Miracle 597-May 19,2023

G7 struggles with response to China ‘economic coercion’ threat

As leaders prepare for summit in Hiroshima, there appears little consensus on how to deal with the risk posed by China. Tokyo, Japan – The G7 countries all agree on the threat of China’s economic coercion.

But reaching a consensus on concrete action to counter Beijing promises to be a challenge for the club of wealthy democracies amid divisions over

how to manage ties with the world’s second-biggest economy.

The leaders of the G7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — have signalled that China’s use of punitive trade measures will be high on the agenda of their threeday annual summit, which kicks off in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday.

B.C. residents pack bags as wildfires rage

Patrick Patterson quickly packed his suitcase after smoke settled over Fort St. John, a city that was placed under evacuation alert Monday as wildfires burned in northeastern B.C. He said some residents then spent two hours waiting in line for gas in case the evacuation alert turned into an order. Some had already hit the road, but Mr. Patterson and others

As Turkey heads to a presidential election run-off, what’s next?

Analysts say incumbent candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan has an edge over the opposition’s Kilicdaroglu.

After a hotly-contested first round of elections on Sunday, Turkey will have a run-off vote on May 28.

What can we expect from the run-off?

Analysts predict that incumbent candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan is more likely to win in a second round as he garnered a five-percentage point advantage from Sunday’s first-round vote against his main contender, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

With more than 99 percent of votes counted, Erdogan had received 49.51 percent of the vote, electoral chief Ahmet Yener said. Kilicdaroglu had secured 44.89 percent, according to Yener, citing results from the Supreme

Election Council. Overall, Erdogan performed better than expected, with his alliance also managing to secure a majority in the 600-seat parliament.

Political analyst Ali Carkoglu said Erdogan has “the momentum behind him” following those polls.

“Erdogan maintained his base of support in the heartland of Anatolia, although he lost some support in the southeast … He also maintained some credible level of support in the big cities,” Carkoglu told Al Jazeera.

“He was very successful also in the earthquake-hit regions. Some people find it surprising, but he apparently delivered what they expected of him and promises that he will deliver even better in the aftermath of the election,” the analyst added.

The National Security Committee (NSC) decided on Tuesday to observe May 9 — when multiple incidents of violence and vandalism were reported amid protests sparked by PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest — as “Black Day” at the national level.

While the protests were under way, social media was flooded with footage of a mob clashing with police in Karachi, attacking and entering the army’s head office, General Headquarters, in Rawalpindi and vandalising the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Meanwhile, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan’s building was also set on fire in Peshawar. The NSC’s decision of today is the latest in the string of condemnations of the May 9 events by the country’s civil and military leadership.

held back to make sure their homes were in order. He said the last time the city of 21,000 experienced a wildfire threat to this magnitude was in 2016, when Fort St. John was on alert around the same time as the Fort McMurray fire that led to the evacuation of more than 90,000 people and destroyed 2,930 buildings.

The meeting of the body, which is the highest forum for coordination on security issues, was convened under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad. It was attended by federal ministers, Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza and other top brass, among other senior officials.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after the meeting said it was reiterated during the session that a policy of “zero tolerance” would be adopted towards violence and disturbance of peace. It added that the meeting’s participants expressed solidarity with the armed forces, “strongly condemning Cont. @ page 5

Civil, military leaders decide to observe May 9 as ‘Black Day’ nationally

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On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Spend (on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you. It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim).

On freedom of Speech and Rights of the Muslim Minority in Western Democracies

is incredulous. Why? How can a charge sheet be so sweeping as to condemn the rai·son d’ê·tre of the entirety of one-fourth of the world’s population.

BY: SHAFI A. KHALED

Peace and Blessings of God on anyone taking the time to read and contemplate the thoughts below. Regarding wasting the Quran or desecrating Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)1, it has become necessary to move beyond protests by Muslim states and street protests within the West. Here are some constructive thoughts that allow space for Western leaders, prosecutors, judges, as well as for academicians and academic administrators.

1. The Quran mentions, by name, Moses (pbuh) and Jesus (pbuh) at least seventyfive and twenty-five times, respectively. There are also chapters on Mary (pbuh) and her family. If the Quran is desecrated then these honorable people, often very dear to the abusers of the Quran themselves, are dishonored as well. How insane! Ignorance can be so humiliating! Should this not matter to Western leaders who care for the Bible and its actors?

2. Muslim immigrants to the West, those born therein, and those who converted are a religious minority. They should be afforded the same sensitivity as other minority groups in the West. Simply because the worldwide Muslim population is vast, the rights of Western Muslim minorities should not be abridged by summarily linking together the two entities. The latter entity’s political rights are enshrined within the governing system of the West. Thus restrictions on language and acts that cause emotional, physical, academic, professional, and political harassment and estrangement of Blacks, Native Americans, Hispanics, Jews, LGBTQ, and others should apply to such actions against Muslim minorities as well. Insulting, othering, and minimizing these minority groups is seen as racism, antisemitism, sexism, and homophobia, etc. Why is similar oppression of Muslim minorities (belittling them or symbols of their faith) undeserving of being addressed as Islamophobia?

3. Whenever protests originate in Muslim states, the profile of the problem for the West changes, taking a common strategic hue for all. Any toning down appears like a forced about-face and a surrender to a lower standard of governance of the colonies. So, year in year out, there is no meeting of sensible, fairness-oriented minds between both camps. An inoculation to this unnecessary reaction lies in arriving at a fact-based decision.

4. Let us now examine the expression “freedom of speech.” Those in authority allowing this act to go forward, under their protection, must first read the Quran2, the biography of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)3,4, and the Muslim view of Jesus (pbuh)5,6 in order to make a proper comparative analysis. It appears that long unchallenged misjudgments about the

Quran and the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) have vaccinated Western leaders, leading to their facile approach in this matter. It is a widely overlooked component of the political education of Western leaders. At the same time, an interview of the protestor must be taken to discover the reasons behind his protestation. In case his protestation is religious, in a secular system of government, requiring even-handedness among religious orders, a denial of permission and protection to burn the Quran or desecrate the Prophet (pbuh) in public space would be an obvious choice. Moreover, the protestation is wanton should the accusations being leveled at these Islamic symbols happen to be unfounded. If the reason for such an egregious act is political, then ‘the Protestor’ should clarify exactly how his act is politically justified. If it appears that he intends to get a reaction from the Muslims by disrespecting their religious beliefs, then he should not be allowed to go forward because the intention is to destroy social order and peace. It is simply an act of provocation. There are many laws in the book that either prevent or prosecute instigators of that type.

5. Nobody should be allowed to show up one fine day, then either out of fancy or being unable to do anything constructive against Islam and Muslims as a political statement resort to abusing the Quran or the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). So, his knowledge of Islam needs to be assessed. He should be asked what other things he has done to present his dislike for Islam, Muslims, the Prophet (pbuh), and the Quran. Once he has exhausted those means, only then, such an option can even be considered.

6. On Muslim-West relationship, a degree of introspection has to be brought to bear in the West! As the recent Dutch convert, Joram Van Klaveren, has indicated in an interview to TRTWorld, the West has become highly secularized and sanitized toward religious values and sensitivities. Consequently, it looks at expressions of such sentiments of sacredness as highly foreign, suspect, and unrelatable. Now, since Muslims appear to be at the forefront of worldwide religiosity and sense of holiness, they are bearing the brunt of Western disenchantment and disregard. Thus, even the most civic-minded of Western people struggle to be inclusive with regard to Muslims in such matters.

7. It is interesting that when an accuser rambles on with his charges against an individual, a situation or a system, he is dismissed as having a problem. It is like throwing in the kitchen sink to make one final argument! Succinctness is a skill of great virtue when criticizing anyone or anything. On the flip side, burning the Quran or disrespecting the Prophet (pbuh) is so succinct, so total and absolute that it too

8. Muslim view of the quality and purpose of freedom of speech is highlighted by the following quote from the Quran, “Do not insult those they call upon besides Allah, lest they insult Allah out of hostility and ignorance. We made attractive to every community their deeds…” (Quran 6:108). Further, the Prophet (pbuh) warned his companions not to curse their parents for it is a major sin. When the companions asked how that could happen, he told them not to insult the father of another man, causing him to retort by insulting their own fathers and mothers (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5973). Still it is worthwhile to share two points among many made by another critic of Western mindset: 1) With Free Speech being proposed to pursue truth - “gratuitous insult offers no truth” 2) Being able and free to insult is not an expression of individuality as claimed by Liberals because its ‘benefit’ can only be realized by violating the rights of other individuals.7 So, if one must curse, one must do so in seclusion, i.e., utterly privately. Clearly, Muslims understand the role and the limits of Freedom of Speech very well, wouldn’t you concur?

9. We also have the Quran saying, “Lakum deen-u-kum walya deen” – ‘to you, your religion; and to me, mine’ (Quran: 109:6). However, this type of abuse by a ‘protestor’ does not constitute practicing any type of religion! Thus Muslims are not ignorant of the religious rights of political opponents. When they oppose Islamophobic acts, they do not seek to deny the religious rights of the instigators.

10. If such acts are fear-driven, be assured that the Quran vigorously defends the right to be religiously contrary to Islam by saying: “La ikraha fideen” – ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ (Quran: 2:256). Humans are ‘Ashraful Makhluqat’ i.e., the most honored of creation, freedom of choice supersedes freedom of speech, invariably protecting faith. The spread of Islam much earlier in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and now all over the world once more contradicts the centuries-long flagrant Western propaganda that Islam was spread by the sword.

11. Recently, Sweden allowed a Danish politician, Rasmus Paludan, to burn a copy of the Quran in front of the Embassy of Türkiye! On what ground does a foreigner gain a greater

right to protection over Muslim minorities of Sweden? Almost three years ago, on March 15, 2019, an Australian named Brenton Tarrant, also a foreigner, gunned down fifty one Muslims in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. In the second case, it was an unannounced brutality. In the case of Sweden, the man was welcomed to spew his vile nature and impoverished knowledge and understanding! The least that can be done by Western countries is to prevent cross-border raids on its law-abiding, productive minority population groups. Sweden had a face-saving means to avert this circus. Irresponsibly, it failed to do so.

12. Now, one very startling and devastating probable justification for Islamophobia suggests that it is unlikely to go away any time soon because it serves as one of several elements of a strategic undertaking that is accepted with a nod and a wink by Western governments. Consequently, it not only goes essentially unchallenged by the media but it is also facilitated by their silence as well as by their widespread muzzling of alternative views even on commentary pages while the Muslims are accused of not speaking up. Following the Vietnam debacle, the USA decided to develop its ability to fight wars remotely, neutralize the media, and get the population behind it and keep it there, or at least acquiesce to its involvement. Thus, cruise missiles, JDAMs, drones, and stealth aircraft were developed. By reducing the number of boots on ground, exposure, injury, and death of soldiers could be minimized. The high rate of death and injuries was one of the factors that caused the United States government to lose support of the public. Next, having embedded journalists co-opted their freedom of movement and independence in newly unleashed wars in Muslim countries. Sitting knee-to-knee with colonels and generals stymied the zeal of journalists to report back the truth with passion, purpose, and independence. So, the US population could be kept in the dark. Finally, angst against Muslims, undervaluing them as a people, raising the specter that they commit heinous acts abroad, and within their own population especially toward women and minorities, etc. have caused western people to unquestioningly allow the United States government and its allies to repeat show cancerous wars in Muslim lands. Thus, as long as the United Cont. at Pg 7

flood warning for part of northwest B.C., other rivers rising as heat grips province

Wednesday, the River Forecast Centre said.

6 arrested after Richmond home invasion, RCMP say

A flood watch covered the Skeena region of northwestern British Columbia Tuesday as unseasonably warm temperatures swelled rivers in many areas of the province.

B.C.’s River Forecast Centre posted the warning for the Skeena and Bulkley rivers and their tributaries across Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan territories, as well as from Telkwa to Terrace. The rising waters prompted the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine to issue an evacuation order for most properties in the small settlements of Old Remo and New Remo on opposite sides of the Skeena river just west of Terrace. Flooding on the Skeena River could reach a 20-year high as early as

The ongoing hot weather is accelerating snowmelt across most of B.C., it said, estimating that the Bulkley River near Smithers could reach 10-year flow levels by Wednesday or Thursday. Several waterways in southern B.C. were also upgraded to a flood watch as the River Forecast Centre warned the Kettle and Granby rivers in the Boundary basin and the Slocan River near Crescent Valley would continue to rise through the weekend. Flood watches remained in effect for the Lower Thompson region of southern B.C., including Cache Creek, and the Deadman and Bonaparte rivers.

A section of the Bella Coola River on the central coast was also under a flood watch, while high streamflow advisories covered much of the rest of the province...

Source: theglobeandmail.com

Six people – including two minors – were arrested after what police believe was a targeted home invasion in Richmond late last week. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, May 12, according to a statement released by Richmond RCMP on Wednesday. The detachment said its officers were called to a home in the 10000 block of Blundell Road for reports of “multiple suspects allegedly forcing their way into the home and assaulting the occupants.”

The location is near the intersection of Blundell and No. 4 roads. Two occupants of the home, both men in their 20s, were taken to hospital for treatment, police said. They did not elaborate on the nature or severity of the men’s injuries. “The suspects fled in a light-coloured Honda sedan prior to police arrival,” Mounties said in their statement. They said Richmond RCMP frontline and

Gang Enforcement Team officers launched a “comprehensive search” for the suspects that also involved the RCMP’s Air 1 helicopter and the Vancouver Police Department. The six suspects were arrested in Vancouver, and several firearms and other weapons were recovered in the process, police said. “The suspects, all male, included four adults and two youths,” police said. “They hail from different cities in the Lower Mainland.” Investigators seized the sedan for forensic analysis, RCMP said, adding that they “strongly believe” the incident was targeted. Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

Pattullo Bridge to close in one direction for 5 days over May long weekend

The Pattullo Bridge will be closed for another long weekend, this time between 7 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Tuesday.

The busy bridge over the Fraser River will close to northbound traffic—travelling into New Westminster—for work on its ongoing replacement project. The bridge last closed over the Easter long weekend. This time around, work that had to be rescheduled due to an equipment error will be completed, which is replacing the Royal Avenue overpass bridge deck, TransLink explains in a news release.

In addition to the bridge closure, Royal Avenue will be closed between McBride Boulevard and the Royal Avenue on-ramp. People travelling south—into Surrey— should expect delays because the Bridge Connector on the New Westminster side will be closed and traffic will be diverted to the Columbia Street on-ramp, TransLink warns. The bridge will remain open for pedestrians, cyclists and first responders. During the closure, Pattullo Bridge users are encouraged to take the Port Mann or Alex Fraser bridges instead. The

N19 NightBus and 103 bus routes will detour over the Alex Fraser and Queensborough bridges between New Westminster and Scott Road stations. TransLink says bus riders should plan for up to 30 minutes of additional travel time.“We thank bridge users and neighbours for their patience during this work. When completed, the new bridge will provide important improvements – including wider lanes separated by a median barrier and separate walking and cycling lanes,” TransLink writes...Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

Elections and complications

AFTER a nail-biting race, the Turkish election appears to be headed towards a runoff poll, with neither candidate able to secure 50 per cent of the vote. The electoral rules in the presidential system were put in place by the then Turkish prime minister (subsequently president) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is one of the candidates. The run-off election will be held on May 28. Until then, the fate of Turkey hangs in the balance. The country, which has borne the brunt of a major catastrophe this year, will have to wait at least two more weeks before its future is known. At the end of the recent round, Erdogan had won 49.5pc of the vote while the opposition parties had won 44.89pc.

The Turkish election is just one among many tests for electoral institutions around the world. With the global economy in a state of flux, the seemingly unstoppable conflict between Russia and Ukraine, growing hazards of climate change and post Covid economic woes, a large part of the global population is confronting difficult choices at the ballot box. Even beyond the actual choices between parties and candidates, the very nature of democratic institutions appears to be in question.

For instance, in the US, where democracy once seemed unassailable, doubts regarding voting machines, the allegiances of electoral officials and corruption exposés involving supreme court judges are all suggesting major problems ahead.

This is because the legitimacy of elections relies on procedures and

rules of the voting exercise. When the voting public believes that the polls are fair, the people selected are seen as the legitimate and rightful rulers and lawmakers of a country.

If things are so dire in advanced democracies, the disarray in our neck of the woods is even messier.

One example of how elections can lose their legitimacy among significant swathes of the population was evident in the last US presidential elections. The fact that former president Donald Trump did not accept the election results and that he and his followers continue to believe that the election was ‘stolen’ from them translates to a crisis of legitimacy that will be difficult to resolve even when the next electoral cycle begins.

One small victory against the power of the losers who are attacking the legitimacy of the polls was witnessed recently when Dominion — the maker of voting machines

— sued the pro-Trump Fox News for saying that its poll equipment had rigged the 2020 elections by stealing Trump’s votes. Fox News agreed to pay nearly $8 million in reportedly the largest settlement in a public defamation case in the US.

The ruling in the civil trial agreed with Dominion that the news outlet’s claims were false. In making them, they were found to have defamed Dominion.

This does not mean that the legitimacy crisis in one of the most advanced democracies in the world has been resolved. Millions of Trump supporters in the US con-

tinue to believe that Trump was the real winner of the election. This belief is very likely to cause considerable upheaval when the next electoral cycle begins. Not only is there a risk that Trump supporters will disrupt the process, there is also a possibility that the nearcoup attempt that took place on Jan 6, 2021, will be renewed if Trump (who is likely to be the Republican nominee once again) loses a second time. Add to this the recent revelations of how a US supreme court justice allegedly manipulated his political connections, and you have a near-certain crisis ahead. If things are so dire in advanced democracies, the disarray in our neck of the woods is even messier and more complicated. Whenever an orderly transfer of power is replaced by something else, even when it is a no-confidence motion undertaken by parliament, the legitimacy of the system itself is brought into question. Add to this the successive appeals to and decisions taken by the Supreme Court and another dose of uncertainty is poured into the mix. In recent days, this uncertainty has been reflected in the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan by the government and then his release on the orders of the Supreme Court. Monday’s sit-in (now called off) by the PDM outside the Supreme Court further reflects the ongoing tension and the fact that various electoral actors are once again calling into question the legitimacy of whichever branch of government issues decisions or directives against their interests. This does not bode well for elec-

tions because it suggests that one or another party will be fighting against one or more institutions if the result at the ballot box does not produce the outcomes they would like. Democracy and its main components — elections and the separation of powers — is a delicate dance that depends on the steps being followed with as much exactitude as possible. If not, the steps begin to lose their sequence. If the Turkish context is instructive then Pakistanis must also consider how various competing parties are likely to transform the electoral system itself. Recep Erdogan after all has remained in power for as long as he has by subverting the rules, silencing and eliminating critics, cracking down on an independent media and eroding the separation of powers. Given all of this, one wonders if the Turkish opposition would have won if the health of Turkish democracy had not been engineered by Erdogan. As elections draw closer in Pakistan, the pitch of allegations and counter allegations will become louder and louder. Amid the cacophony, Pakistan’s voting public must assess which party or leader is most likely to respect the rules so that the legitimacy of the selection remains intact. A leader must thus possess not only a commitment to the welfare of the country and its people but also to maintain the sanctity of the system via which he or she is selected.

Courtesy by:Rafia Zakaria

The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.

G7 struggles with response to China ‘economic coercion’ threat

News Coninued from Page 1

European Union leaders will also be present.

China’s use of coercive economic moves has been an issue of growing concern in the Asia Pacific and Europe in recent years, with Japan, South Korea, Australia and Lithuania all facing trade restrictions following disputes with Beijing on is-

sues ranging from the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic to Taiwan. While the G7 is expected to release a statement that will express concern about China’s economic coercion and propose ways to work together on the issue, it is unclear how far Japan and European members may be willing to go with measures that could antagonise Beijing given their heavy reliance

on Chinese trade. Japan and the European Union both count China as their top trading partner. The United States, which has led global efforts to push back against Beijing, does the most trade with Canada and Mexico, with China ranking as its third-biggest partner. Sayuri Shirai, a professor of economics at Keio University in Tokyo, said Japan and Europe may

be more cautious than the US about actions that could disrupt trade relations with China.

“China’s GDP [gross domestic product] is going to exceed the US in the next decade and have a huge market … So having access to China’s market is important for advanced economies,” Shirai told Al Jazeera.

Source: .aljazeera.com/news

B.C. residents pack bags as wildfires rage

News Coninued from Page 1

“It kind of triggered the same memories,” Mr. Patterson said.

He said the initial panic from Monday calmed by Tuesday, as winds died down and skies became clearer. However, the city remains under evacuation alert.The evacuation

alert in Fort St. John was trigged by the Stoddart Creek wildfire, which is an estimated 23,500 hectares as of Tuesday and suspected to be human-caused.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 60 active fires in B.C., of which 15 are out of control. According to the Ministry of Emergency Manage-

ment and Climate Readiness, there were approximately 5,100 people across B.C. under an evacuation order as of Monday afternoon, and about 33,000 under an alert.

Communities near Fort St. John –Blueberry River First Nation, Doig River First Nation and Peace River Regional District – have issued

evacuation orders. The Peace River region has issued multiple alerts and orders because of other fires such as those in Boundry Lake, Cameron River, Donnie Creek and Red Creek.

Source: .theglobeandmail.com/

As Turkey heads to a presidential election run-off, what’s

News Coninued from Page 1

Meanwhile, there are some members of the opposition who are disappointed with Kilicdaroglu and consider him the wrong candidate

as he was not able to chip away the conservative votes, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said. As for the thirdplace candidate, Sinan Ogan, he did better than expected, becoming a potential “kingmaker” who could

play a pivotal role in the outcome of the second round if he endorses one of the two candidates facing off. Ogan has yet to make any such endorsement. Onur Erim, an analyst at Dragoman Strategies, told Al

next?

Jazeera that he will want ministries or vice presidencies in exchange for an endorsement.

Source: aljazeera.com/news

Civil, military leaders decide to observe May 9 as ‘Black Day’ nationally

News Coninued from Page 1

rioting and attacks on military installations for personal and political interests”. “The participants reiterated the resolve of not tolerating

any violation of the sanctity and honour of military installations and public property and being all elements involved in the black day of May 9 to justice,” the PMO state-

ment read. They also endorsed the top brass’ decision of booking cases under relevant laws — including military laws the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act —

against “miscreants, planners, instigators and facilitators” involved in these acts, the statement added.

Source: dawn.com/news

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Marking the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, federal lawmakers are drawing attention to an increase in hate and violence being directed at members of the LGBTQ2S+ community in Canada, while facing calls from advocates to act. In a series of statements noting the harsh reality many queer people face globally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, a few cabinet ministers and Conservative MPs also made note of the targeted violence and hate, particularly directed in recent months at members of the trans community and towards drag performers in this country.

Hate crimes against the LGBTQ2S+ community, particularly trans people, are on the rise, according to Canadians United Against Hate. In a statement issued Wednesday calling on governments to do more than pay “lip service” to the issue, the group pointed to the latest hate crimes report from Statistics Canada that noted a 64 per cent increase

in hate crimes targeting individuals over their sexual orientation.

LGBTQ2S+ advocacy group Momentum issued a call out on Wednesday, imploring the federal government to act on what they called a “staggering rise” in hate that the “federal government has failed to take decisive action.”..Source: ctvnews.ca/

distinguishes these individuals from ‘owneroperators’ is they do not own, lease or operate a vehicle. Instead they drive the carrier’s vehicles and are virtually indistinguishable from an ‘employee’” the CTA says.

Govt paves ‘Road to Makkah’ for haj, Umrah pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Riyadh signed an agreement on Wednesday to initiate the “Road to Makkah” project, aimed at simplifying the immigration process for Pakistanis travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj and Umrah. Under the agreement, intending pilgrims would be provided with immigration facilities in Pakistan and would be exempted from the process at Saudi airports. The service would initially be available at Islamabad International Airport, where around 26,000 pilgrims would benefit from the facility, the Prime Minister’s House (PMO) said. It will later be extended to Karachi and Lahore airports. The agreement was signed at the PMO by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Dr Nasir Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Dawood. Islamabad, Riyadh ink agreement to simplify immigration process

for Pakistanis going on pilgrimage

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Ambassador in Islamabad Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki witnessed the ceremony. Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Senator Talha Mahmood, Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi also attended...Source: dunyanews.tv/

imran’s plea against arrest in cases registered since May 9 referred to larger LhC bench

Several groups representing Canadian truckers are calling on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to help end what they call a “tax scam” impacting their industry, which has been going on for years, but has reached the “crisis” level. The groups said at a press conference Tuesday they want to see an end to the “Driver Inc.” model, which they call a “tax evasion and employee misclassification scam,” and “labour abuse funded by a tax scheme.” According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), the “Driver Inc.” model is when a trucking company tells its drivers to register as a corporation “to sell their driving services to the carrier.” “What

The organization says the practice allows carriers and drivers to avoid certain tax obligations. But because these drivers don’t get recognized as employees, this has the knockon effects on the industry of making it harder for drivers to access employment insurance, overtime and vacation pay, severance, sick days, and medical and dental benefits.

The group raising concerns — made up of Teamsters Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), and the Association du Camionnage du Québec (ACQ) — also estimates the practice allows carriers and truckers to avoid paying $1 billion a year in taxes.

“Put into its simplest form, Driver Inc. is a practice of misclassifying drivers of company owned equipment as independent contractors in order to sell their driving services back to that carrier,” explained John McCann,...Source: ctvnews.ca/politics

ence symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation.” At 7:41 a.m., the agency issued a special air quality statement because of the deteriorating conditions.

“Smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility,” ECCC wrote online. “Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations. Everyone can take action to reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke.”

Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday proposed to the chief justice that a larger bench should decide a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan against arrest in cases registered on or after May 9, when he was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, named the Punjab inspector general and the state through the Punjab advocate general as respondents. The plea called on the court to direct the Punjab inspector general to provide a fresh report regarding the registration of “undisclosed/new FIRs” in Lahore on or after May 9. It also prayed the court to give Imran “protection of law” and to bar the respondents from arresting the PTI chief in any new criminal case registered on or subsequent to May 9 without the court’s prior permission.

At the outset of the hearing today, Justice Shahid inquired about the PTI chief’s whereabouts. His lawyer, Barrister Salman

Safdar, informed the court that his client did not have protective bail. He said that if the court desired, his client could be presented after 11am. However, the government lawyer opposed this and said that Imran’s plea was inadmissible. He also remarked that the PTI chief was seeking protective bail without appearing before the court. Barrister Safdar responded by saying that his client was not seeking protective bail and asked for the case to be sent to a larger bench. The court subsequently reserved its verdict.

Source: aljazeera.com/news

Raeisi, Pakistan PM inaugurate Mand-Pishin border market

This is one of the six border markets which has been constructed along the Pak-Iran common border, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. The Mand-Pishin border sustenance marketplace will provide a thriving platform for increasing cross-border trade, fostering economic growth, and opening up new avenues of opportunity for local businesses. The two leaders also planted a sapling on the premises of the border market as a gesture to stride forward in the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Power Minister Khurram Dastagir, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, and senior officials of Pakistan and Iran were present. The

Foreign Office in a statement said, “The joint inauguration is a manifestation of the strong commitment of Pakistan and Iran to uplift the welfare of residents of the neighboring provinces of Balochistan and Sistan and Baluchestan, respectively.”Source:en.mehrnews.com

Winds have brought in a considerable amount of smoke to Calgary from area wildfires, pushing the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) to its maximum level and forcing Environment Canada to issue an air quality advisory on Tuesday. While Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) AQHI had the city’s “observed conditions” at only a three, or low risk, at 6 a.m., it increased that rating to its top rating of 10+ by 9 a.m. This means that anyone who is at risk should “avoid strenuous activities outdoors.” ”Children and the elderly should also avoid outdoor physical exertion,” the AQHI’s website reads. Other residents should also consider other precautions, it said. “Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experi-

ECCC also said in its advisory that if you have an HVAC system installed in your home, you should use the “highest rated MERV filter for your system.”

“(You should) set the fan to recirculate air constantly. You can also use a portable High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air cleaner. Keep your doors and windows closed if the temperature in your home is comfortable.” Anyone who needs to work outside should use a well-fitted respirator mask to “reduce your exposed to fine particles in smoke.”“These fine particles generally pose the greatest risk to health. However, respirators do not reduce exposure to the gases in wildfire smoke. It is important to listen to your body and reduce or stop activities if you are experiencing symptoms.”..

Source:/calgary.ctvnews.ca

PDM activists enter islamabad’s red zone

The workers of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) entered in Islamabad’s red zone despite imposition of Section 144 in the federal capital. According to the details, a large number of PDM workers entered the Islamabad’s red zone by foot as well as in Trucks and vehicles. The capital police failed to stop the PDM workers to enter the red zone. In recent development, the workers started to setup the stage for protest meanwhile, the PDM’s management committee meeting is underway to discuss and make strategy about the protest. Due to the protest the internet services and social media are likely to get suspended across the country. In a tweet, PTI leader Iftekhar Durrani stated that despite section 144 in place, the PDM protestors entered the Red Zone in Islamabad without facing any blockades, shelling or firing. He added that the it

is now evident that the imposition of section 144 was only to stop the peaceful protest of PTI. He said that this double standard of the law is tantamount to severely harming the writ of the state. The rallies of the coalition government parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on their way to participate in the protest.Source:nation.com.pk

Canadian trucking groups sound alarm over ‘tax scam,’ call on CRA to step in

Air quality in Calgary a ‘very high risk’ due to wildfire smoke

facing calls to act, Canadian lawmakers note ‘rising tide’ of hate and violence against LGBTQ2S+ community

First Nations flags raised in Stanley Park

In what the Vancouver Park Board describes as a “small but meaningful gesture” toward reconciliation, the flags of the (Musqueam), (Squamish), and(Tsleil-Waututh) Nations have been raised in Stanley Park.

Leaders from all three nations were present at a ceremony on traditional, unceded Coast Salish Territory Tuesday.

Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow took the opportunity to outline the violent, colonial history of the site. “I am a direct descendant of the last Indigenous residents of Stanley Park. The violent and destructive removal of my family from their home is part of our history. The city’s park board was instrumental in deeming us ‘squatters’ and burning our

ancestral villages to the ground,” he said in a statement. The park board’s website notes that villages on the land were occupied for “thousands of years” until the residents were evicted in the 20th century. Until 2017, the Canadian flag, the B.C. flag and the Union Jack flew at Brockton Point. The flagpoles were removed due to safety concerns, and new ones were installed in 2019. They remained empty while consultations were undertaken on replacing the flags. In 2020, it was recommended that the flags be replaced with those of the First Nations, and the flags were gifted to the park board. Plans to raise the flags in a ceremony were put on hold due to the pandemic and officially greenlit by the

park board last year. “Raising these flags encourages the broader community to learn more about our history, culture and traditions. We have always been here, and we will always be here,” Wilson Williams (Sxwíxwtn), a councillor of the Squamish Nation. said in a statement. Tuesday’s statement notes that the Stanley Park Intergovernmental Committee and Working Group – which includes the three First Nations’ elected and traditional leaders and representatives from the park board – is developing a 100-year “vision” for the space.“This is a step towards balancing the cultures and histories of Stanley Park, a place of great significance to the three Nations and a site of colonial harms,

and a signal to residents and visitors that this land is on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories,” said Rena Soutar, the park board’s manager of decolonization, arts and culture.

Source: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/

Surrey Council declares a school infrastructure ‘crisis’

Surrey, B.C. – Surrey Council has voted to declare the state of school infrastructure a crisis that is impacting the delivery of education that children need and deserve. During the Regular Council Meeting Monday, Council directed staff to organize a meeting between the City, Surrey School District, the Minister of Housing and Minister of Education and Child Care to “remediate this crisis situation immediately.”

“The state of school infrastructure in Surrey has reached a crisis level,” said Surrey Mayor

Brenda Locke. “The pressure to create more housing cannot be done in isolation. Core infrastructure such as schools must be built in lock step with new housing. It’s shocking to hear that by September 2024, we may have nearly 400 portables across our city. I know the Board of Education has continually advocated for funding from the Province, but we’re not seeing the action that our community so desperately needs. We know that without rapid investment, our schools are facing a dire situation. We need action and investment in building more schools in Surrey now.”

Surrey School District saw more than 2,200 new students enroll this past September, bringing the student population to over 78,0000. Based on population estimates, enrolment is projected to continue increasing at a rapid pace in almost every community. This is concerning as many of Surrey’s schools are already operating far over capacity as population growth continues to outpace available space. “We appreciate the support from the Mayor and Councillors in

advocating for our district,” said Gary Tymoschuk, Vice-Chair of the Surrey Board of Education. “We are all committed to ensuring that every student in our district has access to an engaging and quality learning environment in their neighborhood. Over the past several years, our school district has been facing a significant increase in student enrollment resulting in an urgent need for more classroom space. Portables are a shortterm solution to quickly accommodate our growing student population, but this is not a sustainable solution due to cost and space limitations. We need new schools and additions to existing sites to accommodate this rapid growth, and we look forward to working with the province and the city to address this growth.”

To manage growth, the district is utilizing portables however this temporary strategy comes with challenges, including finding outdoor space for the structures, as well as the significant budget pressure they present as the district must pay for the cost of purchasing and moving portables from its oper-

ating budget. The district is currently utilizing 361 portables (300 for enrolling classes) and will be moving over 56 this summer to accommodate growth in various areas throughout the city for a cost of over $7.2 million. The district will also be purchasing 30 additional portables for the next school year.

This is money that the district could utilize in other ways that can help support the students in Surrey to thrive. Last summer, the district submitted its annual capital submission to the Ministry of Education and Child Care outlining additional projects that are a priority to address capacity needs. This spring, the district received approval on two additions, creating 700 new seats but this is far less than what is needed. Last week, the School District approved its the 2024/25 capital plan submission to the Province. This will be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Childcare in the coming weeks.

From: Amy Jugpal Communications & Media Relations Lead Office of the Mayor

On freedom of Speech and Rights of the Muslim Minority in Western Democracies

States and its allies continue to hound Muslim countries, Islamophobia and its symptoms will remain.

13. In recent decades, the western powers have played a significant role in harming Muslim countries. For example, they have instigated horrifying, one-sided, unpro-

voked wars. They have placed embargoes and staged coups. Lies have been told to justify wars against Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and other places. These wars have led to millions of deaths, injuries, and PTSD. Muslims are aware of the atrocities of Abu Ghraib, Fallujah, the brutal ‘Three Mile’ Highway of Death, and the

experimental Muslim internment camp in Guantanamo Bay. In addition, the constant harassment, confiscation and killing of Palestinians, the unreported use of hundreds of tons of spent nuclear fuel rod-bombs, and the gradual but sure constriction of Türkiye. After all of these harassments, neither the Bible nor the personality of Jesus (pbuh) has been once sullied by ‘terroristic, close-

minded, heavy-handed, usurper’ Muslims. This must mean something to those in the West who consider themselves to be free, fair and intelligent. Time has come for the West to rise up to the standard of the oft despised Muslims.

Source: islamicity.org

Allhumdulilla The Miracle Media is proud that the Miracle is the only one in the BC Muslim Print Media market which is non-stop a bi-weekly publication during the Pandemic 2019-2022 and after the Covid crisis till this day. Its availability at Website. miraclenews.com, Facebook (the Miracle Newspaper), Twitter, (https://twitter.com/Miraclenews1), and at two other digital printing service providers, “Press Reader” at https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-miracle/latest and “Magzter “ at https://www.magzter.com/CA/ Miracle-Media-Group-Inc in all over the world.

Cont.

What to expect as the US continues with debt ceiling negotiations

spending limits and avoid default. McCarthy has said that he will not do so without an agreement to cut spending on social programmes. The result has been a standoff in which little progress has been made, even as experts have warned that a default could have calamitous effects on the US economy.

“Every single day that Congress does not act, we are experiencing increased economic costs that could slow down the US economy,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday. “There is no time to waste.”

Women speak out online about reports of sexual violence in Sudan

Republican lawmakers continue to insist on cuts to social programmes as US debt default looms on the horizon. Tensions are mounting as the deadline for the US to raise its spending limits and avoid a potentially disastrous default looms on the horizon.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is meeting US President Joe Biden on Tuesday to discuss potential pathways forward. The United States Department of the Treasury has warned that it could run out of funds to cover the country’s bills as early as June 1. In US politics, it falls to Congress to raise

President Biden is scheduled to depart on Wednesday for a trip overseas to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan. But officials confirmed on Tuesday that he would return over the weekend, nixing previous plans to make stops in Australia and Papua New Guinea in order to resume debt ceiling negotiations in the US.

Here are some of the details about who is involved in the debt ceiling negotiations, what can be expected in the days ahead, and what would it mean for the US to default on its debt... Source: aljazeera.com/news

is india projecting ‘normalcy’ in Kashmir by holding G20 meeting?

Analysts say New Delhi is holding event in the disputed region to claim that its 2019 scrapping of partial autonomy brought peace and development. India is set to host a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Indian-administered Kashmir, with residents and experts saying the controversial event is aimed at projecting “normalcy” in the disputed region. The third G20 working group meeting on tourism will be held in the region from May 22 to 24 – the first global event there since August 5, 2019 when India’s right-wing government scrapped the special status of the country’s only Muslim-majority region.

In the years since New Delhi brought Indian-administered Kashmir under its direct control, the government has pushed a series of laws and policies that Kashmiris in the valley say are aimed at undermining their struggle for the right to selfdetermination of their future. India is currently the president of the G20, an intergovernmental bloc comprised of 19 countries and the European Union. The group accounts for 80 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Putting a lid on our miseries’

India claims the G20 event will boost the region’s tourism industry as it plans to take the delegates for a tour of the picturesque Himalayan valley.

Acting

Srinagar, the region’s main city with 1.4 million residents, is getting a facelift for the event. Roads leading to the airport have been given a coat of tar and paint. Lampposts along the streets have been illuminated in orange, white, and green, the colours of India’s national flag.

The security bunkers dotting the city have been painted in blue while the concertina wires that were seen all over one of the world’s most militarised regions have been removed in many places. The tricolour national flags have also been installed across the city. Schools, colleges and other government buildings have been painted with a G20 logo, in which India has added a lotus, the election symbol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Source: globalnews.ca/

He said police carried out their investigations independently and the DPP’s office only dealt with the prosecutions aspect of the case, unlike the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), which had its own investigative team inhouse. Mr Toganivalu added that the office also handled corruption related cases, but those usually went through the normal court process.

Women have taken to social media to call out, and warn others about reported rapes being perpetrated by soldiers. Multiple reports of rape perpetrated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have emerged across Sudan as activists and medical professionals take to social media to warn others and provide a critical support network for survivors and women at risk of sexual violence. Graphic details have been shared online as organisations and individuals grapple with internet connectivity issues to paint a disturbing picture of increasingly indiscriminate attacks on women as the war enters its fifth week.

The reports have been difficult to independently verify, but they suggested a broad pat-

tern of behaviour in which women are being routinely targeted, in some cases in front of family members, and subjected to brutal acts of sexual violence. According to Al Jazeera’s sources, who wish to remain anonymous, foreign women were initially targeted, but attacks on Sudanese women are now widespread. Source: aljazeera.com/news

israel and islamic Jihad agree Gaza truce after 5 days of fight: Palestinian officials

Israel and Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza have agreed on a truce that will go into effect at 10pm (1900 GMT), Palestinian officials said, signalling an end to the worst episode of crossborder fire since a 10-day war in 2021. Egypt, which brokered the ceasefire, called on all sides to adhere to the agreement, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News television channel reported. “In the light of the agreement of the Palestinian and the Israeli side, Egypt announces a ceasefire between the Palestinian and the Israeli side has been reached,” a text of the agreement seen by Reuters read, and added the truce would begin at 10pm. “The two sides will abide by the ceasefire which will include an end to targeting civilians, house demolition, an end to targeting individuals immediately when the ceasefire goes into effect,” it said. There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli officials. Even as the truce was being finalised, the two sides kept up firing, with warning sirens sounding in southern Israel and Israel’s military announcing it had hit six operational

command posts of Islamic Jihad. Israel launched the latest round of airstrikes in the early hours of Tuesday, announcing that it was targeting Islamic Jihad commanders who had planned attacks in Israel. In response, the Iranian-backed group fired rockets, sending one and a half million Israelis into air raid shelters. During the five days of the campaign, Israel killed six senior Islamic Jihad commanders and destroyed a number of military installations but the airstrikes also killed at least 10 civilians, including women and children. Source: DAWN.com

Somalia: One year of Somali President hassan Sheikh’s failure

government officials to do the same.

“I have not been directed by anyone to speed up or take any cases.” Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) David Toganivalu said this while responding to claims by former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former attorney-general Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum that their current prosecution was a witch hunt. Mr Toganivalu said the Office of the DPP did not “pick and choose cases” that came to the office.

“We just receive matters that are referred to us from Fiji Police Force, especially from the Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID),” he said.

He stressed that he had not been directed nor instructed by anyone to speed up any cases. “I have not been directed by anyone to speed or take any cases. I just walk in the door and take up the cases that are put on my table.” The Acting DPP said his appearance in court during the hearing for the former prime minister and attorney-general was out of respect.

“They are the former leaders of the previous government, they had high-level representation and we also need to show them some respect and appear for the office on their matter.” Source: fijitimes.com

One year ago the Somali corrupted legislature made history by re-electing shady President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud for a second term, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s political landscape. Despite the challenges and polarization surrounding the recent election shady President secured another term in office, becoming the first person in the country’s history to achieve such a feat. Somalia President’s first anniversary as the Commander-in-Chief and the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, focusing on employing his family, wife, daughter, sons, brothers, nephews, nieces, employing one’s own kids and close relatives and encouraged

Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud before he become president for the first time was a teacher and one of his wives used to sell petrol Km4 on the road in Mogadishu. Now Hassan and his family own properties in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Turkey, UAE and the EU. Hassan and his family are now multimillionaires according to sources Somali officials told Somali Times Hassan Sheikh’s net worth is over 500 million US dollars. It’s noteworthy to mention that Hassan Sheikh’s campaign slogan was, ‘Somalia in harmony and living in harmony with the world.’ This highlights Hassan’s approach to governance and his ambition to establish a Somalia that is not isolated from the world but rather open to investment and security cooperation. Strong institutions will protect foreign investors, and Somalis can live in peace with their neighbors and the world. However, this does not mean the absence of conflict, conflicting priorities, or taking a stand against any domestic and international aggression... Source:somalitimes.co.uk

fiJi:

DPP rebuts claim | We don’t ‘pick and choose cases’

Growing investments in digital twin technologies are introducing a new generation of intelligence with opportunities to benefit clinicians, healthcare organizations, and patients.

COVID-19 underscored the healthcare sector’s need for holistic design planning capabilities to foresee the upstream and downstream impacts of a complex system that interacts with the entire community. From being able to predict a health system’s infrastructure, staffing, and equipment needs in an emergency, to more structured processes, and designing superior health facilities with the right resources, it is essential for healthcare organizations to use data to visualize the systemic impacts of emergency scenarios. As the industry grapples with volatility and uncertainty in the form of complex capacity, demand, and workforce challenges, digital twins are introducing new ways to manage and innovate operations, move away from manual processes, and embrace the powers of AI and machine learning to catapult healthcare into a new era.

The Era of Digital Twins in Healthcare

The future of healthcare will be focused on managing industry complexities—and it is here that digital twins can advance operations from good to great. Digital twins are highly complex models that use AI alongside large amounts of data to accurately mimic a real-world object. For example, they can gather data from wearable devices, patient records, pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, and other healthcare departments. That data can then be manipulated to allow clinicians and healthcare pro-

viders to easily test potential interventions in real-life situations. Growing investments in digital twin technologies are introducing intelligent opportunities to benefit clinicians, healthcare organizations, and patients. The future is not simply one digital twin per organization, but rather a massive network of digital twins connecting to create virtual models of facilities, supply chains, medical products, and even body parts and organs. Providers will be able to create digital twins at different levels of sophistication to match their use cases.

Soon digital twin technologies will be critical to every healthcare enterprise’s clinical and operational strategy. By transforming existing data into interactive digital twin models that test costly interventions or plans in digital environments, healthcare providers can deploy the most efficient and costeffective strategies at scale in the real world. Industry leaders are preparing for this by identifying use cases and building the infrastructure needed to successfully develop and deploy them—and gain a return on their investment.

Digital Twin Use Cases in Hospitals

Superior Management of Hospital Resources and Operations

What if you didn’t have to guess how a scenario would affect your hospital’s bed capacity? In a postpandemic era, hospitals across the nation are reeling with extremely challenging bed-capacity issues and lengths of stays that are exceeding payer expectations, compounded by staffing shortages and razor-thin financial margins. The topic of “patient throughput management” is almost nightmarish

how Providers Can

for administrators, executives, and caregivers alike. Virtually every hospital in the country has a priority initiative to manage throughput, including by implementing hospital-at-home strategies. However, a hospital is a complex and dynamic environment. A lot can change from day-to-day and hour-to-hour. The patient population can swing, staffing availability could change, there could be a sudden influx of patients in the emergency department (ED), or a breakdown in the internal infrastructure could hold up vital testing and critical procedures. Imagine then, having a “digital twin” of the hospital. Before any of these issues occur, imagine the possibilities if hospitals could simulate the “what-if” situations that enable good decisions if a scenario were to play out. This might include predicting the success of potential interventions to address challenges like increasing bed capacity, an influx of a certain type of patient population (mass casualty, local disease, etc.), managing emergencies during shutdowns, offering virtual and home care, or initiating “code purple” protocols. With the use of digital twins, healthcare organizations can also forecast what they will need in any scenario, including staffing, resources, and infrastructure. This will allow hospitals to place patients more effectively in the right settings, create new opportunities for optimizing patient flow, and eventually automate their operational processes. A future possibility could include adding machinelearning algorithms to analyze the data collected and make predictions for better business decisions.

Improving Utilization in Operating Rooms and Surgery Centers

The operating room (OR) department is at the intersection of several value streams. When synchronized, it functions like a “well-oiled machine,” with its peak utilization exceeding 80% of the available capacity. However, it is incredibly difficult to achieve this level of synchronization without advanced pro-

Use

Digital Twins in healthcare

cess capabilities, monitoring, and a constant study of optimization. OR departments with 10, 20, or even 30-plus rooms are complex ecosystems. They are cleaned and prepped within 30 minutes between surgical cases; and patient care for various services, including cardiology, orthopedics, etc., can require complex systems and equipment that aren’t always available for every room. Then there is the supply chain in the form of “carts” that bring in specifically sourced supplies and other equipment customized for the surgeon, the patient, and the type of procedure. All these things happen in rooms and behind closed doors with limited visibility.

If a digital twin monitored these complexities to continuously identify areas of breakdown or opportunities for optimization it would act like a virtual “air traffic controller” assisting OR leadership. After decades of managing the OR with manual processes, this could be the solution to achieving 80% utilization.

Twinning the Emergency Department

The ED can be described as the most vital organ for any hospital, where most hospitals see 80% or more of their admissions. A typical hospital-based ED sees more than 100 patients daily and is staffed with skilled clinicians, equipment, resources, and protocols to handle any and every possible scenario. Today, many intra-city EDs are constantly at overflow capacity, occasionally on divert (sending the non-critical patient population to another ED), boarding (admitted) patients who are “stuck,” and facing significant staffing issues. Imagine the possibilities a digital twin presents, in identifying blockages to patient flow, running “what-if” scenarios of where patient care could be transferred or temporarily lodged to alleviate the situation. The digital twin would allow testing of various scenarios before moving critically ill patients.

Healthcare Leaders are Getting

Ready

These three digital twins use cases are the most common operational scenarios in a hospital. However, the applications are endless. There are plenty of individual functions and departments that could benefit from having an active digital twin, including outpatient functions, such as lab work, imaging, and interventional services and clinics. In another frontier yet to be crossed, digital twins could also be applied to studying what-if scenarios in care and clinical pathways to optimize a patient’s care while benefitting the bottom line. By combining views of patient data scattered across various medical applications, physicians and specialists could build digital twins to predict the outcomes of their care decisions. For example, providers could create a real-time medical dashboard providing patient-specific information to predict and improve clinical decision-making at the point of care. Providers could also test changes to operational activities on patient outcomes, such as care delivery programs, staffing allocation, appointment scheduling, bed facilities, and other decisions that affect a healthcare organization’s top and bottom lines. The benefits of digital twins for healthcare providers can be summarized as:

Enhanced decision-making and operations capabilities.

Testing interventions before costly infrastructural implementations. Minimized risk associated with changing a complex system. Identifying flow and blockages. Preparing for unusual catastrophic events.

Successfully leveraging digital twin technology often requires an experienced partner who understands the important role it can play in the future of healthcare. Through Discover, Guidehouse’s Innovation platform, we can experiment with digital twins and demonstrate the technology’s most creative potential for almost any sector or use case.

By Dr. Rod Fontecilla and Shashank Khandekar Source: guidehouse.com/insights

Allah Tested Me With Basketball |

The first hijabi Basketball Player

GILGIT: Two Pakistani women climbers stunned the mountaineering fraternity, and brought glory to their country, on Tuesday by scaling Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak at 8,516 metres in Nepal.

The feat by Naila Kiani and Nadia Azad comes on the heels of another achievement by them just two days ago when they summited Mount Everest, the highest peak. They are the first two Pakistani women climbers to have scaled the peak. In addition, Naila Kiani had earlier climbed

Nepal’s Annapurna peak this season. Her ascent of Mount Everest was the first by a non-Nepalese climber this season.

According to Karrar Haideri, general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Ms Kiani has now become the first Pakistani woman to climb Lhotse as well as the country’s first woman to ascend six out of the 14 eightthousanders — peaks that are 8,000 metres above sea level. According to Imagine Nepal, Naila Kiani and Pasang Temba Sherpa, her Nepalese companion, completed the ascent

Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir is an American former collegiate basketball player. She was notable for playing basketball while wearing a hijab, a headscarf for Muslim women. Bilqis scored 3,070 points in her high school career, setting the all-time scoring record in Massachusetts. Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir broke records and barriers on her way to becoming the first Division I basketball player to play wearing hijab. When a controversial ruling ends her chances at playing professionally, she re-examines her faith and identity as an AfricanAmerican Muslim. Source: islamicity.org

of Lhotse at 8.13am local time on Tuesday.

Naila has already climbed K2, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II, all in Pakistan, before her recent achievements. A banker by profession, she lives in Dubai and is a mother to two daughters. She is an amateur boxer as well. Mingma G, a reputed climber from Nepal and the head of Imagine Nepal, congratulated Naila over the achievement. Yet another Pakistani feat

Meanwhile, Nadia Azad, a British citizen of Pakistan origin, also ascended Lhotse on Tuesday. She, too, had summited Mount Everest on Sunday.

Nadia has already ascended three peaks over 8,000 metres this season. The third peak conquered by her is Annapurna, on April 15. Nadia Azad intends to climb all five of Pakistan’s over 8,000-metre peaks this season. Source: dawn.com.news

Two Pakistani women scale Lhotse

federal government

Earlier today, the federal government introduced legislation to reform Canada’s bail system to make it harder for repeat violent offenders to get bail. The federal legislation follows months of advocacy from Premier David Eby and the BC NDP government. While advocating for federal reform, the BC government not only directed provincial prosecutors to seek detention for repeat violent offenders but also established public safety hubs of police, dedicated prosecutors and probation officers focused on tackling repeat violent of-

responds

to

Premier

eby’s push for bail reform

fending in every region of the province. Today, during the press conference detailing the new legislation, Federal Justice Minister David Lametti credited B.C.’s leadership on the file: “Since the month of October we have been working with the provinces. It was first raised at a Federal Territorial Provincial meeting by the British Columbia government, an NDP government. We have worked since that time on a technical level with all governments across Canada of every political stripe.” “British Columbia,

a leader in this regard… has introduced a revised bail policy that directs crown prosecutors to seek detention in cases involving repeat violent offenders.”

Media contact: Emily Della Mattia

New directive requires CSiS to tell MPs, public safety minister about foreign threats

foreign threats against parliamentarians, their families, their staff members or Parliament itself. Mendicino has instructed the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to give such threats the highest level of attention in a new ministerial directive.

OTTAWA - Public Safety Minister Marco

Mendicino has formally directed Canada’s spy agency to investigate and disclose any

He says CSIS needs to ensure that members of Parliament are informed of threats against them, whenever that is legally possible, and inform police or law enforcement when needed. The newly unclassified document says CSIS must also tell the public safety minister about all instances of threats against Parliament or parliamentarians and explain how it will respond.

The measures come in response to growing concerns about China’s alleged attempts to meddle in the last two federal elections, and accusations that Beijing has tried to intimidate members of Parliament and their families. Conservative MP Michael Chong is set to testify this evening at the House of Commons procedure committee about a CSIS report that alleges a Chinese diplomat tried to intimidate him over his stance on China’s human-rights record.

Chong has said in the House of Commons that Jody Thomas, the prime minister’s national security adviser, told him the 2021 CSIS report was sent to the Privy Council

NDP MP wants ‘democratic controls’ on the prime minister’s powers

A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill “democratic controls” on the prime minister’s “unfettered” powers. Manitoba NDP MP Daniel Blaikie has presented a motion seeking to change the rules known as ‘Standing Orders’ to clarify what can be declared a confidence vote, and empower MPs to have authority as to whether the government of the day has the confidence of the House.

The motion also would have the effect of making it harder for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all of his successors to misuse prorogation and dissolution as political tools to reset or swerve accountability.

“The prime minister enjoys a lot of power in the Canadian system of government, but perhaps one of the most important powers that the prime minister has is the ability to dissolve or prorogue Parliament at will,” Blaikie told reporters during a press conference on Parliament Hill Monday. ”What

that means is the prime minister can call an election at any time that he wants. And, at any point if he’s not happy with what’s going on in Parliament, he can he can tear up all that work, stop Parliament with a prorogation … This is something that I don’t think makes a lot of sense … because Parliament is the body that’s supposed to hold the government to account.” The motion—revisiting an initiative the NDP’s democratic reform critic tried to pass in the last Parliament—received its first hour of debate on Friday, and Blaikie

Office and to relevant government departments. Chong was not aware of the assessment until it was reported on by the Globe and Mail. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other ministers have maintained they only learned about the threats against Chong and other unnamed MPs from the same media report. Trudeau has said for weeks that CSIS will be required to inform individual MPs about threats against them going forward. In a written statement Tuesday, Mendicino said he has issued the new instructions to the spy agency in an effort to be as open and transparent as possible.

Source: ctvnews.ca/politics

said he’s hopeful the second hour of debate and coinciding vote will be scheduled before the summer break in late June, otherwise it would be pushed to early in the fall.

Source: ctvnews.ca/politics

Annual inflation rate edged up in April, raises chances of higher interest rates

at 4.5 per cent, but its governing council considered raising rates last month before deciding to remain on pause. The bank’s next interest rate decision is set for June 7, ahead of the May jobs report from Statistics Canada on June 9.

OTTAWA - The annual pace of inflation rose in April for the first time since it peaked in June last year, a move some economists say will test the Bank of Canada’s decision to pause hiking interest rates if the economy does not cool as expected later this year. Statistics Canada said Tuesday its consumer price index was up 4.4 per cent compared with a year ago, up from a year-over-year increase of 4.3 per cent in March.

It was the first tick higher in the annual rate since it peaked at 8.1 per cent in June 2022.

Tuan Nguyen, an economist with accounting and consultancy RSM Canada, said the April inflation reading came in much hotter than expected, putting more pressure on the Bank of Canada to reassess its rate pause strategy.

“Our base case remains that the Bank of Canada will continue to pause at the June meeting, but of course the probability of a rate hike is increasing,” he said. Nguyen said he expects a change in the Bank of Canada’s tone in its rate decision next month and added that he thinks rate cuts later this year are off the table, based on the latest inflation report.

The Bank of Canada has forecast that the annual inflation rate will come down to about three per cent in the coming months, but suggested that a return to its target of two per cent will take longer.

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem has said that if the central bank starts to see signs that inflation is likely to get stuck materially above its two per cent target it is prepared to raise rates further.

The central bank’s key interest rate has been on hold

Leslie Preston, managing director and senior economist at TD Bank, wrote in a report that cooler inflation for demand-sensitive services inflation, or “supercore,” was the most encouraging development of the inflation report, even though it was somewhat offset by hotter inflation for goods.

Preston wrote that this reinforces the challenge Macklem has talked about in bringing inflation all the way back to the central bank’s two per cent target. “This suggests that the BoC needs to remain vigilant to inflation pressures, and may need to hike again if momentum in the domestic economy does not cool as expected,” Preston wrote.

Statistics Canada said the increase in inflation for April was driven by higher mortgage interest costs which were up 28.5 % compared with a year ago as new homebuyers and those renewing mortgages faced higher interest rates. A 6.1 per cent increase in rent prices also helped push the overall rate up. Grocery prices, which have been closely watched, were up 9.1 per cent compared with a year ago, but that increase was smaller than the 9.7 per cent yearover-year jump in March. Prices for fresh vegetables in April were up 8.8 per cent on a year-overyear basis compared with a 10.8 per cent gain in March, while coffee and tea prices increased 6.4 per cent year-over-year compared with 11.1% in March.

Gasoline prices in April were down 7.7 % compared with a year earlier when prices were higher due in part to Russia’s of Ukraine. However, gasoline prices in April rose 6.3% compared with March, the largest monthly increase since October 2022. Despite the increase in the overall annual rate of inflation, the average of the three core measures of inflation that are tracked by the Bank of Canada came in at 4.70 per cent for April, down from 4.97 per cent in March. Source: ctvnews.ca/business

L OCAL eve NTS

The Pakistani community of vancouver, deeply grieved over the illegal arrest of imran Khan

On May 10, The Pakistani community of Vancouver, Canada is deeply grieved over the illegal and illegal arrest of Imran Khan and his reckless treatment. The protest was against this action on streets of 72 Ave x Scott

Road, Surrey. The local PTI leaders addressed the public and explained what is going on in Pakistan against PTI’s top leadership and Imran Khan, the martyrdom of about one hundred Pakistanis by the Pakistani Army and Rangers

is also a unique event. The army has the responsibility to protect us, Army is the one who has raised us and is ready to kill us now. The community showed its unity with Khan.

PTi’s team had a meeting with The hon. Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secr. to the Min. of foreign Affairs

On May 14, the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) team of British Columbia had a crucial meeting with The Honourable Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the presence of Member of Parliament from Surrey, Honourable Randeep Sarai, and community leader Bilal Cheema and Saif Pannu were also present. We discussed the alarming decline in the human rights situation in Pakistan. The establishment and PDM’s brutal use of force have led to abductions, arrests, injuries, and even killings of political workers and journalists. Human rights violations are on the rise, and the civil society is deeply concerned. We urged Mr. Oliphant to

convey our concerns to the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, emphasizing the serious threat this poses to the 220 million people in Pakistan. Any further unrest could trigger a mass exodus of oppressed individuals seeking refuge in Canada and other Western countries. It’s crucial to address this issue promptly to safeguard the rights and well-being of the Pakistani population.”

It was mentioned that the killing of Ali Bilal, and Arshad Shareef and the assassination attempt of former Prime Minister Imran Khan are not being investigated properly and thousands of political workers are arrested. A crackdown on social media activists is also harassing people overseas.

Kindness Chain Chilliwack Association participated in operation cleanup downtown Chilliwack

KCCA would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who participated in today’s downtown cleanup event. Your selfless contribution of time and energy has made a significant impact on our environment, and your efforts will not go unnoticed. Together, we were able to clean up litter and debris, beautify our community, and spread an im-

portant message about the importance of environmental sustainability. It is thanks to volunteers like you that we are able to make a tangible difference in our community and create a cleaner, greener world for future generations.

Thank you once again for your incredible support and for being a part of this meaningful initiative. Remember, we are not only cleaning up our streets

but also spreading a messageKeep our planet clean and green!

Streets covered today - Yale Rd (North and south of meeting point), Cheam Ave, Hodgins Ave, and Mary St. Special thank you to the City of Chilliwack, Downtown Chilliwack, and wonderful volunteers from Annis Community housing at PCRS. Lee Phillipson who made this event a success. Courtesy By: KCCA, FB

BBQ event for the BC Muslims Sports Association (BCMSA) for Muslim Ball hockey Team

It was a hot day but as I mentioned, working with well-organized and dedicated people was a great working experience, Alhamdulillah 500 lunchbox tickets were sold, and participating from the Fiji community

was terrific, thanks Brother

Rubbeen Mohammad for engaging our youth in sports activities thanks all other Volunteers: you guys were dedicated Shaban

Courtesy By: Nayyar Sohail, FB

On May 13, I participated with Amazing people of the community in a fundraising BBQ event for the BCMSA BC Muslims Sports Association for Muslim ball hockey team.

Shaban Khan

Khan, Rubeen Mohammed ,

Shaheed Sahib, Nasim Mohammed, Zarif Khan, Zaid Khan, Zubair Khan, Imteaz Asim, and Shakeel Ghalen. Jazak’Allah brothers ,,, .

Courtesy By: Sajid Hameed, FB

PTI team consisted of Wasim Afzal, Rehan Awan Dr. Babra Rana, Ali Hamza Bhutta, and Dr. Muzaffar Sayed. The meeting was conducted by Nayyar Sohail General Secretary of PTI-BC. Courtesy By: Nayyar Sohail,FB

71% of those who died were aged 3059, 77% were male; 197 lives lost to drug toxicity in March alone.

Almost 600 people in British Columbia died in the first three months of 2023 because of the toxic drug supply, according to preliminary data released by the B.C. Coroners Service on Tuesday. The toll of 596 deaths is the second highest number recorded for January to February

since a public health emergency was declared in 2016 due to the crisis. The same period last year saw 599 deaths.

The latest figures released by the coroners’ service show illicit toxic drugs claimed 177 lives in February and 197 in March.

“This is a crisis of incomprehensible scale, and I extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has experienced the loss of someone they loved,” said chief coroner Lisa Lapointe in a statement Tuesday.

Of those who died, 71 per cent were between the ages of 30 and 59, and 77 per cent were male — statistics that are similar to previous months.Drug toxicity continues to be the leading cause of unnatural death in B.C., the coroners’ service says, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, motor vehicle incidents, drownings and fire-related deaths combined. It means that at least 11,807 deaths have been caused by toxic drugs since the public health emergency was declared seven years ago. “The toxic drug crisis continues to devastate families

and communities throughout the province, and I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything possible to turn the tide and end this public health emergency,” said Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside in a statement.

Whiteside reiterated that the province’s 2023 budget includes more than $1 billion to improve mental health and addictions services, including new treatment and recovery beds.

Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria are the areas experiencing the highest number of drug toxicity deaths, according to the latest data. The highest rates of death in 2023 so far have been in the Northern Health region, at 60 deaths per 100,000 individuals, and in the Vancouver Coastal Health area (59 per 100,000). No additional deaths were recorded at overdose prevention sites in February and March. Only two instances have previously been reported — one in 2022 and one in January this year.

Source: cbc.ca/newsc

Big Bang from islamic Perspective

By: Zaghlool El-Naggar

In the Holy Quran we read: “Haven’t the unbelievers seen that the heavens and the earth were joined together (in one singularity), then we clove both of them asunder.” (Surat Al-Anbiya’ 21:30). This verse reflects the unity of creation as a dominating factor in the orderly form of the universe throughout its evolutionary history from one stage to another. However, long before discovering the established phenomenon of the red shift, and its logical consequence of describing our universe as an expanding one, scientists used Einstein’s theory of general relativity to extrapolate back in time and came to the striking conclusion that the universe had actually emerged from a single, unbelievably small, dense, hot region

(the Hot Big Bang Model of the universe). Formation of the Universe

George Gamow formally proposed the model in 1948, after a lengthy discussion on other models of the universe by a number of scientists (e.g. Albert Einstein, 1917; William de Sitter, 1917; Alexander Friedmann, 1922; George Lemaiyre, 1927, etc.). Lemaitre is credited for introducing the idea of the “primeval atom”, where galaxies originated as fragments ejected by the explosion of this atom. In 1948, George Gamow modified Lemaitre’s hypothesis into the “Big Bang theory” of the origin of the universe. In this theory, Gamow proposed that the universe was created in a gigantic explosion, whereby the various elements observed today were produced within the first few minutes after the Big Bang, as the extremely high temperature and density of the universe would fuse subatomic particles into the chemical elements. More recent calculations indicate that hydrogen and helium were the primary products of the Big Bang, with heavier elements being produced later within stars.The extremely high density within the “primeval atom” would cause the universe to expand rapidly.As it expanded, the smoky cloud of hydrogen and helium thus formed would cool and condense into nebulae stars, galaxies, clusters, super clusters, black holes, etc. This explains the original singularity of the universe; its explosion to a huge cloud of smoke from which the different heavenly bodies were formed by separation into eddies of various masses followed by condensation. The condensed bodies were arranged into stellar systems, clusters, galaxies, supergalaxies, etc., and the formed galaxies started to drift away from each other, causing the steady expansion of the universe. The Glorious Quran describes these three

successive stages in the verses (21: 30), (41: 11) and (21: 104). The first and the third of these verses are discussed above, while the second reads: “Then He (Allah) turned to the sky while it was smoke, and ordered it the earth to come into being willingly or unwillingly, they answered: we do come in willing obedience* ” (Surat Fussilat 41:11).

Big Bang Evidence Cosmos

As the universe expanded, the residual radiation (radiant heat) from the big bang continued to spread outwardly and to cool down gradually until about the 3K (= – 270°C) of today. This relic radiation was detected by radio astronomy in 1964, thus providing direct material evidence for “The Big Bang Model”. Further evidence in support of this model is provided by the chemical composition of the observed universe. This amounts to about 74% hydrogen and 24 % helium (by mass), with only traces of other elements that in total amount to about 2%.All the recorded hydrogen in the observed universe and almost all the recorded helium are primordial, although some helium is currently produced by nuclear fusion of hydrogen in the sun as well as in other stars. Nevertheless, the total mass of hydrogen produced by the process of nuclear fusion within all the stars since the beginning of creation amounts to only a small percent. It is calculated that when the universe was 3 minutes old, its temperature must have been 109 °C (cf. Ohanian, 1985, p. D-6).

At such a high temperature, hydrogen was subject to nuclear fusion, leading to the formation of helium. Theoretical calculations show that the fusion reactions led to an abundance of about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium, which is a remarkable agreement with the observed abundance. This further confirms the Hot Big Bang model for the creation of the universe. The Hot Big Bang model has steadily and successfully battled other explanations for the origin of the universe, and the model has been gradually refined with time.

Hot to Cold

The “Hot Big Bang Model” for the origin of the universe envisages a beginning from an extremely small, hot, dense initial state some 10-15 billion years ago. This initial, minute body exploded and started to expand, forming the still expanding, vast, cold universe of today. The model predicts the formation of nuclei, the relative abundance of certain elements, and the existence and exact temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation (or the glow of radiation left over

from the initial explosion, which is currently permeating the universe).

The prediction of the cosmic background radiation made by Ralph A. Alpher of Union College and Robert Herman of the University of Texas at Austin was confirmed by Arno Penzias and Robert W. Wilson of Bell Laboratories in 1964. Despite its success, the Hot Big Bang Model leaves many features of the universe unexplained. For example, the universe today includes a vast number of regions that could never have been in causal contact at any stage in their entire history. These regions are moving away from one another at such a rate that any information, even traveling at the speed of light, could not cover the distance between them. This “horizon problem” makes it difficult to account for the striking uniformity of the cosmic background radiation (cf. J.J. Halliwell, 1991, p. 76). Other unexplained features in the Hot Big Bang Model include the “flatness problem”, the origin of large scale structures such as galaxies, galactic clusters and superclusters, etc.

Inflationary Universe Cosmos

In 1980, Alan H. Guth of M.I.T. suggested a further refinement of the Big Bang model that he called “the inflationary universe scenario”.In this scenario, the universe is believed to have started with a very brief, but exceedingly rapid period of expansion (for about 10-30 second), in which matter consisted of scalar-field particles (white in the Hot Big Bang model, the matter content of the universe is presumed to have been a uniformly distributed plasma or dust). As mentioned by J.J. Halliwell (1991), the origin of the universe in the inflationary scenario can be explained as follows: by following the expansion of the universe backward in time, the size of this vast, complex universe tends towards zero. Here the strength of the gravitational field and the energy density of matter tend towards infinity. This means that the universe appears to have emerged from a singularity; a region of infinite curvature and energy density at which the known laws of physics break down. These conditions are a consequence of the famous “singularity theorems”, proved in 1960 by Stephen W. Hawking and Roger Penrose of the University of Oxford. These theorems showed that under reasonable assumptions any model of

B.C. expands mental-health, substanceuse supports for more young people

More children, youth and families will benefit from seamless mental-health and substance-use services as B.C. expands Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) teams to seven additional school districts.

The new multidisciplinary teams are being added in Fraser-Cascade (Hope, Harrison, Agassiz), Kootenay-Columbia (Trail), Mission, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, OkanaganShuswap (Salmon Arm), Pacific Rim (Port Alberni) and Powell River school districts. “Integrated Child and Youth teams make is easier for young people and their families to connect to the care they need, where and when they need it,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Integrated Child and Youth teams fill gaps and better co-ordinate mental health, wellness and substance-use care in schools and in the community, making it easier for families to access the help their child needs.”

Source: news.gov.bc.ca

the expanding universe extrapolated backward in time will encounter an initial singularity.

The singularity theorems do not imply, however, that a singularity will physically occur. Rather, the theory predicting them – classical general relativity – breaks down at very high curvatures and must be superseded by the quantum theory. Near a singularity, space – time becomes highly curved; its volume shrinks to very small dimensions, and here only the quantum theory can be applied. Quantum cosmologists began a few decades ago (since the 1960s) to address the problems of the origin and evolution of the universe in a more subtle way than that proposed by classical astronomy. Quantum cosmology attempts to describe a system – fundamentally – in terms of its wave function. Yet many conceptual and technical difficulties arise. At the singularity, space becomes infinitely small, and the energy density infinitely great. To look beyond such a moment requires a complete, manageable quantum theory of gravity, which is currently lacking. Whether to accept the Hot Big Bang model of the universe, or its modified inflationary scenario explanations on the basis of conventional or quantum astronomy, the established fact is that our universe emerged from a single, infinitesimally small, dense, hot source. To agree or differ on the events that unfolded since that moment, including the formation of matter, followed by its coalescence into galaxies, stars, planets and chemical systems, does not change the fact of the one singularity from which our universe was created.

The Qur’anic precedence with this fact at a time when nobody had the slightest knowledge of it, or even for several centuries after the revelation was received, is indeed most striking. The objective notion to this Qur’anic verse in the right context of a science course can indeed be spirit lifting and enlightening for the younger Muslim generations of students and faculty.

Source:aboutislam.net/muslim

Nearly 600 people died from toxic drugs in B.C. in first 3 months of the year: coroners’ service

in 2007, Pakistan suffers “colossal” damage in violence of 12.38 billion rupees and 47 Killed

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has suffered colossal losses in rioting that erupted when opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated with damage of about $200 million (99.7 million pounds) to the railways alone, the government said on Monday. Former prime minister Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday. Violence began as news of her death spread, particularly in her home province of Sindh in the south.

ther deaths after four days of disturbances in which 47 people were killed.

“The loss to public property and infrastructure has been colossal,” the caretaker government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting in Islamabad.

“Manufacturing, revenue, exports have all suffered badly.”

12.38 billion rupees ($200 million), it said. The government provided no estimates for losses to other public sectors or to private property but said the supply of fuel and food to all parts of the country had been hit by the trouble. “The poor people have suffered the most,” said caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro.

By :Robert Birsel; editing by Roger Crabb, DEC 31, 2007

Sporadic violence flared again in Sindh on Monday but there were no reports of fur-

The railway system, already facing shortages of carriages and locomotives, was hard hit with 22 locomotives and 140 coaches completely burnt and the railway telecommunications and signalling systems damaged, it said. The total loss to the railway system was

“Criminal elements took advantage of the tragedy to loot and plunder,” he said. “The government moved in to stop the mayhem but unfortunately, a good deal of damage had been done.” ($1 = 61.95 rupees)

Source:reuters.com

human rights abuses in Pakistan under Muhammad Zia-ul-haq

Under the government of General Zia-ul-Haq from 1977 to 1988, there was significant political and military repression in Pakistan.

Among the complaints against the Muhammad Zia ul-Haq administration were its repression of press and journalists, repression of rape victims imprisoned for zina (extramarital sex) under its Hudood Ordinances, and its repression of protestors. Protestors were repressed particularly violently after the execution of Pakistan’s first democratically elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy campaign.

Zia-ul-Haq came to power as a result of a coup, overthrowing Pakistan’s first popularly elected Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Though the coup itself was bloodless, civilian opposition in parts of the country was substantial. Martial law was declared, senior civilian politicians opposing Zia were imprisoned, and less well known figures in opposition student groups, trade and journalist unions and political parties were “made an example of” with public floggings. International geopolitics played a significant role in the state of human rights in Pakistan during this time.

About two years after the coup, the Soviet Union invaded Pakistan’s neighbor Afghanistan, transforming Pakistan and Zia’s government into a key cold war ally of the United States, and giving Zia latitude

to ignore internationally accepted human rights norms.

Political freedom (1977 to 1979)

On July 5, 1977, the forces of Pakistan army swiftly moved to arrest the Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, placing all the members of cabinet and leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party under house arrest. With entire party cadres under arrest, the regime faced little opposition until the death penalty for Bhutto was announced on 18 March 1978. His conviction was met with non-violent mass protests throughout Sindh and parts of Punjab. The protest in Nawabshah was crushed in first instance of mass murder by the regime where hundreds of protesting peasants were killed by use of combat helicopters on the orders of the provisional governor of Sindh Lieutenant-General S.M. Abbasi. This was followed by imposition of curfew in Nawabshah, Larkana, Sukkur, Hyderabad and parts of Karachi. The regime made thousands of arrests throughout Sindh and Punjab effectively banning display of the flag of Pakistan Peoples Party or its symbol. Cities throughout Sindh remained in continual state of curfew until April 4, 1979, when Bhutto was executed in secret, without a pre-announced date. The execution was followed by preemptive curfew throughout Sindh and reactionary curfews in Multan, Bhawalpur and other parts of Punjab. More than 50 people protested in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Pesha-

war, by self-immolation while thousands of participants and onlookers were arrested and jailed on grounds ranging from disruption of public order to sedition and high treason. Public flogging of political prisoners was carried out by “bare-chested wrestlers” during the martial law era. Martial Law Regulation no.48 of October 1979 invoked a maximum penalty of 25 lashes for taking part in political activities. All political activities being banned at that time.When Islamic punishment were introduced, women were also flogged, a fact that the Pakistan Human Rights Society protested in August 1983. In Liaqatpur, Bahawalpur, a woman was lashed for Zina in front of a crowd of 5000.

Freedom of the press

The repression of journalists started with the imposition of ban on the publication of the Daily Musawaat (“Equity”). In response to the ban the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists came out openly against the regime. After the failure of efforts to convince the Martial Law authorities to lift the ban, the PFUJ launched a campaign of hunger strike in Karachi from December 1, 1977. The strike was a surprising success, as journalists and press workers from all over the country participated, and within eight days

the government lifted the ban. After negotiations failed, journalists and press workers launched another hunger strike in Lahore from April 30 to May 30, 1978. To break the strike, hunger strikers were arrested and sentenced under Martial Law Regulations for six months to one year rigorous imprisonment. In January 1982, direct government censorship was ended and editors no longer had to submit stories to Government censors before publication. However, the Government continued to ban press/media coverage of political activity, “which, according to some reporters here, merely shifted the burden of responsibility to editors, making them more vulnerable and therefore more timid.”

Ten senior journalists and office-bearers of the PFUJ belonging to the National Press Trust newspapers—Pakistan Times, Imroze, and Mashriq—were summarily removed from service because they signed an appeal for “Peace in Sindh“ calling for an end to government repression during the 1983 MRD campaign... Source:en.wikipedia.org

Nawaz Sharif Govt And Pakistan Supreme Court: A Never-ending Legal Battle

disqualification appeared imminent.

Differences started between the government and the Supreme Court over a number of issues, including reduction of the number of judges in the latter.

1997 was a memorable year for more than one reason in Pakistan. In February, Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League with a `N’ in brackets that stands for his name won an unprecedented two-thirds majority in the National Assembly...

Differences started between the government and the Supreme Court over a number of issues, including reduction of the number of judges in the latter. A few Supreme Court judges sided with the government while some supported the chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah, a Sindhi, who issued a contempt of court notice to Sharif for failing to comply with the court orders. The prime minister appeared and two days later was issued a charge sheet on grounds of contempt. His

A week later, prime minister’s supporters attacked the Supreme Court and judges virtually ran from their seats to save their lives. A serious crisis had developed which led to the army chief sitting with all concerned and leading to the resignation of President Leghari, who despite being from the People’s Party had dismissed its government in 1996 on grounds of corruption and the chief justice replaced by another judge. Sharif had managed to prevail in this round, but could not two years later when General Pervez Musharraf toppled him.

Two decades down the road, prime minister Sharif is trying to repeat history now when faced with perhaps the most dreadful judicial scrutiny of his life. His supporters were distributing mithai (sweets) just a month ago when three members of a five-member bench of the Supreme Court had disagreed with the minority decision to immediately disqualify him. The three judges instead resorted to appointment of a joint investigation team (JIT) to further probe the allegations of corruption against the prime minister in relation to purchase of expensive flats in London. The judgment was a close call because even if just one more judge had sided with the minority of two, Sharif would have ceased to be in power. He survived, but it now appears that not for long.

The JIT started its investigation and Sharif started to feel the heat in a few days time.

It started by what it has successfully tried in such matters for the past three decades: delaying tactics. It filed an application in the Supreme Court objecting to two of the JIT members. The court within days disposed of the objection by rejecting it. The eldest son of the prime minister, Hussain, had no option but to appear.

In the process, the PM family had antagonised these two JIT members and had shown its helplessness and powerlessness in front of the court. The JIT got the message and became aggressive by repeatedly calling Hussain Nawaz to explain the money trail which enabled him to acquire the London flats. All that Hussain could do was to complain that the JIT was pressuring him and illegally and unlawfully asking for documentation that it was not entitled to.

A well-known journalist belonging to the Jang Group, Ansar Abbasi, was activated who came up with the revelation that the Registrar Supreme Court had called the Securities Exchange Commission and the State Bank to specifically nominate in the JIT the two gentlemen whom Hussain Nawaz had objected to. The Supreme Court bench handling the matter clarified that it had asked the registrar to make the phone call to ask for these two gentlemen in view of their expertise.

The chief justice who was the PM’s law secretary at the time of the earlier judicial crisis in 1997 took suo motu notice of the senator’s

speech and referred it to the same bench handling the London flat case. The bench reacted heatedly and issued a charge sheet to the senator for contempt and one of the judges likened the present government to Sicilian mafia which threatens judges and their children. Making yet another mistake, the government issued a detailed statement condemning the remarks of the Supreme Court judge and called it deplorable. It called the remarks baseless and against the code of conduct and the oath taken by the judges. The contempt notice issued to the ruling party’s senator has silenced the government ministers who were constantly coming on the television with some lamenting that the judiciary treats Imran Khan lightly as opposed to Sharif...

The government is trying to make a big deal of the case without realising that Khan has never held a public office in his life and is claiming that the money was lent to him by his former wife Jemima whom he repaid after selling his London flat.

The military is, interestingly, a silent observer to all these developments and not playing an active role at the moment even behind the scenes. Currently, the Supreme Court is exerting enough pressure on the prime minister which has tremendously weakened him.

By: Anees Jillani, 04 JUN 2017

(The author is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan). Source: .outlookindia.com

Says ‘acknowledges importance’ of statement issued after commanders meeting • Imran says Pakistan going through ‘Mongolian phase’, will announce ‘next plan of action’ tomorrow

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: Embattled

PTI on Tuesday alleged that last week’s arson attacks and shootings after former premier Imran Khan’s arrest were carried out by the “agencies men” so that a crackdown on the party could be justified.

Separately, in video messages, Mr Khan said he would announce his “next plan of action” during a party protest at Muridke on Thursday (May 18) and urged the nation to attend the rally in large numbers. He said a culture of fear was being spread through electronic and social media and compared the current scenario with tactics used by Mongol Empire founder Genghis Khan to instil fear in the public.

The reaction came a day after a special corps commanders’ conference vowed to bring violent protesters, who attacked civil and

military installations last week, to justice through trial under relevant laws of the country, including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.

The PTI said it acknowledged the importance of the statement issued after that meeting of the military’s top brass and “considers the impression of a well-thought-out plan of promoting violence and mayhem engulfing several government buildings, military structures and hundreds of unarmed and peaceful citizens”.

Describing itself as a responsible and the largest political institution in the country, the PTI said it had “an unwavering commitment to the Constitution and democracy”.

The statement, issued by the PTI’s central media department, said peaceful protests after Mr Khan’s arrest on May 9 was “a natural and foreseeable reaction”.

It may be mentioned that May 9 was declared a “dark chapter” by the military after the demonstrations turned violent However, PTI claimed that there was “irrefutable evidence” to establish that armed miscreants entered those peaceful gatherings, indulged in arson and fired live bullets on peaceful protesters, killing dozens and injuring hundreds. This, the party said, was done “to incite confrontation between the largest political force in the country and the armed forces of Pakistan”. These elements must be iden-

behind May 9 violence: PTi

tified through “a credible investigation”, it said, adding that after his release Mr Khan also demanded a powerful judicial commission consisting of Supreme Court judges to investigate the matter.

“We have ample amount of evidence to present to any independent inquiry that the arson and, in some places, shootings were done by agencies men who wanted to cause mayhem and blame it on PTI so the current crackdown would be justified,” it said.

‘Get ready for sacrifices’

Meanwhile, the PTI chief said a culture of fear was being spread through electronic and social media, where youth was being arrested and thrashed and houses being demolished to tell the people what awaited them if they continued to fight for their rights.

“When Genghis Khan used to conquer a city, he would do a massacre. And then he would ask the few people who he had spared to … let others know ‘how brutal I am’,” the PTI chief said. He said Pakistan was going through the same Mongolian phase.

“The same strategy is being employed here. People are being scared so that they desist from fighting for rights,” he said.

“These are the tactics we need to demolish and break free from the fear. People must not lose heart. How many police are out there? Maybe a few thousand. We are 220 million. How can we be scared into obedience?” he wondered. He said if people decided in favour of real freedom, no one could resist and stop them and “we need to tell them that we are ready for it”. “Women are being dragged to jails.

Youth standing on the roadside are being thrown to prisoner vans. Every kind of fear is being applied so that people stop resisting and forget human, civil and constitutional rights,” he regretted.

Mr Khan said this was being done “to keep Pakistanis in slavery”, adding: “Freedom means sacrifices and people should get ready for it. Shatter the idols of fear and stand up for your fundamental rights, the supremacy of the Constitution and the judiciary.”

“Be ready for peaceful protest for your rights. We only need fair and free elections, rightful representatives elected by the people and get rid of a bunch of currently ruling thieves. Only then would we get real freedom,” he said. In another video message posted hours later, Mr Khan said he would announce his “next plan of action” during a PTI protest in Muridke on Thursday. Urging the nation to attend the protest in huge numbers, he said: “I want all of you to come so that I can tell you my plan of how we will snatch our freedom … because you never get freedom on a plate.”

Earlier in the day, in the continuing war of narratives, Imran Khan tried to prove his innocence regarding the May 9 violence when he uploaded a video message recorded on March 22 and tweeted: “I recorded this on the 22nd of March after my attempted assassination in the Islamabad judicial complex on the 18th. I have consistently told my party workers that whatever the provocation, they must only do peaceful protests.”

Source:dawn.com/news

Anchorperson’s Imran Riaz Khan kidnap, FIR filed against five unknown men

NAROWAL: Sialkot police have registered a first information report (FIR) of alleged kidnapping of TV news anchor person and video blogger Imran Riaz against five unidentified persons.

The FIR has been filed at the Sialkot Civil Lines police station on the application of Mohammad Riaz, the father of the “missing” anchorperson, a resident of New Defense Road, Lahore.

Mr Riaz says in the application that his son, Muhammad Imran Riaz, had to fly to Oman on May 11, with his professional team, including Aftab Ahmed, Naveed Anwar, Muhammad Haris and Adnan Gul.

The FIR says Imran Riaz was at Sialkot International Airport at 2:30am when a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration

team allegedly stopped him from going to Oman “without any reason”.

The complainant said in the FIR that the immigration officers allegedly handed over his son to the “airport police station and Cantonment police station” officials.

He alleged when the police brought his son to the police station at 4am, there was no FIR registered against him and he (Imran) was detained illegally. Mr Riaz said that on the order of the Sialkot deputy commissioner, Imran Riaz was arrested and sent to the Sialkot District Jail under 3 MPO proceedings against him. He said later the DC withdrew his orders and Imran Riaz was released from the district jail at 11pm. He said as soon as his son was released, four to five masked men whisked him away in a

hC Zaheer Janjua attends cultural fun gala of Pak community in Ottawa

Press Relaese

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Zaheer A. Janjua attended a community fun gala of Pakistani diaspora in Ottawa. The event was arranged by Friends Cafe Club of Canada at a local community centre and attended by a large number of Pakistanis and Canadians of Pakistan origin living in and around the Canadian capital. The High Commissioner lauded the organisers for arranging the event and providing the community with an opportunity to celebrate their culture, food and dress under one platform. He also mingled with the guests and participants and lauded the Pakistani diaspora in Canada for their role and contribution in strengthening cultural and trade ties between Pakistan and Canada. Secretary General Mr. Bilal Riaz welcomed the guests and thanked them for their participation in the fun-packed event. Various cultural activities, quiz and skits were also performed by participants on the occasion.

4X4 VIGO, which was already parked outside the jail. Mr Riaz alleged that according to the CCTV footage, his son had been kidnapped because of the collusion of the district jail staff and the police.

He also demanded registration of an FIR against the police officers allegedly involved in the “kidnap” of his son. According to Sialkot district police spokesman, on the orders of the Lahore High Court, DPO Muhammad Hasan Iqbal registered an FIR of the kidnapping of Imran Riaz.

He said the DPO had formed five teams headed by Investigating Officer Superintendent of Police (SP) Ziaullah for the recovery of the kidnapped anchorperson.

He said raiding teams comprising deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) of Sam-

barial, Daska, Pasrur, Sialkot and headquarters had also been formed.

The spokesman said police were working round the clock, using human intelligence, geofencing, civil institutions and other resources, for the recovery of the victim.

Source: dawn.com/news

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