Miracle 623-May 17, 2024

Bringing Harmoney To All The Communities...

• Fierce gun battles rage in northern Gaza’s Jabalia and southern Rafah as Israeli military incursions intensify against Palestinian armed groups. Hamas and Israel’s army both claim significant enemy casualties.

• At least 82 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours, the highest death toll in a single day in many weeks, during relentless Israeli air attacks.

• More than 450,000 Palestinians have now fled Rafah city with another 100,000 evacuating the north as Israel’s military launches new attacks.

Anew report from the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the first five years of the federal pharmacare program will cost $1.9 billion, which is $400 million more than what the government set aside in the last budget. However, advocates say the numbers are flawed because the report doesn’t take into account bulk buy savings or how provincial deals

• Far-right Israeli ministers call for the reoccupation of Gaza and “voluntary migration” as Israel marks the 76th anniversary of its founding, and which Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” – Arabic for “catastrophe” –when 750,000 people were forcibly evicted from their homes or fled rampaging Jewish militias.

• At least 35,173 people have been killed and 79,061 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive.

Source: www.aljazeera.com/

may be structured.

Steven Staples with the Canadian Health Coalition tells CityNews there will also be savings for the overall system by getting people the drugs they need. “If we can improve the health care of those Canadians by keeping them out of the health care system, that’s going to improve it for everybody,” he said, adding the benefits outweigh the costs.

“Not only is it going to reduce costs across the whole system but it will save lots of people money by having a universal singlepayer system.”

The PBO does

Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.

Alberta Emergency Alert issued the order(opens in a new tab) for Beacon Hill, Abasand, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace just after 2 p.m.

All residents were asked to leave by 4 p.m., according to the alert.

Residents are being asked to go to the reception centre in Lac La Biche County.

As of 8 p.m., the fire was nearly 21,000 hectares, burning 7.5 kilometres from the Fort McMurray landfill and six kilometres from the intersection of highways 63 and 881.

At 4:30 p.m. RCMP announced the temporary closure of Highway 63 northbound between Highway 881 and Saprae Creek Trail

to allow for preventative fire measures. The following areas are under evacuation alert: Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray First Nation #468, Anzac and Rickards Landing Industrial Park.

“The reason why it’s so important to clear [the neighbourhoods] out is so that we can mobilize our fire resources to fight this fire and defend these neighbourhoods,” Jody Butz, director of emergency management for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said. “We are confident that we have the resources to defend these areas, but we need people out of harm’s way.”

Butz urged residents in other parts of the city not to leave the community until residents under the evacuation order had ” Cont. @ page 8

With the Bank of Canada expected to drop interest rates next month, it seems B.C.’s real estate market is beginning to pick up.

The BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) says the number of listings continues to rise as people look to make some changes.

Cont. @ page 5

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Police have launched an investigation into the viral picture of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan on social media, ARY News reported citing sources.

The picture, which shows Imran Khan sitting in Adiala Jail was widely shared on social media platforms.

The PTI founder appeared before the Supreme Court in the NAB Ordinance 1999 amendment case via video link. The police have started

The Prophet (saw) said, ‘Time has come back to its original state which it had when He created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred. Three of them are in succession: Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Al-Muharram and Rajab of Mudar [named after the tribe of Mudar as they used to respect this month], which stands between Jumada (ath-Thani) and Sha‘ban’. [Bukhari]

The Verses Of Intercession: The Great Virtues Of SURAH AL-MULK

Allah SWT has sent us more than 6000 verses of Divine Wisdom, Reasoning and Guidance through our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in a compilation known as the Qur’an. Out of these verses rest a selective 30 verses collectively known as Surah al Mulk, or the Chapter of Sovereignty. This Makkan surah is the 67th surah in the Qur’an, located in the 29th Juz. Although all surahs have their individual blessings for Muslims, Surah al-Mulk remains prominent as one of the most popular surahs for its protective qualities. For this reason, the surah is commonly referred to as al-Mani’ah, or “that which protects.” There are many hadiths explaining why Surah al-Mulk is important for all Muslims, and its protective benefits for those who recite and memorize it. We will examine some of these hadiths below.

Reciting Surah al-Mulk

Before Sleeping

Because the Qur’an is Allah SWT’s guidance for humankind, there is a great emphasis on reading and understanding it. By increasing our knowledge from reading the Qur’an, we also become closer to our Creator. It is also commonly known that the Qur’an holds immense blessings for those who recite it, as narrated in the following hadith from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, who related that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said, Come join the Al Jumuah family, and help spread the message of Islam to everyone. “Every single penny that we raise will be fully invested in creating more content to spread the message of Islam.”

“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will receive one good deed as ten good deeds like it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is one letter, but rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.”

In Islam, there is no such thing as mother’s day or father’s day. In fact, Islam urges us to respect and care for our parents throughout our lifetime, instead of specifying certain days for it. Allah has commanded us to be good to our parents. Allah says in the Quran, “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him and be good to parents.” (Surah Nisa 4:36) In the above verse Allah mentions Tauhid (Worshipping Him Alone) along with being dutiful to one’s parents. Thus, this should be our foremost concern (second only to obeying Allah and His Messenger) Our parents, especially our mothers, undergo so much, just to keep us safe in this world. Therefore, we should strive to be good to our parents, most importantly our mothers.

Imagine that! There are more than 300,000 letters in the Qur’an. If read from cover to cover, the amount of rewards we would receive would be countless. However, reading Surah al-Mulk gives readers much more than ten good deeds for every letter. It is known that Surah al-Mulk protects its readers from the torments of the grave, especially when read before going to sleep. Abdullaah ibn Mas’ud reported, “Whoever reads: Tabaarak allaadhi bi yadihi’l-mulk [i.e., Surah al-Mulk] every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to call it al-maani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allah it is a surah which, whoever recites it every night has done very well.”

And not only does it protect the reader from the punishment of the grave, but it is also a Sunnah to read Surah al-Mulk, along with Surah Sajdah, every night before going to bed. Jabir reported,

“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not sleep until he recited surah: Alif Laam Meem Tanzeel (Surah Sajdah) and Surah Tabarak (Surah Al Mulk).”

Memorizing Surah al-Mulk

Not only is it important to recite from the Qur’an, but it is also important to memorize surahs from it. Memorization is not only useful when reciting surahs during the Salah, but it helps us maintain a connection between us and Allah’s Word.

As pertaining to Surah al-Mulk, there is also a reward for one who successfully memorizes this surah by heart. Anas ibn Malik reported that the beloved Holy Prophet (peace be upon him, his family and companions) said,

“A person passed away and he did not know anything from the Qur’an except Surah Tabaarak (i.e., Al-Mulk). When the Angel of punishment entered his grave, this surah appeared, so the angel of punishment said, ‘Now that you are here, I am returning, but neither am I the causer of any harm to you, or upon myself or

most deserving of one’s good company and he replied, “Your Mother”, not once but thrice. But why did Allah’s messenger mention “your mother” three times and the father only once?

Why do mothers deserve most of the companionship and not the father?

Well, isn’t it quite obvious that it’s because it is the mother who bore you in her womb for nine long months! The one who spent sleepless nights just to feed and keep you warm. The one who does so many sacrifices on your behalf.

So do you think just a bouquet of flowers or a gift on a particular day would suffice? What are our duties towards our mothers as Muslims?

* Obey them as long as they don’t go against Allah and His Messenger.

* Treat them kindly at all times. Have mercy on them.

* Ask Allah to shower His mercy on them. Make Dua for them and ask Allah to forgive their sins.

* Be thankful to them. * Honour them.

upon this person. If you wish for salvation for him, then go into the court of Allah Almighty and intercede for him.’ Thereafter, the Surah (Al-Mulk) will present itself in the court of Allah Almighty and say ‘O my Lord! This person chose me alone from your Book, so he memorized me and recited me, so do you will to condemn him to hell? If this is what you intend to do to him, then erase me from your book!’ Allah Almighty will then say, ‘You have probably become displeased.’ The Qur’an (i.e., the Surah Al-Mulk) will say, ‘I have the right to be displeased.’ Allah Almighty will say, ‘I have accepted your intercession on his behalf.’ It (the Surah) returns to the grave and gives this information to the Angel (of punishment) and the Angel thus leaves without punishing the deceased. The Surah approaches the deceased and places its mouth over the mouth of the deceased and says, ‘O mouth! Glad tidings to you, for you recited me abundantly and glad tidings to the chest, for it remembered me. Glad tidings to these feet for they stood whilst reciting me,’ and it (Surah Al-Mulk) remains in his grave, attached to him.” After the beloved Holy Prophet (peace be upon him, his family and companions) mentioned this, every person, young and old, freemen and indentured, all of them memorized it and the beloved Holy Prophet ﷺ called this Surah by the name Munjiyah (the one which gives salvation).”

Along with preventing the Angel of Punishment from bringing us torment in the grave from all sides of our body, Surah al-Mulk will directly intercede with Allah SWT for our admission into Paradise and to keep us away from the fire of Hell. Even if it was the only surah we memorized out of the entire Qur’an, we would still have an intercession! How wonderful would it be to have a spot in Paradise simply for the

Most of us are aware of the hadith in which Rasoolullah (saw)was asked as to who is

* Make them feel happy by listening to their advice or by buying gifts for them once in a while. Make them feel special. Source: theislamicreflections.com/

memorization of this surah, even if it was the only surah we memorized! Because of the immense power this surah holds, we are even encouraged to teach the surah to others so that they may gain the beautiful reward of Surah al-Mulk as well. Abdullah ibn Abbas said, “Personally, recite Surah Al Mulk and teach it to your wife, children, and to all the other children who live in your home, and even to your neighbors, because it is that which grants salvation, and it will firmly demand (for your) salvation from Allah.”

Conclusion

Surah al-Mulk is a short but powerful surah that will protect us from the torments of the grave and intercede with Allah SWT directly for our admission into Paradise. As Muslims, we should all make an effort to memorize this surah, include its recitation into our daily routines, and teach it to our family and friends. In doing so, we become a step closer to becoming better Muslims while performing a Sunnah of our beloved Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ. In sha Allah, this surah, along with our other good deeds, will allow us to acquire the promise of Paradise by Allah SWT’s mercy.

Source:https://aljumuah.com/

Official Statement from Mayor of Vancouver on Illumination for Israel’s 76th Independence Day

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim released the following statement regarding the Illumination of City Hall and Burrard Bridge for Israel’s 76th Independence Day:“We recognize and uphold fundamental freedoms of speech and the ability to peacefully protest whether at City Hall, or across Vancouver. That being said, it’s equally important to emphasize that our city maintains a zero-tolerance stance towards hateful speech and violent demonstrations. “Democratic principles are the foundation of this country and any attempt to subvert or prevent Vancouver’s City Council from do-

ing its democratic duty will not be tolerated. As Vancouver’s Mayor, I want to be clear that this Council will continue to carry out its duties despite threats to disrupt City Hall. “The recent illumination request for Israel’s 76th Independence Day underwent careful review by City staff, aligning with our Civic Protocol Policy’s parameters. City Hall and Burrard St Bridge will also be illuminated later this month for the Independence days of other countries, including Guyana and Azerbaijan.“It’s important to note that this illumination does not imply or express support for the politics of any country. Illumi-

nation requests are open to members of the public, charities, non-profit organizations registered in Canada, or Consulate Offices, and are assessed fairly and impartially in line with eligibility criteria and precedence.

“The City has approved requests to illuminate City Hall and Burrard Bridge for Israel’s Independence Day in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Notably, the City has not declined illumination requests from other countries amidst political unrest or conflict with which Canada maintains diplomatic relations.”

Media Contact: Maria Veras, Press Secretary Office of the Mayor

Surrey wins Economic Development award for 2024 Economic Strategy

nomic development. The City won the Economic Recovery and Resiliency Award for communities over 20,000 in population for the new Surrey Economic Strategy, Investing in Our Future: A Roadmap to Realizing the Opportunities of Tomorrow. The strategy outlines the need for the creation of 300,000 jobs by 2042 to ensure there is one job per resident worker by the time Surrey reaches a population of one million residents, with a focus on cultivating job opportunities, enriching livability, and addressing the needs of the City’s ever-growing population.

“I am thrilled to receive this prestigious award from the BCEDA, which highlights our commitment to driving economic recovery and building a resilient future for

our community,” said Mayor Brenda Locke.

“The newly unveiled Surrey Economic Strategy stands as a pivotal milestone to guide us to create new jobs and opportunities to support our growth. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and we are proud to continue working towards realizing the opportunities of tomorrow for the City of Surrey.”

This BCEDA award recognizes programs, activities, and projects that represent a successful recovery initiative from natural and man-made disasters, including COVID-19, as well as submissions that represent replicable measures undertaken to promote long term resiliency and/or sustainability from future disasters.

For over 30 years, the BCEDA has given these awards to individuals and groups who have dedicated their time to communitybased economic development. This year, BCEDA teamed up with FortisBC to announce the winners of the 2024 BC Economic Development Awards at the BCEDA’s annual awards presentation held at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre in Penticton during the BC Economic Summit. These awards recognize BCEDA members for outstanding work in supporting their local economies, and making a meaningful difference in their communities.

Amy Jugpal Communications & Media Relations Lead Office of the Mayor, City of Surrey

SASSY Awards honour outstanding achievements of Surrey youth

Surrey, B.C. –The 14th Annual Service

Above Self Surrey Youth (SASSY) Awards were presented on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, to close off a fun-filled week of B.C. Youth Week activities and events throughout the city. The awards took place at Surrey Arts Centre and celebrated 41 nominees in six award categories.

“It is my pleasure to congratulate all of the passionate youth recognized in the 14th annual SASSY Awards,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “Thank you to all the award recipients for the work you do to make our city a better place and for inspiring the next generation of community leaders. It is your commitment and energy that will moves us forward towards an even brighter and better

On April 25, 2024, the Province amended the Police Act to include a new section (Section 27, subsection 3.1), requiring any municipality to notify a municipal police board and the Director of Police Services by May 15 to object to any aspect of a budget pro-

Surrey. Thank you also to the sponsors, performers, volunteers and youth leaders who stepped up to support this important event.” Awards were presented to three finalists in the categories of Arts & Culture Leadership, Community Service, Environmental Leadership, Youth Leadership, Overcoming Adversity and Sports and Recreation Leadership. The award recipients of each category received $1,500 along with a $500 donation to present to a charity of their choice. The two finalists in each category both received $500 to honour their achievements in the community as well as a $250 donation to present to the charity of their choice.

Presented by Semiahmoo Rotary Club along with the City of Surrey, the 14th annual

SASSY Awards featured Harley Chappell from the Semiahmoo First Nations for an Indigenous welcome, and headlining performances by Richard Tichelman alongside youth performances happening throughout the evening. Proceeds from the SASSY Awards support Rotary youth programs like

Statement from the Mayor: Policing Budgets

posed by a municipal police board.

Today, the City of Surrey has informed the Director of Police Services and the provincially appointed Administrator of the Surrey Police Board that it is upholding its approved budget and that Surrey taxpayers will not be on the hook for additional policing costs related to having two overlapping forces. Otherwise, if City Council were to approve SPS and RCMP’s proposed budgets, we would be looking at an additional cost of more than $37M. This would double the approved 2024 property tax increase of

7% to more than 14%.

On May 6, 2024, the City of Surrey approved a policing operations budget of $221.6 million, which will fund in excess of a combined sworn member strength of 785 members.

Our goal has always been to protect taxpayers and public safety, and our approach ensures that Surrey taxpayers will not be responsible for covering the out-of-control costs of the NDP’s imposed police transition. In 2023, Surrey Police Service dramatically overspent their budget, going 45%

Interact and Rotaract, where youth from our community lead projects locally and globally to help make the world a better place. Any surplus proceeds generated from the event support special youth projects in the community and future SASSY awards.

By:

Arielle Patterson , City of Surrey

over what they were approved to spend. The City cannot afford to pay for two overlapping police services just because the NDP continue to have no plan for this transition. The extraordinary step that the City of Surrey has taken today was done to comply with a rushed amendment by the Province to the Police Act passed just days before our recent court proceedings. These changes were made without any consultation with the City, weeks before the new imposed deadline, and have serious implications for municipal budgets throughout BC.

Mayor Brenda Locke City of Surrey

Bouchard scores late winner, Oilers edge Canucks 3-2 to tie playoff series at 2 games apiece

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Evan Bouchard scored the game-winning goal with 38.1 seconds remaining and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Evan Bouchard scored the game-winning goal with 38.1 seconds remaining and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

The victory evened the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series at 2-all, with Game 5 set for Thursday night in Van-

couver. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring for the Oilers on a first-period power play and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added a tally late in the second period.

Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua had third-period goals for the Canucks, who lost their first road game of the postseason.

Calvin Pickard made 19 saves in his firstever NHL playoff start, while Arturs Silovs stopped 27 of 30 shots for Vancouver.

The 32-year-old Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner, who allowed four goals on 15 shots in Edmonton’s Game 3 loss on Sunday.

“(Pickard) looked like a guy who had played 100 playoff games,” Oilers head coach Kris

Knoblauch said. “Composed, really solid, seeing the puck really well.”

In his 13th pro season, , Pickard signed with Edmonton as a free agent in July 2022. He has spent much of his tenure playing for the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. He was elevated to the NHL team’s backup role in November, when the Oilers sent struggling netminder Jack Campbell down to the AHL. Backing up hasn’t come with consistent ice time, though. Before taking over for Skinner, Pickard’s last appearance came on April 18. Knoblauch said he’s been impressed by the goalie, even when he wasn’t playing.

“Continually, his starts have been solid, no matter how long he sat, a week, two weeks,” the coach said. “We have a lot of confidence in him and he came up big tonight.”.. Source:cbssports.com/

Surrey, B.C. – The City of Surrey has won a British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) Award recognizing achievement in initiatives that support eco-

OPINION

DEFYING international pressure, Israel has begun its long-threatened military assault in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It is speeding up the ongoing genocide of the occupied population. Israel’s latest military offensive has forced hundreds and thousands of people to flee the city. In the words of a UN official, there is “no safe place in the enclave”.

A full-blown famine has already begun in the territory, with Zionist forces closing all access to relief supplies. According to the UN, “a staggering 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza 1.9 million civilians have been forcibly displaced amid Israel’s military operations.” The genocide that has entered its eighth month has so far left more than 35,000 people dead — most of them women and children.

Such savagery is unparalleled in modern history. Yet the world has failed to stop the catastrophe. The latest Israeli offensive and the relentless bombardment of the civilian population has alarmed even Israel’s Western patrons. But still, they are not willing to act effectively to stop the genocide of a hapless population. The latest evacuation has affected close to a million people in Rafah.

US President Joe Biden’s decision to pause the supply of some of the most lethal bombs to Israel is mere hogwash. While withholding the delivery of 3,500 highpayload bombs, which Israel has been using to kill thousands of Palestinians, the US remains the biggest supplier of weapons to the Zionist state. This makes it an accomplice in the genocide. It is not surprising that the rightwing Israeli government is going ahead with the ground invasion of Rafah, ignoring the US warn-

Unending genocidal war

ing.

Israel’s extension of the war to Rafah has intensified public outrage the world over.

In fact, the US president’s pledge to continue with his administration’s “ironclad” support for Israel renders his decision to suspend the supply of some weapons irrelevant. The Israeli leadership has vowed to continue the military assault on Rafah notwithstanding the US warning, and perhaps knowing that it would not cause relations with Tel Aviv’s staunchest ally to rupture.

Nothing could expose America’s hypocrisy more than the statement by White House National Security Council coordinator John Kirby, who said that the “operation along the Gaza-Egypt border in eastern Rafah was not a full-on invasion of the city that President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned against on humanitarian grounds”. Israel, according to him, had described it as “an operation of limited scale and duration”. Such a statement in the midst of the relentless bombardment of the city and Israeli tanks rumbling on the outskirts, forcing the eviction of some 300,000 people, is an attempt to provide justification for the invasion. Israeli tanks and planes have attacked several areas and homes in Rafah in the past one week. The American defence of Israeli action comes as the UN and aid agencies are warning of a “full-blown famine” because of the closure of two main crossings near Rafah.

According to some media reports, Israel sent its ground forces into Rafah and took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing hours after Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire proposal put

forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Israel said the proposal fell short of its requirements. Whatever leverage the US claims to have doesn’t seem to be working as Israel continues with its genocidal war.

Meanwhile, Israel’s extension of the war to Rafah has intensified public outrage the world over, including in the US. Campus protests against the Gaza war are spreading despite police actions against student encampments. In many cases, the faculty has joined protesting students — reminiscent of the anti-war protests of the 1960s. The rising anti-war sentiment, particularly among the young voters, will hugely affect President Biden’s bid for a second term in the November presidential elections. The Gaza war has changed America’s political landscape.

The protests have also spread to Western Europe, increasing pressure on governments there to call for a ceasefire. Israel’s refusal to ease hostilities and its latest military offensive in Rafah has increased Tel Aviv’s international isolation. Many of its Western European allies have now openly condemned Israel’s killing of the civilian population, though Germany and Britain have not halted weapons’ supply to Tel Aviv. Israel’s growing international isolation was demonstrated in the overwhelming support at the UN General Assembly for Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the UN, with 143 countries voting in favour and nine (including the US and Israel amongst others) against. Twenty-five countries abstained. The UNGA wants the Security Council to “reconsider the matter favourably”.

Those who voted in favour in-

cluded France and many other European countries, demonstrating the widening breach in the pro-Israel bloc amid the growing public backlash against Israel’s genocidal policy. The overwhelming support for Palestine has been a rebuke for the Zionist state as well as the US. The resolution was put before the UNGA after the US had vetoed a similar motion for granting Palestine full member status in the Security Council.

The Security Council’s approval is still needed for the resolution to come into effect that would lead to Palestine sitting among the member states and participating in discussions on all matters. It seems certain that the US will again use its power of veto to block it. Nevertheless, it has been a huge moral victory for the Palestinian cause.

Despite relentless bombing and ground action that has killed thousands of people and turned most of Gaza into rubble, Tel Aviv has still not been able to achieve its objectives. Israeli forces are back in northern Gaza, which it had earlier claimed to have cleared of resistance. They are now engaged in an intense battle with Palestinian fighters. Israel is paying a huge cost for invading Gaza. It’s a no-win war for the Zionist state despite American backing and its military superiority. The prolonged war and increasing international isolation have worsened Israel’s predicament. But there is still no sign of Israel ending hostilities. The international community must act to stop the genocidal war before Israel turns the entire occupied enclave into a graveyard.

Courtesy by: Zahid Hussain

The writer is an author and journalist.

PTI founder’s viral picture leads to a probe

News Continued from Pg 1

questioning individuals present in the courtroom at the time the photo was taken, sources added.

Sources said that the investigation has also led to an increase in security measures in the courtroom, with police conducting thorough searches of individuals entering the courtroom.

According to sources, the investigation has begun to identify the person who took the picture, which is believed to have been taken by

News Continued from Pg 1

In its latest report released Wednesday, the group says the total number of active listings in B.C. rose more than 42 per cent from April 2023 to April 2024, to a total of 36,113 listings.

The City of Victoria, the Okanagan, and Greater Vancouver saw the most amount of residences come

someone sitting on the left side of the courtroom. It is pertinent to mention here that a five-member SC larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, and also comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and appears Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi is hearing the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance 1999 amendment case.

The proceedings of the case are not being live-streamed on the SC’s YouTube channel.

During the previous hearing on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had allowed video-link facility for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in the NAB amendment case. Justice Athar Minallah remarked that if Imran Khan wanted to appear in person, he should be brought here. He is a party to this case, how can we deny him the right to appear before the court? This is a case regarding NAB and it is his right to appear in person.

Verdict In a majority 2-1 verdict,

the top court approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.

The top court also restored graft cases against public office holders that were closed down following the amendments to National Accountability Bureau laws.

Source:arynews.tv/

onto the market. Victoria has 51 per cent more listings in April 2024 than during the same time last year.With the increase in listings, the BCREA says there were almost 7,570 residences sold in April this year, up 1.5 per cent from April 2023.

The BCREA says the value of total sales on a year-over-year basis is also up, to $7.6 billion — an increase of three per cent from the

same time last year. “April was an above-average month for new listings activity, registering the highest pace since 2021,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson.

“Sales are still slightly below normal, which has led to a substantial increase in total inventory, though at a level still far below long-run balance. Ultimately, the market is heading into the summer in a

state of relative calm with much more choice for buyers.” The association says the average price of a residence in B.C. last month was $1 million, up 1.4 per cent from April 2023 which had an average price of $992,440. Meanwhile, the average price of a residence in Greater Vancouver sits at $1.3 million, with the Fraser Valley seeing an average of $1.05 million. Source: citynews.ca/

media giants make deal on non-consensual intimate images

The British Columbia government and social media giants have made what they call a “historic collaboration” for youth safety online. A joint statement from Premier David Eby and representatives of Meta, Google, TikTok, X and Snap Inc., the parent of Snapchat, says they met to help young people stay safe online, one of the most important challenges facing families, government and companies. At its first meeting earlier this month, the group says they discussed broad-

Request for tank ammunition, tactical vehicles for Israel despite Biden’s earlier pause on bombs over Rafah assault.

The Biden administration has told Congress that it plans to send a $1bn package of military aid to Israel, according to media reports, despite the United States’s opposition to a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza and concerns about rising civilian deaths. The US Department of State on Tuesday moved the package into the congressional review process, Reuters news agency reported, citing two unnamed US officials. The package, which is yet to be approved, includes about $700m for tank ammunition, $500m in tactical vehicles and $60m in mortar rounds, congressional aides told The Associated Press news agency. The approval request for the transfer of

scale co-operation because online predators like those who have targeted children in B.C. don’t limit themselves to just one platform. The companies have committed to providing B.C. with so-called direct escalation channels that will allow for quick reporting of non-consensual intimate images being placed online even before a protection order is issued. The statement says that will make it easier for those in B.C. to get the images taken down quickly, demonstrating the platforms’ commitment to protecting privacy online and “promoting responsible digital behaviour.”The meeting comes after the B.C. government put its online harms legislation on hold last month because it reached an agreement with the companies to talk about solutions for protecting people’s safety and privacy online...Source:bc.ctvnews.ca/

lethal weapons comes a week after President Joe Biden paused a single shipment of bombs because of concerns over Israel’s offensive in Rafah, in the southernmost tip of Gaza, from where the United Nations says close to half a million displaced people have fled. Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi said the new package “is being presented as the long-term US commitment to supplying Israel with weaponry”... Source: aljazeera.com/

At least 14 killed as billboard collapses in Mumbai during thunderstorm

The billboard collapsed on some houses and a petrol station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar following gusty winds and rain.

At least 14 people have been killed and dozens of others injured after a huge billboard fell on them during a thunderstorm in India’s financial capital Mumbai, according to local authorities.The billboard collapsed

on some houses and a petrol station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar following gusty winds and rain late on Monday. Many others were trapped following the incident, with rescue operations continuing till early Tuesday. Mumbai’s municipal corporation said 74 people were taken to hospital with injuries following the accident, of which 31 were discharged. The rains, accompanied by strong winds, caused the 30-metre-tall (100-foot) billboard located next to a busy road in the Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar to fall over a petrol station and some houses on Monday evening. The Press Trust of India news agency, quoting police officials, reported the billboard was installed illegally.

Source:aljazeera.com/

‘Some structural damage’ from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms

More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.

Rob Fraser said that there has been “some structural damage” as a result of the Park Lake blaze.“There’s no damage at all in the town proper – but out along the stretch of the Alaska highway in close proximity to where this started, there’s been some damage,” he said.Roughly 4,700 people were ordered to flee when the wildfire exploded in size last Friday. It is now estimated at approximately 84 square kilometres. At a meeting in the afternoon to provide a community update, Fraser said efforts are underway to contact the owners of the properties that have been impacted. He also said it is “unconscionable” that people are posting

photos and videos to social media showing the damage. “Can you imagine finding out about your shop or your house because somebody posted it on Facebook?” he asked. Officially assessing all of the damage, he said, will happen when there are resources available – which won’t happen until there has been more progress on fighting the fire...

Source:bc.ctvnews.ca/

In talks with Dar, China vows to ‘upgrade’

BEIJING: China is ready to work with Pakistan to develop an “upgraded version” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Pakistani counterpart on Wednesday. In talks with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s new deputy prime minister, Wang

Driven by unusually heavy seasonal rains, the floods have killed hundreds and destroyed homes and livestock.

Shopkeeper Nazer Mohammad ran home as soon as he heard about flash floods crashing through the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri, a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan. By the time he got there, all had been swept away, including his home and family of five.

“Everything happened just all of a sudden. I came home, but there was no home there. Instead, I saw all the neighbourhood covered by mud and water,” said Mohammad, 48. He buried his wife and sons, aged 15 and eight years, but he is still looking for two daughters, aged about six and 11 years.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan have caused more than 300 deaths and destroyed thousands of houses, most of them in the northern province of Baghlan, which bore the brunt of the deluges on Friday.

CPEC

hailed the “ironclad” relationship between the neighbouring countries and pledged to advance CPEC, the South China Morning Post reported. “Both sides should effectively implement the Framework Agreement on ening our cooperation in areas like industry, agriculture, mining, new energy and information technology,” Mr Yi said, citing a pact signed by the two nations in 2022, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout. Both men co-chaired the fifth round of China- Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, the Foreign Office said in a statement...

Source: Dawnnews

“I hope someone has found my daughters alive,” he said, holding back tears. “Just in the blink of an eye, I lost everything: family, home, belongings. Now nothing is left to me.”More than 50 children have been killed, according to UNICEF, one of several international aid groups sending relief teams, medicines, blankets and other supplies. The World Health Organization delivered 7 tonnes of medicines and emergency kits.

Source:https:aljazeera.com/

‘Old friend’ Putin arrives in China for state visit, summit with Xi Jinping

Latest visit comes as Russia presses a new offensive on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in China for a two-day state visit, as the two countries look to further deepen a relationship that has grown closer since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.The visit comes days after Russia launched a new offensive in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, and as it claims advances on the 1,000km (600-mile) long front line where Kyiv’s forces have been hampered

Solar Water pumps is part of the 2050 water plan, says Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau. In an interview at the SolarX Startup challenge workshop in Nadi yesterday, Ro Filipe said they were also working closely with the International Solar Alliance on providing solar-powered water pumps in the future.“That is one of the 2050 water plans so that it contains all the strategic directives moving forward and also the approximate costings,” he said. “Within that plan, we have

by delayed deliveries of weapons and ammunitions from the United States.

Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a “no limits” partnership between Russia and China days before Putin sent his troops into Ukraine in February 2022. In March 2023, when Xi visited Moscow, he described a “new era” in the countries’ relationship while in October, when Putin was last in Beijing, Xi spoke of the “deep friendship” between the two leaders who had met 42 times over the previous decade.

China’s state news agency Xinhua confirmed Putin’s arrival for what Chinese media have described as a state visit from an “old friend”. Ahead of the trip, 71-year-old Putin said his choice of China as his first foreign destination since being sworn in as president for a fifth term underlined the “unprecedentedly high level of the strategic partnership” between the two countries as well as his close friendship with Xi, who is 70...

Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/

the rural water, which is accessed through their own water dams (stand-alone) but some are connected to the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) networks... Source:fijitimes.com.fj/

Mohammad said he found the bodies of his wife and two sons late on Friday night on the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri.

Canada abstains on Palestine recognition at UN, open to statehood before peace

Canada abstained from another United Nations vote Friday aimed at formally recognizing Palestine, while opening the door to supporting statehood before the end of the current conflict.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it’s part of Canada’s efforts to stop the Israeli government from blocking an eventual Palestinian state. “Our long-standing position (was) that you could only recognize the State of

Palestine as an outcome at the end of a process leading to a two-state solution,” he told reporters in West Kelowna, B.C.

“We now recognize that it may happen sooner than at the end of the process, as a way of pushing toward that two-state solution.” The UN General Assembly voted by a wide margin Friday morning to grant the Palestinian delegation more procedural rights in UN forums, and ask the Security Council to reconsider blocking Palestine from full status as a member state.

Canada was among 25 countries to abstain, and Trudeau said this is a deliberate change from Canada’s stance of voting against most motions that target Israel. Ottawa has previously deemed these to be one-sided motions that hinder peace talks.

“The Israeli government under Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu has unacceptably closed the door on any path toward a two-state solution and we disagree with that fundamentally,” Trudeau said, in explaining

his rationale. He reiterated positions Canada has taken for months on the conflict, including the need for Hamas to surrender its hostages and stop fighting, and for Israel to stop limiting humanitarian aid due to “famine conditions that are quickly developing and the horrific loss of life.” In a statement, Global Affairs Canada wrote that it will recognize the State of Palestine “at the time most conducive to lasting peace,” adding that this isn’t necessarily after a final peace accord with Israel, and that peace talks “cannot delay the creation of a Palestinian state.”

The Palestinian delegation in Ottawa wrote in a press release that the shift is “a positive step forward” but argued a full recognition would better reflect Canada’s aspirations for peace in the region. Israel’s ambassador in Ottawa argued that full UN membership for Palestine would reward Hamas.

Canada has also joined the European Union in condemning two arson attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied area of eastern Je-

rusalem on the local building used by UNRWA, a UN agency supporting Palestinians. Israel has accused UNRWA of links to terrorism, which led Western countries to suspend or freeze funding, though an independent probe found Israel had not provided evidence for its claims. The statement notes “the services UNRWA provides in Gaza and across the region are essential,” and it calls on Israel to ensure the safety of UN staff and premises.

Despite that concern, Canada has yet to follow through on a promise three months ago to sanction violent West Bank settlers, a move taken by the U.S. and the U.K. months ago. Instead, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly applied sanctions to four men in Iran whom Ottawa accused of providing military training and resources to help bolster Hamas. Those listed are members of the militant group, or of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Source:vancouver.citynews.ca/

Israel escalates attacks as aid agencies warn Gaza on brink of catastrophe

Israel intensifies assaults in north and central Gaza as aid groups warn crisis in Rafah ‘defies imagination’

Israel has continued its military push in across Gaza, with fierce urban gun battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups taking place in the Jabalia camp in the north to the southern city of Rafah, which borders Egypt.

In the northern Jabalia district, now widely destroyed, residents said Israeli tanks had destroyed clusters of homes but were facing heavy resistance from fighters with the Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group on Wednesday.

“They are bombing houses on top of their

inhabitants,” said Abu Jehad.

The PIJ claimed it killed some Israeli soldiers in Jabalia, while Israel’s military said it eliminated many fighters in the area.

Israel sent troops back into areas in northern Gaza earlier this week after claiming they had defeated Hamas there months ago.

Israel’s military ordered more evacuations from the al-Manshiya and Sheikh Zayyed neighbourhoods in northern Gaza.

The United Nations estimated that some 100,000 people have been forcibly expelled from the north in recent days.

In Gaza City, several people were killed after Israeli forces struck a group of Palestinians at the intersection of Jalaa Street and al-Oyoun Street, the official Palestinian

What is behind Russia’s nuclear escalation threat?

Brinkmanship in the war in Ukraine might be nearing its natural limits; this could pave the way for diplomacy.

Last week, tensions between Russia and the West appeared to escalate to a dangerous new level when President Vladimir Putin ordered military drills involving tactical nuclear weapons near the Ukrainian border. The Kremlin made clear that the drills were in response to statements by Western leaders about the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine and the use of Western weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

On May 2, during a surprise visit to Kyiv, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron pledged to keep helping Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and suggested that Ukrainians were free to use British weapons in order to strike Russian territory. This could pertain to the Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles as well as drones the United Kingdom had pledged to supply to Ukraine in their thousands.

While Western countries have been supplying Ukraine with weapons, they have explicitly made clear that they cannot be used for attacks on Russian soil. For this reason, until now, Ukraine has been using its home-made drones and missiles against civilian and military targets inside Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, has repeatedly suggested that NATO could potentially end up deploying troops to Ukraine. He reiterated it this month in an interview with the Economist published on May 2. The French president refused to provide more details, insisting that the European Union should maintain “strategic ambiguity” and leave the Russians guessing about its real intentions.

But the Kremlin has chosen not to play the guessing game. The announcement of military drills involving tactical nuclear weapons in its Southern Military District which borders Ukraine sends a clear message to the West. And to make the point clearer, the

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the British and French ambassadors and released details of the rebukes they received. The one addressed to France merely denounced Macron’s statements as “provocative” and “destructive”. The statement addressed to the UK was much harsher. It said that by allowing Ukraine to use weapons against targets in Russia, the UK becomes a side in the conflict. The ambassador was warned that should Ukraine proceed with strikes using British weapons, Russia could strike British targets “in Ukraine and beyond”. This was the first direct threat of an attack against NATO targets outside Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-out invasion in 2022. But it was not the first time Russia threatened the UK in the context of this conflict.

Back in the summer of 2021, the Russian navy fired warning shots when the British warship HMS Defender entered what Russia considers its territorial waters off the Crime-

Wafa news agency reported.

At least three bodies arrived at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, as well as a number of critical cases, Wafa said. The number of dead from this attack, which targeted a gathering point for internet access, is expected to rise, according to Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud.

“This is not the first time we see this pattern of attacks on civilians gathering in large groups, either at a food distribution or internet connection points, or even at a solar-powered point to charge their phones or computers,” Mahmoud said.

Palestinian health officials said at least 82 Palestinians were killed in the previous 24 hours...Source:aljazeera.com/

an coast. It also threatened to bomb any British vessel that would attempt it again. That episode served as an important prelude to the Russian invasion. Several factors must have contributed to the current escalatory episode. In the British case, domestic considerations did play a role. The unpopular Conservative government is nearly guaranteed to be routed in the upcoming national elections, which makes foreign affairs one of the last straws it could hold on to. ...Source: aljazeera.com/

4th man appears in court on charges of killing B.C. Sikh leader

Amandeep Singh to appear next week alongside 3 co-accused in killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. One of four men accused of killing a Sikh leader in British Columbia last year made a first appearance in provincial court Wednesday morning, as a crowd gathered outside to protest India’s alleged involvement in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death. Homicide investigators said Amandeep Singh was charged last weekend with firstdegree murder and conspiracy to commit murder — just over a week after identical charges were announced against three coaccused. Singh appeared in court in Surrey, B.C., virtually from Ontario, where the

22-year-old was already in the custody of Peel Regional Police for unrelated firearms charges. A judge set his next court date for May 21 — when he’ll appear alongside the other three men charged with conspiring to kill Nijjar outside a Gurdwara in Surrey last June.

‘Enemies of Canada’ Singh’s appearance was marred by technical delays. Singh, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh are all Indian nationals. Police say Amandeep Singh was splitting his time in Canada between Canada in Brampton, Ont., Abbotsford, B.C., and Surrey. The four men are accused of conspiring

to gun down Nijjar in the parking lot of the Sikh temple where he was president.

They are allegedly members of a hit squad that investigators believe was tasked by the government of India to carry out the murder of Nijjar, who was a key organizer of unofficial referendums for an independent Sikh state in India and was regarded by India’s government as a terrorist.

Nijjar’s death has sparked tensions between Canada and India, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying credible intelligence linked the killing to India’s government, while Indian officials deny involvement. Source:cbc.ca/news

Canada wildfires spur evacuation orders, warnings: What

More than 130 wildfires are burning across Canada, federal tracker says, as massive blazes force thousands to evacuate.

Thousands of people have been evacuated as enormous, out-of-control wildfires scorch large swaths of territory in western Canada, with the country grappling with what could be another devastating fire season.

This week, residents of the small town of Fort Nelson, in northeastern British Columbia, were forced from their homes as a blaze grew “dramatically” in only a few days and was moving towards the community.

In the neighbouring province of Alberta, authorities gave people in parts of Fort McMurray – a town at the heart of the Canadian tar sands region – about two hours to leave due to an approaching wildfire.

Canada saw its most intense fire season on record last year, with hundreds of wildfires burning in provinces and territories across the country in a crisis experts said was worsened by climate change.

Here’s all you need to know about the current wildfires.

How many wildfires are burning in Canada?

More than 130 wildfires are currently burning across the country, according to a tally by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Of those, 40 were considered out of control on Wednesday morning. So far this year, Canada has experienced more than 1,000 wildfires that have burned approximately 336,000 hectares (830,000 acres) of land, the CIFFC found. Where are the fires currently burning?

Most of the blazes are in British Columbia and Alberta, the CIFFC says on its website. Others also have broken out in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, among other parts of the country. Where have evacuation orders been issued?

About 3,500 people were evacuated from Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation, in northeastern British Columbia, due to the Parker Lake wildfire. By Tuesday, the blaze had grown to more than 8,400 hectares (20,700 acres).

On Tuesday afternoon, authorities in Alberta also issued evacuation orders for the Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace areas of Fort McMurray. The town itself, which was engulfed by a devastating wildfire in 2016, is currently under an “evacuation alert”, which means

residents should be ready to leave if an evacuation order is issued.

The Alberta Wildfire agency said on Wednesday morning that favourable winds were expected to push the fire away from Fort McMurray while crews continue to work to contain the blaze.

Meanwhile, people have also been evacuated in parts of northern Manitoba, in central Canada. An out-of-control wildfire near the small towns of Flin Flon and The Pas – near the province’s border with Saskatchewan – has grown to 31,600 hectares (78,000 acres).

What is causing the wildfires?

Generally, wildfires in Canada are caused either by lightning strikes or human behaviour.

Some of the blazes currently burning in the country are what are known as “holdover fires”. The term refers to fires that continue to burn under snow during the winter and are reignited when the temperature warms in the spring. Authorities have said drought conditions and high winds are propelling the wildfires.

Ben Boghean, a fire behaviour specialist with the BC Wildfire Service, said the northeastern region of British Columbia “has experienced multiple years of drought, with a below-normal snowpack this past winter”.

“As a result of this, our forest in the Fort Nelson zone are very receptive to new fire ignitions and rapid rates of spread,” he said, explaining that the Parker Lake wildfire

you need to know

ignited amid strong winds and grew eight kilometres (five miles) in four hours after it was first detected. “This rapid growth highlighted how dry and volatile forest fuels are up here,” Boghean said.

Is the climate crisis playing a role?

Experts say higher temperatures have extended the Canadian wildfire season, which typically runs from late April until September or October, and increased lightning – a major cause of the blazes.

Mike Flannigan, research chair for predictive services, emergency management and fire science at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told Al Jazeera last year that a warmer atmosphere also dries out fire fuels, such as the vegetation on forest floors.

These drier fuels then make it easier for fires to start and spread, and they lead to higher intensity fires that “are difficult to impossible to extinguish”, Flannigan said.

Source:aljazeera.com/

‘Most of the city is evacuating’: Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray

A seismic shift could be coming to the B.C. political landscape as backroom talks to strike a deal between the province’s two right-of-centre parties are underway.

“It’s a well-known historical fact that the centre-right can’t win as two parties in B.C.,” noted University of British Columbia political scientist Gerald Baier on Wednesday. The BC Conservatives are battling with the BC NDP for the lead in recent polls with the opposition BC United falling far behind.

However, there are still worries that vote splitting could propel the NDP to a supermajority. On Wednesday, BC United leader Kevin Falcon clarified that any deal would not be a full merger with the BC Conservatives. There are issues around many of their candidates, there are issues around logistics, but some other options for co-operation could be looked at in terms of identifying seats and deciding whether both parties need to run people in every single seat,” a statement from his office said.

But even that scenario would present practical challenges. “BC Conservatives only have two seats and BC United have a couple of dozen, and BC United presumably would not want to give up any of their incumbents,” opined Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley. Still, an appetite for some union is growing, including from a couple of former B.C. premiers. Bill Vander Zalm was a Social Credit premier from 1986 to 1991. He supports

Source: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/ News Continued from Pg 1

Idea of new Surrey stadium gets a pre-FIFA World Cup boost

By: Mike Lloyd

Amid the city’s tight budgets and ongoing arguments over policing costs, the pitch for a new, multi-million dollar stadium in Surrey is getting a boost.

The latest concept for a new stadium for the city was brought up by Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke in her February “State of the City” address, with the Surrey Board of Trade (SBoT) envisioning a 12,000-seat, modular, prefabricated facility with a roughly estimated $35 million price tag. At the board event Tuesday, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim didn’t directly address the stadium idea but he did say Surrey needs to grab onto economic opportunities related to Vancouver’s 2026 FIFA World Cup games.

Sim argued the major event will have longterm ripple effects for the region.

“The world is going to be seeing Vancouver. It’s insane. If you think of Expo 86 and what it meant to our city, then you think of the Olympics and what it meant to our city, this thing is, like, way bigger than both,” he told SBoT president and CEO Anita Huberman.

“When you have all those eyeballs on Vancouver and they fall in love with the city … there are going to be a lot of different countries that come here, they are going to be following the teams, they’re going to be going to the different neighbourhoods and people are going to come back,” he added.

Sim suggests the region will be getting global exposure equivalent to “30 to 40 Su-

per Bowls” over the course of a month, creating many economic opportunities.

“These are investments, and if we do it right, it’s not the cost of the games, it’s what do we get in return over the next 30 years?”

he asked. “We bring economic prosperity here, we have more people working, we have more businesses successful, we create more tax revenue that then goes to fund social programs, schools, hospitals, building roads, and it lifts all boats.”

During her “fireside chat” conversation with Sim, Huberman indicated Surrey is among the local cities considering “activation zones” during the tournament, and has publicly said the idea of a stadium just needs the political will to make it a reality.

Surrey crews pick up 1,500+ bags of garbage in spring ‘Clean Blitz’

Surrey, BC – City crews have been out in full force this month doing a spring clean-up blitz of Surrey’s neighbourhoods to keep the city clean, beautiful and safe. The two-week clean-up began on May 1 and in all, staff removed 1,598 trash bags of litter and 1,833 illegally dumped items.

“Keeping the city clean and safe are top priorities for our Council,” said Mayor Locke. “We are committed to enhancing the livability of Surrey, and initiatives like the Clean Blitz are a key to achieving this goal and instilling community pride. I’m also proud

of the great programs that the City is offering to make it easier for residents to do their part in keeping the city clean, such as the free waste drop-off program currently underway.”This was Surrey’s second Clean Blitz of the year following the winter blitz in February where over 1,900 bags of litter were picked up. Residents can do their own spring cleaning and take advantage of the following programs: Drop off waste for free (up to 100kg) at Metro Vancouver’s Central Surrey and North Surrey Recycling and Waste Centres. From

May 1 to September 25, each household gets one trip, providing plenty of time for residents to utilize this free drop off service. For details, visit surrey.ca/wastecentres.

Book a free curbside pickup of unwanted large items all year round with the City’s Large Item Pick up Program. Booking is easy online at surrey.ca/largeitems or call 604-590-7289 (Option 3).

Borrow a free Cleanup Kit—includes gloves, litter pickers, and bags. Join familyfriendly clean up events this summer at surrey.ca/ourcity.

some form of co-operation between the two parties. “I think it would be nice to see a more united, conservative or right-wing approach to this, because something needs to happen – and something dramatic,” said Vander Zalm Wednesday, from his Delta home.Former BC Liberal premier Christy Clark told CTV News Wednesday in a statement that it is “incredibly important” for the two parties to find a way to topple the reigning BC NDP.

Huberman believes a prefabricated stadium could be built in time to host festivities or even practices during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The City of Surrey is in the process of conducting a feasibility study of the concept, but if and when it could get approval is not clear. Source: vancouver.citynews.ca/

By:

Amy Jugpal Communications and Media Lead Office of the Mayor

With an election on the horizon, Poilievre’s Conservatives sign up dozens of new candidates

An election will happen between now and the fall of 2025 — here’s how parties are preparing. The next federal election could be more than a year away but political parties are already deep into planning their next campaigns — and recruiting new candidates. Well ahead in the polls and reporting record-breaking sums in political donations, the Conservatives are also leading the pack on nominating candidates new to

federal politics. To date, the Conservative Party of Canada has nominated about 40 new faces as candidates. The party currently has 118 members of Parliament. Elections Canada records, coupled with publicly available information, show the Conservatives have been naming new candidates almost every week since the beginning of the year, especially in Ontario and British Columbia.

Source:cbc.ca/ Pierre Poilievre hints he’d like to strip Canadians of some rights. There’s something to think about when it’s time to vote.

At least one legal scholar in Canada believes voters should be asking some hard questions about the Constitution — specifically, whether a future prime minister would be willing to opt out of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms...Source:thestar.com/politics

BC NDP could win election today with BC Conservatives close behind: poll

By Charles Brockman and Srushti Gangdev

Posted May 14, 2024 3:19 pm.

A recent poll shows if the province held an election now, the BC NDP would likely win a majority government, and the BC Conservatives would come in close second.

Abacus Data surveyed 1,000 eligible voters in British Columbia last week and found that although support for the provincial NDP has declined overall, David Eby’s party

would likely take 40 per cent of a vote ahead of John Rustad’s BC Conservative Party, which polled at 34 per cent.

Results of the poll displayed on a chart.

Abacus Data surveyed 1,000 eligible voters in B.C. from May 6 to May 9. (Courtesy Abacus Data) If an election was held at the time of the survey, the BC NDP would likely win another majority government although the 18-point lead we measured in November

of 2023 has closed to six points over the BC Conservatives,” Abacus Data said.

According to the poll, BC United would trail behind, earning just 13 per cent of the vote — down four points from November.

BC United Leader Kevin Falcon told reporters Monday he’s “not thrilled” by the poll but isn’t disheartened by the findings.

“It’s a strange dichotomy,” said Falcon. “The polls [are] saying one thing, and on the other hand, I’m attending sold-out fundraisers.”

University of the Fraser Valley professor and political analyst Hamish Telford told CityNews the narrowing gap between the top two parties in the poll is confirmation of a recent trend.

“The BC Conservatives are now polling well in the Lower Mainland. And I think what’s probably especially concerning to the BC NDP is that BC Conservatives are, in fact, out-polling the NDP with younger voters,” said Telford. He said the poll indicates that the BC NDP should turn its attention to the

BC Conservatives when campaigning ahead of this year’s provincial election.

Telford said in the last six months, “BC United has fallen off, and the BC Conservatives have continued to grow — to the point where they now appear to be the main alternative to the governing NDP.”

He added that the Conservatives have achieved their popularity by riding the coattails of Pierre Poilievre’s federal Conservative Party, despite having no direct link between the two. Telford predicts that if current polls reflect eventual election results, it will likely mean a change of leadership for BC United, adding a merger between the opposition parties is probably only a postelection possibility.

Falcon said Monday he won’t speculate on a merger between his party and the BC Conservatives, but said conversations are happening to “find common ground.”

Source: vancouver.citynews.ca

Preserving Sikh Canadian heritage and culture

diver-

sity, but because of it. Our rich cultural fabric is full of long and celebrated histories and telling these stories both informs and builds our communities. With Budget 2024, we’re preserving the past and telling the remarkable stories behind Canada’s diversity.

One of Canada’s most vibrant communities is the Sikh Canadian community. Sikh Canadians have been an important part of our history for generations. In the early twentieth century, the first Sikhs arrived in British Columbia from Punjab. From the rail roads to defence, science, art, business, and politics – Sikh Canadians have made remarkable contributions to Canada and Canada’s prosperity ever since. We must preserve this heritage so that future generations of Sikh

Canadians – and all Canadians – know the contributions of the community throughout our history.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted investments included in Budget 2024 to preserve Sikh Canadian heritage.

We are:

Helping create the Gallery of Global Sikh Art and Culture in the Royal Ontario Museum. With a $6 million investment, we’ll be working closely with the Sikh Arts and Culture Foundation and the Royal Ontario Museum to build a space dedicated to Sikh arts, culture, and heritage.

Supporting the completion of a short film on Canadian and Indian soldiers in the First and Second World Wars. With a $1.8 million

Former

B.C. premiers join in calls for a right-of-centre party

A seismic shift could be coming to the B.C. political landscape as backroom talks to strike a deal between the province’s two right-of-centre parties are underway.

“It’s a well-known historical fact that the centre-right can’t win as two parties in B.C.,” noted University of British Columbia political scientist Gerald Baier on Wednesday. The BC Conservatives are battling with the BC NDP for the lead in recent polls with the opposition BC United falling far behind. However, there are still worries that vote splitting could propel the NDP to a supermajority. On Wednesday, BC United leader

By: Dr. Bussell

Surprisingly, yes!

Our bodies are meant to feel some form of pain at one time or another. Whether we

Kevin Falcon clarified that any deal would not be a full merger with the BC Conservatives. There are issues around many of their candidates, there are issues around logistics, but some other options for co-operation could be looked at in terms of identifying seats and deciding whether both parties need to run people in every single seat,” a statement from his office said. But even that scenario would present practical challenges. “BC Conservatives only have two seats and BC United have a couple of dozen, and BC United presumably would not want to give up any of their incumbents,”

opined Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley. Still, an appetite for some union is growing, including from a couple of former B.C. premiers. Bill Vander Zalm was a Social Credit premier from 1986 to 1991. He supports some form of co-operation between the two parties. “I think it would be nice to see a more united, conservative or right-wing approach to this, because something needs to happen – and something dramatic,” said Vander Zalm Wednesday, from his Delta home.Former BC Liberal premier Christy Clark told CTV News Wednesday in a state-

Nerve Pain vs. Muscle Pain — Is there a Difference?

want to or not, that’s a different story. Pain can come from a sprained ankle after a run, a burned finger from the stove top or the nagging pain of a headache after a long day of work. Pain is pain and it is not fun. But, what about nerve pain versus muscle pain? Are we able to tell the difference?

Nerve Pain

* Burning, tingling, pins and needles, numbness, sharp sensation. * The pain tends to be chronic pain (lasting for 6 months or more)

* Usually resides in arms, hands, legs and feet

* Affects diabetic, chemotherapy and orthopedic patients

Muscle Pain

* Tender, throbbing, stiffness sensation

* Pain in muscles and joints

* Often caused by injury or inflammation

* The pain is generally short-term pain

* Affects athletes, fitness enthusiasts, or individuals straining their neck on the computer

It’s important to note that one of the biggest differences between nerve pain and muscle pain is chronic pain. Chronic pain is ongoing and constant. The damaged tissue that causes nerve pain often leads to chronic pain, leaving many patients to endure long-lasting side effects. There are various options when it

investment, we’ll be supporting the Indus Media Foundation in Surrey, British Columbia, to complete this short film. By preserving this heritage and encouraging others to learn more, we’re keeping Sikh Canadian stories alive for the next generation.

Sikh Canadians have helped make Canada the country we know and love. Like so many diverse communities across the country, they work every day to make Canada even better. Alongside these investments, Budget 2024 is also about building more homes, improving health care, cracking down on auto theft, and investing in our economy – to make sure every Canadian has a fair chance to succeed.

By: Asin, Imtiaz (Bains, Parm - MP) Source: pm.gc.ca/en/news

ment that it is “incredibly important” for the two parties to find a way to topple the reigning BC NDP. ..Source: /bc.ctvnews.ca/

comes to relieving nerve pain or muscle pain there are various options. If you are suffering with muscle pain you may want to consider stretching (it may hurt at first), walking or exercising. Your body will tell you how far to push it.

Nerve pain on the other hand isn’t as simple, but there are options. Walking, stretching and exercises such as swimming or cycling work just as well. Additionally, eating a healthy diet such as vegan or gluten free can help. You may also find pain relief through INF™ treatment. INF™ involves three different holds to alleviate pressure and improve blood flow in the hands and feet. Source.lluh.org/services/

Canada is stronger not in spite of our

Victoria Day May 20, 2024

Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday observed on the last Monday preceding May 25 to honour Queen Victoria, who is known as the “Mother of Confederation”. The holiday has existed in Canada since at least 1845, originally on Victoria’s natural birthday, May 24. In Quebec this holiday is called “National Patriotes Day” (Journée nationale des patriotes or Fête des Patriotes).

The meaning of Victoria Day is to celebrate our British heritage and the life of Queen Victoria who ruled the British Empire between 1837 and 1901. It’s also a great opportunity to celebrate being Canadian with events and activities taking place across the country. Sourse:statutoryholidays.com Elizabeth Day?

Do you think Victoria Day should be changed to Elizabeth Day?

Answers/comments:

It should remain Victoria Day. She was the Queen when we became a nation and is considered “The Mother of Confederation”. It was her actions that led to Canada moving from colony to nation and she should be celebrated for that. If we have a Elizabeth II day, it should celebrate her alone.

Jugal

Victoria day name be changed to Elizabeth day to honour the longest serving sovereign. Kind and modern queen is in hearts of all. Wil

City of Surrey’s bike share system launches with plan to ramp up to 300 e-bikes

Apublic bike share system serving some of Surrey’s most central and densest areas is officially launched. The City of Surrey has selected Bird Canada as its exclusive supplier and operator for its bike share system, which started service from April 27, 2024.

The company will gradually introduce a fleet of 300 electric bikes (e-bikes) within an initial service area spanning much of Surrey City Centre and the Guildford neighbourhood. This area is framed by 132 Street to the west, 108 Avenue to the north, 148 Street and 154 Street to the east, and 92 Avenue and 100 Avenue to the south. At the launched date at Surrey Civic Plaza, the Residents who visited Bird’s booth received a free helmet.

Stewart Lyons, CEO of Bird Canada said, “We are honoured to have been selected by the City of Surrey. Bird Canada is excited to provide a sustainable solution to enhance transportation options and promote environmental stewardship in Surrey,”. The municipal government selected Bird on a pilot project over two years within North Surrey only.

Surrey bike share with e-bikes. (Bird Canada) Bird’s bike share system uses dockless stations. Riders start and end their trips at designated parking areas identified on the smartphone app through geofencing. After completing their trip, riders are required to photograph their e-bike to ensure proper placement in the designated parking area. E-bikes are permitted on certain paths and

lanes but restricted from sidewalks and controlled-access highways.

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City of Vancouver takes big step towards launching public e-scooter share

City of Vancouver launches bidding process for public e-scooter share operator, with launch targeted for Spring 2024 “Canada’s micro-mobility potential is huge”: Interview with Lime CEO Wayne Ting Vancouver’s Mobi bike share is expanding to the UBC campus with e-bikes

From blue to red: Vancouver’s Mobi Bike Share undergoes Rogers rebranding Vancouver’s Mobi bike share records over one million rides in a year for the first time.

Source: dailyhive.com/

New report echoes call for Canada to ban TikTok over foreign interference concerns

Misinformation campaigns are a significant way that social-media app TikTok can be used to serve Beijing’s political goals, and Ottawa needs to confront this form of foreign interference in Canadian affairs, a new report says.

The Macdonald-Laurier Institute report, published Tuesday, urgently calls on the Canadian government to follow the example of the United States, where President Joe Biden signed a bill into law last month that gives TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, one year to divest from the app or face a ban. The report, written by journalist and independent researcher Sze-Fung Lee, argues that the content for influence operations is likely to be boosted because ByteDance is based in Beijing. Furthermore, because Chinese laws require individuals and organizations to co-operate with national intelligence efforts, the data collected through TikTok could be sent to the Chinese government. Canada has been conducting a security review of TikTok since September, Industry

The northern lights, one of several astronomical phenomena called polar lights (aurora polaris), are shafts or curtains of colored light visible on occasion in the night sky.

Aurora borealis – the Northern Lights. Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, 2013. LCDR Gary Barone, NOAA Corps (ret.), photographer. NOAA Photo Library.

Polar lights (aurora polaris) are a natural phenomenon found in both the northern and southern hemispheres that can be truly awe inspiring. Northern lights are also called by their scientific name, aurora borealis, and southern lights are called aurora australis.

Sten Odenwald, author of The 23rd Cycle: learning to live with a stormy star (New York, Columbia University Press, c2001), provides insight into how northern lights are generated:

The origin of the aurora begins on the surface of the sun when solar activity ejects a cloud of gas. Scientists call this a coronal mass ejection (CME). If one of these reaches

Minister François-Philippe Champagne revealed in March.

The report says TikTok – which hit one billion users in 2021, according to ByteDance – has been a venue for operations that spread misinformation and aim to sway political opinions. One example, the report says, is an attempt to defame a political party in Taiwan. The account, Straits Plus, released multiple videos saying Taiwan was in a state of war and danger, and that the country’s Democratic Progressive Party was to blame. Straits Plus is managed by a bureau under the direct control of the Fujian Provincial People’s Government in China, the report says. On the TikTok page, there are no labels indicating its connection to the state. TikTok’s short video format also improves the app’s strategic utility, the report says: “Filled with quick cuts, intense background music, and engaging visuals – these short videos effectively amplify the PRC messages while often triggering emotional responses that can be manipulated.”

The report says Chinese regulations and algorithm recommendations prioritize “positive energy” and crack down on content that “threatens national security.” Thus, TikTok’s “For You” algorithm “serves as the perfect tool for Beijing to pump its political narratives on the platform.”

Robert Diab, professor of law at Thompson Rivers University, said the concerns around influence operations are not unique to TikTok. “Any group, including the Chinese government, can disseminate content, engage in an influence operation on a platform without really any control over the platform itself,” he said. “I mean, it’s open.”

Prof. Diab said many people are unsettled by the fact that TikTok is owned by a company in China: “Companies in China are not entirely free from government interference. There’s a spectre, the possibility of direct influence.”A little more than half of Canadians support a TikTok ban, according to a Leger poll of 1,605 Canadians. The poll, which was conducted from March 23 to 25,

What are the northern lights?

earth, taking about 2 to 3 days, it collides with the Earth’s magnetic field. This field is invisible, and if you could see its shape, it would make Earth look like a comet with a long magnetic ‘tail’ stretching a million miles behind Earth in the opposite direction of the sun. When a coronal mass ejection collides with the magnetic field, it causes complex changes to happen to the magnetic tail region. These changes generate currents of charged particles, which then flow along lines of magnetic force into the Polar Regions. These particles are boosted in energy in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, they produce dazzling auroral light. Odenwald further tells us “Aurora are beautiful, but the invisible flows of particles and magnetism that go on at the same time can damage our electrical power grid and satellites operating in space. This is why scien-

tists are so keen to understand the physics of aurora and solar storms, so we can predict when our technologies may be affected.”

Northern Lights over fort at Sitka, Alaska. Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Can I see them anywhere?

Yes, although they are more frequent at higher latitudes and places like Alaska, Canada, and Antarctica, closer to the Earth’s poles. Occasionally, they have been seen closer to the equator, and even as far south as Mexico. To view them, look in the direction of the closest pole (the northern horizon in the northern hemisphere, the southern horizon in the southern hemisphere).

Can I see them at any time of the year?

Yes. In some areas, such as Alaska or Greenland, they may be visible most nights of the year. And they occur at any time of the day, but we can’t see them with the naked eye

does not have a margin of error because online polls are not considered truly random samples. The poll also indicated that 66 per cent of TikTok users are concerned about their data privacy on the app. The Macdonald-Laurier Institute report says the issue of data is particularly concerning because TikTok collects more data than other social-media giants. For at least 15 months, TikTok collected Media Access Control addresses. These addresses allow for the gathering of data over a long period of time because they cannot be reset or altered.

Source: theglobeandmail.com

unless it’s dark.

What causes the colors and patterns?

Colors and patterns are from the types of ions or atoms being energized as they collide with the atmosphere and are affected by lines of magnetic force. Displays may take many forms, including rippling curtains, pulsating globs, traveling pulses, or steady glows. Altitude affects the colors. Blue violet/reds occur below 60 miles (100 km), with bright green strongest between 60-150 miles (100-240 km). Above 150 miles (240 km) ruby reds appear. Source: loc.gov/everyday

Solar storm brings northern lights to southern Canada

A series of powerful solar storms made the northern lights — the spectacular display of lights in the night sky in the northern hemisphere officially known as aurora borealis unusually visible far south in Canada on Friday.

Photographs @ Pg 11

Cost of national pharmacare program $400M more than government projections:

admit there is a lot of uncertainty about the program and several factors could either reduce or increase costs for the government.

Health Minister Mark Holland said during the program’s announcement back in February the price tag was likely to change based on negotiations with provinces and territories.The Conservatives criticize what

they are calling cost overruns and a halfbaked plan by the Liberals. The first phase of pharmacare is set to cover diabetes and contraception medication with the federal government planning to expand drugs covered

in future years.If the federal government moves towards fully implementing national pharmacare, that wider program is expected to cost roughly $40 billion a year. Source ancouver.citynews.cat Continued from Pg 1

In 2024 the Victoria Day holiday is on Monday, May 20.

Riwayat and Pakistan Western Canada Trade Association bring Pakistani fashion to BC

By: Misbah Naseer

On May 10, The Pakistan Western Canada Trade Association (PWCTA) teamed up with Riwayat to host a Fashion show in BC. The show was held at Sheraton Guildford and cel-

ebrated Pakistani culture through fashion, mixing old and new styles. 10 different Asian designers showcased their collections at the event. The fashion show was followed by a trunk show the next day giving everyone the op-

portunity to peruse collections from 25 different designers. Bushra Rahman, President of PWCTA commended Riwayat’s team and her own team for putting together the event. Through events like these, PWCTA aims to showcase

the significance of the Pakistani textile industry and the intricate craftsmanship of Pakistani fashion designers, emphasizing their role in Pakistan’s trade economics and cultural identity worldwide.

A dinner Hosted In honour of Pak Canadian Cricket star, who will be playing T20 squad.

On May 5, A few Pakistani activists including Sajid Hameed, and sponsor Raza Khan took the initiative to honor 2 Pakistanis who made history in BC. A dinner has been hosted

with the community at Taste of Lahore . One in honor of Kaleem Sana Left arm Medium fast bowler, who got selected for the ever Canadian T20 team, will participate in the T20 World Cup 2024(June 1st to 29)

in the USA, He played in Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, Kaleem Sana has had first-class experience. He debuted for Pakistan Customs in 2009 and has played two games, grabbing three wickets. Other

a sporting leader Amjad Bajwa to become president of Cricket Canada. We as the Pakistani community feel so proud of Kaleem Sana and have great expectations by him in the tournament.

Meela/Picnic arranged at IQRA Islamic School, Surrey on May 4th.

Northern lights Seens in, Surrey and parts of Canada

Kaleem Sana

NOTARIZATIONS

Certified true copies

Affidavits

Statutory Declarations

Travel Consent Letters

Insurance loss declarations

Passport Applications

Proof of Identity

Notarization of Signatures

Independent Legal Advice

All other Forms and Documents

PERSONAL PLANNING

Wills

Power of Attorney

Indian Power of Attorney

Pakistan Power of Attorney

Representation Agreements

Advance Directives

REAL ESTATE

Purchasing a Home

Selling a Home

Refinancing/Mortgages

Property Title Transfers

Manufactured Homes

Drafting Contracts

Builder’s Liens

Lease Agreements

Covenants

Your Efforts:

By:

Mariyah Saleem a 14 year old “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle,” said Napoleon Hill.

We all must hear that hard work is a key to success. That’s true because behind a successful person there is hard work. We all wonder how is that possible these are all just talky nothing

Mother’s day is one of the widely celebrated days in many parts of the world. If we look at the origin of this celebration, it was started by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.

WOMEN /YOUTH

happens like but that this is what our inward heart says we think that life is simple as opposed to we pick more straightforward life yet we fail to remember simple life isn’t simple since we need to accomplish difficult work temporarily yet an existence of a languid soul isn’t adjusted they battle more as a matter of fact they lament of their wastage of time in light of the fact that seldom a portion of our colleagues accomplish difficult work and succeed yet we the larger part get desirous and become negative.

That is the reason we shouldn’t sit around and accomplish difficult work it’s in our grasp to give our life harmony.

So leave being apathetic in light of the fact that difficult work assisted Neil Armstrong with strolling on the moon it helped Bill Gates to become the richest and no one is greater than our beloved Prophet in manhood (pbuh) so none of us did that level of struggle and hard work. Even his greatest enemies witnessed his struggle.

As a school understudy, the vast majority of my colleagues didn’t get ready for tests yet they trust that they will top with no energy.

They ask and anticipate from Allah that perhaps some wonder will assist me yet they fail to remember it will be unfair with the understudy who buckled down.

Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said: “Allah likes a worker to be perfect in his work”.

No writer is greater than Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala he said in Quran Chapter 53 Surah Najm verse 39: “There is nothing for man except what he strives for.”

Therefore we have to put some effort to get rewarded and enjoy the blessings and bounties of Allah Almighty.

Every day is Mother’s Day in Islam

The reality today in the west and most parts of the world is that parents are neglected, are chased out of their very own homes and are

made to live in elders’ homes. So, in order to keep the parents happy at least for one day, mother’s day or father’s day is celebrated.

*Oh my dear*

Oh my dear ! Oh my dear!

You made me forget all my fear

You care for my single tear

There is only toxicity I can hear

With your help I am able to bear

Our relationship is very clear

Everytime you make me cheer

Oh my dear! Oh my dear!

At Mother’s Day

Her

She was always her well-wisher

For her every happiness she was the cherisher

She sometimes ignored everything for her and never looked further

Just like her fairy godmother

Her was me and she was her She was none other than my mother

Mariyah Saleem, Lahore, Pakistan

due to the massive commercialization of Mother’s day. Source: theislamicreflections.com/

Islamophobia in schools: How teachers and communities can recognize and challenge its harms

By: Scott White CEO | Editor-in-Chief

Recent overt attacks against Muslims in London, Ont.,, Hamilton and Edmonton have surfaced and exacerbated the fear that Canadian Muslims have been living with for many years. A few weeks ago, I porch-visited a friend. I was about to knock when her daughter opened the door and said she was off to have ice cream with her friend. She said “Goodbye!” and left her home without her hijab. I was heartbroken. Even though my friend lives in a part of Missisauga, Ont., a densely Muslim-populated city in Canada (also referred to by its Muslim residents tonguein-cheek as “Muslim-sauga”), she and her three daughters do not feel safe. They are afraid to be visibly Muslim for fear of being identified and targeted for their religion.

I’m an anti-Islamophobia researcher and educator focused mostly on Islamophobia in schools. My research suggests that Islamophobia is not only manifested as isolated incidents or overt attacks. Islamophobia shows up frequently in covert ways.

Seemingly innocuous attitudes

Here are five seemingly innocuous attitudes that educators and school communities can learn to spot and address.

1. “I treat all students the same” or “I don’t see colour.” A comment I hear often from teachers and administrators is “I

am not always aware of Muslim students as Muslims,” or “All students are the same,” or “I don’t see colour.” When I probe and ask more questions, I notice the fear of being perceived as an Islamophobe, or harbouring Islamophobic sentiments is camouflaged and wrapped up in such statements. Research shows that treating students the same means that all students receive the same treatment irrespective of their needs.

To have a “colour-blind” approach is rooted in the notion that being “different” is a deficit. Emphasizing “same treatment” and “colour-blind treatment” means covering implicit biases.

2. “Muslims in Canada are more respectful and civilized than Muslims in other parts of the world.” In my doctoral research, I explored the experiences of Muslim students in an urban public high school in Ontario with a reputation of having a large Muslim student presence. I found that teachers generally have positive relationships with the Muslims in their school communities. Yet something strange happens when they process the all-too-often negative narratives of Muslims in the media as suspicious, dangerous and backwards.

A teacher I interviewed for my research asserted that Muslims who live in Canada are very different from Muslims outside of Canada. Such views reflect and replicate what literary and cultural critic Edward Said identified as an “orientalist” and colonial narrative that living in the west (in this case, Canada) is “civilizing” Muslims.

3. Muslim students are considered spokespersons for their religion. Just as Muslim organizations are expected to be first to condemn any terrorist attack, Muslim students also find themselves called upon to condemn attacks, defend their faith and speak on behalf of their faith: “Does Islam oppress women? What does Islam say about homosexuality? Why are ‘Muslim’ countries in

such disarray?”

Similarly, one teacher concerned about student academic integrity asked me “… does the Qur’an say that cheating is OK? Because in most religions that is not right.”

The teacher could not fathom that a student who was wearing a hijab could also cheat in their class. The pressure of representing an entire religion, in its best form, is a daunting task for an adult, let alone for a student.

4. Divisive and dangerous Islamophobic narratives. Such narratives repeated in the media have a very strong hold in the societal psyche and negatively affect Muslims.

Some of the very first questions any visible Muslim female student gets asked is “Did your husband/father force you to wear hijab? Is your father/husband strict or controlling?” And irrespective of the answer, students feel that some teachers will not change their way of thinking no matter what evidence is presented.

Another example I encountered in my research is when a student spoke about his teacher. The student said the teacher “is fair in everything.” But when it comes to topics like Islam and terrorism, the teacher “holds on to his opinions…. Muslims in the class kept saying ‘this is not Islam,’ but I don’t think our message was received.”

5. Speaking about Muslims as if they are not “Canadian.” This is part of viewing any practice outside of a white settler normative culture as not “Canadian.” Students are contending views, such as those of one teacher, in my interview, who claimed: “Parents [of the Muslim students] do not want to accept the norms of the Canadian culture.”

The “norms” the teacher was referring to were white settler norms.

Students find themselves pressured to frequently profess their sense of belonging to Canada and assert their religious practices and beliefs are part and parcel of the Cana-

dian mosaic. Similarly, when a 2016 survey of Muslims by the Environics Institute was released, media focussed on reporting mainly about the sense of belonging and “Canadianness” of Muslims.

Worried for Muslim students

It is clear that classrooms and teachers are not insulated from these broader negative narratives and media points of view.

I am worried for Muslim students navigating a system with embedded Islamophobic sentiments. Some young women are taking their hijabs off; other Muslim students may struggle with academic disengagement, mental health issues, difficulty reconciling their Muslim and Canadian identities and suicide, to name just a few issues.

I am also worried that teachers, with their work intensification, do not know how to support their Muslim students.

Get to know each other’s communities

As I was winding down that day, images of my friend’s daughter’s forced smile haunted me. I opened my Qur’an to find solace and comfort. I came across a verse I use frequently that Prophet Muhammad shared in a climate of racism 1,400 years ago: “We have … made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another” (49:13). This notion has served as one of the powerful takeaways in my workshops to teachers and faculty members about how to actively be an anti-racist.

Racist beliefs cannot find root in the minds and hearts of those who genuinely and frequently get to know each others’ communities. Knowing each other helps allow for the unlearning of racist conditioning that we have been saturated in.

When we know each other’s communities, we understand and we support one another. We strive to be anti-racist, and thus amass the force needed to dismantle systemic and institutionalized racism in our spheres of influence.Source: theconversation.com/

Anna Jarvis herself spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday approved PTI founder Imran Khan’s bail application in the 190 million pound corruption case.

A two-member bench, comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, had reserved the verdict a day ago after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution team and Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, the counsel for Imran, concluded their arguments.

The court set Imran’s bail at Rs1 million today but he will not be released from prison as he is still serving out his sentences in the cipher and the iddat cases. His sentences in two separate Toshakhana cases were suspended by the IHC. In his concluding argu-

IHC approves Imran Khan’s bail in £190m corruption case

ments in Tuesday’s court hearing, NAB Special Prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz had informed the court that the trial of the ex-premier and his spouse was about to conclude. He said that out of 59 prosecution witnesses, 30 have testified so far, and the prosecution would cut the number of remaining witnesses by 10 to 15 and produce the rest for recording statements. He cited a Supreme Court judgement where bail petitions were turned down in such situations.

According to the court order issued today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the investigation in the matter was complete and the “continued incarceration” of the petitioner, Imran, would not serve any purpose. It said that the prosecution had expressed apprehension that Imran might tamper with the record or influence the trial being a political person, however, there was nothing on record which justified the referred apprehension. “The instant petition is allowed and petitioner is admitted to bail after arrest in the afore-mentioned reference subject to furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs1m,” it said.

It added that the observations made were tentative and would not prejudice the trial court while deciding the reference against Imran. Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi were indicted in the case by a Rawalpindi accountability court in February.

In December, NAB had filed a corruption reference against Imran and seven others, including his wife, in connection with the Al-Qadir University.

The case alleges that Imran and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

The reference filed by NAB alleged that Imran, who is currently in jail, played a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi”. It also claimed that despite being given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, the accused deliberately, with mala fide intention, refused to give information on one pretext or another.

are also among the suspects in this reference, but instead of joining the investigation and subsequent court proceedings, they absconded and were subsequently declared proclaimed offenders (PO). Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Imran’s spouse, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert for the PTI government’s Assets Recovery Unit, were also declared POs. Subsequently, the properties of all six accused had been frozen.

Judge Mohammad Bashir was supposed to indict the ex-premier and former first lady on January 26 but the indictment was deferred to January 30. It was then scheduled for February 10 but was again deferred till February 27.

NAB reference

The reference said the “accused […] were given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, but they deliberately, with malafide intention, refused to provide the information on one or the other pretext.

Source:.dawn.com/

Unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir: What’s behind the recent protests?

Why are the residents of Pakistan-administered Kashmir out on the streets and what are their demands?

By: Abid Hussain

Islamabad, Pakistan — Protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have called for shutdowns and the declaration of a “black day” on Tuesday after blaming paramilitary forces for killing three young men and injuring several others on Monday evening.

A protest convoy, led by a group called the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), has been marching towards Muzaffarabad since May 11, the capital of the autonomous region bordering India, over demands including subsidised flour and electricity. However, on Monday evening, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a 23 billion rupee ($82m) subsidy programme, drastically reducing the price of wheat and flour.

Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the chairman of the JAAC, said the group had planned to turn their protest in to a celebration after the government’s decision to meet their demands, but will now protest against the killings.

“Our protesters were completely peace-

ful but the government’s decision to call in rangers meant that they wanted to use force against us, and now we see that three people were killed,” he told Al Jazeera.

The regional government also issued a notification ordering the closure of government offices and all educational institutions in the region. The protests, which started over the weekend, also saw the partial suspension of mobile internet services as well in some regions.Interactive_PakistanAdministeredKashmirProtests_May142024

Pakistani government officials have hinted, on social media, at “enemy propaganda” fanning the tensions — an apparent allusion to India, with which Pakistan has fought three wars over Kashmir. But officially, Islamabad has not blamed India for the crisis it faces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir just yet.

On Sunday, Sharif expressed “deep concerns” over the situation, saying that while protest is a democratic right, no one should take the law into their own hands.

“Unfortunately, in situations of chaos and dissent, there are always some who rush in to score political points. While debate, discussion and peaceful protests are the beauties of democracy, there should be absolutely

no tolerance for taking the law in one’s own hands and damaging government properties,” he wrote in a message on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

Here is a look at what the protesters have been demanding and how the government has responded so far.

What are the protests about?

The Kashmir valley is the picturesque, but contentious Himalayan region over which Pakistan and India have fought multiple wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. The region is claimed in full by both, but each governs parts of it.

With a population of more than four million, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, locally known as Azad Jammu Kashmir, has a semiautonomous government with its own prime minister.

According to Imtiaz Aslam, a senior leader of the 31-member JAAC which includes labour leaders, traders, transporters and other civil society members in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, their demands go back a year to May 2023. “Our movement began last year when there was a massive wheat crisis leading to increased prices of flour, and after that there was a major increase in electricity

rates, following which we began our protests and made demands to reduce the prices,” he told Al Jazeera.

Aslam, who was speaking from the region’s Bagh district while leading a convoy of hundreds of people to the regional capital, Muzaffarabad, roughly 75km (46 miles) north, said the protesters were also urging the government to rein in spending on officials. The protesters allege that slashing the bureaucracy of Pakistan-administered Kashmir could ensure it has more resources to spend on the public.“’Civil society people are protesting all over the world. The problem here is that as soon as you make any demands, you are accused of being an agent and silenced,” he said. Source:aljazeera.com/

Shaheen, Rizwan, and Babar gear up for England series and T20 World Cup

Dublin, 14 May 2024: Shaheen Shah Afridi sounded a warning to the world ahead of next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 with another stellar bowling performance that helped Pakistan beat Ireland by six wickets in the third and final T20I here on Tuesday.

Shaheen returned figures of 4-0-14-3 as he, Mohammad Amir (4-0-32-1) and Imad Wasim (3-0-22-1) combined to restrict Ireland to 178 for seven in 20 overs after the

home side had looked set for a strong finish, reaching 95 for one at the halfway stage and then 137 for four after 15 overs. In turn, Pakistan raced to the victory target in 17 overs, losing Saim Ayub (14, 11b, 3x4s), Mohammad Rizwan (56, 38b, 4x4s, 3x6s), Babar Azam (75, 42b, 6x4s, 5x6s), and Iftikhar Ahmed (5, 4b). After Saim departed in the third over at Pakistan’s score of 16, Rizwan and Babar produced yet another century partnership, putting on 139 runs for the

second wicket in 74 balls. When the match ended, Azam Khan (18) and Imad Wasim (1) were at the crease.

The convincing victory wrapped up Pakistan’s week-long tour of Ireland that had started with a shocking five-wicket defeat in the first T20I on Friday.

Pakistan had bounced back strongly in the second T20I on Sunday, chasing down a 194-run target for the loss of three wickets with 19 balls remaining.

Shaheen’s analysis included two runs in his third over, the 15th of Ireland’s innings, and three runs in his fourth over, the penultimate over of Ireland’s innings. He ended the series with seven wickets in three matches, a near-perfect tune-up for the upcoming series against England and then next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Source: dawnnews.com

Property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Mirza Shehzad Akbar, and Zulfi Bukhari

PICTURE

PICTURE