old Waterloo, Ont. woman thought she’d never ride a horse again after a brain bleed led to severe physical complications.
A CP24 camera caught the moment a driver frantically got out of her car as it was being dragged by a truck on Avenue Road Wednesday afternoon.
Prince Edward Island is celebrating its first-ever International Day of Potato on Thursday.
The president of Covered Bridge Chips in New Brunswick is hoping to have his factory rebuilt for late 2025 following a devastating fire last year.