On 11 Jan, in Tauranga city, New Zealand (NZ), a group of protestors linked to 'Apostle Bishop' Brian Tamaki confronted the Sikh Nagar Kirtan (religious procession). Tamaki is head of the Pentecostal Christian organization the Destiny Church. The event concluded without a major untoward incident and the procession proceeded to the Gurdwara. Later, Tamaki released the video with captions: 'Whose Streets? Kiwi Streets and The True Patriots Are Not Backing Down.' The apex representative body of Sikhs Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s president Harjinder Singh Dhami has said, such an incident has occurred for the second time in three weeks in NZ and has deeply disappointed the Sikh community. He added, 'Viewing the religious traditions of the Sikh community—which has always made an exemplary contribution to strengthening global brotherhood—with a hateful mindset is unacceptable.' Meanwhile, British Columbia (BC) seeks to deepen its commercial ties with India in sectors including liquefied natural gas, critical minerals, lumber and technology, the Canadian province's Premier David Eby said on 12 Jan at the start of a six-day Indian visit. 'With unjustified tariffs from the US impacting BC workers and businesses, it’s more important than ever to deepen strategic relationships with international partners,' said Eby, adding India offered 'enormous opportunities for trade'. On 8 Jan, a group of Sikh activists protested at the BC legislature, waving Khalistan flags and urging Eby to cancel his upcoming India trip. They said that the India trip sends the wrong message, especially after the death of fellow Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 in Surrey, who was allegedly shot by Indian hitmen. As BC pursues new markets in India, fractious relations between Canada and India over the last two years take a back seat to trade relations. A matter of concern between the two countries is that according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, approximately 1,053K work permits expired in Canada by the end of 2025 and another 927K will do so in 2026. As these work permits expire, their holders go out of status, living illegally in the country, unless they transition to another visa or obtain permanent residency (earlier coverage).
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