Asian Star - March 21, 2015

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Vol 14 Issue 7 Saturday, March 21, 2015

The unlimited Canada-wide Smart combo.... Check Page 35 for details

Home-cooked food for Surrey’s Vaisakhi parade needs a health permit You will need a temporary food permit if you wish to serve home-made food to the public on commercial roadways along the Vaisakhi parade route in Surrey. But you wont need a tpermit if you are serving food from your own yards or properties..

Erin Labbé, a spokeswoman for Fraser Health, said officials will be following the health authority’s enforcement protocols for the April 18 event.

“Sometimes at festivals, depending on the types of foods served and the duration of the event, enforcement can lead to immediate closures, based on risk,” Labbé

said. However, the food safety regulations don’t apply to people serving home-cooked meals on their own property along the parade route. This means if people are standing on their own front lawns serving their meals they are not at risk of being shut down. Event participant Sarbjit Sabharwal and his family have been serving food during the parade for more than a decade and he said they apply for their permit every year. As for how many people are aware of the need for the permit, he said he’s not too sure, but added “a fair amount do understand it.” Continued on Page 6...

I am successful because of the community, says Vancity Director Jodh Singh Dhaliwal

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odh S. Dhaliwal, Director Indo-Canadian affairs for Vancity is not just another employee of the Credit Union.

Being the first Indo-Canadian person sporting a turban who was hired by the bank nearly 25 years ago, Jodh Dhaliwal is singularly responsible for making institutions such as Credit Unions be more culturally sensitive.

Continued on Page 9...

Monkey business makes langurs lakhpatis in UP

AGRA: In monkey-infested Agra, it pays to be a langur, it seems. Ask Raju, Mangal, Pawan, Manu and their friends -- all langurs -- who have been hired at a package of almost Rs 1.5 lakh per annum each by the Railways to get rid of monkeys from four major railway stations of Agra division. With a tidy two-year-contract under their tail, six of these traditional monkey-scarers are set to earn a cumulative Rs 9 lakh per annum for their efforts.

Story on Page 10...

Modi to visit Canada in April

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head of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Canada in April, Sikh body “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) has launched a petition urging PM Stephen Harper to raise with his Indian counterpart the demands of Sikh who are advocating for an independent country.

The “Punjab Referendum Petition” which is supported by management committees of Gurudawaras across Canada will be submitted to the Prime Minister’s office on April 6 informed, legal adviser SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in a release issued here on Thursday. Reportedly Modi is scheduled to set off on a week-long Europe-Canada tour next month to make Paris the first stop on April 10, followed by Bonn and finally Toronto where he will address a public meeting of NRIs.

Opposition NDP leader Tom Mulcair makes samosas at a Surrey restaurant on Thursday while meeting small business owners in Vancouver and Surrey, accompanied by MPs Jiny Sims and Jasbir Sandhu.

Tel: 604-591-5423

LOCAL

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Former gangster Jamie Bacon’s murder trial delayed

he Surrey Six murder trial of former gang leader Jamie Bacon has been delayed nearly five months.

Bacon’s jury trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver had been set to get under way May 4, but has been put off until Sept. 28.

Pre-trial motions in the case before Justice Kathleen Ker have been ongoing for a number of months. The next court appearance in the case is scheduled for Monday.

In October, following a yearlong trial, Cody Rae Haevischer and Matthew James Johnston were each convicted of six counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the October 2007 gangland slaying at the Balmoral Tower in Surrey.

Haevischer and Johnston received mandatory life sentences with no parole eligibility for 25 years. They have since launched appeals of their convictions.

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Part way through the trial of Haevischer and Johnston, former Red Scorpions gang leader Michael Le pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, reduced to three years after receiving credit for pre-sentence custody.

A man who was only identified as Person X during the trial due to a publication ban pleaded guilty in April 2009 to the murders of three of the six victims and to conspiracy to commit murder and is serving a life sentence.

A sixth person, Sophon Sek, was charged with manslaughter and breaking and entering for his alleged role in the murders and has not yet gone to trial.

Edward Schellenberg, 55, Christopher Mohan, 22, Ryan Bartolomeo, 19, brothers Michael Lal, 26, and Corey Lal, 21, and Edward Narong, 22, were all fatally shot in a 15th-floor apartment suite

U.S. Border Patrol fatally shoots man

UMAS, Wash. — A U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man Tuesday afternoon near Sumas, Washington, near the border with British Columbia.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman says the agent fatally shot “a suspected illegal border crosser” after the agent was assaulted. In a short statement, spokesman Michael Friel offered no details about the nature of the assault or how the agent encountered the person at the border.

The man’s nationality and name have not yet been released by authorities.

The Bellingham Herald newspaper has reported that the agent wasn’t seriously hurt.

Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo says an agent who was also at the scene shot the man in the head. The Canada Border Services Agency referred requests for comment to U.S. authorities and did not immediately respond to questions about whether it was involved in the investigation.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Lamborghini driver charged after crash off Surrey highway

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rivers of supercars have to pay attention to the rules of the road just like the rest of us.

That’s the painful — and expensive — lesson that two young men may be about to learn.

Surrey RCMP announced dangerous-driving charges have been approved against two drivers involved in an alleged street-racing incident last December.

Along with being charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle while street racing, which carries a potential five-year jail term, the pair face forfeiture of their extremely expensive “exoticars.”

The alleged race and subsequent crash involved a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago, with a whopping $311,000 price tag, and a 2013 Dodge Viper, a relative bargain at $95,000.

Police say the charges stem from a Dec. 22 incident on Highway 99 near 32nd Ave. which left the Lambo — a 640-horsepower carbon-fibre beast described as “a high-performance exotic super car made in Italy” — in flames.

Witnesses described the two vehicles as driving at excessive speed, and a subsequent investigation determined that the drivers were motoring along at up to 157 km/h.

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

LOCAL By: Balwant Sanghera

he issue of youth violence, drugs and gangs is always very troublesome for every community. Unfortunately, the South Asian community has borne a brunt of it.

Since early 1990s, our community has lost close to 200 young people, mostly in their early or late twenties to this curse. To its credit, our community, along with the South Asian media-both electronic and print, including The Asian Star, have been doing a commendable job in creating more awareness about this issue. The formation of the Sikh Societies of Lower Mainland in 2002, which later expanded and transformed into the South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence (SACCAYV) in 2007, was a major development. A lot has been accomplished since then. However, a lot more still needs to be done to keep our youth and communities safe.

The recent developments in Surrey involving a number of young people are very worrisome. Numerous targeted shootings over a few days resulting in injury to some youth are very troubling. How did these young people reach that point is puzzling. Rather than getting into the blame game, as a community, we need to re -examine our values and priorities.

As a community, we need to shift our focus away from materialistic outlook towards a spiritual and balanced lifestyle. We need to attach more importance to bonding with our children and youth and be good role models for them. Certainly, money and materialism have their own significance and place in our lives. However, to pursue them at any cost, especially at the cost of one’s family may not be the best choice.

There is a wise old saying that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

This is so true especially in case of our youth.

Moreover, prevention has to start at a very early age. Sooner, the better. Research indicates that the bonding and attachment experienced by a child in his/her early years goes a long way in shaping that child’s life in later

Understanding youth and gangs years. In addition to bonding, role modelling by parents and caregivers plays a crucial role in the growth and development of children and youth. As good role models for our children and youth we must be willing to spend quality time with them, take interest in their lives and guide them through a rather challenging phase during their adolescent/teenage years.

Moving from control to connection goes a long way in gaining our youth’s trust.

For a long time it was believed that a child’s brain is fully hardwired by age 6.

However, the latest research in this regard indicates that this process of neurological development continues all the way till the youth’s mid-twenties.

Some of the skills that the youth lack and that are still developing have a major impact on his/her everyday life and their decision making process. Incidentally, these are the skills most needed when these young people have to make major decisions on a daily basis. These include reading social cues, predictive judgement, insight, impulse control and empathy. As adults in their lives we need to be extra patient in understanding and guiding them.

As parents and caregivers, we must keep in

mind that as children grow older, their affinity towards peers gets stronger and attachment towards their parents and extended family gets weaker. They long to belong. If that sense of belonging and inclusion/recognition is not available at home they will seek it somewhere else. This is when they start drifting towards negative peers. From there, it may lead them to drugs and gangs etc.

Thus, the onus to keep our youth on the right track and help them become proud and productive citizens is a joint and shared responsibility of the family and the community.

SACCAYV, along with many other individuals and organizations, has been working hard for almost fifteen years in creating awareness about these issues amongst youth and parents.

In this context, the research being done

by Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Acting Together-Canadian University Research Alliance (AT-CURA), under Dr. Gira Bhatt’s leadership is commendable. Similarly, the work being done by various police agencies including RCMP, Combined Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC) and others has been greatly beneficial. All of these partners have been actively working together in keeping

our youth and communities safe. CFSEU-BC has launched its media campaign End Gang Life. This includes powerful anti-gang videos, posters, information booklets and public presentations on myths and realities of gang life.

Their website provides links to useful resources (www.cfseu.bc.ca/en/).

In this regard , a very valuable parent resource booklet-Understanding Youth and Gangs –has been produced both in English and Punjabi jointly by AT-CURA, CFSEU-BC ,SACCAYV and other partners.CFSEU-BC has already delivered 400 copies to each of 16 Gurdwaras in Metro Vancouver. This includes the three Gurdwaras in Abbotsford and the Mission Sikh Temple. It is now available free of charge at your nearest Gurdwara. I would like to urge every parent to pick up a copy of this booklet and use it. For more information, please feel free to contact me at 604-836-8976.

To its credit, our community has been making every effort to keep our young people safe.

In Metro Vancouver, there are various initiatives under way. For example, on March 5, along with several other prominent members of the community, I had an opportunity to participate in a forum on youth organized by Abbotsford Community Services in partnership with South Asian Community Resource Office and Youth Resource Centre. Five resource people- Dr. Amritpal Singh Shergill, Abbotsford Police Constable Dr.Charan Kingra, Abbotsford Police Chief Bob Rich, Staff Sargent Baltej Dhillon and I –were invited to share our expertise with the invited guests. The audience included a very distinguished group of educators, law enforcement people, journalists, social workers, elected officials, community activists and youth as well as parents. Appropriately, the theme of the forum was: It Takes a Village to Raise a Child. As a community we need to continue to work on such initiatives. They make a big difference in keeping our youth on the right track and our families and communities safe.

(Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist. He is the founding member and Chairperson of South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence)

LOCAL

India commits almost $2 million for science, engineering scholarships at UBC

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he Indian government has promised almost $2 million for science and engineering scholarships at the University of British Columbia.

The new program was developed by the UBC in partnership with India’s national Science and Engineering Research Board and will offer 20 students from India scholarships of $96,000 to support living expenses while they study here.

The program will run from 2016-17 to 2020-21 and will strengthen academic links between India and Canada, according to a UBC press release.

“This scholarship will bring some of India’s bright, young talent to UBC,” said UBC President Arvind Gupta.

“I hope this is the first of many collaborations with the Science and Engineering Research Board to create new opportunities for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and young scholars in both of our countries.”

UBC is the first Canadian university and only the second university in the world to sign an agreement of this nature with SERB, an offshoot of India’s Department of Science and Technology.

A memorandum of understanding was signed last week by SERB secretary, Professor T. K. Chandrashekar and John Hepburn, Vice President Research and International at UBC. UBC already works closely with India as part of its international engagement strategy

$100,000 endowment established by Vig family

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istoric South Asian pioneers are paving the way for future leaders at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).

The Vig family, led by Rana and Rupa Vig, is pleased to make a $20,000 contribution to KPU in support of the Mehfil Magazine Endowed Journalism Award. The donation

grounds. The Vig family has been a community leader for more than two decades and we are pleased to partner with them to celebrate the 100 Year Journey. We are grateful for their commitment to education in general, and in particular to KPU journalism students,” said KPU President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Alan Davis. Storytelling has been a part of the livelihood of the Vig family, who founded Mehfil Magazine in 1993. It’s also been their passion – a passion which will now live on in the endowed journalism awards named after the magazine, and in the KPU students they support.

Committed to inspiring future journalists to reach their potential, the Mehfil Magazine Endowed Journalism Award was created to encourage discussion about what role or significance, if any, ethnicity and cultural background should Rana and Rupa Vig, along with their sons Arvind and Akash, donated cop- have in contemporary journalism. ies of the 100 Year Journey to the Coast Capital Savings Library at KPU “Rupa and I are incredibly proud of our partnership with KPU. My was made possible by the generous support- brother Minto and I worked tirelessly to start ers of the 100 Year Journey publication and Mehfil Magazine in 1993 and in doing so creevent held on Nov. 29, 2014. The gift will help ated a platform to showcase Indian culture as bring the Mehfil Magazine endowed fund to vibrant and relevant within the fabric of our $100,000. The 100 Year Journey was held in lives in Canada. This vision now lives on as an celebration of the contributions made by so endowed scholarship that will be available to many South Asian pioneers in B.C. and to journalism students for years to come,” said commemorate the arrival of the Komagata Rana Vig, founder of the 100 Year Journey.

Maru in Burrard Inlet on May 23, 1914. This The KPU Foundation builds community and inaugural event showcased inspiring stories corporate partnerships that benefit students, of perseverance and humanity that helped support faculty and enhance education. Each make our communities so vibrant and di- year, hundreds of thousands of dollars in verse today. “We are fortunate to live in such scholarships and awards are given to students a diverse culture that celebrates the contribu- across disciplines. More on the KPU Foundations made by pioneers of all cultural back- tion is available at . kpu.ca/foundation

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Teacher hopes to oust two Liberal MLAs but doesn’t target NDP MLAs with similar issues

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eople unhappy with two Lower Mainland Liberal MLAs plan to have them removed with a recall campaign.

Organizers behind the drive believe the two haven’t done a lot for their communities.

Jennifer Heighton, a member of BC Citizens for Recall, explains why Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee is one of their targets.

“There is the Burnaby Hospital, there are seniors’ issues, there is the Kinder Morgan pipeline, there are poverty issues. Whenever anyone has gone to him and talked about these issues with him, the results haven’t been good. They haven’t been happy with his answers.”

Heighton isn’t a resident of Burnaby, but she teaches in the city.

“Because I am involved with the Burnaby community in the profession that I’m in, I

feel he hasn’t represented those citizens well.”

The other MLA they want recalled is Marc Dalton, who represents Maple Ridge-Mission. Heighton says he needs to be removed because he is currently sitting as an independent while he waits to see if he will represent the Conservatives in the upcoming federal election.

NDP MLAs Mable Elmore and Jenny Kwan are also vying to be federal candidates, but Heighton says Dalton is being held to a different standard because he has been a member of the governing party and should have greater power to effect change.

Recall requires that 40 per cent of eligible voters in a riding sign a petition within a 60day time frame to trigger a by-election.

Heighton hopes to have Elections BC approval to launch the campaign this spring

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LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

David Johnston to remain Governor General until 2017

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overnor General David Johnston will be front and centre during Canada’s upcoming 150th birthday celebrations.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Tuesday that Johnston has accepted his invitation to remain in office until September 2017 — an “extended term” that, he noted, “will cover many of the events celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation.”

While there is no fixed term for the post, the average tenure at Rideau Hall has been

approximately five years, a milestone Johnston, who was appointed in 2010, will reach in October.

In a written statement, Harper praised Johnston as an “exceptional” Governor General. “He has made remarkable contributions to Canada in his role as the Queen’s representative in Canada, performing his duties with dignity, wisdom and aplomb,” he added.

“I look forward to him continuing his fine work in this critical role.”

NDP MPs sue House of Commons committee over $2.7 million bill for satellite offic-

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group of New Democrat MPs has renewed its legal fight over the party’s use of so-called satellite offices by filing a new lawsuit against the House of Commons committee that monitors MP spending.

Sixty-five current NDP MPs are listed as applicants in the legal action filed against the Board of Internal Economy late last month. Olivia Chow, former New Democrat MP who resigned her seat last year, is also an applicant.

The application asks the court to set aside the board’s decision to demand $2.7 million in repayment of staff costs from party offices in Quebec and stop the House of Commons from collecting on the debt.

In February, the board found that the NDP

MPs breached bylaws by using their House of Commons office budgets to pay staff who worked in the offices, referred to as satellites of the leader’s office or the party’s parliamentary research office, because they were not in Ottawa. The board ordered House of Commons administrators to send an invoice demanding repayment of the money that each MP contributed to a pooled fund for the offices, amounts that ranged from $1,288 to more than $100,0000 per MP. Leader Tom Mulcair’s office is on the hook for $408,000.

The House could begin garnisheeing MPs’ salaries to collect the outstanding amounts.

In the Federal Court application, the NDP MPs argue that the board’s decision was “unreasonable, arbitrary and incorrect,” the result of political bias and made in bad faith.

The board, made up of Conservative, NDP and Liberal MPs, reached its finding in private meetings without hearing from the MPs affected, contrary to the principles of natural justice, the NDP MPs allege.

“There is no legal basis for this decision in Canadian law or in parliamentary rules,” the application says.

“The decision is illegal since members of Parliament are entitled, by law to exercise their parliamentary functions ‘wherever’ and in so doing, are entitled to make use of parliamentary resources to accomplish parliamentary functions.”

The board’s decision is “absurd,” the MPs further allege, because new technologies allow people to work from anywhere.

Typically, MPs can use taxpayer money to pay staff only in their parliamentary offices or in their constituency offices in their ridings.

Omar Khadr bail application violates U.S. plea deal

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he federal government says Canadian courts have no authority to grant Omar Khadr bail while he appeals his war crimes conviction in the United States.

And even if they do have the power, they should still refuse to release him, the government argues in a new legal brief prepared in response to Khadr’s bail application.

It also says that granting bail to Khadr would undermine public confidence in the justice system, subvert international law, and damage Canada’s relations with the U.S. The document notes that Khadr pleaded guilty before a U.S.military commission in Guantanamo Bay and waived his right to appeal the conviction.

It also states his transfer to Canada to serve out his sentence was done under a treaty that required the American legal proceedings to have been final.

Ottawa says Khadr’s bail application, which will be heard on March 24 and 25 in Edmonton, constitutes a “direct violation” of his plea deal.

Twenty-eight-year-old Khadr, who has admitted to five war crimes-- committed as a 15-year-old in Afghanistan in July 2002 -- has said he only pleaded guilty to get out of Guantanamo.

LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Temporary foreign worker program needs Income splitting to cost Canada $2.2B per review following Microsoft deal: NDP year and have ‘near zero’ impact

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he federal NDP wants a full independent review of the temporary foreign worker program after CBC News obtained draft documents showing the bulk of workers at Microsoft’s new British Columbia training centre will likely be foreigners.

NDP employment critic Jinny Sims said the documents show Microsoft has managed to get around the federal government’s promise to crack down on the program.

“It’s Canadians who are losing jobs because Microsoft has no commitment and no legal obligation ... to do any kind of search within the [Canadian] labour market,” she said in an interview.

Federal and provincial governments have praised the Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre as a boost to the B.C. economy that will create 400 jobs, mainly in software and services engineering.

But, under a federal-provincial annex agreement, Microsoft was exempted from conducting a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) for a group of 150 rotational workers, or paid trainees. That assessment would have required the company to provide evidence that there are no Canadians qualified for the jobs.

In a crackdown last spring, the Employment and Skills Development department under former minister Jason Kenney promised to stop such exemptions through the annex agreements.

The documents show that in the planning stages, another 200 “core” employees at the Microsoft Centre of Excellence would be hired, but no guarantees were made that more than 10 per cent of those workers would be Canadian.

79 Canadians hired so far Sims said the company should have to prove its claims there aren’t enough qualified Canadians.

“How can I believe that when they themselves have no obligation to look for Canadian workers, and we have no data? They don’t even have to advertise [the jobs],” she said.

The documents regarding jobs at the excellence centre were obtained under provincial freedom of information laws and given to CBC News by a third party who works in the high-tech industry.

On Wednesday, Microsoft Canada’s di-

rector of legal and corporate affairs said the company is “creating net new jobs” with the excellence centre.

“In fact, we have hired Canadians since the announcement last year. And those are jobs that exist and would not exist if it weren’t for the establishment of the excellence centre,” Dennis Lopes told CBC Radio’s The Early Edition.

‘International trainees at this facility will not be entering the Canadian labour market.’- Kevin Menard, Citizenship and Immigration Canada In a statement late Wednesday night, Microsoft said it has so far hired 79 Canadians to staff the training centre. But it has made no promise to hire a majority of Canadians at the facility, or to prove through a labour market assessment that qualified Canadians are unavailable.

Earlier, the company stated that its current employees are mostly Canadian, but “as we hire staff for our new excellence centre, we will be recruiting talent from around the world (in addition to Canada), which may result in that balance shifting.”

The company’s response comes after CBC News asked Microsoft and both the B.C. and federal governments to provide updated numbers about the Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre.

‘Smoke and mirrors’ The federal government said at first that the jobs will “mostly” go to Canadians.

On Thursday, a spokesman for Citizenship Minister Chris Alexander said the government has limited the temporary foreign worker program to “a short term, last, and limited resort for employers when there are no qualified Canadians to fill available jobs.”

“International trainees at this facility will not be entering the Canadian labour market.

Subsequently, the Microsoft Centre of Excellence in Canada will provide training and job opportunities for Canadians in Canada,” Kevin Menard wrote in an email to CBC News.

Sims, whose riding is B.C.’s Newton-North Delta, said the government is not being honest.

“What they use are smoke and mirrors.

They keep saying well, the majority of workers will be Canadian.

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rime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan to allow families with children to split incomes for tax purposes will cost Canada’s government $2.2 billion this year while having a “near zero” impact on low-income households, a new report from the country’s budget watchdog says. The Parliamentary Budget Officer report, published Tuesday in Ottawa, estimates that the so-called Family Tax Cut income splitting plan will affect a “relatively narrow subset” of about two million homes.

Middle- and higher-income households will benefit most from the cut announced last year, the report said. The plan had come under criticism from Harper’s former finance minister, Jim Flaherty, who had expressed doubts

about whether income splitting would have a wide enough impact. The measure allows a higher earner to take advantage of a spouse’s lower income bracket, and was a pillar of the governing Conservative Party’s 2011 election platform. The PBO report found higher income earners will benefit the most. Finance Minister Joe Oliver, in an e-mailed statement, defended the government’s record, saying income splitting along with the government’s decision to expand a child care benefit program will see “the vast majority of benefits going to low and middle income families.”

Income splitting will have a negligible effect on provincial revenues while leading to a “small net reduction” of 7,000 full-time jobs.

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

LOCAL

BC terrorist praised Allah after planting bombs at B.C. legislature

ccused terrorist John Nuttall repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” after allegedly planting homemade pressure-cooker bombs on the lawn of the British Columbia legislature on Canada Day, his trial has heard.

Nuttall and his wife Amanda Korody were captured by hidden cameras carrying bags filled with pressure cookers out of an undercover RCMP van early on the morning of July 1, 2013.

As the van, driven by an undercover officer, pulls up to the legislature in Victoria, Nuttall points out his target.

“There it is, brother,” Nuttall says.

“How much is going to be left of it?” asks the officer, who can’t be identified.

“Hopefully none,” replies Nuttall.

Preparation for months Nuttall and Korody have been preparing for this moment for months, talking through their plan with the undercover officer and building pressure-cooker bombs using in-

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structions they found on the Internet.

In the back of the van were three pressure cookers that Nuttall and Korody believed contained C-4 plastic explosives. The RCMP ensured the bombs were inert, the Crown has said.

A day earlier, they had identified two bushes where they planned to drop the bombs with timers set to detonate between 9 and 10 a.m.

In the video, Nuttall says an Arabic phrase that translates to “in the name of Allah” as he picks up a bag stuffed with two of the pressure cookers. Shortly after, Korody steps out of the van with her pressure cooker, as well.

Nuttall returns several minutes later. He appears full of energy, speaking quickly in a loud voice.

“Allahu Akbar,” he says repeatedly, using an Arabic phrase that means “Allah is the greatest.”

As the morning of Canada Day slipped away from him, John Nuttall knew something was wrong.

He and his wife, Amanda Korody, had planted their homemade pressure-cooker bombs at the British Columbia legislature in the early morning of July 1, 2013, a jury has heard, and the time of the planned detonation had come and gone.

Nuttall and Korody sat in a motel room in Abbotsford, southeast of Vancouver, waiting for the news to break into TV coverage of Canada Day festivities.

“Maybe they haven’t prepared the story yet, or maybe they’re just not reporting it because it’s so shocking,” Nuttall says in a video played in court Thursday. “They don’t want to wreck anyone’s fun by telling them.”

Nuttall says he expects the television programming to be interrupted by an “emergency news bulletin.” “’Al-Qaeda has struck Canada,’ that’s what they’ll say. Al-Qaeda is here.”

‘No news is bad news’ Nuttall and Korody, who were recent converts to Islam, were targeted by a months-long RCMP undercover operation in which an officer posing as an Arab businessman befriended them and offered to help.

The timers on the bombs were set to explode between 9 and 10 a.m., the court has heard. By 11 a.m., Nuttall appeared to be los-

ing hope.

“I’m starting to think the news is real bad -- no news is bad,” says Nuttall.

“If they didn’t go off,” Korody says.

“Yeah, they didn’t go off, I guess,” replies Nuttall.

Previous audio and video recordings have featured Nuttall and Korody justifying the attack by complaining about what they perceive as the mistreatment of Muslims by the Canadian military overseas.

Nuttall has said Islam is at war and that he and his wife are behind enemy lines.

Nuttall predicted 200 deaths Nuttall has predicted 200 people might die as the result of the explosions. Earlier in the day, shortly after planting the bombs, Nuttall said he had no regrets about what he had done and compared the attack to 9/11, though he also said he hoped no children or Muslims would be killed.

As they wait at the motel, Nuttall speaks to the undercover officer over the telephone. After the call, he is agitated and tells Korody they need to prepare to leave.

He curses repeatedly as he all but concedes the mission has failed.

“What happened?” asks Korody.

“Nothing,” says Nuttall. “Nothing happened.” Nuttall tells Korody the officer has secured a plane and they will be leaving the country. Throughout the investigation, Nuttall has occasionally wondered aloud whether the Arab businessman and his mysterious associates were actually undercover officers.

Even as his plan falls apart, Nuttall appears more sure than ever that he is dealing with genuine jihadists.

“I now know it’s for real,” says Nuttall. “He’s not undercover, because if he was, we wouldn’t be sitting here now. We’d both be dead. They would kill us.”

LOCAL

New Zealand PM John Keys backs Sikhs on wearing kirpans at World Cup matches

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ew Zealand Prime Minister John Key said on Monday that the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to bar Sikh fans from wearing kirpans at World Cup matches is wrong.

Seven Sikh cricket fans were barred from entering Eden Park to watch India play Zimbabwe in a World Cup match on Saturday because they were wearing kirpans, The New Zealand Herald reported.

The kirpan is a small ceremonial sword carried by Sikhs for religious purposes, but is considered by the ICC to be a weapon.

Key said that the ICC rightly set the rules for what could be brought into New Zealand cricket venues.

“It’s their tournament, not ours. So we can’t dictate that to them.”

However, Key met with members of the Sikh community and was sympathetic to their position.

“My understanding of the kirpan is it is for the most part very small, it’s a blunt instrument.”

“And, actually, if you want to make the case that someone could cause harm with that, they’re probably much more likely to be able to cause harm with anything else you can get at the grounds, including a wine bottle or something else,” the prime minister said.

Daljit Singh, chairman of the Supreme

South Asian hit and run suspect found

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he man believed responsible for a fatal hit and run last week has been interviewed by investigators and released.

Police were alerted last Thursday (March 12) at 3:30 a.m. when a delivery driver found a badly injured man lying on Bridgeview Drive, near 128 Street.

Based on the evidence at the scene, it’s believed the man was struck from behind by the vehicle.

The pedestrian victim had been pushing a grocery cart northbound in the 11400-block of Bridgeview Drive when he was hit.

He was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital and did not survive.

He has since been identified as a 55-yearold man with no fixed address.

Police spoke with the 31-year-old driver, but as of Monday had not recommended charges to Crown Counsel. He is believed to be South Asian Officers spoke with the driver and heard his version of events on Friday afternoon.

Once he gave his statement, he was released.

Police say there is a “great deal” of work and evidence gathering before any charges are considered.

Police are gathering evidence, sending DNA to the lab, reviewing video footage and having the semi truck examined for mechanical problems.

All of that can take months to complete, police said in a release.

In addition, investigators are looking to speak with the driver of a dark-coloured PT Cruiser that drove past the scene at about 3:30 a.m., just 10 seconds after the crash.

Anyone with further information about this incident including the location of the driver is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP CCIT at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca for additional ways to leave a tip.

Sikh Council, said many in the Sikh community were unhappy with the ICC’s decision and the council was considering taking legal action.

“This decision has huge implication because we have about 500 in our community who already bought tickets for the semi-finals, and are now worried that they cannot get in,” he said.

“We have been told that, under New Zealand law, it is legal to carry a kirpan, but this ban is being imposed by the ICC which we feel should follow the law of the land.”

It is legal to wear a kirpan in New Zealand, but these cannot be taken on to flights.

Key also said he wanted the government to look at making an exemption in aviation rules for the kirpan.

“Some countries have legislated for that, I think Britain and Australia. We might look at it.”

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Accused murderer to stand trial for Delta man’s 2013 death

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he man accused of killing a Delta man whose charred body was found dumped on Surrey’s Colebrook Road two years ago has been ordered to stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court.

Sarbjit Bains was arrested in January 2014 in connection to the death of 29-year-old Amritpal Saran a year earlier. Saran’s body was discovered Feb. 24, 2013 on a secluded section of Colebrook Road near 121 Street, south of Joe Brown Park.

Bains, 33, is charged with second-degree murder and interference with a dead body.

According to court records, he was ordered by a Surrey Provincial Court judge last week to stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court after requesting no preliminary inquiry be held in the lower court.

(A preliminary hearing is often held to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial).

Bains’ former girlfriend, Evelina Urbaniak, was also charged in connection with the case, but pleaded guilty to her role and was sentenced last month. Urbaniak confessed to interfering with a dead body by helping dump Saran’s dead body beside Colebrook Road.

She received a two-year conditional sentence followed by three years probation.

During her sentencing, the court heard Urbaniak, 37, had been in a troubled and abusive relationship with Bains for about two years and their lives “revolved around drugs.”

Saran was a friend of theirs.

When Bains was arrested for Saran’s murder, he was also charged with the August 2013 murders of two women – Karen Nabors and Jill Lyons – in New Westminster. A preliminary inquiry for those charges is scheduled to begin in June.

Bains’ next court date to face the Surrey-related charges is April 2 in New Westminster.

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

LOCAL

Two former judges will be star NDP candidates, but one of them left the bench in disgrace

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o bolster the NDP’s opposition to proposed anti-terrorism legislation, leader Tom Mulcair on Thursday brought forward a former judge who will run as a candidate for the party — but who also left the bench in disgrace in 2007 after a drunken incident at a Vancouver hotel.

As he toured B.C. Lower Mainland, Mulcair’s office issued a statement that included support for the NDP’s opposition to bill C-51 from former provincial court judge Bill Sundhu, who will also be an NDP candidate in the next election.

“People are right to be concerned about this,” the press release quotes Sundhu saying. “They are worried about the Conservatives sacrificing our rights and freedoms in the name of security. This is not a real choice.

We can have both.”

The NDP noted that Sundhu “served as a judge at the B.C. Provincial Court” but did

not mention that his judicial career ended after a 2006 incident at Vancouver’s Four Seasons hotel that led to an inquiry by the province’s chief judge.

Sundhu allegedly made derogatory remarks to a female server and another hotel guest. He was also alleged to have acted aggressively toward hotel security and attempted to intimidate police officers by threatening their jobs, according to a Vancouver Sun report.

Police chose not to charge Sundhu, as he had agreed to an alternative measures program that would see him admit what he’d done and make restitution. He resigned from the bench in 2007.

Sundhu had been charged in 1989 for allegedly slapping an RCMP officer in his hometown of Williams Lake, B.C. He was later acquitted.

An NDP official on Thursday pointed to newspaper reports in which Sundhu expressed contrition for these incidents and de-

O

scribed his rehabilitation. He admitted he was an “episodic alcoholic.”

In one, an editorial in a Kamloops newspaper, B.C. Liberal attorney-general Wally Oppal described Sundhu as “a very good judge, a very popular judge and it is most tragic that one lapse on one night has led to this.”

Sundhu now practises human rights law and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association committee studying C-51. He will run for the party in the riding of Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

The NDP also offered the opinion of another former-jurist-turned-NDP-candidate.

Carol Baird Ellan, the first woman appointed chief judge of the B.C. Provincial Court, said the bill posed a threat to a fundamental principle of the judicial system.

Senators bristle at auditor’s magnifying glass

TTAWA - Single phone calls, sandwiches eaten during committee meetings, postage stamps — the smallest details have come up for review in the auditor general’s study of Senate expenses.

Senators of all political persuasions have been taken aback by the strength of the microscope trained on their office, travel and living expenses, as well as claims submitted by staff.

And it hasn’t just been the types of questions that have ruffled feathers, but also the level of access accorded to auditor general Michael Ferguson’s staff — some 40 auditors in any given month, his office said. They’ve been able to delve into the emails of senators, and has cell-phone records.

For example, the auditor general’s office has been cross-referencing daily expense claims with activities, to verify if the upper chamber really needed to pay for a lunch or whether one was served in a meeting or on a plane trip.

The angst has been building steadily in the Senate as the final report draws closer.

Some have decided to fork over the cash before the report comes out — $185,677 was reimbursed to the public purse by unnamed individuals in the 2013-14 fiscal year alone, not including monies returned by embattled senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Mac Harb.

Many senators complain bitterly that the auditor general’s office has not shown a good understanding of what constitutes Senate business, and the daily work they do.

Several spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity — in many cases senators were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement when the audit began.

One senator complained about a perceived inequality built into the process: senators interviewed early in the process could hypothetically be treated more harshly than those scrutinized later, as the auditor general’s staff become educated in the rules and rhythms of the upper chamber. “(The auditors) didn’t have the first clue about parliamentary business and public life in general,” said one Liberal senator. “They are bean counters, and they work in a very narrow environment.”

Said a Conservative: “They look for a job description — well, a senator’s job description is public service. I don’t know what I will be doing tomorrow, it depends on what issue the public is engaged in, who comes through my door, who asks for advice.”

Conservative Sen. Scott Tannas offered a small window into the tension last month, when Ferguson appeared before a Senate committee on a completely unrelated topic.

“I’m curious if you could ... tell us about the thought process that brought you to feel that you, and we, would be comfortable with your presence here,” Tannas said as an awkward silence settled into the room.

A major source of anxiety is over the type of travel that senators do on a weekly basis.

How much time do they spend in their Parliament Hill office and why? What does normal travel look like in their home provinces?

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Microsoft’s new B.C. workforce to consist mostly of foreigners

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oth the federal and provincial governments have praised the Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre as a project that will boost the B.C. economy and create 400 jobs, mainly in software and services engineering.

The freedom of information documents reveal Microsoft Canada initially promised that only 20 of those 400 new jobs — or five per cent — would go to Canadians. The documents also suggest that, through a variety of programs including the controversial Temporary Foreign Worker program (TFWP), the majority of the new workers would come from abroad.

The documents date from 2013 and 2014, and include letters and briefing notes from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and British Columbia’s Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. They show: 150 positions would be open to both Canadians and foreigners as “rotational employees” who would be brought in under the TFWP program with “no guaranteed number of Ca-

Temporary foreign worker mass exodus expected April 1

A

nadians.”

200 “core employees” would be brought in at the “executive [level], management or those with specialized knowledge,” but the company only committed that 10 per cent of those 200 core employees would be Canadian. The document states the number of Canadians “is likely to grow over time.” 50 positions would go to “foundry employees” — paid student interns from Canadian universities.

But the document stipulates that some of those students could be international students, and do not have to be Canadians. The documents also show that, in the planning stages, most of the 200 “core” employees at the Microsoft Centre of Excellence were expected to be foreign workers from three categories: intra-company transfers (people who have worked at least one year for Microsoft abroad); those brought in under the TFWP; and contract workers hired abroad who qualify to work in Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

mass exodus of temporary foreign workers is on the horizon, employers and lawyers pre-

dict.

Beginning April 1, low-skill, temporary foreign workers who have been in Canada at least four years will be forced to leave.

Most of those workers are employed in the agricultural and fishing industries.

Bill Stevens, the CEO of Mushroom Canada, is pushing for a reprieve.

“Frankly, it’s crisis with us because we’re losing workers who don’t want to leave, who have proven

Tory MP John Williamson faces heavy criticism after ‘whities’ comment

C

onservative MP John Williamson is facing heavy criticism after comments he made about the Temporary Foreign Worker program over the weekend where he referred to “whities” and “brown people.”

Williamson told delegates at a conference in Ottawa that it makes no sense to pay “whities” to stay home while companies bring in “brown people” as temporary foreign workers.

By Saturday, the New Brunswick Southwest MP had apologized “unreservedly” on Twitter for his “offensive and inappropriate language.”

“I believe different parts of Canada have different labour needs. With respect to my region, I believe employers in my district need to work to fill job vacancies by prioritizing Canadians for available jobs,” he said.

Williamson declined further comment to CBC News on Monday, saying, “I don’t think

themselves to be valuable, and deserve an opportunity to apply for citizenship,” Stevens said.

Stevens says the $900-million mushroom industry relies on temporary foreign workers to do jobs it can’t fill with Canadian citizens.

He says Highline Mushrooms in Kingsville, Ont., and Rol-Land Farms near Blenheim are both facing major decreases in production, if the deadline is upheld.

“The whole thing amounts to a major decrease in the production of our commodity, and they’re going to suffer from it, they’re going to lose markets,

there is any explanation for the words I used.”

“This is the worst mistake I’ve made as an elected member and also over my 20 years of writing and commenting on public policy. I am deeply disappointed in myself,” he said in an emailed statement.

Tobique-Mactaquac Conservative MP Mike Allen told reporters that it was important that Williamson apologized for the remarks.

“It’s always good when someone apologizes for saying something dumb,” he said.

But the criticism has not halted, including from his fellow Tory MPs. Tory MP Deepak Obhrai, the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs and international human rights, also had tough words for his colleague on Twitter.

He said he was “very disturbed” by the comments. “Foolish statement damages all of us. Years of hard work down the drain,” he tweeted.

and especially now when the markets are really very strong,” Stevens said.

Stevens is pushing for a moratorium on the April deadline and for new avenues for low skill temporary foreign workers to achieve permanent residency.

Immigration lawyer Maria Fernandes in Windsor, Ont., is pushing for similar changes.

“I would like to see a reprieve, give these people two more years so we can create a program that leads to permanent residency,” she said. “Workers are coming in and asking for permanent residency.

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LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Buyer of $51.8-million Vancouver home was once a duck farmer in China

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he Chinese-language Internet is lit up with details that the buyer of a $51.8-million Vancouver mansion was once a duck farmer who became a hotel developer, and is now head of a China-based con-

glomerate and a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a high-profile advisory body in China.

Chen Mailin and his Vancouver-based company Chunghwa Investment (Canada)

Co. bought the 25,000-square-foot home on three lots in Point Grey.

The deal, which closed December 2014, is thought to be one of the biggest residential sales in B.C.

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The sellers were former Vancouver tech entrepreneur Don Mattrick, who is now CEO of San Francisco-based social media gamemaker Zynga, and his wife, Nanon de Gaspe Beaubien-Mattrick, a tech investor and heiress to a Quebec telecom fortune.

Company filings show that in 2014, Mattrick’s pay package at Zynga topped $57.8 million, making him the second highest-paid executive in the Bay Area, after Oracle’s Larry Ellison, according to CNBC. News of the sale set off interest

by Chinese language media outlets based in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, highlighting Chen’s ragsto-riches story, which starts in the Pukou district of Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, near Shanghai.

According to media reports, Chen was born in 1969 and came from a poor family and didn’t finish high school before becoming a labourer and then a factory worker.

In 1992, he poured his savings into a duck farm. When that failed, he borrowed money to start a hotel, leading him into the construction business and the realm of real estate development in China.

The website of Nanjing Dingye Investment Group, which builds skyscrapers and has business divisions in property development, pharmaceuticals, hotel management and textiles, lists Chen as its chairman.

The South China Morning Post was the first to report details of Chen’s involvement as the representative for Nanjing city at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, which has thousands of delegates.

In Canada, Chen has bought and sold other properties in Metro Vancouver, including the most recent sale of a $10.5-million Shaughnessy home at 1550 Laurier Ave in December.

According to agents, the high end of the city’s luxury market is drawing interest from buyers with cash from mainland China, including Canadian citizens, residents and visitors.

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LOCAL

CRTC orders basic cable package at $25 and customers can choose what they want

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he CRTC will allow subscribers to purchase a basic $25 a month cable TV or satellite package and have individual pickand-pay options after that.

The regulator released a decision Thursday afternoon that paves the way for the socalled “skinny basic” option within a year, the first time it has regulated a basic cable package since 1998. That new cable package is capped at $25 a month and will consist of local stations and mandatory channels, such as APTN, TVO, CPAC, educational channels and accessibility channels, with the option to include up to four American “affiliate” channels (NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox), plus PBS. Subscribers would then be able to choose the channels they want to add and either pay for them individually or create their own bundles, the so-called “pick a pack” or “pickand-pay” option.By comparison, the cheapest online advertised television package for Rogers customers in Ontario is $40.48 a month for “190+ channels,” while Bell offers Ontario customers more than 150 channels on both Fibe and satellite options for an advertised price of $41.98 a month on its website.

CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais said the time is right for cable companies to change the way they offer cable channels.

“We had to make this change. We do it from a position of strength,” said Blais.

“We have to get ready for the next wave and the next wave is new technologies that are coming up. In a sense we are forcing the industry to finally face that the world is changing.”

The CRTC also announced Thursday that those who want to switch cable companies no longer have to give 30 days notice.

A code of conduct was also announced to help with disputes between programmers and cable companies starting in September 2015.

Deadline still a year off The CRTC is giving the cable industry some time to adjust to the new rules, introducing them gradually over the next year and a half before they become mandatory in December 2016.

Service providers will have until March 2016 to offer the $25 basic package. The full pick-and-pay option, where subscribers could both create bundles and buy individual channels, must be in place by December 2016.

News channels from CBC and CTV will not be included in the basic cable package. CBC News Network will be mandatory in Quebec, while French-language news channel RDI will be mandatory for Canadian provinces and territories outside Quebec.

Consumers will have the option of keeping the cable packages they already have.

Part of broader changes The CRTC has been holding hearings into revamping cable options for consumers for the past year.

Thursday’s announcement is part of the CRTC’s “Let’s Talk TV” initiative, which has already resulted in airing of American Super Bowl ads starting in 2017 and revamped Canadian TV content rules.

While there has been some resistance from the industry, there is a feeling that change is inevitable and the changes may help the cable and satellite industry keep the customers they have and maybe lure some back.

However, Blais did acknowledge the changes will be harmful to some.

“I won’t say the result of this decision will mean that every service provider ... will survive in this new environment. There may indeed be services that will not survive and there will be job losses,” he said.

“That’s always sad, because it affects Canadians that may lose their jobs, but our view is that in this new environment which is far more competitive, good companies will find ways to innovate, compete and thrive if they are successful.”

Government, industry reacts Some of Canada’s major telecommunications companies such as Rogers, Telus and Shaw said they’re looking forward to giving customers more choice.

“While this new regulatory environment will not be without challenges, the CRTC has provided real opportunities for Shaw to continue delivering the best content experiences possible for our customers and viewers within a healthy, dynamic and competitive environment,” Shaw CEO Brad Shaw said in a statement.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Abbotsford Police warn of 3 South Asian men in conflict, say public may be in danger

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bbotsford Police has warned people about three South Asian men involved in an “ongoing conflict.”

“We believe it is in the public’s best interest that the identities of these men are known so people associating with or in close physical proximity to them understand their safety could be in danger,” says Sergeant Casey Vinet.

“We believe they do have ties to organized crime groups, gangs, but to say which groups for certain is difficult,” he Vinet.

“Efforts to curtail growing tensions between these individuals are being made but we are very concerned that violence could occur in public settings.”

The three men are well-known to police: Sandeep Singh Sidhu - Described as South Asian, 27 years old, 6’2, 201 lbs - Has three convictions for aggravated assault and currently faces several assault and weapons charges - Is prohibited from possessing firearms Jimi Singh Sandhu

- Described as South Asian, 25 years old, 5’11, 190 lbs - Has two criminal convictions for assault with a weapon and possession of an unauthorized or restricted weapon

- Is prohibited from possessing firearms Gavinder Singh Grewal - Described as South Asian, 27 years old, 5’9, 210 lbs - Has a criminal conviction for extortion and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking - Is prohibited from possessing firearms If you have any information about the activities of these men, you’re urged to contact the Abbotsford Police Department at 604859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.

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OPINION

Saturday, March 21, 2015

F

Committed to making our Streets and Communities Safer

ive shootings in a two day frame, in Surrey not only shook every resident but also brought to light how much more work is required to prevent and suppress such acts from happening in future.

We need to be committed in making sure that our streets and communities are safer.

It can only happen if we adopt a pro-active approach to this menace. This can only be achieved by working for the victims rather than the criminals. The federal government has brought in legislation that delivers tougher laws to crack down on criminals.

As a result we now have tougher laws to deal with gun and gang crime, violent and repeat offenders, white collar crime, human smuggling, cybercrime and cyber bulling, identity theft, violence against seniors, sex offenders, terrorism and street racing, impaired driving and car theft.

The Safe Streets and Communities Act contains a number of measures to address concerns raised by victims of crime, law-enforcement officials and stakeholders, including: Bill C-39(Increasing Offender Accountability Act, enshrines a victim’s

By Harpreet Singh Conservative Candidate Surrey Newton right to participate in parole hearings and address inmate accountability, responsibility and management under the Corrections and conditional Release Act), the Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act (for-

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mer Bill C-54), increasing penalties for sexual offences against children, Sebastien’s Law (former Bill C-4), which protects Canadians from violent and repeat young offenders and makes the protection of society a paramount consideration in the management of young offenders through the justice system, Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act ( former Bill C-23 B) which extend the ineligibility periods for applications for a record suspension( called ‘Pardon’) to five years of summary conviction offences and to 10 years for indictable offences. The ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious crimes by Serious and Violent Offenders Act (former Bill C-16), eliminates the use of conditional sentences, or house arrest, for serious and violent crimes.

There are other bills that strengthen the foundations of building safer communities.

Bill C-19, Street Racing came has already been enforced. Then there is Bill C-48, An Act to amend the Criminal Code in Order to Implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Bill C-18, An Act to amend Certain Acts in relation to DNA Identification, Bill C-25, the Truth in Sentencing Act, which strictly limits the amount of credit granted for time served in custody prior to conviction and sentencing. There are many such other bills by the government that ensure that our communities remain safe. We all know that when more than one agency or one group work towards crime annihilation, lack of coordination may occur.

Continued on Page 6...

www.theasianstar.com # 202 - 7028, 120th Street, Surrey, BC V3W 3M8 Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 E-mail: editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Associate Editor: Shruti Prakash Joshi Marketing and Sales: Ravinder S. Cheema..604-715-3847 Shamir Doshi..............604-649-7827 Harminder Kaur..........778-708-0481 Amritpal S. Grewal.....778-251-0306 Dal Sanghera.............604-591-5423 Parminder Dhillon.......604-591-5423 Pre-Press: Iftikhar Ahmed Contributing writers: Akash Sablok Kamila Singh Jay Bains Photographer: Chandra Bodalia

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Story from Page 1...

Home-cooked food for Surrey’s Vaisakhi parade

On the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade website, there’s a link for “Helpful Hints for Food Preparation” (http://www.surreyvaisakhiparade.ca/ files/helpful-hints.php).

There’s information on hand washing and food storage, as well as how to properly sanitize working surfaces and clean cooking utensils, pots and pans. The temporary food premises

permit application is free and available on the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade’s website under the “Food Premises Application” tab. The application must be submitted 10 to 14 days prior to the parade. This year’s Vaisakhi parade takes place on Saturday, April 18. It begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar temple at 12665 85 Ave. and runs until about 4 p.m.

Story from Page 4...

Committed to making our Streets and Communities Safer

It thus becomes crucial for the leadership to guide the agencies in their roles and responsibilities in responding to crime issues.

I believe in strengthening the right processes in place by removing the barriers faced by these agencies tackling crime and working towards building new models to ensure success of crime free community.

Stephen Harper’s Government is committed to the safety and security of law-abiding Canadian families. Since taking office, we have worked to keep our streets and communities safer by keeping dangerous criminals behind bars. At the same time, we recognize that there are those who, while at risk, still have time to make the right choice and stay away from a serious life of crime.

For those youth who are at risk, the Harper Government has been working to deliver

the kind of action that will help them choose to stay on the right side of the law.

The Harper Government is helping to prevent youth involved in or at risk of being involved in a life of gang related activities spiral into a life of crime, working to educate youth against drug use, as well as give options for those who genuinely want help with addictions, in addition to cracking down on drug criminals, helping provide at-risk youth with the skills and support to make choices that will keep them on the right side of the law. While the government is doing it’s part, we as a community too need to do our bit in ensuring that our youth keep away from gangs and drugs. I assure you that with your support, I will leave no stone unturned to keep our streets safe. Let’s work towards making a safer community!

Judge convicts second Mountie of lying at public inquiry

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former Mountie who was involved in Robert Dziekanski’s death and was later held up by the force as an example of a bad apple within its ranks was convicted Friday of perjury for his testimony at a public inquiry.

Former corporal Benjamin (Monty) Robinson was charged along with three other officers for their testimony at hearings that examined what happened when Dziekanski was stunned with a Taser at Vancouver’s airport and died in October 2007.

He is the second of the officers to be convicted of perjury. One officer was acquitted and another is awaiting a verdict.

While each officer faced the same charge, Robinson’s case had the most notoriety. He

was the senior officer on the scene at the airport and was later convicted of obstruction of justice in an unrelated case involving a fatal vehicle accident.

The four officers were summoned to Vancouver’s airport in the early morning of Oct. 14, 2007, after Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant who spoke no English, started throwing furniture in the international terminal.

Within seconds of the officers’ arrival, one of them stunned Dziekanski repeatedly with a Taser. The Crown alleged the four officers colluded on a story to tell homicide investigators and then lied again at the public inquiry. B.C. Supreme Continued on Next Page

LOCAL Judge convicts second Mountie of lying at public inquiry Story from Previos Page...

Court Judge Nathan Smith said the officers all made similar mistakes when their statements are compared with the video, notably their incorrect assertion that Dziekanski had to be wrestled to the ground.

Smith said Robinson had a motive to lie

and must have known what he told homicide investigators was incorrect.

“I simply do not believe that a police officer of his experience could make such a crucial mistake in these circumstances,” Smith said as Robinson listened from the prisoner’s dock.

“I agree with the Crown that he had a direct motive to exaggerate the threat posed

by Mr. Dziekanski and to justify the response to that threat.”

Smith said it’s clear the officers talked about what happened before speaking to homicide investigators, which Robinson denied while on the stand at the inquiry.

Much of the Crown’s case was circumstantial.

Prosecutors argued the officers’ statements and notes all contained similar errors when compared with an amateur video of the confrontation, proving they worked together. The Crown did not produce any evi-

dence that the officers actually collaborated on the night of Dziekanski’s death, such as a witness who might have seen them huddled together at the airport.

The Crown further alleged the officers met in the Vancouver area in the days or weeks before testifying at the inquiry in early 2009 to plan their testimony. A witness, whose ex-husband is Bentley’s cousin, told the court the officers met at her home, but the defence presented telephone records, credit card receipts and other evidence to cast doubt on her testimony.

The Crown has not explained how the public should reconcile the differing verdicts, especially since prosecutors’ theory was that all four officers worked together to tell the same lies.

Robinson, who is in his mid-40s, left the RCMP in 2012.

Earlier that year, he was convicted of obstruction of justice in an unrelated case.

Robinson was behind the wheel in October 2008 when his vehicle struck and killed a 21-year-old motorcyclist in Delta, south of Vancouver. He told his trial that immediately after the crash he went home and drank two shots of vodka to “calm his nerves.”

A judge concluded Robinson had used his RCMP training in an attempt to fend off accusations of impaired driving. He was given a conditional sentence of 12 months.

Around the time of Robinson’s obstruction conviction, the RCMP’s top officer in B.C., Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, held up the case as an example of the challenges facing the force when it wants to deal with problem officers.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

V

ancouver is the best place to live in North America, according to Mercer’s latest Quality of Living Rankings.

The West Coast city placed fifth worldwide for the second year in a row. In 2005 the study ranked Vancouver 3rd in the world.

The annual study looks at everything from climate to housing and the political and social environment when ranking 230 cities.

The top ranking for 2015 went to Vienna, followed by Zurich, Auckland and Munich.

“Vancouver is the highest-ranking city in North America and the region’s only city in the top 10,” according to the study.

Vancouver was followed by Toronto at 15, and Ottawa at 16. The highest ranking U.S. cities trail behind with San Francisco at 27, Boston at 34 and Honolulu coming in at 36.

The study is done to help multinational companies and other employers compensate

employees when they’re given international assignments.

Seven European cities dominated the top 10, including Dusseldorf in the 6th place, followed by Frankfurt, Geneva and Copenhagen in 9th.

Europe dominates top 10 “Despite concerns about economic growth, the cities of Western Europe continue to offer a stable environment for employees and employers,” the report said.

London, placed 40, and was the highest-ranking city in the United Kingdom.

Elsewhere, Singapore, placing 26th in the world, was the top place in Asia-Pacific.

Dubai, in 74th place, was the highest-ranking place in the Middle East and Africa.

Baghdad, Iraq came in last place.

Data for the study was collected in the fall of 2014.

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LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Mayors’ transit plan to cost $200 million more Punjab minister caught in controversy linked multi-billion-dollar transportation TransLink and external engineering contracto Canadian synthetic drug dealers Theimprovement plan will actually cost tors, the plan assumes a combined capital cost

$200 million more in capital expenditures than initially announced, according to the Mayors’ Council.

The regional authority confirmed the full 15-year budget as $7.7 billion on Monday after regional politicians gathered in New Westminster to announce the beginning of the mail-in congestion tax vote.

Until this point, the Mayors’ Council has always pitched the plan as $7.5 billion.

“Based on technical analysis completed by

of $7.7 billion (in 2015 dollars),” reads a report, released Friday, from the Mayors’ Council, TransLink, local government and KPMG. “No additional capital costs are assumed beyond the 15-year period, while ongoing operating costs and revenue would continue thereafter.”

In an emailed statement, the mayors’ media relations desk said the additional $200 million encompassed “the full span of capital expenditures.”

L

inks of Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia with two key accused of the multi-layered synthetic drug racket had first come to light during Punjab police investigation in November-December 2013, according to Interrogation Reports (IRs) of Manjinder Singh, alias Bittu Aulakh, a Amritsar-based hotelier, and pharma company owner Jagjit Singh Chahal.

The state police, however, did not take any concrete steps to pursue these leads on the drug deals of Aulakh and Chahal with three Canada-based Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), including Satpreet Singh alias Satta, who used to stay at the Amritsar residence of Majithia. The alleged links of Majithia with NRI Satta and Aulakh became public after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogated the duo and leaked their confessional statements to the media.

At the centre of controversy surrounding the minister is his alleged proximity to Aulakh (arrested in November 2013) and NRI Satta. Aulakh and Satta are among the key players in fixing synthetic drug deals with Canada-based NRIs. In a confessional statement to the ED, Aulakh has said Chahal used to supply synthetic drugs to Satta and another NRI Parminder Singh Pindi.

“Majithia had introduced Satta as his best friend to me. I used to find Satta at the residence of Majithia at 43, Green Avenue, Amritsar,” reads Aulakh’s August 6, 2014, statement. He also admitted before ED officers that he introduced Satta and Pindi to pharma company owner Chahal.

Meanwhile, as per the IR of Aulakh, he frequently visited Majithia’s house where he met NRI Satta. Aulakh had also referred to his (Satta’s) close links with the minister between 2006 and 2010.

He had told the police that NRI Satta, a resident of Edmonton (Canada), was managing the election campaign of Majithia and had especially come to India for this purpose. “Satta used to spend more time at Majthia’s residence in Amritsar than in Canada,” Aulakh see store for details claimed.

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LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

i

9

By- Shruti Prakash Joshi

I am successful because of the community, says Vancity Director Jodh Singh Dhaliwal

J

odh S. Dhaliwal, Director Indo-Canadian affairs for Vancity is not just another employee of the Credit Union. Being the first Indo-Canadian person sporting a turban who was hired by the bank nearly 25 years ago, Jodh Dhaliwal is singularly responsible for making institutions such as Credit Unions be more culturally sensitive.

“I certainly looked different. Some people even moved their bank accounts simply because they didn’t want to be helped by a different looking person. But I consider myself extremely fortunate because Vancity stood firm in their resolve to stand by me,” said Jodh S. Dhaliwal in an interview with the Asian Star this week.

In exchange for this show of faith, Dhaliwal has in all sincerity connected the Indo-Canadian community with the Credit Union like none before. Today it is because of people like Dhaliwal that Vancity is one of Indo-Canadian communities’ most preferred Credit Unions across Metro Vancouver.

“Vancity’s directive is to give back to the community. The Credit Union has since 1994 given more than $250 Million to various community projects as well as to members as dividend. And since I knew the needs of the Indo-Canadian community so well, I consider myself extremely lucky to have been given an opportunity to forward Vancity’s mandate of giving and helping,” said Dhaliwal.

Before moving to Canada in 1983 from India, Dhaliwal worked with Punjab and Sindh bank in Kolkata in their International Banking Division. “Even before I started work for the bank in Kolkata, I was a professor of economics in Punjab. But decided to move to Canada after getting engaged to a Canadian girl,” recalled Dhaliwal.

Being well versed in international banking rules, Dhaliwal easily found a job with State Bank of India and with sheer dint of hard work

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and experience quickly rose to become the Assistant Manager at their branch in Vancouver, while at the same time embellishing his education with a CGA. “I wanted to become the branch manager at SBI but the bank only recruits managers from India and therefore I started looking elsewhere for a job. This is how Vancity happened,” said Dhaliwal.

This was in 1990 and 25 years later, Dhaliwal is still with the Credit Union enjoying the status of a Director, a title he has undoubtedly worked hard for.

“When I joined Vancity I came with connections, experience and knowledge. I was given the responsibility of the Vancity branch on Main and 26th. and interestingly I managed to double the portfolio of the branch within 18 months. Thereafter there was no looking back for me,” explained Dhaliwal. According to Dhaliwal if he is successful at Vancity today, it is simply because of the community. I was very close to the community then and I am very close to the community now. I have never forgotten my roots and this has been my Unique Selling Proposition,” said Dhaliwal.

Because Dhaliwal understood the psyche of the community so well, he was able to convince his colleagues at the Credit Union that members of the community would never default on payments and therefore they should be given mortgages and loans. “This helping and caring attitude really helped the Credit Union as well as the community. I also made sure that for Vancity to generate more and more business from the community, they need to hire people who could speak the language of the community,” recalled Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal’s open and transparent policy and his resolve that everyone would to be treated equally brought him members from as far away as Chilliwack.

This resulted in so much business for the

Credit Union that they had to hire additional loan officers to handle the volume.

“Seeing the success Vancity got from the Indo-Canadian Community, the Credit Union then decided to have a similar strategy with other ethnic groups as well,” said Dhaliwal.

Apart from connecting the community with the Credit Union, Dhaliwal has also been responsible for helping various community groups and religious institutes such as gurdwaras and temples, borrow money from the Credit Union. “At that time, no bank or Credit Union was ready to lend money to religious institutes because there was a perception that these institutes would default on their payments. But working as a bridge between the gudwaras and the Credit Union I made borrowing money easier for these groups,” said Dhaliwal adding that he feels proud that most community groups even now come to him for their financial needs.

“I also started the trend of thanking the community. Vancity now has two events, one during Vaisakhi and one during Diwali exclusively to thank the community which has been so faithful to Vancity over the years,” said Dhaliwal.

And while he has tremendously helped the community, in exchange the community has never let him down, instead they have rewarded him for his service with a large number of awards, as lined up in his office at the Credit Union’s branch in Burnaby. ‘I don’t recall any incident where the community let me down. I guess it’s a matter of faith,” said Dhaliwal.

10”

© PEPSICO CANADA ULC, 2015

Now in his position as Director, Indo-Canadian Affairs, Dhaliwal continues to be involved not only in the Indo-Canadian Community but has also reached out to the mainstream and other ethnic communities.

“In my journey at Vancity I have seen the community grow manifold. It gives me immense pleasure to see that people who I might have helped many years ago are now at the helm of affairs generating employment for many others. It is an extremely satisfying feeling. I am glad that I was able to think out of the box then,” said Dhaliwal.

And whatever little time that Dhaliwal now has left over from his work with the Credit Union and in the community, he enjoys spending it with his family.

“I also enjoy an occasional game of golf and love watching sports and reading,” said Dhaliwal.

10 i

LOCAL

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Richmond’s Chinese driver signs criticized

A

Sargun Bajwa celebrated her 2nd birthday this week with parents, Anmol and Rano Bajwa older sister and Ekam Bajwa.

H1_FFH_Asian Star_A_JrPg:Layout 1 09/03/15 11:19 AM Page 1

lookalike driver designation sticker being sold in Richmond, denoting a Chinese driver, is getting a red light from some community leaders.

The magnetic sticker — which is similar in size, shape and letter design to those ICBC requires for drivers in the graduated licence program — features a yellow background with a capital “C” with the words “Chinese driver” spelled out underneath.

The stickers are being sold at Super Garage in Aberdeen Centre, a store which specializes in after-market accessories for vehicles.

Richmond City Coun. Chak Au said he could see the potential humour behind the signs, but cautioned it may send a negative message of ethnic stereotyping.

The item could be particularly troublesome, added Au, in a community currently entrenched in a public debate over the exclusion of English in some advertising signs.

“I don’t think whoever produced them meant to be

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racist or mean-spirited,” Au said.

“But they are strengthening certain stereotypes.”

Au said the popular stereotype he is aware of characterizes Chinese drivers as aggressive and sometimes unsafe.

And that sweeping judgment is incorrect, he added.

“I am Chinese-Canadian culturally, but I have a really good driving record,” he said.

Au was also concerned about the close resemblance the signs have to ICBC’s version.

“They look pretty official and can give people the impression ICBC is giving out licences according to nationality or cultural background,” Au said.

“This is also not the best time to promote decals with this type of humour because we are trying to foster greater cultural harmony and integration. And to classify people according to categories is divisive.”

These types of signs are not new, said Henry Beh, executive director of Richmond Chinese Community Society, adding he does not like the negative implication they creTELUS STORES ate.

Abbotsford “I think they are stupid,” Beh Highstreet Shopping Centre said.

“It’s an insult to those people.

Sevenoaks Shopping Centre It’s not just Chinese people who 2140 Sumas Way 32915 South Fraser Way drive badly.

Aldergrove “I am Chinese and I don’t think 26310 Fraser Hwy. I am a bad driver.”

Burnaby Brentwood Town Centre Beh said he understands the Crystal Mall business selling the signs is trying Lougheed Town Centre to make money, but thinks they Metropolis at Metrotown 3855 Henning Dr. could have chosen a more tasteful 4501 North Rd. product.

Coquitlam Calling the signs inappropriate Coquitlam Centre Westwood Mall and harmful to the community 1071 Austin Ave. was Balwant Sanghera, vice-presDelta ident of Richmond Multicultural Scottsdale Centre 1517 56th St. Community Services.

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hupinder Dhillon, media-incharge of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Agra office, said, “Monkeys were creating a big menace by climbing overhead railway cables. Often, they would get electrocuted and their bodies would get stuck on the cable, bringing railway operations to a halt. Due to the increase in the number of such incidents, the engineering department decided that it was best to hire six langurs.”

According to sources, large colonies of monkeys have sprung up near the four railway stations in the area -- Agra cantonment, Agar Fort, Raja Ki Mandi, and Mathura. The langurs, under the supervision of their handlers, would guard these stations as well as the DRM office.

They will work in shifts of 12 hours starting from seven in the morning.

Their duties would involve constant patrolling of the stations to ensure that monkeys are kept at bay and passengers are not harassed by the simians.

An official has also been deputed to monitor the performance of the langurs, who would be required to record their attendance on a daily basis. If they are found absent, said an official, around Rs 400 will be deducted from their salary.

NATIONAL

Taxpayer group urges Tories to stop pumping public money

A

government waste-watching group once headed by Defence Minister Jason Kenney is calling out the federal government for using taxpayer money to pay for partisan ads.

In a release issued Wednesday, Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick points to several recent ad campaigns that have been in heavy rotation, including the anti-pot messaging launched last year and commercials touting new tax cuts.

“These ads are all paid for with your tax dollars,” he notes.

And while he acknowledges that, in some cases, such campaigns serve a “legitimate purpose” by providing the public with important information about available programs and services, that wasn’t the case with the $2.5 million spent on ads for the Canada Job Grant — a program that, Wudrick points out in his release, “didn’t even exist at the time.”

“The reality is that for an incumbent government, the temptation to torque ads for partisan gain will always be great,” Wudrick said.

“If a government can use public dollars to ‘inform’ Canadians by conveniently putting a positive spin on the governing party’s policies at the same time, they probably will.”

This, he says, “is not only a waste of precious resources — it’s also an affront to fairness in a democracy.” “Further, it violates the democratic principle that public dollars shouldn’t be directed towards partisan ends.”

The federation wants Ottawa to establish an independent third party to vet proposed government advertising to ensure a non-partisan tone.

3rd party oversight needed: CTF Wudrick points out that the Province of Ontario has had an independent ad review process since 2004.

“It’s time for the Harper Conservatives to follow Ontario’s lead and implement similar third-party oversight of its advertising,” he concludes. The critique comes just days after Liberal finance critic Scott Brison blasted the Conservatives for spending millions on what he described as “wasteful and ineffective partisan ads.”

He claimed the government has spent more than $750 million on ads since taking office in 2006.

In 2013, Liberal MP David McGuinty introduced a private members’ bill to appoint a federal advertising commissioner, who would work within the Office of the Auditor General to review all proposed government advertising for potentially partisan content.

According to the most recent spending projections, the government recently added an additional $11 million to the available advertising budget for this year, which now totals $65 million.

Ad budget boosted As reported by The Canadian Press last month, the bulk of that newly committed money is earmarked for four departments: Finance, which got $3.5 million in additional cash to sell the government’s much self-touted Economic Action Plan, including newly promised tax credits and benefits.

Defence, which received $3 million to continue its latest recruitment campaign.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

i 21

Peter Goldring’s pocket pen video camera keeps MPs talking Conservative MP Peter Goldring puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like any other politician. But then he tucks an accessory into his suit pocket. As far as we can tell, it makes him unique on Parliament Hill. It’s a pen. But it’s also a tiny video camera, commonly called a spy pen or camera pen.

“I have it with me at all times, so it’s not just on Parliament Hill. And particularly after my instance, I particularly want to wear it when I’m driving,” Goldring said. He’s referring to a charge he faced in 2011 for refusing a breathalyzer test when he was pulled over in his Alberta riding of Edmonton-East. Goldring said he had merely been asking police for more details. The judge agreed and he was acquitted, but his legal fees

hit $50,000. Goldring believes he could have prevented that with proof of his conversation with police.

“Had I had protection like this, to be filming the police, my case wouldn’t have gone to court, and instead I was put through a year and a half of very traumatic period of time,” he said.

Not always on Goldring had his spy pen with him recently at the House foreign affairs committee. The witnesses included Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson, then defence minister Rob Nicholson and then foreign affairs minister John Baird. Goldring said he never turned on his pen during the meeting. “I’m wearing it, but in most instances it’s not on. But I have it in my pocket for whatever

use I want to use it for,” Goldring said.

Asked if he lets people know when it is activated, he said, “I think that you’d want to have a reason for it, and possibly, most of the time let the person know.”

Most of the time?

“Yeah,” he said, “because all the time you don’t necessarily want to.”

Not enough to be ‘honourable’ Goldring took the spy pen on a flight recently and keeps one in Ottawa and one in his Alberta constituency. He hasn’t recorded with it often, but he’s shown a few friends and colleagues how it works, and used it to record his interview with CBC News. Goldring’s camera raised eyebrows a few months ago in the midst of harassment allegations against two Liberal MPs when he said in a news release that the male MPs should have had “protection” in the form of body-worn video recording equipment to back up their story.

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CLASSIFIEDS

Saturday, March 21, 2015

C L A S S I F I E D S JOBS

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Dosa Corner Restaurant Ltd in Vancouver Looking to hire an authentic south indian chef .

This is a full time permanent position. $18.50/hr. 40hrs/week.

Must have at least 3-5yrs experience in south indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Dosas.

Duties include Prepare & cook meals.kitchen management. Plan menus & quality. Orders food supplies.

Mail your resume to selvamm164@gmail.com or apply by person at DosaCorner Vancouver. 110-8248 Fraser Street.

Vancouver. B.C.. V5X 3X6 Ph: 604-324-3672.

Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr.

Must have at least 2-3 yrs experience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian spicing.

Duties: Prepare & Cook meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; Plan menus; Ensure quality & determine food proportions; Monitor & order food supplies; Set up & oversee buffets; Manage kitchen operation.

Mail resume or apply by person Mayuri indian cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th Ave., Surrey BC V3W 3A6 Fax: 604-572-3281

-----------------------------------Seamstress required Seamstress (Tailor) needed Foam & Décor is looking for Full Time or Part Time Seamstress ( tailor) for drapery in Surrey.

Salary will be provided @ 12 per hour. Please call 604-594-1882

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JOBS

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Cook Require Curry junction Restaurant in White Rock need cook immediately, This is a full time permanent position for a experienced person, Depending on experience salary will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or 604-385-1558 ---------------------------Transworld Security located at 2nd Floor, 5050, Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 is looking for a Static Guard, Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile Supervisor and Field Manager. These are permanent full-time positions.

Static Guard pay rate is $13.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows and gates.

Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors and guests.

Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency. Circulate among visitors, patrons and employees to preserve order and protect property.

Static Guard Supervisor pay rate is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay.

You would be required to oversee and supervise Static Guards. You

will need to ensure the duties of the Static Guards you supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are being met.

Field Manager pay rate is $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and you are responsible for supporting, mentoring and supervising the security officers in the field.

You will be required to manage the company’s field operations and resources after business hours.

Mobile Supervisor pay rate is $18.00 per hour. You would be required to provide ongoing leadership, direction and training.

You need to ensure all standing orders and scheduled daily activities are carried out for each shift.

You will be required to discipline staff when necessary and ensure proper documentation is passed onto head office.

You will have to investigate alarm responses and respond in a timely manner. You will need to communicate any concerns/ issues with Site Supervisor/ Coordinator.

The above opportunities suit candidates willing to travel all over the lower mainland and from Squamish to Hope. We also have opportunities in Edmonton, Alberta.

Minimum qualification for these

positions are completion of secondary school and BST Justice Training of BC. Past experience is preferred but we are willing to train candidates who show eagerness to learn. For more information please visit our website at www. transworldsecurity.ca.

Please email you resume to hr@ transworldsecurity.ca.

------------------------------------Retail Sales Supervisor (6211); Saim’s Communication Inc.,Surrey, British Columbia, (6211); Salary: $17:50/Hourly; Positions Available: 2; Type: FullTime; Minimum Education: High School; ,Description : Assign sales workers to duties and prepare work schedules, Authorize payments by cheque and the return ofmerchandise , Sell merchandise to customers, Resolve problems

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COMMUNITY Free Family Community Event at the Robson Park, Surrey on Saturday 21, March 2015 The City of Surrey in partnership with the VISHWA non profit organization has sponsored a free community event from 11 am to 2 pm at the Robson Park, Surrey on Saturday 21 March, 2015.

This is part of Surrey Beautification and educational project. Interested local community members and children will participate in planting native shrubs and flowering plants of BC in allocated planting beds at the park. Necessary tools and plants will be provided by the City of Surrey ​volunteers f​ or plantation. VISHWA volunteers are offering short guided ​ nature ​wa​ lks at nearby Robson Ravine, as part of this experience. It is planned as a learning experience as well as a fun family event launching on Saturday 21 March 2015.

The volunteer members of VISHWA have additionally organized free yoga, music, youth empowerment games and environment awareness sessions​.​Refreshments will​also​be served to all participants.

“This will be an excellent opportunity to promote environment and health awareness and build the community spirit this spring” said Dr. Preeti Misra, the coordinator of VISHWA. VISHWA is a non-profit association formed with the objective of fostering holistic individual development and serving communities to build harmonious sustainable societies.

Address of Robson Park: 12678 - 100 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3V 2X9 ------------------------------------------------

South Asian Seniors - Oral & Dental Hygiene For Seniors Dr. Neeru Sharma - 22nd March 2015, 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Senior Adults/ Senior members as well as non members to attend a presentation on Oral & Dental Hygiene For Seniors by Dr. Neeru Sharma DDS, on march 22nd 2015 from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. Your concerns for dental Issues will be answered by Dr. Neeru Sharma, tea and light snacks will be served after the presentation. Please call Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details. Project funded by Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program for Hindi Speaking Seniors.

----------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities April 1–5 English & Multilingual Free Multilingual Tax Clinics For Low Income Individuals & Families Filing Basic 2014 Tax Returns Service languages include: English, Cantonese, Farsi, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Malay, Mandarin and Spanish.

By appointment only. Please visit www. mosaicbc.com/settlement-services for more information.

Burnaby (Permanent Residents only): 778 321 5406 Vancouver (Permanent Residents, Naturalized Citizens and Work Permit Holders): 604 254 9626

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Burnaby Seniors’ Club Spring Term Come and join us for free taichi and knitting groups, as well as English practice and conversation circles. Volunteers provide support in different languages. Call to register.

North Burnaby (Brentwood Resource Community Centre, 2055 Rosser Ave): 604 292 3907 South Burnaby (MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway): 604 438 8214 Canadian Citizenship Preparation April 1 & 2, 10am–1pm New Westminster Public Library Main Branch, 716 6th Ave 604 438 8214 ext 104 Canadian Citizenship Application Workshop April 2, 10am–12pm MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway 604 438 8214 ext 123 Basic Computer Skills Starting April 2, Thursdays, 12–1pm MOSAIC North Burnaby Learning Centre, 103–4181 Hastings St 604 438 8214 ext 114 Advanced Planning Workshop April 3, 10am–12pm MOSAIC Vancouver, 2nd floor, 1720 Grant St 604 254 9626 ext 273 Financial Abuse Workshop April 4, 10am–12pm Oakridge Baptist Church, 6261 Cambie St 604 254 9626 ext 273 -----------------------------------World Religions Seek World Peace and Harmony The World Religions Conference organized by Ahmaddiya Muslim Jamaat of BC at Thomson Rivers University, Kamloops on March 15 was impressive. The entire program was q informative and inspiring as the learned speakers expressed their views on the topic of, “Existence of God” and thereby sought peace and interfaith harmony for the entire human race in accordance with their faith perspective.

Chaudhary Mohammad Aslam Shad, Regional President, BC welcomed guests and called upon Christopher J. Foulds, Managing Editor of “Kamloops this Week” to take over as the Chairperson and Moderator of the program.

Dr. Jap Warvani presented; Buddhist perspective, Pastor Alan S. Vaal; Christianity, Hindi poet and scholar Acharya S.P. Dwivedi; Hinduism, Imam Balal Khokhar; Islam, Mr. Ivan

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G. Somlai; Jewish Faith and Gian Singh Kotli presented Sikh perspective.

The program was inspiring as all the speakers conveyed the well meaning message of maintaining peace and harmony in the world as enshrined in the holy pages of their respective faith books. Coordinator, Rizwan Peerzada thanked and presented gifts to the speakers. The credit of organizing such humanitarian conferences goes to Mr. Rizwan Peerzada and his team of dedicated volunteers who are frequently organizing such conferences to spread the Islamic message of peace and harmony and also invite learned speakers of other religions to say the same as ordained by their respective faiths. At the end all made individual prayer for peace and well being of the entire human race as ordained by their respective faiths.

Photo: Speakers at the World Religions Conference.

-----------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Filing Income Tax Returns Free From March 9th 2015 to April 20th 2015.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian Seniors that during the Tax filing period we can help you to file your Income Tax Returns for the year 2014 free of cost, through the community volunteer Program of Canada Revenue Agency, from March 9th 2015 to April 20 th 2015. If you are living in Surrey / Delta. The eligibility Criteria are as follows 1.Single indiviual with annual income limit up to $ 30,000.

2. Couples with annual income up to $ 40,000. 3. Adult with one child annual income up to $ 35,000, add the income limit by $ 2,500 for each dependent child. Interest income not over $ 1,000.00 and this income will be included as total eligibility. With no investment income, no rental income and no partnership income, sin# card and photo identity will be required to prove the documents. If you are eligible then please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

---------------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Management of Pain ( Joints & Body ) for Seniors.

March 1st 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

BUSINESS / FINANCE

TransUnion says Canadian debt loads rose 2.3% The average Canadian owed $21,428 not including mortgages at end of last year

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anadian consumers kept on borrowing more and more through to the end of 2014, a report from credit monitoring agency TransUnion says.

The average Canadian owed $21,428 not including any mortgage debt in the fourth quarter of last year. That’s up by 2.3 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier, the report says.

The 2014 figures are all the more eye-opening considering they signal a reversal of course — by and large Canadians were paying down their debt in 2013, TransUnion says, before deciding to take on more for some reason through 2014.

“Canadians began to deleverage during the

latter half of 2013, but our latest data show that consumers once again increased their balances throughout much of 2014,” the company’s director of research Jason Wang said.

“This trend is likely to continue after the recent rate cut by the Bank of Canada made borrowing more affordable.”

In late January, the Bank of of Canada surprised almost everyone by suddenly deciding to cut its benchmark interest rate.

Although they’re not obligated to do so, banks base the rate they charge to their customers to borrow and save money broadly on the central bank’s rate. That means the Bank of Canada’s move is likely to make borrowing look more affordable in the short term.

OECD cuts growth forecast for Canada in 2015 and 2016

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he OECD has reduced its 2015 and 2016 economic growth forecasts for Canada, citing the drag caused by a significant drop in prices for oil and other commodities since its previous outlook in November.

The Paris-based organization is now estimating Canada’s economy will grow by to 2.2 per cent this year, 0.4 less than previously thought. Next year’s forecast has been trimmed to 2.1 per cent, down 0.3.

The OECD says Canada is among the countries that has been affected by the sharp decline in oil and commodity prices while others, particularly in Europe and Asia, will benefit from sharp drop in oil prices to sixyear lows.

Its forecast for overall global growth has been increased by 0.1 to four per cent this year, and by 0.2 to 4.3 per cent in 2016.

Growth in the United States gross domestic product is estimated at 3.1 per cent in 2015 and 3.0 per cent in 2016, unchanged from the November forecast. “Lower oil prices both raise the real incomes of households and reduce costs for firms, and should therefore be beneficial for global growth, notwithstanding the loss of real income for oil producers,” it said. The OECD said oil prices are now about 35 per cent below where they were when the previous semi-annual forecast was done in November.

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Oil prices — which had stabilized at about US$50 a barrel — have now slid for seven days in a row. The April contract in New York fell $1.04 to US$42.42 a barrel early Wednesday.

Crude had been as high as US$107 a barrel last summer.

The Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development is a grouping of the world’s richest countries that provides updates to its forecasts each March and November.

The OECD warned in the updated issued on Wednesday that unusually low inflation and interest rates could increase the risk of global financial instability. And it noted still-high unemployment levels in many countries, despite the improving growth picture.

After years of crisis and stagnation in Europe, the OECD said plunging oil prices and the recently enacted monetary stimulus from the European Central Bank are a “much-needed opportunity” to get growth going again. It predicted 1.4 per cent growth for the combined growth of the 19 countries that use the euro currency. Insisting that monetary policy alone isn’t enough to ensure a return to strong growth, it urged European leaders to stabilize budget rules and other regulations.

The OECD said India should grow faster than China this year, at 7.7 per cent. For Japan, it raised forecasts slightly to 1 per cent.

Russian sanctions hit P.E.I. potato exports

ensions between Russia and Canada are having an impact on P.E.I. potato exports. An embargo Russia put in place after Canada issued sanctions over the country’s military actions in the Ukraine has meant no Island potatoes have been shipped to Russia this year.

“Back in 2010-11, we shipped somewhere between five and six million dollars worth of table stock to Russia from Prince Edward Island. Last year, in 2013-14, it was more like two to three million dollars,” said Brenda Simmons, acting general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board. “So it’s one that we’re certainly happy to be able to ship into when that opportunity is there, and this year the opportunity wasn’t available to us at all.”

Russia is one of P.E.I.’s biggest international customers, accounting for 12 to 20 per cent of potatoes shipped outside of North America. Simmons believes if the sanctions continue, Island potato farmers might reduce their acreage slightly. The trade dispute is affecting the potato market worldwide. Other countries are also finding their potatoes blocked, and they are trying to sell their potatoes into traditional P.E.I. markets instead, such as the Caribbean. Simmonds said it is difficult to quantify the sales losses in the Caribbean.

She said Island exporters are looking to make up the losses in the Asia-Pacific market.

Despite the market challenges, Simmonds expects Island farmers will be able to sell all the potatoes they are still holding in storage.

BUSINESS / FINANCE

Four South Asians among five B.C. stock manipulators fined $29 Million

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ecurities regulators in British Columbia have issued fines and penalties totalling almost $29 million against a group of five B.C. residents for manipulating a stock on the TSX Venture Exchange.

In addition to the fines and penalties, a British Columbia Securities Commission panel also permanently banned all five from the province’s capital markets.

In September 2014, the panel found that between September 2007 and March 2009, Thalbinder Singh Poonian, Shailu Sharon Poonian, Robert Joseph Leyk, Manjit Singh Sihota and Perminder Sihota manipulated the share price of OSE Corp.

The Ontario company, whose shares traded on the TSX Venture Exchange, had its head office at a property owned by Perminder Sihota in Delta, B.C. In its decision, the panel found that the respondents obtained more than $7 million by selling OSE shares to unsuspecting buyers, including clients of Phoenix Credit Risk Management Consulting Inc. and its affil-

iates, a company based in Richmond Hill, Ont., that provided debt management services. Phoenix and its principals were paid commissions ranging from 10 to 28 per cent each time they arranged for a Phoenix client to buy OSE shares. “While the respondents’ roles in conducting the manipulation varied, each respondent was directly involved in and contributed to the manipulation,” the BCSC said in a statement issued Wednesday.

“However, the panel found that Thalbinder Poonian was the mastermind of the scheme and that his conduct was the most egregious,” Among penalties, the panel also ordered the respondents be jointly and severally liable to pay to the commission $7,332,936 obtained as a result of their misconduct.

Individually, they were ordered to pay administrative penalties ranging from $10 million by Thalbinder Poonian, to $3.5 million

by Sharon Poonian, Robert Leyk and Manjit Sihota pay to the commission an administrative penalty of $3.5 million and $1 million by Perminder Sihota.

Oil, stocks rebound after Fed announcement

Calgary oil company lays off 400 workers

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report from the Fed open market committee downgrading growth for the U.S. sent stocks shooting higher this afternoon and reversed the course of oil and the Canadian dollar.

Oil continued its slide on Wednesday, sinking to $42 US a barrel at mid-morning before bouncing upwards in the afternoon. West Texas Intermediate, a key North American crude futures contract, was up $1.53 at the close of trading to $44.99 US a barrel, after hitting a fresh six-year low of $42.12 earlier in the day.

Western Canada Select, a key Canadian contract, bounced up $3.64 to $33.35 US, still so low it augurs more bad times for the Canadian oilpatch.

Oil had been losing ground for seven trading sessions, amid reports that production continues to rise and oil storage tanks are approaching capacity. Late Tuesday, industry group the American Petroleum Institute said U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 10.5 million barrels in the week ended March 13.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration had fresh data at midday Wednesday showing oil storage at Cushing, Oklahoma was at record levels.

The crude-sensitive Canadian dollar sank as low as 77.93 cents US this morning. But the Fed’s downgrade of the U.S. economy hurt the U.S. dollar and the loonie was trading at 78.87 cents US at the close. Stocks racked up losses in both Toronto and New York in the morning as investors waited for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate pronouncement.

But after the U.S. central bank downgraded its outlook for GDP growth, stocks headed higher, even though it sent the signal that rate hikes could come as soon as June. The optimism was based on both the slower pace of rate hikes proposed by the Fed and the fact that its projections for U.S. growth were moderating.

The TSX was up 63 points at 14,962 at the close, despite news of fresh layoffs at Talisman, Athabaska Oil and ConocoPhillips.

The Dow shot up 227 points to 18,076 and the S&P 500 jumped 25 points to 2,099. The Nasdaq climbed 45 points to 4982.

Talisman Energy, ConocoPhillips also among the latest companies to announce layoffs

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exen Energy ULC, the Calgary-based company acquired by China’s CNOOC Ltd. more than two years ago, says it’s cutting 400 jobs. It says 340 of those will be in North America and the rest are with its U.K. North Sea operations.

The majority of the job losses will be in the head office in Calgary.

Despite the cuts, Nexen says it’s fully compliant with commitments it made to the federal government when the controversial $15.1-billion deal was approved.

In a release, CEO Fang Zhi says Nexen had to look at ways to ensure its long-term viability and sustainability in the recent industry downturn.

Oil prices are at just US$43 a barrel, a steep drop from the levels above US$107 a barrel they reached last June.

Fang says while the job cuts are regrettable, they were necessary to align the company with its reduced spending program.

Talisman Energy and ConocoPhillips are the latest companies to announce layoffs in response to plunging oil prices and uncertainty over whether crude could keep falling in value.

Meanwhile, depending which human resources firm you talk to, they each have a different buzz word to describe the series of layoffs occurring in the glass office towers in downtown Calgary.

Some describe it as “downsizing” or “outplacement,” while others prefer a more straightforward approach, calling it “employee termination.”

No matter the term, it’s exactly what HR firms are being called upon to do. Similar to the George Clooney movie Up in the Air, people who specialize in layoffs arrive at office towers to help break the news to employees.

For those specialists, business is booming.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

PUNJAB

Dhindsa takes safe route, shies away from imposing fresh taxes

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handigarh: Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa proposed no new taxes as he presented proposals worth Rs 79,9314 crore in his fourth consecutive Budget in the Vidhan Sabha today. He, however, failed to outline measures the government will adopt to increase its revenue receipts by Rs 3,486.88 crore for 2015-16.

The effective Budget size for 2015-16 has been pegged at Rs 61,814 crore, with a sum of Rs 17,500 crore being provided for ways and means transactions for the current year.

The revenue deficit is much higher this year at Rs 6240.38 crore as against the estimate of Rs 4,252.63 crore mainly because of a decline in growth of revenue receipts. Next year, too, is projected to have a high revenue deficit of Rs 6,393.96 crore.

With the SAD-BJP government already in the election mode, the proposals seem to focus specifically on the rural areas and small businesses — both core vote banks of the two parties.

Taking this into context, the Finance Minister has announced three new initiatives — Rs 100-crore entrepreneurship development programme to provide interest subvention to micro and small industry; Rs 600 crore for support to the sugar industry; and Rs 600-crore Mukh Mantri Pendu Vikas Yojana.

But he failed to specify a roadmap for additional resource mobilisation of Rs 1,300 crore to fund these proposals.

The total plan size has gone up from Rs 20,099 crore this year to Rs 21,173.90 crore for the next fiscal. The maximum fund allocation (plan outlay) has been made towards the social services department — Rs 8568.55 crore — which is almost 40.47 per cent of the total plan outlay. Another Rs 3,807.20 crore has been reserved for the power sector; Rs 3,035 crore for transport, Rs 1,723.39 crore for agriculture and allied services, Rs 1,404.86 crore for rural development; and Rs 1,005.31 crore for irrigation and flood channels.

The plan allocation has been increased by Rs 1,929 crore in social services; Rs 758 crore in general economic services (construction of buildings, school and college infrastructure; untied funds of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister; development of kandi and border area, etc); Rs 500 crore in agriculture; Rs 330 crore in irrigation and flood control; and by Rs 846 crore in the power sector.

The fiscal indicators for the state confirm the worst fears regarding the health of Punjab’s economy. The state’s outstanding debt will mount to Rs 1.24 lakh crore by March 2016, as compared to Rs 1.12 lakh crore during the current financial year.

Servicing of debt alone will take Rs 13,498.48 crore from the total revenues.

The state’s own tax revenue is expected to show an increase of just 2.70 per cent as compared to 2014-15 (Rs 2,9351.93 crore in

2015-16 as compared to Rs 2,8560.57 crore during the current fiscal), while the revenue receipts are expected to increase from Rs 42,742.36 crore this year to Rs 46,229.264 crore in 2015-16 mainly through increase in states non-tax revenue (increase of Rs 830 crore) and a jump of Rs 2,500 crore as additional share in Central taxes because of the increase in devolution of Central taxes by 10 per cent. Punjab will, however, lose Rs 3,000 crore as revenue deficit grant since it has been removed from the category of revenue deficit states.

The fiscal deficit will also increase from Rs 10,397.6 crore to Rs 11,895.15 crore in 201516. The revenue expenditure is expected to increase from Rs 48,982.74 crore this year to Rs 52,623.20 crore in 2015-16.

The salary and pension bill of the government will increase by Rs 2,188 crore next fiscal. The total subsidy bill of the state will be Rs 6,216 crore, including Rs 5,484 crore towards power; Rs 692 crore for social security pensions; and Rs 40 crore under the Mai Bhago scheme.

Major announcements Rs 100 crore for entrepreneurship development programme — 3% interest subvention on loan for setting up micro/small enterprises with ~5 crore investment e-erickshaws in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Patiala Rs 600 crore for sugar cooperatives to make payment to cane growers Rs 80 crore for recapitalisation of central cooperative banks Rs 600 crore under Mukh Mantri Pendu Vikas Yojana for providing basic amenities in villages 22 new skill development centres and three specialised skill development centres

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Congress slams Akalis for ‘hailing’ Indira’s killers

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) move to mark the death anniversaries of the killers of former PM Indira Gandhi and former Army Chief General AS Vaidya in its Nanakshahi Calendar resonated in Parliament today with the Congress attacking the SAD-BJP government in Punjab and seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention.

While the Centre and SAD said they did not have anything to do with the calendar, the Congress asked the Modi government to declare the calendar illegal. In the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Ashwani Kumar during the zero hour said: “There cannot be a more unfortunate incident (Indira’s assassination on October 31, 1984) in this country. The anniversary of killers of those who fought terrorists is being celebrated. It is a shame for the entire nation.”

Nothing to do with Nanakshahi Calendar: SAD SGPC’s Nanakshahi Calendar mentions the death anniversaries of the killers of former PM Indira Gandhi and former Army Chief General AS Vaidya The Congress took up the matter in Parliament accusing the SAD-BJP govt in Punjab and Modi govt of promoting killers The Centre as well as the Akalis, however, said they did not have anything to do with the calendar

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

INDIA

Situation will improve if Pakistan stops aiding terror

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AIPUR: Launching a scathing attack on Pakistan, Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday if the neighbouring country stops supporting terrorists, the security situation in South Asia will improve significantly. sincerely “I believe that Pakistan should rethink its strategy of using terrorism as an instrument of proxy war,” Rajnath Singh said. The home minister said the source of most terrorist activities in India lies across the borders and it is unfortunate that even after paying such a heavy price for itself, Pakistan and its associates find it difficult to understand that there are no “good terrorists and bad terrorists”.

“Differentiating terrorists into good and bad categories has failed miserably. If the ISI and the Pakistan Army stops their support to certain terror outfits, I have no hesitation in saying that the security situation in South Asia will improve significantly,” he said after inaugurating an international conference on counter terrorism here.

“India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism for the last several decades. Terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad patronised by those across the border, have inflicted several acts of terror on the Indian soil. There are several instances of such proxies being used in other parts of the world,” Singh said.

Opposition MPs march against land law changes

Saturday, March 21, 2015

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pposition MPs in India have marched to the presidential palace to protest against a controversial land acquisition bill.

The protesters are being led by Sonia Gandhi, the leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, and include MPs from several regional parties.

Opponents of the bill, which was passed in the lower house last week, say it will hurt the interests of farmers.

The bill eases rules for acquiring land for infrastructure projects.

The government says it is aimed at kick-starting stalled projects across the country worth billions of dollars.

On Tuesday evening, Mrs Gandhi led the protesting MPs as they marched the short distance from parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan (president’s house) to submit a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee.

Security was tight for the march, with several hundred policemen deployed along its route.

Industrialists had raised concerns over a law approved by the former Congress party government last year which made it harder to acquire land from farmers.

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INDIA / NRI

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Man takes daughter roped to motorcycle

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olice in India have charged a man who took his eight-year-old daughter to school roped to his motorcycle. The 40-year-old was arrested after local newspapers in Uttar Pradesh state published photos taken by passers-by. He has now been freed on bail. Onlookers accuse the man of cruelty - he says his daughter had an exam and was reluctant to go to school. The incident comes at a time when the prime minister has launched a huge campaign to educate girls in India. It took place in a village in the district of Mathura on Friday. The man, a father of two sons and three daughters, works as a security guard at a private school.

Police say he tried to persuade the girl, his

youngest child, to go to school, particularly since she had a test to write.

The child was promised sweets and gifts, but when she refused to relent, her angry father tied her to the back of his bike with ropes and took her to school.

He has been charged with breach of peace, Mathura superintendent of police Shailesh Pandey told the BBC. The man spent a day in the cells but still believes he did the right thing.

“My daughter will not die if I take her to school. But she will surely die if she does not study,” he said. India has a female literacy rate of 64%, compared with 81% for men. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched a campaign asking parents to educate their girls.

Student jailed over Facebook post against minister

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teenage student has been jailed in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly posting a comment on Facebook criticising state minister Azam Khan.

Police arrested the 19-year-old on Tuesday and a court ordered him to be held in prison on remand for 14 days.

Police said the student’s comment was “objectionable”.

The arrest has sparked outrage in India with many taking to social media to express their anger.

In recent years, Indian authorities have been criticised for acting against several people for their posts on Facebook or Twitter.

Campaigners say the arrests are a breach of freedom of speech.

The latest incident took place in Bareilly district. “I informed the police that this per-

son has posted controversial and inflammatory post in the name of Mr Khan which is a lie. It has hurt the feelings of both Hindus and Muslims and maligns Mr Khan’s image,” Indian media reports quoted an aide of Azam Khan as saying.

“We have arrested Gulrez Khan, also known as Vikki Khan, for his objectionable post against the minister,” senior police official Sadhna Goswami told BBC Hindi.

He has been charged under Section 66A of the Indian Information Technology [IT] Act (“sending false and offensive messages through communication services”), she added. Section 66A is sweeping in its powers - if convicted, a person can be sent to jail for up to three years for sending an email or other electronic message that “causes annoyance or inconvenience”.

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norities. The rape case and recent attacks on churches have made Indian Christians feel insecure, although it is not clear whether the assault on the convent was sectarian.

Ten men have been detained in connection with the rape of the 74-year-old in West Bengal’s Nadia district early on Saturday morning.

But none of them resemble the six alleged attackers who were caught on CCTV burgling the convent before the nun was raped.

Indian-origin man convicted of rape in Britain

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ONDON: An Indian-origin man has been convicted for raping a woman in Britain nearly two years ago, after his DNA was linked to samples recovered from the crime scene, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Hardeep Sandhu, 39, was found guilty by a jury of rape and injuring with the intention of committing grievous bodily harm to the victim, who was a prostitute at the time, the Derby Telegraph reported.

Sandhu has been accused of hitting the woman on the head with a brick, repeatedly punching her and raping her in a garden at the back of Hartington Street in the town of Normanton in West Yorkshire in May 2013.

During a four-day trial, a jury at Derby Crown Court heard that in the early hours of May 26, 2013, Sandhu had been a client of the victim and had paid her 20 pounds (nearly $30) to perform a sexual act.

Prosecutor Richard Thatcher told the jury: “He attacked her -- punching her repeatedly on the face, striking her with a

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Modi concerned over nun’s rape

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brick, knocking her unconscious for a period of time and, in the midst of the violent attack, raping her.”

He said that the attack lasted for about two hours and Sandhu fled after committing the crime.

As the woman left the scene, she met a couple who helped her and called the police.

Police examined the garden and obtained DNA samples. However, the identity of the offender was unknown at that time.

Then, in October 2014, Sandhu was arrested for drunken and disorderly behaviour, for which he was required to give a DNA sample.

This matched the DNA samples collected from the scene of the May 2013 attack, and from a swab taken from the victim.

Thatcher told the jury that Sandhu gave a prepared statement, which said that he used prostitutes, but denied ever raping anybody and said that he did not know what he had been doing on that date.

Indian-American community meet draws US politicians

ASHINGTON: Recognising the growing influence of Indian-Americans in public life, several top politicians, including three women members of the US Congress, attended the 18th biennial convention of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA).

The three-day March 6-8 meeting of the largest umbrella organization in the US, representing over 3.5 million Americans of Indian origin, in Cerritos, California was inaugurated by Indian Consul General Venkatesan Ashok and California State Treasurer John Chiang.

Besides US House members Judy Chu, Loretta Sanchez, Linda Sanchez, the convention was attended by the Mayor of Cerritos, Mark Pulido, according to a media release.

The opening session on the convention theme “Indian Americans Making an Impact in America” was chaired by NFIA Founder President Dr Thomas Abraham. It was followed by three more sessions: Indian Americans Contributing to India, chaired: Inder Singh, past NFIA chairman; Indian American Impact in The Area of Technology & Medicine, chaired by Boeing Company Technical Fellow Paul Sikand and Impact in US-India Trade & Business, chaired by Amritt Inc Managing Director Gunjan Bagla.

Speakers included Long Beach Vice Mayor

Suja Lowenthal, former Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu, Stem cell therapy practitioner Dr Gaurav Goswami, and Attorney Sunny Kalara.

The election of NFIA office bearers was held after the General Body Meeting (GBM) chaired by Sohan Joshi of Chicago.

Ashok Madan from Southern California was elected as president unopposed. Sudip Gorakshakar from Washington State was elected as Executive Vice President. The three vice presidents elected unopposed were Ajoy Dube from California, Babu K Patel from Illinois, and Satheesan Nair also from Illinois.

The position of the NFIA secretary went to Dr Yogendra Gupta from Maryland and Joint Secretary to Vasu Pawar from Southern California. Makam Subbarao from Southern California was elected as the Treasurer.

The seven Directors-at-Large were Rachel Verghese (Texas), Anjali Sachdev (Washington State), Dr Satish Misra (Maryland), Madhavan Nair (Illinois), Ramesh Ramnani (Southern California) and Sachin Amin and Ashok Patnaik from California.

The six Regional Vice Presidents (RVP) elected unopposed were: Dr Om Sharma (National Capital Region), Vandana Jhingan (Illinois), Mihir Patel (New York), Raj Razdan (Georgia), Lavanya Reddy (Washington State), and Kewal Kanda (California).

FIJI

Murdered man was alive but unconscious when set on fire, court told

A

British forensic fire expert has told the High Court in Auckland it is likely Shalvin Prasad was lying down and unconscious when the fire that killed him was lit.

Bryne Permal and Shivneel Kumar are on trial charged with murdering Prasad, whose charred body was found in scrub in South Auckland two years ago. Both deny the charge. Prasad’s smouldering body was found on January 31, 2013, in Kingseat, south of Auckland.

Steven Andrews, the first witness called for the defence, told the court this morning he would have expected Prasad to run or at least roll away after being doused with petrol before the fire was lit.

Andrews, who gave his evidence by audio-visual link, also addressed Crown evidence that suggests Prasad was sitting, kneel-

H

ing or standing at the time - because petrol residue was found under his body.

But Andrews said that could have easily been caused by petrol running over his body while he lay on the ground and pooling underneath it.

“In my opinion the evidence at the scene indicates that he was lying flat on his back.

“And in my opinion his arms were probably up above his head, so to speak. So, with his arms up in like a surrender position.

“The kind of position you might expect him to be if he was unconscious or dead,” he said.

The Crown says Kumar and Permal burned Prasad to death because they wanted tens of thousands of dollars which Prasad had withdrawn, and that they went on a spending spree afterwards.

War of words in Parliament

eated exchanges in Parliament on Wednesday subsequently led to Parliament Speaker Dr Jiko Luveni directing Opposition whip Ratu Isoa Tikoca to withdraw a comment made against the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

Ratu Isoa had questioned the Prime Minister on the Government’s contribution to Fijian Holdings Limited and the iTaukei Land Trust Board to which he responded that Government did not make any direct contribution to these bodies. The Opposition also queried the role played by the Prime Minister being the Minister for iTaukei Affairs in the appointment of the Class B shares in the FHL, however, Mr Bainimarama replied that Government did not make any contribution to the FHL and that Opposition needed to

understand what was going on around them.

Members of Opposition Niko Nawaikula and Aseri Radrodro also queried roles of the iTaukei Affairs Ministry in the FHL. Mr Bainimarama was still trying to answer a question when he was interrupted by comments from the Opposition.

“It is a Fijian trust fund so obviously it would come under the Ministry of Fijian Affairs and I do not know why they still bring it up. “I just want to tell the opposite side of the house that under the law governing the TLTB ... I think there is a group of people here who should be removed from this house, look at the youths sitting at the back, they are university students, future leaders of this country sitting in the house listening to rubbish,” Mr Bainimarama said.

F

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Fresh water, food shortage a worry as aid starts reaching Vanuatu

ears of food and fresh water shortage in Vanuatu are becoming apparent as thousands sheltering in evacuation centres wait for relief supplies from local and international agencies.

FEARS of food and fresh water shortage in Vanuatu are becoming apparent as thousands sheltering in evacuation centres wait for relief supplies from local and international agencies.

Basic food items including water has been a priority for emergency workers as officials rush to deliver the items to some of the worst affected areas in the cyclone-hit archipelago.

According to the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office, relief supplies have begun to pour in from France, Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Japan.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Joe Natuman said the full extent of damage would be determined after a week following aerial and ground surveys. “We have a National Disas-

“

i 31

ter Committee working 24 hours, preparing arrangements for response and rehabilitation. And right now they are working roundthe-clock to meet the current needs at the moment,” he said.

“The main referral hospital here in Port Vila has been damaged.

“We will cope but I think we will probably need more medical personnel and probably some more mobile hospitals to assist with the injured whilst we get out to the islands, we’ll probably ferry people here to the main hospitals.

“Australia is assisting us.

“They have transported a lot of equipment here and they’re putting up their medical doctors and nurses right now in Vila to do this job.” He said the homeless would need tents for the time being as efforts to rebuild destroyed homes continue.

“And also, when we go to the rural areas, we need to supply tents and other facilities to the people in the rural areas.”

Four drown in tragic accident

THEY were cleaning up our compound in preparation for the upcoming Ram Naumi and little did I know that it was the last time I’d see them.” These were the words of Pundit Ram Dutt of Nanuku Settlement whose step-sons, Monish and Sachin Prasad, were among the four bodies recovered in waters off Viria-East at Vatuwaqa in Suva.

Even though they were not biologically-related to him, Dutt said he raised them up and treated them with undying love and affection.

Dutt and his wife Manjila Devi were supported by relatives and friends still trying to come to terms with their loss.

Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro confirmed the incident, saying a search on Sunday and yesterday morning was conducted and police officers retrieved the bodies of the victims. “Monish had graduated with a Diploma in Computer Science while Sachin was a sixth former at DAV Boys College in Nabua.

They were good kids and I treated them like my own. Sachin, on Sunday, borrowed $60 from my wife and we told him that we would give it to him after cleaning up the compound. I was lying on our veranda when our neighbour called them to go out to sea.

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K

PAKISTAN

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Execution of Shafqat Hussain stayed

by Pakistan president

ARACHI: Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday night indefinitely stayed the hanging of death row convict Shafqat Hussain whose case has attracted global attention with human rights campaigners expressing outrage over what they say was a flawed trial.

Hussain was set to be hanged on Friday morning in the central jail for the kidnapping and murder of a seven-year-old boy in an apartment building of Karachi where he worked as a security guard. President Hussain ordered the postponement of Shafqat’s hanging, media reports said.

The President apparently acted after interior minister chaudhry Nisar requested him

to halt the execution pending re-examining of Shafqat’s age. “We have learnt from multiple sources that Shafqat’s execution has been stayed. We have yet to see an official notification but personally handed over his mercy petition to an official of Presidency at 11:30pm (Wednesday),” Communication Specialist for Justice Project Pakistan Shahab Siddiqi said.

The project is fighting for Shafqat’s execution to be stayed. Shafqat was 15 when he was convicted in 2004.

His case has attracted attention as he was awarded the death sentence by the court when he was a juvenile and rights campaigners complain he did not get a fair trial and was only 15 at the time of the killing.

Executions in Pakistan continue as 9 hung on Tuesday, 48 executed since December

I

SLAMABAD: Pakistan hanged nine death row convicts on Wednesday, media said, as the mother of a man charged as a child with murder and due to be hanged this week begged the president for mercy.

Wednesday’s hangings bring the number of executions in the past two days to 21, and to 48 since an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in December.

However, the interior ministry said it did not know how many people had been executed in total. “The ministry does not have consolidated data after the lifting of the moratorium as new cases include all types, including terrorism,” a spokesman said in a text message.

The death sentence cannot be used against a defendant under the age of 18 when the crime was committed. Testimony obtained by torture is also inadmissible.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the moratorium on December 17, a day after Pakistani Taliban gunmen attacked a school and killed 134 students and 19 adults. The killings put pressure on the government to do more to tackle the Islamist insurgency.

At first, the government said only militants would be executed. But last week it emerged that officials had quietly widened the policy for all prisoners on death row whose appeals had been rejected.

Pakistan loses sovereign immunity over Hyderabad Funds

N

EW DELHI: The riveting, 67-yearold India-Pak Hyderabad Funds saga has taken another turn with High Court of Justice in London ruling that Pakistan no longer has sovereign immunity over the State of Hyderabad’s wealth. All these years, India has been forced to deal with Pakistan bilaterally to recover the funds because in 1957 Pakistan invoked its right to sovereign immunity from any court proceedings in Britain on this issue, thereby blocking any possibility of re-

covering these funds through the legal route.

Hyderabad Funds refers to the 1,007,940 Pound Sterling and 9 Shillings transferred from the erstwhile State of Hyderabad’s bank account in National Westminster Bank in London to an account in the same bank, of the then Pakistan high commissioner to UK on September 20 1948, just 2 days after the Nizam decided to accede to India. The money is currently valued around 35 million Pound Sterling and has 3 claimants - Pakistan, India and Nizam’s family.

Christians protest deadly attacks on Pak. churches

L

AHORE: Hundreds of angry Christians today hit the streets across Pakistan in protest against the Taliban suicide attacks on two Lahore churches, leading to communal clashes which claimed two lives, forcing authorities to call in paramilitary forces to maintain calm.

In one of the worst attacks on the minority community in recent times, two Taliban attackers blew themselves up at the gates of Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church in Christian- dominated Youhanabad area of Lahore during Sunday mass, killing 16 people and injuring 80 others.

Authorities had to call in Rangers to maintain law and order in Youhanabad today.

Hundreds of Christians gathered at Ferozpure Road and blocked it for several hours.

The violent protesters damaged public property and pelted stones on the police.

Police said protesters also blocked roads in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Gujranwala. A speeding car driven by a woman ran over five people, killing two of them and leading to violence in Lahore. Police tried to disperse the protesters but failed to control them.

About a dozen people suffered injuries in the clashes.

“As the police failed to control law and order situation in Youhanabad the Rangers have been called in who took over security control,” the officer said.

He said the Rangers would remain deployed in Youhanabad and adjacent localities until situation normalises.

Christian community leader and federal minister for shipping Kamran Michael said all Christian schools would remain closed today as prayer services and funerals for the victims were held.

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AUTO

Self-driving cars not as safe as human drivers

A

driver sits engrossed in her laptop screen, catching up on emails as the car barrels down the highway. In the next lane, a father helps his kids finish homework while their vehicle swiftly changes lanes.

Nearby, an empty car returns home after dropping off its owner.— These are the self-driving cars in which humans can be mindlessly commuting in as few as five years, some ambitious estimates claim.

“It’s a highly disruptive technology that’s coming on a lot faster than people expect,” says Barrie Kirk, executive director of the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence. He helps governments and companies prepare for the advent of automated vehicles.

Humans make ‘poor drivers’ Self-driving car advocates, like Kirk, believe in the technology’s potential to save thousands of lives.

“Humans, generally, are poor drivers,” he says. He would like to see human drivers banned from roads to make room for an all-automated-vehicle world.

Drivers’ mistakes are responsible for more than 90 per cent of crashes, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found. Kirk hopes automated vehicles can

eliminate 80 per cent of such collisions — a number often cited by advocates.

Test cars ‘far inferior’ to novice driver Today’s automated vehicles don’t have that capability, says Steve Shladover. He’s researched driverless cars for four decades, most recently as the program manager, mobility for the University of California’s PATH (Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology) program.

There are five levels of automated vehicles. They range from cars with adaptive cruise control that adjust a car’s speed while a driver steers, to the highest echelon, dubbed “full automation.”

That car doesn’t need a driver. It is the driver.

Could road safety worsen?

Even when a company successfully creates a fully automated car, there’s skepticism about how well it can manage that complicated environment peppered with pedestrians, cyclists and human drivers.

It is “not a foregone conclusion” that a self-driving car would perform more safely than an experienced driver, claims a new report by researchers from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. It’s unclear whether human or machine would respond faster and better to jaywalkers, mechanical problems, potholes or bad weather.

‘Sensible’ implementation key to benefits There will be time to adjust before the new fleet of robot cars takes over roads.

“We’re not going to be in a situation where we go from no automation to fully autonomous or self-driving vehicles,” says David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

i 33

2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN

T

he 2015 Audi S3 is an all-new model. If you’re looking for performance and luxury at a relatively afford- able price, Audi might just have the car for you with its all-new 2015 S3. As the S4 is to the A4, the S3 is the higher-performance version of Audi’s equally new A3.

Louder” starts under the hood, where you’ll find a heavily modified version of the A3’s

turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

Here, it generates a stout 292 horsepower, an increase of 72 hp over the A3. While the S3 offers a more thrilling driving experience, it does suffer from some of the A3’s same pitfalls. The optional 19-inch wheels make things particularly rough, but if you’re interested in the sportiest driving experience, this may be a sacrifice you’re willing to make. Realistically, though, just about everything you compare the S3 to is going to be cramped and rather stiff-riding. Price starts from $44,000.

Aeromobil’s flying car will go on sale in 2017

E

ver wanted to buy a flying car? You only have a couple more years to wait, says a company that has built prototypes that can both drive and fly.

The flying roadster, a sporty two seater that transforms into a light sports aircraft, aims to go on sale in just two years from Slovakia-based Aeromobil.

“We believe that 2017 we’ll be able to launch this to market,” said company co-founder and CEO Juraj Vaculik at a presentation at the South By Southwest Interactive confer-

ence in Austin Sunday.

The limited edition vehicle targeted at “wealthy supercar buyers and flight enthusiasts” will have a flying range of almost 700 kilometres on regular gasoline, Vaculik said.

It is equipped with partial autopilot and a parachute that will automatically deploy if the pilot falls ill.

“Nobody has to jump out,” he said.

He said pricing has not been set, but will be in the range of hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars.

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NRI

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Sri Lankan govt may lift ban on Tamil diaspora groups

C

OLOMBO: Sri Lankan government on Wednesday said it may lift the ban on Tamil diaspora groups imposed by the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime to achieve reconciliation with the minority community.

Foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera told the Parliament that the government may lift the ban on Tamil diaspora groups imposed by the previous Rajapaksa regime.

Samaraweera said that building national reconciliation was important and Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim diaspora groups have a role to play in taking Sri Lanka forward as a nation.

Tamils voted in large numbers for President Maithripala Sirisena to defeat the pro-Sinhala Rajapaksa in the January 8 polls.

Sirisena today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to implement the 13th Amendment would be taken up after the next parliamentary election and asserted that finding a solution to the vexed Tamil issue remains a priority for his government.

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ANGON: A New Zealand bar manager and his two Myanmar colleagues were sentenced today to two and a half years in jail by a Yangon court for using a Buddha image to promote a cheap drinks night.

The ad posted on Facebook in December triggered outrage in the former junta-ruled country, where surging Buddhist nationalism and religious violence has sparked international concern.

Philip Blackwood, who worked at the VGastro bar in Yangon, was found guilty of insulting religion along with the bar’s Myanmar owner and manager.

The trio were sentenced to two years in jail for insulting religion through written word or pictures and a further six months — both terms carrying the punishment of hard labour — for breaching local authority regulations.

They were held responsible for protests that erupted outside the bar.

Judge Ye Lwin said that although Blackwood, 32, posted an apology, he had “intentionally plotted to insult religious belief � when he uploaded the photo.

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Myanmar jails New Zealander over Buddha insult ad

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

i 35

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Saturday, March 21, 2015