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In the lead-up to the April 28 Canadian federal elections, all eyes are once again on Quebec – a province with a unique political identity and the power to sway the national balance of power. Leading the charge in this highly anticipated contest is Yves-Francois Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois (BQ), who is making his third consecutive run at guiding the party through what promises to be a closely fought election cycle.

Blanchet, who has long been a vocal advocate for Quebec’s sovereignty and distinctiveness, will face stiff competition from Prime Minister Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal Party, and Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party.

Who Is Yves-Francois Blanchet?

Yves-Francois Blanchet is the leader of the Bloc Quebecois (BQ) that represents Quebec’s interests in Canada’s House of Commons. The province plays a crucial role in this pivotal election, and Blanchet is focused on his mission to ensure Quebec has a strong and unique voice in Ottawa.

The Bloc, rooted in Quebec nationalism and sovereignty, only fields candidates in the province and has previously been the official opposition in Parliament.

Blanchet’s ascension to the party’s leadership in 2019 marked a turning point for the Bloc, which had suffered years of political decline and internal strife. Under his leadership, the party regained momentum, increasing its seat count, reclaiming its status as the third-largest party in Parliament.

“We must prevent Quebec from becoming Canada’s bargaining chip, speaking primarily for Toronto’s banks, Ontario’s auto industry and Western oil companies. On the contrary, Quebec must emerge stronger,” read a Bloc advertisement under Blanchet’s stewardship, according to a BBC report.

Early Life, Education And Work

Born on April 14, 1965, in Drummondville, Quebec, Yves-Francois Blanchet developed a passion for Quebec’s unique culture and politics at an early age. In the 1980s, he joined the youth committee of the provincial Parti Quebecois (PQ), where his political involvement began. Blanchet later attended the Universite de Montreal, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology in 1987.

Blanchet’s academic background in the social sciences would later form his political narrative, with an emphasis on cultural preservation, secularism and environmental stewardship.

Before entering politics full-time, Blanchet wore many hats – as a teacher, entrepreneur and arts advocate. He founded Diffusion YFB, a concert-management and artist representation firm. He also managed the career of Eric Lapointe, a prominent rock musician, for over a decade.

From 2003 to 2006, Blanchet served as president of ADISQ (Association quebecoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video). Under his leadership, the organisation and its artists earned 10 Felix Awards, and Blanchet was honoured as the “Personality of the Year” by the Drummondville Chamber of Commerce.

Blanchet led several non-profit initiatives promoting Quebec’s independent music scene. He was also the president of Quebec’s Earth Day for two years.

After losing his provincial seat in 2014, Blanchet founded TAG.media, a short-lived company focused on political communications. He also worked as a commentator and columnist for several Quebec media outlets, becoming a familiar voice on the province’s cultural and political affairs.

Political Career

Yves-Francois Blanchet began his formal political journey in 2008, when he was elected to Quebec’s National Assembly as a member of the Parti Quebecois. He served as the government whip and later as Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks in the minority government of Pauline Marois.

In the 2012 election, he won back his seat by a slim margin of 200 votes, defeating a candidate from the newly formed Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ). He lost the seat to the CAQ in the 2014 election.

At the federal level, the Bloc Quebecois was floundering after the 2011 election, having lost official party status and faced a series of internal disputes. After Martine Ouellet’s resignation in 2018 amid increasing criticism, Blanchet ran unopposed and was elected leader of the Bloc Quebecois in January 2019. His leadership led to a strong performance in the 2019 federal election, where the Bloc won 32 out of 78 Quebec seats, overtaking the New Democrats to become the third-largest party in Parliament.

Blanchet said during the 2021 campaign that his party’s 2019 success prompted other parties to pay more attention, ultimately benefiting the province.

The party played a cooperative role during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping the Liberals pass emergency relief bills, including the extension of the federal wage subsidy.

Blanchet has since consolidated his position, winning his own seat with more than 50 percent of the vote in the last two consecutive elections. He is once again getting the Bloc ready for the upcoming snap election on April 28.

Vocal About Donald Trump

Blanchet has not shied away from confronting international issues, particularly when they affect Quebec. As tensions flared between Canada and the United States during Donald Trump’s presidency, Quebec’s economy felt the pressure. The province has North America’s largest primary aluminium production industry, which was directly impacted by Trump’s tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium. Blanchet described the tariffs as “ill-advised,” and said that he believes “the voice of reason will prevail.”

He was outspoken about Trump’s suggestion that Canada could become the 51st state of the United States. “It’s enough jibber-jabber. We can say whatever we want, but that doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want,” he said.

His defence of Quebec’s interests took centre stage as he responded to the US administration’s trade policies. The Bloc launched ads asking, “Who will speak for Quebec?”

Personal Life

Yves-Francois Blanchet has four children and two grandchildren. He was formerly married to Nancy Deziel, a city councillor in Shawinigan, Quebec. He is currently engaged to Karine Rodrigue, a political advisor in the Bloc leader’s cabinet.

The 20-year-old Florida State University (FSU) student accused of opening fire on campus Thursday was taught how to handle guns by his sheriff deputy stepmother, officials confirmed.

Phoenix Ikner, the suspect behind the midday shooting – that killed two and injured six – near FSU’s busy student union building, is the stepson of Leon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jessica Ikner. Authorities said Ikner had access to one of her firearms, which he brought to campus on the day of the attack.

“That was one of the weapons that was found at the scene,” Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said, as per The NY Post.

The sheriff’s office also confirmed that Phoenix Ikner had been taught how to handle firearms by Deputy Ikner. “His family exposed him to safety as it relates to utilising firearms,” a department spokeswoman said, as per The NY Post. Another spokesperson, Javonni Hampton, added that Phoenix Ikner learned to handle guns from his stepmother.

The firearm used in the attack was a pistol Jessica Ikner had kept for personal use after the department upgraded its service weapons – a common practice, officials added. She is described by the department as a “model employee” with 18 years of service. Following the incident, she has taken a leave of absence.

The shooting sent the FSU campus into lockdown. Students were ordered to shelter in place as first responders rushed to the scene. Video footage showed a man shooting at people who were running for cover on the campus lawn.

“Everyone just started running out of the student union,” said a witness. “About a minute later, we heard about eight to 10 gunshots.”

FSU officials confirmed that the two people killed were not students. Their identities have not yet been released. The suspect was shot by responding officers and taken to a hospital. He is now stable.

Phoenix Ikner was also a former member of the Sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council, a program designed to give local youth a voice in community policing efforts. “It was an opportunity for youth in our community to express any concerns they had about crime prevention and safety,” Hampton said.

The motive behind the shooting remains unknown.

The Israeli military announced that a soldier had been killed on Saturday in the fighting in Gaza, the first fatality since a ceasefire with Hamas collapsed in mid-March.

The military said Sergeant Major Ghaleb Sliman Al-Nasasra, 35, fell during combat in northern Gaza, adding that three others were also wounded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The United States and Iran on Saturday concluded a second round of high-stakes talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, agreeing to meet again in a week’s time, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

The Oman-mediated talks in Rome lasted about four hours, according to Iranian state television, which described the atmosphere as “constructive”.

“The two sides agreed to resume indirect talks at a technical level over the next few days and subsequently continue at the level of two senior negotiators next Saturday,” April 26, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

Iran later added that the third round of talks would take place in Oman, returning to the site of the initial dialogue a week ago.

Those were the first discussions at such a high level between the foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.

Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons — an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.

Images broadcast by the state TV showed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Italian capital, with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff also expected to participate.

Araghchi later described the discussions as a “good meeting” that yielded progress.

“This time we managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goals,” he told state TV.

He also told the Tasnim news agency that the nuclear issue was the only topic raised.

Baqaei said the delegations had been “in two different rooms” at the Omani ambassador’s residence, with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi passing messages between them.

Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.

Following his return to office in January, Trump revived his “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions against Iran.

In March he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging renewed nuclear talks while also warning of military action if diplomacy failed.

“I’m not in a rush” to use the military option, Trump said Thursday. “I think Iran wants to talk.”

On Friday, Araghchi said Iran “observed a degree of seriousness” on the US side during the first round but questioned their “intentions and motivations”.

In a social media post early Saturday, Baqaei said Tehran was cleareyed about the talks, while “relying also on the past experiences”.

The leader of mediator Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, is due in Moscow in the coming days, according to his office and the Kremlin, which said he would discuss with President Vladimir Putin “current questions on the international and regional agenda” and other issues.

– ‘Crucial stage’ –

In an interview published on Wednesday by French newspaper Le Monde, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran was “not far” from possessing a nuclear bomb.

During Trump’s first term, Washington withdrew from the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers that offered Iran relief from international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Tehran complied with the agreement for a year after Trump’s withdrawal before scaling back its compliance.

Araghchi was a negotiator of the 2015 deal. His US counterpart, Witkoff, is a real estate magnate Trump has also tasked with talks on Ukraine.

Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 limit in the deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged European countries to decide on whether to trigger the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 agreement, which would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Iran over its non-compliance.

The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October this year.

Iran has previously warned it could withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the mechanism were triggered.

Grossi, who met Iranian officials in Tehran this week, said the US and Iran were “at a very crucial stage” in the talks and “don’t have much time” to secure a deal.

– ‘Non-negotiable’ –

Iranian officials have insisted that the talks focus only on its nuclear programme and lifting of sanctions.

Araghchi said a deal with the US was “likely” if Washington refrained from “making unreasonable and unrealistic demands”, without elaborating.

Analysts had said the United States would push to include discussions over Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for militants in the Middle East.

Araghchi said Iran’s right to enrich uranium was “non-negotiable”, after Witkoff called for its complete halt. Witkoff had previously demanded only that Iran return to the ceiling set by the 2015 deal.

On Friday US ally Israel affirmed its commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, saying it had a “clear course of action” to prevent this.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a social media post Saturday responded sceptically to an Easter truce proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of trying to “play with human lives”.

“As for yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives — at this moment, air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote on X. “Shahed (attack) drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life,” the president added, without saying whether Ukraine would observe the proposed truce.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Scientists have claimed to found a new colour that has not been seen by humans before. The researchers are calling the new colour ‘olo’, according to the findings published in Science Advances on Friday (Apr 18). Only five people have seen the colour, describing it as something like a peacock blue or teal, with the level of saturation in the new colour being “off-the-charts’.

Researchers assert that the colour can only be experienced through laser manipulation of the retina. To perceive it, the researchers had laser pulses fired into their eyes, which pushed their perception beyond its natural limits, according to a report in The Guardian.

“We predicted from the beginning that it would look like an unprecedented colour signal but we didn’t know what the brain would do with it. It was jaw-dropping. It’s incredibly saturated,” said Ren Ng, an electrical engineer at the University of California, Berkeley.

An image of a turquoise square has been shared by the researchers to provide a sense of the colour. Scientists claim the image still does not fully represent the richness of the colour they actually experienced.

“There is no way to convey that colour in an article or on a monitor. The whole point is that this is not the colour we see, it’s just not. The colour we see is a version of it, but it absolutely pales by comparison with the experience of olo,” said Austin Roorda, a vision scientist associated with the team.

Also Read | What Is The ‘Green Nail Theory’? Viral Trend Claiming To Bring Peace And Wealth

Human eyes and colours

The human eye can distinguish millions of shades of colour when light falls on colour-sensitive cells called cones in the retina. There are three types of cones, which are sensitive to long (L), medium (M) and short (S) wavelengths of light.

While red light stimulates L cones and blue light triggers S cones, no natural light is able to stimulate the M cones that are present in the middle of the retina. 

The research team scanned volunteers’ retinas to pinpoint the M cones. Then a laser was used to scan the retina and fire a flash of light into the M cone.

Quizzed if human beings would be able to see the colour in everyday life, researchers gave a firm no.

“We’re not going to see olo on any smartphone displays or any TVs anytime soon. And this is very, very far beyond VR headset technology.”

Around 160 people have been arrested after mobs carried out 20 separate attacks on KFC restaurants, with one employee shot dead, the government said on Saturday.

The American-founded fast food chain has become a target of protest and boycott calls by Islamist parties since the start of the war in Gaza, linking the brand to US support for Israel.

Crowds have protested outside KFC repeatedly this month, breaking windows, setting fires and threatening staff.

“A total of 20 incidents occurred across Pakistan with one fatality reported. The man was a staff member at KFC,” deputy interior minister Talal Chaudhry told a news conference on Saturday, describing KFC as “under attack”.

The KFC employee was shot dead at a branch on the outskirts of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, on Sunday.

A police official told AFP that it was unclear what the motive for the shooting was or whether it was linked to the recent protests.

Chaudhry said that 145 people were arrested in Punjab province and 15 in the national capital Islamabad over the spate of attacks.

“These restaurants source everything locally and employ Pakistani staff, and their earnings remain within the country,” he said.

KFC and its parent company Yum! Brands have not responded to requests for comment.

A KFC restaurant in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir was set on fire in March last year as protesters chanted “Free Palestine”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

About 1,024 international students at US colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or have had their legal status terminated since late March, according to school officials, university statements and correspondence, as reported by The Associated Press.

Foreign students living in the US constantly see agents in plain clothes out of the blue and taking students to detention centres, on social media and that is causing a lot of anxiety for them.

Several students have sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arguing that the DHS has failed to justify why they are terminating their legal status.

Moreover, the Trump administration has said frequently that visas are a “privilege” and can be revoked any time for a lot of reasons. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, “Here’s why: I’ve said it everywhere, and I’ll say it again. If you apply for a student visa to come to the United States and you say you’re coming not just to study, but to participate in movements that vandalise universities, harass students, take over buildings, and cause chaos, we’re not giving you that visa.”

BBC spoke to students and faculty from public universities and Ivy League institutions and they claim that the situation has left them feeling on the edge.

“I could be next,” said a student visa-holder who has written articles about the war in Gaza. He carries a card with him which has a list of constitutional rights just in case he is stopped by law enforcement.

While another said he is too scared to go out, even to buy groceries.

The reasons to have visas revoked could range from a lot of factors from criminal records to driving over the speed limit, however, “a lot” of the people who have been targeted had been involved in pro-Palestinian protests, even Secretary of State Marco Rubio himself said so.

Officials say such protestors created an unsafe environment for the Jewish students, and supported a terrorist organisation – Hamas.

“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas. We do it every day”, Rubio told reporters in late March. 

Not just students, but universities are also being targeted. The White House froze $2 billion in funding for Harvard University after it refused to agree to a list of demands that would take away its “independence”.

A Georgetown student has asked his parents not to fly from India to the US to watch him graduate with a master’s degree and is unsure if he will attend the ceremony himself. He is also taking precautions otherwise. “I have cleared my chats across messaging apps, and I have learned how to quickly lock my phone in SOS mode,” he said.

Tufts PhD student Anteri Mejr told the BBC that some international “students are working remotely because they’re afraid they can’t get back in the country”, while a few have left the country and are afraid to return.

A University of Texas student said, “I’m scared to be out. I’m scared to come to school. I’m scared to go grocery shopping”. Despite not being a part of the pro-Palestine protests, he is filled with “crippling anxiety” as he has written critical things about the president. 

“How far does this administration dig through, like, an immigrant’s history?” he asked. “What if I did say something and I’m not aware”, he said.
 

With food scarce in the besieged and war-battered Gaza Strip, some desperate families have turned to eating sea turtles as a rare source of protein.

Once the shell has been removed, the meat is cut up, boiled and cooked in a mix of onion, pepper, tomato and spices.

“The children were afraid of the turtle, and we told them it tasted as delicious as veal,” said Majida Qanan, keeping an eye on the chunks of red meat simmering in a pot over a wood fire.

“Some of them ate it, but others refused.”

For lack of a better alternative, this is the third time 61-year-old Qanan has prepared a turtle-based meal for her family who were displaced and now live in a tent in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza largest city.

After 18 months of devastating war and an Israeli blockade on aid since March 2, the United Nations has warned of a dire humanitarian situation for the 2.4 million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory.

Israel has accused Hamas of diverting aid, which the Palestinian group denies.

The heads of 12 major aid organisations warned on Thursday that “famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts” of the territory.

“There are no open crossings and there is nothing in the market,” said Qanan.

“When I buy two small bags (of vegetables) for 80 shekels ($22), there is no meat,” she added.

Sea turtles are internationally protected as an endangered species, but those caught in Gaza fishermen’s nets are used for food.

Qanan mixes the meat with flour and vinegar to wash it, before rinsing and boiling it in an old metal pot.

– ‘Never expected to eat a turtle’ –

“We never expected to eat a turtle,” fisherman Abdel Halim Qanan said.

“When the war started, there was a food shortage. There is no food. So (turtle meat) is an alternative for other sources of protein. There is no meat, poultry or vegetables.”

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began on October 7, 2023, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Fighting has raged in Gaza since then, pausing only twice — recently during a two-month ceasefire between January 19 and March 17, and in a previous one-week halt in late November 2023.

The World Health Organization’s regional chief Hanan Balkhy said in June that some Gazans were so desperate that they were eating animal food, grass, and drinking sewage water.

Hamas on Thursday accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon” against Gazans by blocking aid supplies.

Fisherman Qanan said the turtles were killed in the “halal” method, in accordance with Islamic rites.

“If there was no famine, we would not eat it and leave it, but we want to compensate for the lack of protein,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

As Canada approaches its federal election on April 28, 2025, the nation’s relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump has become a pivotal campaign issue. The four leading contenders for prime minister—Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh, and Yves-François Blanchet—have each articulated distinct positions on Trump’s policies and rhetoric. Here’s an overview of their stances:

Mark Carney (Liberal Party)

Mark Carney, the interim Prime Minister and Liberal leader, has positioned himself as a steady hand capable of managing the challenges posed by Trump’s administration. 

Carmey mentioned Trump often during the debate. “We can give ourselves far more than Donald Trump can ever take away,” he said, setting the tone for the debate. When asked about what he would do in a crisis, he said, “In a crisis, you got to plan for the worst, the worst is that the US actually does want to take us over,” referring to Trump’s calls to make Canada the 51st state of the US.

During the debate, he kept refocussing the attention on Trump even as Poilievre equated him with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The biggest risk we have to affordability, the biggest risk we have to this economy is Donald Trump, so first and foremost we’ve got to get that right.” he said.

He also added, “[Trump] respects people who understand the world and how the private sector works”.

Even his closing statement was about Trump. “They want our land, they want our resources, they want our water, they want our country. And we’re all going to stand up against Donald Trump. I’m ready,” he said.

Pierre Poilievre (Conservative Party)

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has taken a firm stance against Trump’s recent comments and trade policies. He has rejected comparisons to Trump, emphasising differences in their political positions, particularly on immigration and social programs.

Poilievre has advocated for a “Canada First” approach, focusing on strengthening the Canadian economy through tax reductions and increased energy production. 

He blamed Liberals for giving “Donald Trump and the US a near monopoly over our energy” by not building pipelines that could help export Canadian oil abroad. 

Although he has been compared to Trump because of his populist style of politics, he has said, “I have a completely different story from Donald Trump”, with Trump himself saying that Poilievre is not “MAGA enough”. However, he has been praised by Tesla CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk.

Jagmeet Singh (New Democratic Party)

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump, particularly concerning issues of global stability and human rights. Singh has called for Trump to be disinvited from the upcoming G7 Summit in Canada, citing Trump’s criminal conviction and actions that Singh believes threaten international cooperation.

“Why would we invite someone who threatens our sovereignty and economic well-being? Why would we invite someone who threatens the economic well-being of allies and threatens the world’s stability? Why would we allow a convicted criminal into our country?” Singh said in a statement.

Even during the debate, Singh said, “I’m asking for your support in this election so that I can continue to fight to defend the things that make us Canada, the things that we hold dear, the things that make us proud to be Canadians”.

Singh has also condemned Trump’s trade policies, including auto tariffs, arguing that they harm Canadian workers and industries. He has urged the Canadian government to take a strong stand against such measures to protect national interests.

“Trump’s trade war is driving up costs for families while threatening thousands of good-paying jobs—but we won’t let you pay the price,” Singh said. “We will fight like hell for your job, your wages, your home, your health care—and we’ll build a Canada that puts working and middle-class people first.”

Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc Québécois)

Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, has focused on defending Quebec’s interests in the face of Trump’s policies. He has criticised the U.S. administration’s labeling of Quebec’s Bill 96—a law promoting the French language—as a “foreign trade barrier.”

Blanchet has called on the Canadian government to robustly defend Quebec’s autonomy and cultural identity against external pressures.

Each candidate’s stance on Donald Trump reflects their broader political priorities and visions for Canada’s future. As the election approaches, their positions on U.S.-Canada relations will likely continue to influence voter decisions.