It is with deep sadness that Miracle Media announces that our Pakistani community member Mrs. Shafqat Alam, wife of late Aftab Alam, mother of Farrukh Alam at the age of 90 has returned to our Creator in Vancouver on July 11, 2023.

Her Funeral was held in Surrey Jameh Masjid on Wednesday, July 12 after Dhuar Prayer and Burial had been taken to the Oceanview Cemetery, Burnaby.

Farrukh Alam and his family arrange the Qul and Duaa in the Surrey Jameah Masjid at 5 pm on

July 16, 2023 May Allah forgive her and give Alam’s family patience during this time(Ameen). Truly, the biggest loss in someone’s life is losing their Mother. May Allah (SWT) grant your mother the highest place in Jannah and give you and your family the strength and patience to bear this loss.

May her soul rest in peace and her memory be a source of comfort to you always.

Please accept Miracle’s Team deepest condolences.

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Bank of Canada raises key interest rate for the 10th time since March 2022

OTTAWA - The Bank of Canada has raised its policy interest rate again, making the cost of borrowing more expensive.

The 25 basis points hike brings the Bank’s overnight rate to 5 per cent, the highest it’s been since 2001. In its Monetary Policy Report, the Bank of Canada says the rate increase was necessary to help slow economic growth and reduce core inflation. Three-month rates of core inflation have been higher than the Bank’s expectation hovering around 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent since September 2022. “The stubbornness of core inflation in Canada suggests that inflation may be more persistent than originally thought,” the Bank’s Monetary Police Report states.

Since the Bank of Canada started raising rates in March 2022 inflation has dropped from a peak of 8.1 per cent last summer to 3.4 per cent in May. This is the 10th interest rate hike since March 2022.

While the Bank acknowledges inflation has

approves much-awaited US$3 billion bailout for Pakistan, saving it from defaulting on debt

ISLAMABAD - The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved a much-awaited US$3 billion bailout for Pakistan, the global lender said, a move that’s likely to save the impoverished Islamic nation from defaulting on its debt repayments.

been declining due to falling energy prices, easing supply constraints and interest rate hikes, it predicts inflation will remain elevated around 3 per cent over the next year. The Bank says economic growth isn’t slowing as quickly as expected, citing more momentum for demand and stronger than anticipated consumer spending in the first quarter of 2023. The central bank’s mandate is to keep inflation around 2 per cent and its forecasters are currently predicting inflation will return to that 2 per cent level in the middle of 2025, two quarters later than previously projected..Source: ctvnews.ca

Ukraine wins G7 security pledges but its NaTO membership remains elusive

The IMF said its executive board approved an agreement to release the funds over a ninemonth period to support Pakistan’s economic stabilization program. The announcement comes less than two weeks after Pakistan and the IMF agreed to the nine-month plan following a series of meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and other officials. ”The arrangement comes at a challenging economic juncture for Pakistan. A difficult external environment, devastating floods, and policy missteps have led to large fiscal and external deficits, rising inflation, and eroded reserve buffers” in the fiscal year 2023, the IMF said in a statement. Sharif quickly welcomed the IMF decision, saying it was a amajor step forward in the government’s efforts to stabilize the economy and achieve macroeconomic stability.

“It bolsters Pakistan’s economic position to overcome immediate to medium-term economic challenges, giving the next government the fiscal space to chart the way forward,” he said in a tweet. “This milestone, which was achieved against the heaviest of odds & against seemingly impossible deadline, could not have been possible without excellent team effort.”

Source: ctvnews.ca/world

PM Shehbaz promises timely elections, sans exact date

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed fresh pledges of weapons and ammunition to fight Russia’s invasion along with longerterm security commitments from the West on Wednesday even as he expressed disappointment over the lack of a clear path for his country to join NATO as the alliance wrapped up its annual summit.

“The Ukrainian delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for the Ukraine, for our country, for our people, for our chil- dren,” he said while flanked by U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders from the Group of Seven most powerful democratic nations. A joint declaration issued by the G7 lays the groundwork for each nation to negotiate agreements to help Ukraine bolster its military over the long term. Zelenskyy described the initiative as a bridge toward eventual NATO membership and a deterrent against Russia. Biden said, “Our support will last long into the future. We’re going to help Ukraine build a strong, capable defense.”

The Ukrainian and American presidents also met privately along with their advisers, and Biden pledged later that “the United States is doing everything we can to get you what you need.” He acknowledged that Zelenskyy is sometimes “frustrated” by the pace of military assistance.Zelenskyy thanked Biden, saying that “you spend this money for our lives,” and said shipments of controversial cluster munitions would help Ukraine’s fight against Russia...Source:ctvnews.ca/world

How does a country join NaTO?

Portugal, the United Kingdom and United States. Their aim was to curb Soviet expansion and encourage political integration in Europe. Countries interested in joining NATO are asked to agree to a membership action plan tailored to the individual country and potentially requiring political, legal, military and security reforms.

The following steps outline the process of joining NATO:

• PM Shehbaz says ECP will decide whether polls are to be held in Oct or Nov

• Coalition partners yet to take a decision on question of early dissolution of assembly

• 67 amendments proposed in elections law, draft likely to be finalised next week

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz

Sharif’s categorical statement that he would leave the government on completion of the five-year term of the National Assembly in August has made clear, to some extent, the intentions of the rulers regarding elections in the country this year, but there is still a question mark on the timing of the polls. Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Pakistan Endowment Fund for Education on Wednesday, the prime minister declared that the term of his government would end next month. He, however, did not clear the confusion about whether the coalition partners would go for the normal dissolution of the National Assembly on completion of its term on August 12, or he would advise the president for an early dissolution. ccording to Article 224 of the Constitution, “A general election to the National Assembly or a provincial assembly shall be held within a period of sixty days ..Source: dawnnews.com

Lahore special court acquits Suleman Shehbaz in money laundering case

The world’s most powerful military alliance has 31 members. Sweden is poised to make it 32, and Ukraine wants in as well.

On the final day of the NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, the military alliance’s chief, Jens Stoltenberg, has told reporters, “Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before.” In a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stoltenberg said: “I look forward to the day we meet as allies.”

While Zelenskyy described the results of the NATO summit as good after allies pledged more military aid to Ukraine, he said an ideal situation would have been an invitation to Kyiv to become a member of the alliance.

Here is how a country joins NATO: NATO history and expansion

Since its creation in 1949, the world’s most powerful military alliance has increased its membership from 12 to 31 countries through nine rounds of enlargement.

NATO’s founding members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,

Step 1: Accession talks with NATO in Brussels. This involves discussions to determine if an invitee meets the requirements of NATO membership.

Step 2: Letter of intent sent to NATO secretary-general. This involves an invitee providing written confirmation of its acceptance of NATO commitments and a timetable of reforms.

Step 3: Accession protocols signed by NATO members. This step allows an invitee to become a party to the Washington Treaty, which formed NATO.

Step 4: Accession protocols ratified by NATO member governments according to their national procedures. In the US, this requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate to pass the required legislation.

Step 5: Secretary-general invites the potential member to accede to the treaty.

Step 6: Invitee accedes to the treaty according to their national procedures.

Step 7: After depositing their instruments of accession with the US Department of State, an invitee becomes a NATO member.

Lahore’s Special Court (Central) on Monday acquitted Suleman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a Rs16 billion money laundering case registered with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Suleman, who returned to Pakistan in December 2022 after four years of self-exile in London, was accused in the money laundering case registered with the FIA while the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had nominated him in an assets-beyondmeans reference. He was declared a proclaimed offender in both cases. But prior to his return, the Islamabad High Court had restrained both the authorities from arresting him. In October last year, a special court had also acquitted the prime minister and his elder son, Hamza Shehbaz, in the same case. During today’s hearing, Suleman appeared in court accompanied by his counsel, Advocate Amjad Parvez, while the FIA submitted its response to 27 questions asked by the court. Source: dawnnews.com

Somalia a plane carrying passengers crashed in Mogadishu

The Halla airline passenger plane change direction suddenly off the runway at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday. Reports indicate that a female passenger suffered a broken neck, while authorities are still uncertain about the cause of the plane’s deviation from the runway. On the other hand, the Minister of Transport and Aviation of the Somali government, Fardowso Osman Igal, who gave an interview to the outlet media, reported the incident and said that one person was injured.

It also denied that the plane that crashed was accompanied by the former prime ministers of the country, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and Abdiweli Mohamed Ali (Gaas), after it was broadcast on social media that they were on the plane.

The latest reports now say that assistance is being provided to the passengers and crew of the plane, and the flight in Mogadishu Aden Adde airport has been suspended.

Source: somalitimes.co.uk

Decision to allow the desecration of the Muslim holy book was angrily criticised by Turkey, which has blocked Sweden’s application for NATO membership.

By Nils Adler, 28 Jun 2023

Stockholm, Sweden – Salwan

Momika strutted into view behind rows of police officers outside the picturesque Stockholm Central Mosque, waving two Swedish flags as the national anthem blasted over a speaker system. With white AirPods in his ears and a cigarette hanging nonchalantly from his mouth, he then desecrated the Quran repeatedly on Wednesday by tearing it up and lighting it on fire. Momika, an Iraqi refugee seeking to ban the Quran in Sweden, also laid a strip of bacon on the holy book and began stamping on it with his foot. Another unidentified man with him spoke to the crowd through a megaphone. It was a scene intended to shock and antagonise the Muslim community celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Instead, the display

Quran desecrated at Sweden mosque during Eid al-adha

was largely mocked, dismissed, or ignored by about 200 people gathered outside.

‘I feel bad for him, not for us’ Muslim community members handed out chocolates, chit-chatting with the police as Momika spoke in Arabic through a megaphone. A few people hurled isolated insults at Momika outside the mosque, which is perched on a hill in a trendy, bustling district in the Swedish capital, especially when he attempted to light the Quran ablaze with his cigarette.

Some ridiculing comments drew laughter from the crowd. “Speak Swedish”, some shouted, mocking Momika for waving a Swedish flag but seemingly unable to speak the language. A group of teenage boys swore repeatedly at the two men who were hemmed in behind a police cordon. One boy then turned to a frowning, towering police officer. “All good? the boy asked him.

“Just hot”, the officer responded, smiling.

Action needed against ‘religious hatred’ after Quran defiled: OIC Defilement of the Muslim holy book in Sweden has prompted international condemnation, including large protests and countries in the Middle East summoning ambassadors.

The 57-country-strong Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said international law and other collective measures are needed to prevent future incidents involving the desecration of the Quran.

The grouping, whose populations are majority Muslim, issued the statement on Sunday during an extraordinary meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after the holy book was burned and defiled in Sweden.

“We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred,” OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said.

Last week, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi who fled to Sweden several years ago, tore up and lit pages of the Islamic holy book on fire. The desecration occurred on the first day of the Eid al-Adha holidays. The act angered OIC member Turkey, whose backing Sweden needs to gain entry to the NATO military alliance.

Swedish police granted permission for a protest to take place, saying freedom of expression is guaranteed under the country’s constitution. But after the burning, police charged Momika with agitation against an ethnic or national group. The act outside the Stockholm Central Mosque prompted international condemnation, including large protests in Iraq and countries in the Middle East summoning Swedish ambassadors. UN body condemns Quran burning in Sweden.

Alliance of Civilizations and several Muslim-majority countries denounce stunt by Danish far-right party leader. The high representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations has condemned the burning of the Muslim holy book by a Swedish-Danish farright politician as a “vile act”. Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, carried out the stunt outside the Turkish embassy in Sweden under the protection of local police on Friday. “While the High Representative stresses the importance of upholding the freedom of expression as a fundamental human right, he also emphasises that the act of Quran-burning, amounts to an expression of hatred towards Muslims,” a spokesperson for Miguel Angel Moratinos said in a statement released on Sunday.

‘Racist action’

By AJLabs, 8 Jul 2023

Five-hundred days ago, in the early hours of a cold February morning, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its western neighbour, Ukraine. The Kremlin had hoped for a quick “special military operation” but 16-and-a-half months later, fighting is still raging with no immediate end in sight.

As the war reaches another grim milestone on Saturday, here are just some of the sombre ways it has upended life for tens of millions of people:

6.3 million Ukrainians have become refugees, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR)

9,083 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, according to the latest figures from the UN’s rights office (OHCHR); the real toll, however, is feared to be much higher

15,779 civilians have been wounded in Ukraine, according to the OHCHR

Military casualties on both sides of the war are difficult to establish and verify; the warring sides often estimate rival losses, and are understood to downplay their own

The cost of destruction is thought to be more than $143bn*, according to the latest findings from the Kyiv School of Economics

It is estimated that Russia controls less than 20 percent of Ukrainian

Shortly after Paludan burned a copy of the Quran, Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, condemned Swedish authorities for failing to ban the protest.

“It’s a racist action. It’s not about freedom of expression,” he said. Arab countries – including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait – have also denounced the stunt as well as other Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan and Somalia. “Allowing this hateful act that insults Islamic sanctities and values is completely unacceptable,” Somalia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. “It is nothing but a demagogic practice that promotes hatred and racism and serves the agendas of extremism and terrorism.” In a post on Twitter, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that while freedom of expression was a fundamental part of democracy, “what is legal is not necessarily appropriate.”

“Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act,” he said. Source: aljazeera.com

500 days of war in Ukraine: at what cost ?

Territory

More than 6 million refugees

The conflict has led to the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II, with 6.3 million people forced to flee Ukraine since the invasion on February 24, 2022. The vast majority of them - 5,967,100 - went to other European countries. An additional six million are internally displaced within Ukraine. Most refugees are women and children, as Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60 have been instructed to remain in the country and fight. The infographic below highlights the flow of refugees recorded from Ukraine across Europe between June 1, 2022 and July 7, 2023, as well as some of the painful stories of those forced to leave their homes. Among those who fled in the early days of the war was a young boy called Mark Goncharuk. Battling back his tears, he said, “We left dad in Kyiv. And dad will be selling things and helping our heroes, helping our army. He might even fight.”

The countries with the largest refugee populations are Russia, with 1,275,315; Germany, with 1,076,680; Poland, with 999,690; the Czech Republic, with 350,455; and the United Kingdom, with 206,700.

Thousands of civilian deaths, and probably many more

The OHCHR estimates that 9,083 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 15,779 wounded since Russia’s invasion.

But these numbers are believed to be underestimates.

In territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, the OHCHR has recorded at least

will the death of a teenager in France change the police?

video, sparking unrest across France and a police crackdown. Thousands of people have been arrested, and cars and buildings across the country are burning. As protests rage, will the police be held accountable, and will there be justice for Nahel?

Thousands defy bans in France to rally against police violence

Thousands have taken to the streets in France to protest after another police shooting. But will anything change?

In the Paris suburb of Nanterre, thousands of people have taken to the streets to remember a 17-year-old boy killed by police during a traffic stop.

Nahel M was shot at close range in the chest and the incident was caught on

French police have come under renewed scrutiny following the June 27 shooting of a teenager of Arab descent. Thousands of French protesters have defied a ban to march in central Paris against police violence, a week after riots sparked by the killing of a teenager in a Parisian suburb broke out. Police dispersed the 2,000 protesters from Paris’s huge Place de la Republique on Saturday, sending several hundred people towards the wide Boulevard Magenta where they were seen marching peacefully. Two people were arrested, the Paris police department said after the demonstration. It said it had banned the planned demonstration due to a “context of tensions”. Protesters called the ban “shocking”.

“We still enjoy freedom of expression in France but freedom of assembly, in particular, is under threat”, said Felix Bouvarel, a health worker who came to the gathering in spite of the ban. About 30 demonstrations against police violence also took place across France, including in the southern port city of Marseille and Strasbourg in the east.

20,073 casualties (7,072 killed and 13,001 wounded):

In the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 9,966 casualties (4,105 killed and 5,861 wounded)

In other regions: 10,107 casualties (2,967 killed and 7,140 wounded)

In territory occupied by Russia, the OHCHR has recorded at least 4,789 casualties (2,011 killed and 2,778 wounded):

In the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 3,239 casualties (718 killed and 2,521 wounded)

In other regions: 1,550 casualties (1,293 killed and 257 wounded)

Source: aljazeera.com

Authorities in Lille banned a gathering.

The rallies came a week after the country was rocked by riots sparked by the killing of Nahel M at a traffic stop in the Nanterre suburb of the French capital. The 17-yearold of Algerian and Moroccan origin was driving a sports car without a licence. Source: aljazeera.com

Trump team asks to delay documents trial, citing election run-up

Settler faces ‘terrorism’ charges over west Bank mosque vandalism

United States for accountability.

Donald Trump is too busy campaigning for the 2024 US election to prepare for trial, lawyers say, asking for indefinite postponement. The legal team for former United States President Donald Trump has asked that a criminal trial regarding his handling of classified documents be postponed, citing conflicts with campaigning leading up to the presidential election in November 2024. In court filings late Monday, Trump’s lawyers noted the “extraordinary” nature of the federal case, in which Trump is accused of hoarding and hiding sensitive governments he took when he left the White House, as well as obstructing the subsequent FBI investigation. Trump is the first current or former president in US history to face criminal charges. Beyond the federal charges he faces connected to the documents, he also faces New York state charges related to falsifying business records in connection to hush-money payments made to a porn star. ..Source: aljazeera.com

Flash floods rage in New York, reservoir threatens to overwhelm dam in Vermont

Torrential downpours have unleashed flash floods on the US Northeast that washed out roadways, overwhelmed rivers prompted 50 swift boat rescues, and killed a woman who was swept away in front of her fiance, officials said. More than 13 million Americans were under flood watches and warnings from Eastern New York state to Boston and Western Maine to the northeast, the National Weather Service said in its forecast Monday, after storms that began over the weekend inundated rivers and streams. Meanwhile, a Vermont reservoir threatened to overwhelm a dam protecting the state’s capital on Tuesday and exacerbate “catastrophic” flooding that has already shut roadways leading out of town and trapped some residents in their homes. Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated damages and economic loss at $3 billion to $5bn, preliminarily, based on its own method of evaluation. More than 1,000 flights to and from airports across the region, including

New York’s LaGuardia and Boston’s Logan, were delayed or cancelled on Monday due to the rains. Amtrak suspended passenger train service between the state capital Albany and New York City after flooding damaged tracks, as did the MetroNorth commuter railroad which shares some of the same track... Source: dawn.com/news

Sudan rejects african peace bid and ‘enemy’ peacekeeping force

Khartoum instead welcomes an upcoming summit held by Egypt, widely seen as closer to the army than the rival Rapid Support Forces. Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry has rejected a regional summit proposal to consider deploying peacekeeping forces to protect civilians, dashing tentative hopes it might help efforts to end the country’s three-month war. The East African regional body the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) suggested on Monday that the rival sides consider the deployment of a regional force and new peace negotiations. The mediation offer was the first in weeks after talks in Jeddah were suspended by the United States and Saudi Arabia after numerous ceasefire violations... Source: aljazeera.com

Fiji: No more coups – Home affairs Minister

continuing to incite and propagate for the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to remove the elected Coalition Government.

Mr Tikoduadua said those politicians had continually attempted to destabilise the security of the country. “It is unfortunate though that since the announcement of the outcome of the 2022 General Election, some people, including politicians who have failed to earn power legitimately at the polls, have continually attempted to destabilise the security of our beloved Fiji,” he said.

Israelis are rarely punished for crimes committed against Palestinians, particularly in the occupied West Bank. Israeli prosecutors have filed charges related to “terrorism” against a Jewish settler accused of vandalising a mosque as part of antiPalestinian rampages in the occupied West Bank last month, which drew a rare demand from the

The spree of vandalism and arson by hundreds of settlers in several villages and towns followed the June 20 killing of four Israelis by Hamas gunmen, which in turn was a response to a deadly Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp that killed seven Palestinians and wounded more than 90 others. At least one man was killed in the village of Turmus Ayya. Many of the Palestinians who lost property in the subsequent settler rampage were US dual nationals. The defendant, in his early 30s, was among “a large number [of] rioters” who threw objects at buildings in the village of Orif, wrecked furniture and windows in its mosque and ripped up and threw to the floor copies of the Quran, the indictment said on Wednesday... Source:aljazeera.com

Erdogan agrees to send vote on Sweden’s NaTO accession to Turkish parliament, Stoltenberg says

Sweden’s NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden’s accession protocol for joining NATO to Turkey’s parliament “as soon as possible” and to help ensure that the assembly approves it. Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Lithuania. Sweden’s NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year. “This is an historic day because we have a clear commitment by Turkey to submit the ratification documents to the Grand National Assembly, and to work also with the assembly to ensure ratification,” Stoltenberg told reporters.

Earlier Monday, with NATO hoping to put on a public display of unity in its support for Ukraine more than 500 days after it was invaded by Russia, Erdogan said he would block Sweden’s path unless European members of the military organization “pave the way” for Turkey to join the world’s biggest trading bloc.... Source: aljazeera.com

in US detention centres

Afghans fleeing deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions find themselves with few pathways to seek refuge. The immigration detention centre was packed. There were more than 100 people in a single room meant to accommodate less than 20. A, an Afghan man who asked that his name be withheld, had come to the United States with his wife to seek safety. But as they experienced their first few days on US soil, a different reality sank in: one in which their future was all but certain. “We thought our problems had been solved, that we had escaped the risk of prison and torture in Afghanistan,” he said. “We didn’t know that this was what awaited us in the United States.” A has spent the last six months in that detention centre, stuck in a limbo that awaits many Afghan asylum seekers arriving at the USMexico border after the Taliban takeover of their country. With limited options for legal immigration, thousands of Afghans like A have resorted to desperate measures, embarking on dangerous trips to enter the country irregularly. And like A, many have found themselves swept up in the US immigration detention system, faced with possible expulsion....Source: aljazeera.com

Bangladesh: Quit, pave way for free, fair election

Announcing a one-point movement for polls under a non-party interim government, the BNP yesterday asked the government to step down right away and pave the way for conducting the election freely and fairly.

Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua says any attempt to remove any government by the barrel of a gun must stop. “No more coups,” Mr Tikoduadua said on Tuesday during his contribution to the parliamentary debate on the National Budget 2023-2024. He said it was unfortunate that some politicians who had failed to earn power legitimately at the 2022 General Elections were

“It is the rule of law that they do not want to respect. “They continually incite and propagate for the RFMF to take power, essentially to remove the elected government people, abusing constitutional provisions to support their ambitions to take power at any cost.”

Mr Tikoduadua said any grievances people may have with the Government must be taken up through the judiciary.

Source: fijitimes.com

The party declared it will hold marches in all city and district headquarters on July 18 and July 19 in the first programme as part of the one-point movement. Apart from the BNP, 36 like-minded political parties also announced a one-point movement to press home the same demand. “There is no more demand. The only demand is resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, and an election under a non-party interim administration…” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of BNP. He was addressing a massive rally, organised by the BNP’s Dhaka north and south units, in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office. “I am announcing the programme, on behalf of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rah- man, to free the nation [from misrule]. It’s a historic moment as other political parties who are with us in the movement are also making similar announcements.”

Fakhrul said the BNP and like-minded parties, who are carrying out an anti-government movement, have unanimously decided to make a joint declaration on a simultaneous one-point movement from their respective positions... Source: thedailystar.net

Non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army are eligible for an additional $82M.

The federal government is setting aside $82 million over three years to top up a fund for humanitarian groups that respond to climaterelated disasters. Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said the government has been relying on the work of non-governmental organizations that deliver humanitarian aid in climate-related emergencies.

The government says the additional $82 million will go toward helping organizations such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and St. John Ambulance recruit and train personnel, buy supplies and cover other operational needs. The fund was established during the pandemic for non-governmental organizations involved in Canadian response efforts.

“It is a stark reminder that the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters are growing each year,” Blair said. “The humanitarian organizations here today play a key role in that response.” It also reflects a shift in how humanitarian non-governmental organizations operate in Canada, said Canadian Red Cross president and CEO Conrad Sauvé.

“When I look back a decade ago, the work of the Canadian Red Cross responding to largescale disasters and emergencies was largely overseas,” he said.

“Large events in Canada were seen as the ex- ception … Then things rapidly changed.”

Sauvé said the vast majority of Canadian Red Cross operations are now domestic — responses to floods, fires and other disasters from coast to coast. In recent months, the Red Cross has been asked to administer programs delivering cash payments to Nova Scotians and Prince Edward Islanders affected by wildfires and post-tropical storm Fiona. Sauvé said his organization is open to such requests for assistance, which began with the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires. Blair said this year has already been the worst for wildfires in recorded Canadian history. Roughly 900 fires are burning now and an area roughly the size of Newfoundland has been consumed so far this year.

Other countries, such as Germany, maintain federal agencies of volunteers to help with disaster response.

Source: cbc.ca/news/politics

Wildfire smoke could be to blame for an increase in cases of pink eye: experts

If you’ve been feeling a burning in your eyes after spending time outside sometime in the last few months, it might be more common than you think — according to some experts, the poor air quality caused by raging wildfires across Canada is affecting more than just our lungs. Poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke could bring more cases of conjunctivitis and eye irritation than usual this year, experts warn. “I’ve had a lot of patients who are just complaining of eye irritation, or those who already have dry eye, that are really finding that their symptoms are sort of acting up,” Mili Roy, an actively practicing ophthalmologist in Oakville, Ontario, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.

Roy, who is also an assistant professor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Toronto, said that earlier in the spring, there were more patients coming in with their seasonal allergies “being much worse because of climate change.

“Now that we’re sort of deeper into summer, we’re seeing more people with just irritated

OTTAWA - Canadians should get another COVID-19 vaccine booster in the fall if it’s been at least six months since their last dose or COVID-19 infection, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) said on Tuesday. “Booster doses in the fall will be formulations updated to target more recent, immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants,” the NACI statement said. “Individuals vaccinated with the updated formulation are expected to benefit from a better immune response against these variants compared to current vaccines,” it said. Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have started the process to get the new formulations of their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada, the de- eyes,” she said. “But particularly on the poor air quality days.” The conjunctiva is a layer of tissue covering the front of the eyeball, and inflammation of that layer is called conjunctivitis. When conjunctivitis is caused by a viral infection, it’s more commonly referred to as ‘pink eye’, but conjunctivitis can also be caused by chem icals, allergens or other irritants in the air.

“What we are seeing is that the wildfire smoke, it cre ates an external irritant to the eye,” Roy said. “So that produc es a form of what we call conjunctivitis due to that external irritation. And the other thing that happens with the wildfire smoke is with all the toxins that are in the air, it sort of acts as a bit of an allergen as well. So it can cause a little bit of an allergic conjunctivitis partment said in an email to The Canadian Press. “This regulatory review has not yet been completed,” Health Canada said. “More information on this vaccine, including the authorized age groups, will be available in the coming months.” NACI continued to strongly recommend that anyone five years of age and older who hasn’t yet been vaccinated should be immunized with a primary two-dose series of an mRNA vaccine. It also issued a “discretionary recommendation” that children six months to five years of age who haven’t yet been vaccinated get the two-dose primary series of an mRNA vaccine.

The existing bivalent Omicron-containing mRNA vaccines can be used for people re-

A B.C. nurse is facing a five-day suspension of her professional registration for mismanaging the care of patients who were certified under the Mental Health Act.

According to the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives, Patsy Perkull of Quesnel, B.C., failed to provide vital information to a physician while caring for two vulnerable patients between April 17 and 20, 2022.

(as well).” The wildfires have caused recordbreaking levels of poor air quality over the last few weeks alone.

Last week, Toronto’s air quality was the worst in the world according to a Swiss air quality tracker. Only a few days before, Montreal had the worst air quality in the world, all due to smog produced by wildfires in northern Quebec.

When a person is exposed to irritants in the air, they may feel those effects not just in their lungs, but in their eyes. “It tends to cause burning of the eyes and tearing. Sometimes it can cause some light sensitivity,” Roy said. “More rarely, it might cause you a little bit of thin or watery discharge, but nothing that’s really sort of thick or purulent, which is more typical of an infec- ceiving their first two-dose vaccination series, NACI said. Immunization this fall is “particularly important for those at increased risk of COVID-19 infection or severe disease,” NACI’s statement said.

Those vulnerable groups include people aged 65 and older, residents of long-term care homes or other group living settings, people with underlying medical conditions, people who are pregnant, people from First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities, people who are racialized and people who provide essential community services, it said.

The mRNA vaccines available in Canada are manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Although mRNA COVID-19 vac-

“The registrant acted contrary to the patients’ plans of care and her actions served to undermine the multi-disciplinary team approach to safe, ethical and competent care for vulnerable patients,” reads an online notice of the consent agreement Perkull and the BCCNM reached last week.“Further, the registrant engaged in unprofessional communication while at work by disparaging tious conjunctivitis, which is your classic pink eye.” It’s no surprise that wildfire smoke can be a source of eye irritation, according to Dan Riskin, CTV News’ Science and Technology Specialist.

“Any kind of smoke, from cigarettes to car exhaust can cause severe irritation of the eyes,” he told CTVNews.ca in an email.

HOW TO SOOTHE EYE IRRITATION?

The majority of ways to deal with eye irritation caused by poor air quality are largely “common sense measures,” Roy said. If you pay attention to your symptoms when they are just starting, heading inside can head off those symptoms worsening. “Try to get out of out of that environment as much as possible into an environment with maybe filtered air indoors,” she said. And the other thing is, sometimes it’s just a relief to lubricate the eyes with something like preservative-free artificial teardrops that just helped to sort of dilute the surface irritants that are causing the symptoms in the first place.”

Source: ctvnews.ca/health