The Asian Star December 12 2015 by The Asian Star Newspaper

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 14

Issue 46 Saturday, December 12, 2015

One place for pampering tastebuds- Madras Club House

Page

Punjab police officer accused of atrocities hiding in Canada after faking suicide

ormer Director General of Police (DGP), Jails, Shashi Kant today alleged a senior Punjab Police officer infamous for atrocities committed by him during the days of militancy and who was said to have committed suicide, was alive and living in Canada. Shashi Kant said this while speaking at the seminar here. Without naming the officer, Shashi Kant said: “The officer had committed endless atrocities and killed so many people during the militancy

period. He later faked his suicide and moved to Canada where he is leading a conformable life. Certain government and security officials and even those who prepared his medical record after his ‘death’ had played role in his escape.” He said that he was made aware of this fact by his sources settled in Canada. Though the controversy as to whether the officer is dead or alive is not new, it is for the first time that a retired DGP-level police officer has made such revelation.

California shooter linked to Ontario Islamic school

he woman who carried out last Farhat Hashmi, who now lives in Canada, week’s mass shooting in California has been criticized for promoting a conserwith her husband had attended an vative strain of Islam, though the school has Islamic religious school, or madrassa, found- no known links to extremists. In Pakistan, ed by a Pakistani scholar who now lives in it is popular among upper-middle class and Canada, intelligence officials and the school urban women interested in Islamic studies. said Monday. Few details “Huda Institute Canada have emerged about Tashstrongly condemns such feen Malik’s life in Pakistan, acts of violence. We don’t where she lived from 2007 preach, believe in or acto 2014 before heading to cept violent extreme rethe United States on a filigious viewpoints of any ancee visa. Malik studied nature,” Imran Haq, Oppharmacy at the Bahauderations Manager at Al din Zakariya University in In this handout provided by the FBI, Huda Institute Canada the central city of Multan, Tashfeen Malik poses for a photo. said in a statement. The where she got a degree in region where the school 2013. While in Multan, she also attended a is located, however, is home to thousands of religious school, which Pakistani intelligence extremist seminaries, with hundreds of them officials on Monday identified as the Al-Huda linked to al-Qaida and the Pakistani Taliban. International Seminary. The school is a wom- Pakistan, which supports Islamic militants en-only madrassa with branches across Paki- battling archrival India in the disputed restan and in the U.S. and Canada, said the of- gion of Kashmir and is widely believed to ficials, speaking on condition of anonymity in have ties to insurgents in Afghanistan, has line with regulations. The Canadian branch long turned a blind eye to institutions that is based in Mississauga, Ont., according to teach radical interpretations of Islam. the foundation’s website. Al-Huda’s founder, Continued on page 6

Tel: 604-591-5423

Volkswagen Canada offers $1,000 credit to upset owners, but still no fix

Page

RCMP on alert after reports of alleged plots targeting Canadian cities by Islamic terrorists

he RCMP says media reports from Europe about possible threats against Canadian cities — including Vancouver — are being taken very seriously. One report cited Geneva, Toronto and Chicago as possible targets in connection with an investigation of four men alleged to be supporters of the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Other news stories referred to a video in which a fifth suspect allegedly talked about attacks in Vancouver, Ottawa and Geneva. U.S. intel-

ligence services were said to have provided information to Swiss authorities. Mounties issued a statement that the safety of Canadians is of the utmost importance to the RCMP. The national police force said it is working with partners to remain vigilant for potential threats. “It is important to remember that protecting Canada’s national security requires the awareness and active engagement of citizens too, as it is a shared responsibility,” read the statement. Continued on page 6

Liberals tighten mortgage rules to help cool Vancouver and Toronto housing markets OTTAWA — The Liberal government on Friday confirmed it is tightening lending rules for residential mortgages, setting a minimum down payment of 10 per cent for homes over $500,000. CIBC deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal says the impact of the new rules could hit Calgary

hard, which has a “relatively large share of high-ratio mortgages.” Finance Minister Bill Morneau said homes purchased below the new price ceiling will remain at five per cent. The changes take effect on Feb. 15, and come after a number of policy shifts in recent years to limit Canadians’ exposure Continued on page 6

How Canadians are fooled into paying high gas prices

By Umendra Singh

as was retailing at $1.09 a litre in Metro Vancouver around late October when overnight the price shot up to $1.29 a litre. There was no corresponding increase in the price of crude oil on the world market (stable at about $41 (US) per barrel) and neither was there any increase in price of gas across the border. The Canadian dollar was relatively stable, compared to what happened in summer. So called oil indus-

try “experts” (most of whom are paid or financed by oil companies) came on TV and radio to say the price increase was due to repairing or maintenance of oil pipe lines south of the border (no pictures or video provided but I am sure videos and pictures could be arranged). They assured the public that the price will drop back to around $1.09 per litre in a couple of weeks when the repairs were completed. Continued on page 4

2 i Saturday, December 12, 2015

Gurdwara vandalised in US with anti-ISIS graffiti

gurdwara has been vandalised in Los The gurdwara is attended by over 800 comAngeles suburbs with hateful graffimunity members on a weekly basis. The White ti addressed towards ISIS, Sikh community House, which was informed about the incileaders have said, fearing this “hate crime” dent, has forwarded the incident to the Deis a repercussion of the California shooting. partment of Homeland Security to investigate. “We are concerned about the safety and se“The Sikh community across the nacurity of our community members. We are tion is in a heightened state of alert and of the opinion that this is a hate crime and is deeply troubled by this latest incident. that this is a direct result of a possible backWe are appealing to all Sikh place of conlash from the San Bernardino killings,” said gregation to be in touch with the local law Inderjot Singh, president of Sikh gurdwara enforcement agencies as well with the electin Buena Park, a suburb of Los Angeles. ed officials,” Dr Rajwant Singh of the Sikh The incident, which occurred earCouncil on Religion and Education, said. ly on Sunday morning is being investiSingh also expressed concern over the regated by local law enforcement agencies. cent anti-Muslim rhetoric made by some “The gurdwara was vandalised during of the contenders of American presidency. Sunday early hours and a hateful graffiti was “This will directly result in elevated level of seen on the walls of the gurdwara and also violence against minority religions in Amera truck parked in the parking lot. The grafica and particularly the Sikhs. We are fearful fiti included the phrase, “F@#k ISIS,” and that this kind of hate speech against Muslims the words “Islam” and other reference of with engulf Sikhs and members of the Musgangs,” Washington-basedStar_JrPg:Layout Sikh Council on TEL20150805_Q3_Asian 1 15-11-02 4:23 PM Page lim community across1 the nation,” he said. Religion and Education said in a statement.

Mumbai court pardons top terrorist in exchange for information about who planned attack Criminal Procedure....Headley would be the prosecution witnesses in the case,” said Justice GA Sanap. Headley (pictured) would depose as a prosecution witness through videoconference on February 8, 2016. The court added that pardon was being granted on the condition that he would reveal “every fact”. Currently serving 35-year jail term in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks case, Headley today told the sessions court through a video link from an undisclosed location that he was ready to depose if granted pardon. After special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the court that the prosecution was agreeable to Headley’s offer, Justice GA Sanap declared Headley an approver, subject to certain conditions, and granted him pardon. “I have received the charging document filed against

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me in this court. It charges me with same conduct for which I was charged in the US. I had pleaded guilty to the charges in the US and I admitted that I was participant in these charges,” Headley told the court earlier this evening. “I accepted responsibility for my role in those offences in my plea agreement (in US). I also agreed to make myself available as a witness in this court. I appear here ready to answer questions regarding these events if I receive a pardon from this court,” he said. Earlier, the judge explained to Headley the charges against him. The court said Headley should disclose the ‘full and true facts’ leading to 26/11 attacks, besides revealing the role he and others played in the attacks. “Headley should disclose the facts he has already admitted before the court in Illinois and reveal if any of the attackers were involved in other attacks in India,” the court said. On NoTELUS STORES vember 18, the court had said Abbotsford that Headley must be produced Highstreet Shopping Centre Sevenoaks Shopping Centre through video conference on 2140 Sumas Way December 10 as it allowed the 32915 South Fraser Way Mumbai police’s plea to make Aldergrove him an accused. The police had 26310 Fraser Hwy. Burnaby said he should be tried by the Brentwood Town Centre Mumbai court along with key Crystal Mall conspirator Sayed Zabiuddin Lougheed Town Centre Ansari alias Abu Jundal. FollowMetropolis at Metrotown 3855 Henning Dr. ing this, the court took “cogni4501 North Rd. sance of offences” against HeadCoquitlam ley. The police want to question Coquitlam Centre Westwood Mall Headley regarding the involve1071 Austin Ave. ment of Pakistan Army and its Delta Inter-Services Intelligence. In Scottsdale Centre 2010, a National Investigation 1517 56th St. 4841 Delta St. Agency (NIA) team was allowed Langley to interrogate Headley extenWillowbrook Mall sively after which he allegedly 8700 200th St. said three senior Pakistan Army 19638 Fraser Hwy. 20159 88th Ave. officers played a prime role in 20202 66th Ave. the 26/11 attacks. Maple Ridge The same Pakistani officers Haney Place Mall were reportedly named by Jun22661 Lougheed Hwy. Mission dal, against whom charges were Mission Smartcentre framed last month in Mumbai. 32670 Lougheed Hwy. Pakistan has repeatedly rejected New Westminster Royal City Centre the charge that its Army officers North Vancouver were involved in the attacks. Capilano Mall The police application notLynn Valley Centre ed that Headley entered into a 1295 Marine Dr. 1801 Lonsdale Ave. plea bargain agreement with Pitt Meadows the US authorities in 2010, and 19800 Lougheed Hwy. thereby willingly and volunPort Coquitlam tarily agreed that he was part 2020 Oxford Connector Richmond of the conspiracy behind the Lansdowne Centre November 26, 2008, attacks in Richmond Centre Mumbai which claimed 166 11686 Steveston Hwy. lives. In 2013, he was sentenced Surrey Central City Shopping Centre to 35-year imprisonment for a Cloverdale Crossing dozen federal terrorism crimes Guildford Town Centre related to his role in the MumSemiahmoo Shopping Centre 3189 King George Blvd. bai attacks. Headley is charged 7380 King George Blvd. with conducting reconnaissance 13734 104th Ave. of target locations. Posing as an Vancouver American, he made five exOakridge Centre Pacific Centre tended trips to Mumbai — in 220 East 1st Ave. September 2006, February and 991 Denman St. September 2007, and April and 1095 West Pender St. July 2008 — each time making 1143 Robson St. 1855 Burrard St. videotapes of various potential 2338 Cambie St. targets, including those attacked 2372 West 4th Ave. in November 2008. After these 2706 Granville St. 2748 Rupert St. trips he travelled to Pakistan 3121 West Broadway to meet Lashkar members and West Vancouver hand over his surveillance maPark Royal South terial.

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LOCAL

Man in critical condition after accident on 152 Street in Surrey

man is in critical condition in hospital after a dramatic rollover accident this week in Surrey. At 3 a.m. Thursday, a 1999 Honda Civic was heading southbound on 152 Street near 84 Avenue when it rolled. A 43-year-old Surrey man was taken

B.C. promises by 2050 all new vehicles will have zero-emissions

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 3

ritish Columbia has joined a global alliance aiming to fill highways and city streets with zero-emission vehicles over the next 35 years, an initiative that could lower global vehicle emissions by 40 per cent. Environment Minister Mary Polak signed an agreement in Paris at the United Nations climate talks Thursday, making B.C. the 14th member of the International Zero-Emission Vehicle Alliance. B.C. joins Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, along with California and seven other states in pledging to ensure B.C. Hydro has inall new vehicles stalled two chargers on are zero-emissions Granville Island where models by 2050. electric car owners can Quebec also signed charge up their cars the pledge, which free of charge. could cut harmful carbon dioxide emissions from the global transportation sector by one billion tonnes a year. B.C.’s Energy Minister Bill Bennett said the province already has the largest public-charging network in Canada for electric vehicles at more than 1,000 outlets, but more can be done. So far, there are less than 2,000 electric vehicles on the road in B.C., he said. “How do you get more people doing it?” Bennett said. “You have to show them that they can save a lot of money on not having to buy fossil fuels and you have to make it easy for them to charge their vehicle.” B.C. introduced its Clean Energy Vehicle Program four years ago. It offers electric vehicle buyers point-of-sale incentives of more than $8,200. The program also invests in charging infrastructure improvements. “You continue to provide incentives at this stage and we’ll have to do that for at least the next decade,” Bennett said. “If this is going to work, we’re going to have to invest in charging stations all along the Trans-Canada Highway. Every community is going to have convenient access to charging.” “We’re a long ways from that, but that’s where it’s going to have to go.”

to hospital in critical condition, while a 23-year-old resident of Delta received minor injuries. There is some evidence at the scene another vehicle was involved.

Investigators are hoping to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the collision. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-

599-0502 or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.solvecrime.ca.

EDITORIAL

4 i Saturday, December 12, 2015 From page 1

Well, we are close to middle of December and the price of gas at Metro Vancouver gas stations is hovering around $1.20 a litre (no where near the earlier price of $1.09 a litre)while the price of crude oil on the world market has gone down to less than $37 a barrel and continues to slide. Retail gas prices of $1.20 a litre is roughly what the average price was in October, last year, when oil prices were more than double today’s trading price. Gas prices actually shot up during this summer across Canada even as oil prices hit historic lows. One could be forgiven for asking that if the price of gas at the local pump jumps the instant the price of oil goes up on the world market, then why doesn’t the price of gas at the local pumps goes down correspondingly when the price of oil on the world market slides? Why aren’t drivers and consumers reaping the benefit of low price of oil on the world market?? And, more important, why are provincial and federal politicians sitting so quiet on this issue. It could be that the consumers are being victimized by the big oil companies. It is the big oil companies who are pulling the strings, especially in Canada. There is no “open market”, so to speak, to allow the market forces to dictate the price of gas at the pump.

Oil companies use low oil price to keep gas What do I mean? Well most of the gas companies and oil companies in Canada are “integrated” “Integrated” oil companies own the whole value chain — from oil production to refinement into gas to retail distribution through owned or franchised stations – and they appear to be hitting consumers at the pump to help offset the revenue hit they’re taking from $37 barrel oil – a drop of over 50 percent from last year’s prices. In other words, because the big oil companies are taking a pounding on their crude oil production, refining and sales division, they are trying to make it up by squeezing the consumers with high gas prices at the pumps in jurisdictions like BC – where there is no control on price of gas at the pump. So to offset the low price of the oil on the global market, these companies, through their franchised gas pumps and stations, are keeping the price of gas at the pump artificially high to try and recoup their losses. There is no big oil companies selling gas to the highest bidder - nor are there independent local gas stations looking to buy from the oil company providing the cheapest product. As most, if not all, of gas stations are franchisees of the big oil companies, they are obligated to purchase the

BC Hydro lied to regulator, NDP says BC Hydro lied to the province’s independent regulator about a massive internal computer project, which has run millions over budget and into years of delays, according to the Opposition NDP. Hundreds of pages of internal Hydro documents obtained by NDP critic Adrian Dix paint a picture of a $400-million information technology project — to upgrade financial, human resources and project management software — that was substantially changed during a review by the BC Utilities Commission, without the regulator’s knowledge. Instead, Hydro at one point misled the BCUC commissioners about the software it planned to use when, behind-the-scenes, management documents show the corporation had already purchased different, more expensive software and begun implementing it without the BCUC’s knowledge, said Dix. “BC Hydro knowingly deceived the B.C. Utilities Commission, and the evidence for this is overwhelming,” Dix said. Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald and Energy Minister Bill Bennett both said Thursday that they take Dix’s allegations seriously.

product of their parent company – no matter what price they may be selling at. Gas stations cant just purchase the cheapest gas to pass on the savings to the consumers. Imperial Oil, Shell and Suncor are the biggest integrated players in Canada. Each operates, either directly or through franchisees, hundreds of stations under the Esso (Imperial), Shell and Petro-Canada (Suncor) banners. They keep prices high at their stations, which sets the tone for other stations and establish market prices for gas on a daily basis. This is all perfectly above board, according to “experts”. It’s not price maintenance, something that’s prohibited by competition laws. It’s the market. Yeah, right. The big oil companies are protected because they own or are involved in every link of the production and sales chain of the oil business. This leaves consumers without any leverage. They can’t get the benefit of low oil prices on the world market. And if the consumers raise questions, then these “so-called” experts (financed directly or indirectly by oil companies) will speak out in the media about some pipeline repairs or some other such story. Kind of like the US Air Force floating out stories of weather balloons crashing when citizens report UFOs crashing somewhere near their community. No one can prove that a weather balloon crashed but no one can disprove it either – so the public remains confused. Similarly, local consumers don’t really know that oil pipelines are being repaired south of the boarder. Leading to price increases, but they can’t disprove it either. It will take some kind of government control or government appointed board to regulate price of oil in order for the price at the pump to actually reflect the drop in

price of oil on the world market.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 5

Local

6 i Saturday, December 12, 2015

California shooter linked to Ontario Islamic school

From page 1 Malik spent more than a year at Al-Huda, taking classes six days a week, the school’s spokeswoman Farrukh Chaudhry told The Associated Press. She enrolled in a two-year course to study the Qur’an, its translation and interpretation, but did not finish the course, Chaudhry added. Malik was a student there from April 17, 2013 until May 3, 2014, when she handed in her last paper in the first-year curriculum, the spokeswoman said. FBI via Getty ImagesIn this handout provided by the FBI, Tashfeen Malik poses for a photo. “According to our records, this girl didn’t complete the course,” Chaudhry said, speaking over the phone from the southern port city of Karachi where she is based. “She told us that she was going to get married in two months, and after that she will leave for America.” Malik promised to complete her studies by mail correspondence but that never happened, Chaudhry said. “I have talked to her teachers, her classmates and everybody says she was a hardworking, friendly, helpful and obedient student,” Chaudhry said, adding that “no one ever noticed any signs of radicalization.” One of the teachers at the seminary, Aalia Qamar, said Malik attended classes regularly, and introduced three or four of her friends to the school. She

asked many questions in class about religion and at times debated religious matters with teachers and classmates. On Monday, Pakistani police barred local and international media from entering the pharmacy department where Malik studied. Police inspector Muhammad Ali said the reporters did not have valid documents to work in the city. The university administration deployed extra private security guards outside the facility and after an argument with some reporters, university security officials called in the police. The police escorted two journalists off the campus. San Bernardino County Sheriff ’s Department via The Associated PressThe weapons carried by the suspects are shown by police at the scene of a shootout in San Bernardino, Calif., on Wednesday. Pakistani authorities have also been looking into Malik’s time in Multan. Police and intelligence agents have searched the house where she lived on two occasions since Friday. Shabana Saif, a counterterrorism official, said intelligence agents seized documents, family photo albums and a laptop belonging to Malik’s sister, Shahida, who was studying engineering at a Pakistani college. It is not clear whether the house, which has been sealed, was owned by Tashfeen or her father.

On December 3, at the Surrey City Hall, VIBC Society presented Trams Fusion – blending experiences of African dance, Tap, Flamenco, Hip-hop and motifs of bhangara through performance. Photo by Chandra Bodalia. From page 1

Liberals tighten mortgage rules

to financial risks should the housing market experience a correction. “We believe that by increasing the down payment . . . we will create a better buffer for people and make people more secure, and have the entire market be more stable,” Morneau told reporters in Ottawa. Homebuyers will have to put 10 per cent down on the portion of the price over $500,000. The minister acknowledged the new measure will affect less than 10,000 home purchasers, or one per cent of the total market. “We see that the market in general is stable. Canadians should feel comfortable with

From page 1

RCMP on alert after reports of alleged plots targeting Canadian cities by Islamic terrorists

Brian Montague, a VPD spokesman, said the department worked closely with national and international police agencies, but added that he was not aware of any specific threats related to Vancouver. Tess Messmer, a YVR spokeswoman, said that while airport staff were aware of the media reports, federal authorities had not direct-

aman@ewfinancial.ca

their home purchases and we recognize that our job is to ensure that remains the case,” he said. “We’re looking at some housing market risks, some pockets of risks, that are important . . . in Toronto and Vancouver. This measure carefully targets that to make ensure that the homeowners in those markets are protected.” Observers said the move, which comes as the federal government doubled the minimum down payment on houses over $500,000, is also intended to cool Canada’s hot housing market. As well, the minister said “we consider the fact that the Alberta situation is challenging.

ed any changes to airport security. “We will continue to work closely with all of our security partners to be vigilant in ensuring a safe and secure airport,” Messmer said. Mounties encouraged anyone who spots suspicious or unusual behaviour to contact their local police or the National Security Information Network at 1-800-420-5805.

LOCAL

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 7

New multi-agency approach to risk intervention in Surrey

SMART organizing committee meeting getting underway cators such as child protection cases, violent ocal agencies are working together in crimes, and emergency room admissions. a new way to mitigate risk before criSMART is the first Hub model to launch in sis can occur in the lives of individuals and British Columbia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Surrey Mobilizafamilies living in Surreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s City Centre. The tion and Resiliency Table is another tool in Surrey Mobilization and Resiliency Table British Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arsenal to ensure com(SMART) is an innovative new approach to munities feel safe, and that families are safe,â&#x20AC;? assisting those who are at imminent risk of says Gordon Hogg, MLA for Surrey-White harm, victimization, or criminality. SMART Rock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Government is proud to be a is made up of human service professionals part of SMART, an initiative that is leading from a variety of disciplines including law the way for B.C. by focusing on collaboration, enforcement, corrections, housing, health, risk assessment and rapid response to reach social services, income assistance, and educathose most vulnerable and at risk of harm. tion. Each week, the SMART group meets to Through SMART, individuals will be able to review cases where the referring agency begain access to services before harm occurs to lieves there is a high probability of immediate themselves or others, helping to keep comharm for an individual or family. If the group munities safe.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The City of Surrey is a city determines this is a situation of elevated risk, of innovation and SMART is a game changthe appropriate agencies will execute an iner for how we reduce risk and help people in tervention plan within 24-48 hours. SMART our City Centre who are dealing with high was modelled after the established â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hubâ&#x20AC;? risk social issues,â&#x20AC;? says Mayor Linda Hepner. model which originated in Prince Albert, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe this approach will not only improve Saskatchewan and has been implemented in lives, but save lives. SMART will also result in communities across Canada and the United increased savings as it uses existing services States over the past four years. This model has that are already in place and addresses risk been instrumental in reducing high risk indiproactively.â&#x20AC;?

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8 i Saturday, December 12, 2015 Premier Christy Clark has appointed Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike

LOCAL

Premier Clark appoints former RCMP officer to cabinet Morris, a long-time RCMP officer, to the cabinet as public safety minister. Morris

was sworn in Friday at the cabinet office in Vancouver, returning the B.C. government

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to a systemwhere the public safety minister is responsible for police and prisons, while the justice minister is responsible for courts and Crown prosecutors. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton has performed both roles since her election as MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview in 2013. Clark merged the two roles in 2012, appointing veteran cabinet minister Shirley Bond to the combined role to review the efficiency of the court system. “Mike Morris brings strong experience to the executive council as a 32-year veteran of he RCMP and a former North District superintendent,” Clark said in a statement. “Suzanne Anton will continue to spearhead the work to accelerate access to justice, continue justice innovation and will be British Columbia’s lead on the federal government’s Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.” Morris, elected in 2013, was assigned last July to make recommendations for new penalties for distracted driving and careless smoking that ignites forest fires.

Zone system for transit fares under review

extra every month to use any way you want. For instance, use it to call family and friends

TransLink is beginning a fare policy review that could bring big new changes in how passengers pay to use transit after 30 years of the threezone system. Options for reform include a single flat fare for unlimited travel, or distance-based fares that more accurately reflect how far passengers travel, according to acting CEO Cathy McLay. “Each one of them has their advantages and disadvantages,” McLay said. “Everything is on the table for us.” She said the overriding goal will be to increase ridership and make the fare payment structure “more fair and equitable.” The review is to last two years and include four rounds of public consultation to determine what transit users would support. “What do they value and what do they believe is fair and equitable?” The system of three fare zones is essentially unchanged since before SkyTrain opened for

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PERSON OF THE WEEK

One place for pampering tastebuds- Madras Club House

Chhavi Disawar

ome - The coziest place on this planet. A place where one gets best of comforts in all senses. Best sleep, loveliest companions and top of all- yummiest food or the authentic flavor of mother’s hands. As a single person myself and after talking to my friends who are living away from their homes, I came to a conclusion that it’s not the matter of distance away f r o m home, albeit, it is the aroma of the food that one misses. All in all, whether one misses someother

things or not, he/she for sure misses the food part. Although we get different cuisines in and around the city, still one complaint is very common amongst people,” Ghar wali baat

nahi hai (it doesn’t taste like the ones made at home).”If not this, there is another one, “It is good but very expensive.” They say necessity is the mother of invention, and based on this, two friends started with an idea. An idea to take one back to the authentic flavors of South India, an idea to deliver authentic tastes and pamper the craving of South Indian food. After completing their studies in Hotel Management and gaining 18 and 25 years of experience in cooking Venkatesh and Kannan (pictured) met in Canada three and a half years ago. They both have worked with some named restaurants like Moxie’s, and one day they decided to open their own food business, and that is how Madras Club House started. “It was kannan’s idea initially”, said Ventakesh. Kannan is experienced in running food business from India. “We had our own chain of resorts in Southern part of India”, smiled him. There are so many dosa places in and around surrey area where one can experience South

Indo-Canadian vibe but the feel and aroma of authentic spices as soon as you get inside the Madras Club House makes it different. Madras Club House is situated near the Newton Bus Stop area that makes it easily approachable for people. Cherry on the cake is their special deals introduced within the menu. Especially the Monday and Tuesday special, i.e. $5.99/ dosa. I myself got a chance to visit Madras C l u b House on Monday. As I was sitting and wait ing for food, a customer just passed by me and said,” It is

amazing! Where do you get such a flavorful dosa for $5.99 these days.” Also, whenever you visit Madras Club House, don’t forget to taste their authentic madras coffee that they serve in traditional metal glasses. “In cooking it’s all about the materials you use, where your food is grown and how it is grown. It is Kannan’s responsibility to choose the right ingredients and bring them on the table”, smiled Venkatesh. Madras Club House not only has varied food items on its menu-list but the chefs make sure that each and every item tastes perfect. They even prepare food catered to the

needs of their customers. “We are not just stuck on our menu, if someone doesn’t like potatoes we will cater to their taste and make something that one would enjoy eating”, told Venkatesh. These young professionals take taste satisfaction and making their brand a benchmark for people as their main focus. Madras Club House is run by Kannan, Kannan’s wife and Venkatesh. Madras Club House has various offers going on these days including their everyday special. They say food is an art, but Madras Club House is a place where you can experience it. For details, call 604-592-2865

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 9

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10 i Saturday, December 12, 2015

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of service you come to expect,” the missive from Dr. Nandini Sathi at Wellpoint states. “The fee is good value and avoids the delays that occur when we must request payments from you for individual services.” These sorts of “block fee” requests are increasingly normal in Ontario and permitted under the law, so long as they cover things such as doctor’s notes and insurance forms not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Program.

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Spiking property assessments trigger warnings for Greater Vancouver owners

C Assessment is sending out warning letters to about 37,000 property owners — mostly in Greater Vancouver — to brace themselves for a sharp rise in their property assessments in the new year. “Increases of 15 to 25 per cent will be typical for single-family homes in Vancouver, the North Shore, Burnaby, Tri-Cities, New Westminster, Richmond and Surrey,” says B.C. Assessor Jason Grant. And some of the increases will be

even more, according a list of examples released on Wednesday morning. For example one house in East Vancouver built in 1983, which was assessed under $1 million last year, is now assessed at nearly $1.3 million, for a total increase of 28 per cent. A similar increase of 27 per cent is coming for the owners of a 1971 Burnaby home in the Buckingham neighbourhood, which saw its value rise from $1.47 million to $1.86 million.

Chilliwack woman dead after driving wrong way on Highway 1

48-year-old Chilliwack woman is dead after a semi-truck and pickup truck collided on Highway 1 late Tuesday night. Shortly before midnight, RCMP received a call that a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was travelling the wrong way on the Trans-Canada in the eastbound lanes near Annis Road in Chilliwack. Before emergency responders arrived, the pickup collided with a truck travelling east. The driver and sole occupant of the pickup died at the scene. The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured. The Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating.

Fraser Valley Traffic Services was also assisted by the Agassiz Fire Department and the B.C. Ambulance Service. Highway 1 eastbound lanes were closed for several hours through the night, but all lanes were reopened Wednesday morning.

Tofino luxury beach home sells for record price to Alberta buyer

n Alberta buyer has paid a record price for a Tofino property, shelling out $3.6 million for a luxury home located on Chesterman Beach. “It’s one of those houses that’s hard to put into words,” said Brian Danyliw of the real estate company Engel & Volkers. “It’s completely unique, no expense spared through and through.” The property features a 9600 square foot post-and-beam waterfront home on a half acre lot. There are 6 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, a caretakers cottage and even a

spirit pole on the front yard. It was built in 2005 and will not be used as a primary residence. Jason Finlayson of the Vancouver Island real estate board says by Vancouver or Whistler standards $3.6 million is a deal. He also says Tofino is a town in transition. “I think we’ll see more of a that, getting rid of the older homes and the little beach cabins and putting in these way more substantial homes,” Finlayson said. The priciest property in Tofino sits on 1 and half acres of waterfront and is listed for $7.9-million.

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LOCAL

Vancouver police unveil new crime-mapping tool

f you want to know how much crime is happening in your neighbourhood, Vancouver police have released a new crime-mapping tool for the public to use. GeoDASH — which stands for Geographic Data Analysis and Statistics Hub — is an interactive map that can not only run statistical reports but shows select types of crimes in the city, such as breakins, homicides, car thefts and mischief. It’s the same system police officers have used in their cruisers for the past year but strips any information that could violate a person’s privacy, said Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer on Tuesday. “It has been assisting front-line officers in identifying crime trends as they patrol through the streets of Vancouver,” he said.

Although the VPD has released crime data on its website before, it wasn’t user friendly. “We realize the information we were providing was old-fashioned statistical sheets in excel and heat maps, and we realized we could improve on what we were providing with a more modern platform,” Palmer said. GeoDASH can display up to 1,000 incidents on the map at any given time. The data is refreshed every 24 hours. However, it is not comprehensive. Police have only made data available on crimes from Jan. 1, 2003 and certain types of crimes are excluded for privacy and investigative reasons. It also does not include Skytrain incidents as those types of crimes, even if they occur in the city of Vancouver, fall under the jurisdiction of the transit police.

Police investigate another Surrey shooting near schools

urrey Mounties are investigating after another shooting in Surrey on Monday morning. Several schools in the vicinity were briefly locked down after reports of shots fired at a residence in the 12700 block of 67B Avenue around 11:40 a.m., according to a statement from Surrey RCMP. Officers found numerous shell casings near the residence, which is blocks away from

two secondary schools, an elementary school and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. No victims were found. Officers spent the afternoon canvassing residents and possible witnesses. Police say it’s too early to report whether the shooting is related to the ongoing low-level drug trade conflict. Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Abbotsford police seek suspects in attempted robbery with baseball bat

bbotsford Police are investigating after four masked men, one with a baseball bat, attempted to rob a convenience store in Abbotsford last weekend. Const. Ian MacDonald of Abbotsford police said officers were called to the Bradner Road convenience store at 5:45 p.m. when the four masked men walked in, sending the female storeowner outside screaming. “It’s pretty frightening,” MacDonald said. “You have to imagine as a storeowner, and four guys rush into the store with masks on and the lead guy has a baseball bat in hand … she rightfully goes into panic and starts screaming and runs from the store.” One of the men involved in the alleged robbery was carrying a baseball bat. MacDonald said the woman’s husband, who heard the commotion, rushed to help her. Police believe the suspects were most likely not experienced or sophisticated criminals, as the storeowner’s reaction caused them to flee in an older four-door, grey coloured

Sedan, leaving behind one of their own. “They kind of went into panic mode too, so much so that they broke that rule of not leaving behind your wing man,” said MacDonald, adding that the suspects also did not successfully steal anything from the store before fleeing. MacDonald said the suspect who was left behind then attempted to hit the husband with the baseball bat before fleeing the area on foot. When the husband returned to store and called 911, MacDonald said his wife flagged down a driver in a newer model, white pickup truck. She and the driver then confronted the alleged robber as he continued to make his way northbound on Bradner Road. The storeowner told police that the suspect had removed his mask and was pretending to not be associated with the robbery. MacDonald urged the Good Samaritan who helped the storeowner to come forward and provide a statement to police.

LOCAL

Victoria police union has ‘no confidence’ in police chief Frank Elsner

he Victoria City Police Union says it has “no confidence” in Chief Frank Elsner’s ability to lead the police department after an internal investigation found he sent inappropriate messages on Twitter to a female police officer, who is also the wife of a subordinate officer. On Sunday Elsner admitted to sending the messages, saying he was “deeply humiliated” after the Victoria Police Board placed a formal reprimand on his record, the first in his 33-year career. An internal investigation by the Victoria Police Board found there was no inappropriate relationship involving Elsner and there was no breach of the pub-

lic’s trust in the department, but that the online messages did cross a line. H owever, the union says it has “no confidence” in the way the police board handled the incident. On Monday the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, which provides civilian oversight of complaints about municipal police, announced it would conduct an independent review of the internal investigation. Elsner, in response to the union’s statement, says he has confidence “we will continue serving the public with the professionalism for which the VicPD is known,” and that he will continue to serve as chief.

South Asian taxi driver who clung to UberX says he once drove for Uber

he Toronto taxi driver who confronted an UberX driver on Wednesday by clinging to the moving car’s mirror says he drove for UberBlack, the luxury version of the ride-hailing service, as recently as last week. Suntharesan Kanagasabai was among the hundreds of cabbies demonstrating against Uber near city hall when he was captured on camera pounding on the windows of a white Honda Civic that was being driven for Uber, then clinging to the car as its driver tried to flee. Suntharesan Kanagasabai was captured on video clinging to an UberX car amid a citywide anti-Uber protest launched by cab drivers on Wednesday. Kanagasabai said he was just trying to make a point to the reporters who were gathered around him. He said he wanted the Uber driver to roll down the window and talk, but that the driver didn’t want to “face the music.” “For the last two years we are watching,” Kanagasabai said of the rise of Uber in Toronto. “We can’t take it anymore.” “We’re on the job trying to make a living.” However, Kanagasabai, who works independently running a car service, said when Uber arrived in Canada he was one of the first people to sign up to work for the company. Up until last week, he sometimes picked up fares using UberBlack. Now, he’s vowed to stop working for Uber altogether. Uber Canada spokesperson Susie Heath told CBC News in an email that she couldn’t confirm Kanagasabai drove for Uber with-

out getting his consent. As for whether he would be welcome to drive for the company in the future, Heath said: “In instances where there is evidence that someone has posed a threat to public safety, they are immediately removed from the platform.” Kanagasabai said he initially believed Uber would play by the city’s rules but now, he says, the company is flouting them. When asked whether he regretted signing up with Uber, he replied: “Oh my God, yes.” Kanagasabai said Uber takes too much commission from drivers, and he decried Uber’s new option, UberSelect, which links passengers with highend cars (think BMW and Mercedes sedans with leather seats) that aren’t necessarily black. That service, which is cheaper than UberBlack, is just the latest way the company is cutting into his earnings, he said. The other problem, Kanagasabai said, is the glut of Uber drivers on Toronto’s roads, The driver, who said he’s been working in the business for 22 years, said every day he spots about 100 vehicles working for Uber — which are often easy to spot by a glowing smartphone mounted to the dash and a passenger riding in the back seat. Mayor, taxi union condemn actions A taxi driver shouts ‘John Tory! Shame!’ amid a demonstration that shut down the intersection of Queen and Bay on Wednesday evening.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i

Vancouver man one of two arrested for $126M pyramid scheme $126M

wo men who allegedly ran a Toronto-based pyramid scheme that netted more than $126 million from people around the world were arrested this morning and face charges, police said. ‘We’re alleging this was a pyramid scheme from the get-go.’- Det. Sgt. Ian Nichol, Toronto Police Service Det.-Sgt. Ian Nichol said the suspects, both 45, operated the online advertising company Banners Broker from an office on Church Street between October 2010 and March 2013. Nichol said by the end of 2012, the scheme had taken in about $93 million US — the equivalent of more than $126 million Cdn — though some $45 million US of the total was paid back to early participants in the scheme. Nichol said when Banners Broker started, it made little to no attempt to conceal the fact that it was a pyramid scheme, and investors at that time either knew or ought to have known what they were getting into. “We’re alleging this

was a pyramid scheme from the get-go,” Nichol told reporters at Toronto police headquarters. Later, though the business continued to provide “little or no actual product,” its website did more work to pass itself as legitimate and brought in more investors through referrals. Some early investors — those at the top of the pyramid — made money, but as in all similar schemes “somebody gets left holding the bag,” Nichol said. The remaining millions were moved to offshore accounts in Belize, St. Lucia and other small countries, police allege. Nichol said thousands of victims lost hundreds or thousands of dollars each, and it’s doubtful they’ll get any money back. Victims were sucked in with the promise they could double their money by investing with the advertising company. Banners Broker boasted it had access to a “globally renowned network,” police said.

14 i Saturday, December 12, 2015

LOCAL

Vancouver taxi companies granted 58 temporary licences for the holidays

here could be 58 more taxis on the road in Vancouver over the holidays, but the Vancouver Taxi Association says it’s disappointed it didn’t get the full 198 it applied for. The temporary licences were approved by the province’s Passenger Transportation Board, but they still need to be approved by city council. “I was shocked at their decision,” said Carolyn Bauer with the association. “It makes no sense to me. Would they tell MacDonald’s that they’re only allowed to sell 100 hamburgers a night?” The association had applied for 198 temporary licences from Dec. 7 to March 9 as part of a pilot project to better determine the needs of its customers. “We wanted to facilitate this pilot project … to crunch the numbers, to see where the peaks and valleys were, to make sure that the public’s desire for taxi service is reliable and consistent,” said Bauer.

The 58 licences the association was issued instead can only be in operation from Dec. 10 to Jan. 8. “It’s not enough taxis,” said Bauer. “It’s very disappointing for us.” Application doesn’t fit legislation: board The Passenger Transportation Board noted in its decision that temporary licences can only be issued “if the board considers that there is an urgent and temporary need” for them. The decision goes on to explain that the temporary licences shouldn’t be a way for licencees to get more cars on the road without going through formal channels. “Considering the size of this application, that it covers a time period beyond a seasonal spike and may impact others in the industry, we are not approving the three-month pilot as it does not meet the intent of ‘urgent’ as contemplated in the legislation,” wrote the board.

New rules to help B.C. residents get out of debt

etting your finances back on track should not leave you penniless. B.C. is following through on a commitment to regulate the debt settlement industry, making sure individuals and families can pay what they owe, without being taken advantage of. When changes to the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA) come into effect April 1, 2016, B.C. residents will benefit from additional cost certainty and having the guesswork taken out of debt repayment rules. Specifically, the Province is restricting the fees debt settlers can charge. This means companies cannot charge those in debt for negotiating a settlement until the creditor and the debtor have agreed on the terms of repayment. Prior to this change, some companies would charge large, non-refundable fees up front in order to negotiate a lump-sum payment. Consumers were often encouraged to stop paying their debt on the expectation of making a lump sum

payment to their creditor, while paying negotiation fees to the debt settlement agent instead. This would cause some people to miss payments, further damaging their credit score. As of April 1, 2016, debt settlement companies will now only have two options restricting how much they can charge for fees: * If the debt will be repaid within 90 days, debt agents may only charge a fee of up to 10% of the total amount of debt being repaid. * If you need 90 days or longer to repay your debt, debt settlement companies may charge a fee of up to 15% of the total amount repaid, plus a one-time service fee. The service fee can be no more than the cost of one average monthly payment. These companies will now also have to be transparent about the risks associated with debt settlement. All contracts will be required to contain a disclosure statement indicating that, while the debt may go away, the debt settlement process will not improve their credit rating.

Trump name on Vancouver tower ‘a business decision,’ says Premier Clark

.C. Premier Christy Clark has weighed in on growing calls to remove Donald Trump’s name from a Vancouver tower — saying it’s “a business decision” that she’ll leave to those involved. Trump, vying for the Republican presidential nomination, called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” on Monday, prompting a Vancouver city councillor, former city planner and others to say the Trump name has no place in the Vancouver skyline. But Clark isn’t going that far, saying cities all around the world are “stuck with” Trump towers, so it doesn’t say much about Vancouver if there’s one here too. “It’s a business decision, and you know what, it’s something the City of Vancouver approved,” said Clark to CBC News. “It doesn’t seem like good business to have your business branded Trump these days,” she said. “But I’m not a businessman or a businessperson so I’ll let the folks involved in that make that decision.” Developer responds In his first response since the controversy broke, the CEO of the Vancouver-based developer Holborn that owns Trump Vancouver has issued a statement, saying he won’t comment on “Mr. Trump’s personal or political agenda.” “Holborn, a company that has contributed immensely to the growth of Vancouver, is not in any way involved in U.S .politics,” wrote Joo Kim Tiah in a statement. The statement said the Trump Vancouver building will create “as many as 300 jobs” when it opens in 2016, and will soon be the “finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond.”

LOCAL

Man jailed 3-1/2 years for using date-rape drug in sexual assault

Vancouver man who drugged and raped a woman during a date last summer has been sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison. Seyed Nima Razavi Zadeh, 33, was convicted of sexual assault and administering a stupefying drug (GHB) for the purpose of enabling sexual assault. He pleaded guilty before his trial to two breaches of a recognizance. Zadeh was sentenced in provincial court in Vancouver on Tuesday. According to the written reasons for sentence, Zadeh met the victim, identified as J.C., at the Lower Mainland restaurant where she worked as a server in July 2014. He suggested they go on a date and she gave him her phone number. A few days later, he proposed that they go out on July 11. Zadeh picked J.C. up and they planned to go for drinks. However, he said he wanted to stop by his apartment first to change his clothes. At Zadeh’s apartment, he offered J.C. a drink. She had a gin and tonic, which he prepared, and then he offered tequila shots. J.C. accepted. She noticed that one of the shooters tasted salty, but didn’t think much about it. J.C. felt impaired soon after drinking the salty-tasting tequila shot. Zadeh followed her onto the balcony and touched her vaginal area over her clothing. Later in the evening, he brought her into his room and had sex with her as she went in and out of consciousness. J.C. woke up at about 5:30 a.m. and left the apartment. She went home and then to the police to report the rape. The police arrested Zadeh and searched his apartment, where they found GHB in a tequila bottle and in an energy drink. According to a pre-sentence report, Zadeh has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse. He began experimenting with GHB in 2011 after the death of a close friend and has a history of depression. During his 351 days in custody, he has been assaulted three times. The most recent assault, in July, took place after someone left an article about Zadeh’s offence in the general population. Zadeh suffered severe facial fractures and still has nerve damage. Judge Gregory Rideout took Zadeh’s personal circumstances and recent assault into consideration, along with the victim’s concern for her personal safety and lack of trust in men. Rideout sentenced Zadeh to 3-1/2 years in prison for the drugging and assault, minus 18 months of credit for time served, leaving two years in his sentence. He was given a suspended sentence for the breaches, and three years of probation. Conditions of his probation include abstaining from drugs and alcohol, having no contact with

the victim and abstaining from contact or communication with any adult female in a private place unless an immediate family member is present or he has written permission from his probation officer. Zadeh is also the subject of a civil forfeiture proceeding. The B.C. Civil Forfeiture office is trying to seize Zadeh’s condominium — which he signed over to his mother for $1 — because the property was used “as an instrument of unlawful activity.” A notice of civil claim filed in July alleges that Zadeh used the apartment for a sexual assault on a prior occasion, but charges in that case were stayed. ----------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i

Police drunk-driving road blocks check 24,000 cars across BC on a single Friday night

here were 157 places where drivers were stopped across B.C. during a CounterAttack blitz on Friday, Dec. 4. The RCMP’s collective efforts, with ICBC and Operation Red Nose, resulted in more than 24,000 vehicles being checked and 116 impaired drivers were removed from our roads. More than 24,000 vehicles were stopped and checked at some 157 roadblock locations across B.C. during a Friday night CounterAttack blitz, the RCMP said Tuesday. Of those pulled over, 116 impaired drivers were taken off the roads, according to an RCMP update about the Dec. 4 campaign. “I have no doubt that co-ordinated police efforts such as this

save lives and reduce crime and needless tragedy,” said spokeswoman Cpl. Ronda McEwen with B.C. RCMP Traffic Services. Police also posted Twitter updates throughout the evening, sharing stories and images of vehicles being towed during the campaign. McEwen said there were also a number of drivers pulled over due to drug impairment, not just alcohol. “These stats are a tragic reminder that some drivers are willing to put themselves and others at great risk, regardless of the consequences,” she said. Authorities are reminding drivers to be smart, safe, and to plan for a ride home before the evening begins. Those who suspect a drunk driver is on the road are urged to call 911.

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California killers borrowed $28,000 before attack

A The PICS staff in a happy mood at their Christmas Party in Surrey on December 4 in Surrey. Photo by Chandra Bodalia.

married couple, who killed 14 people in a California shooting rampage the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism, borrowed about $28,000 from an online lender, a sum deposited into their bank account about two weeks before the attack, sources said on Tuesday. Disclosure of the unsecured loan the husband, This image obtained from US Customs and Border Protection December 7, 2015 shows Syed Farook and Tashfeen Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, Malik, as they were going through customs in Chicago’’s took out from San FranO’’Hare International Airport on the evening of July 27, 2014. cisco-based Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending service, offered a new cus on the money behind them, U.S. glimpse into the money trail under scrutiny government officials said the FBI’s exby investigators of last week’s mass shooting. amination of the couple’s finances has The Federal Bureau of Investigation has not linked them with any foreign group. described Farook, the US-born son of Pa- Draining their accounts? kistani immigrants, and his Pakistani-born Still, one government source told Reuters wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, as a couple “rad- that Farook and Malik apparently folicalized” by Islamic extremist ideology. lowed a pattern set by other militants who Malik, who spent a good portion of her drained their bank accounts and exhaustlife in Saudi Arabia and married Farook ed credit lines before embarking on what there before returning with him to Cali- they believed would be a suicide mission. fornia in the summer of 2014, is believed A separate source told Reuters that Prosby investigators to have pledged allegiance per, a San Francisco-based online lender, on Facebook to the leader of the militant made a $28,500 collateral-free loan to Fagroup Islamic State just before the killings. rook in mid-November. Loans made by Malik’s extremist views took form be- Prosper, which processes borrowers’ apfore she came to the United States, but it plications and evaluates their credit-worremains to be seen whether she and her thiness, are originated by the third-party husband were indoctrinated by other indi- bank WebBank, based in Salt Lake City. viduals or whether they turned to radical Prosper then sells its loans to investors. ideology on their own, the FBI has said. Fox News first reported on Monday that Authorities say the heavily armed cou- a deposit of $28,500 was made into Faple opened fire on Farook’s co-workers rook’s bank account from WebBank.com from the county Environmental Health on November 18, and that Farook conDepartment during a holiday party at verted $10,000 in cash, which he withthe Inland Regional Center social ser- drew from a Union Bank branch in San vices agency in San Bernardino, about Bernardino around November 20. Fox 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles. also reported at least three $5,000 transFourteen people were killed and 21 others fers were made in the days before the were wounded in the assault. The couple died shooting, apparently to Farook’s mother. several hours later in a shootout with police. WebBank issued a statement expressing If the massacre - the deadliest burst of condolences to victims of the San BernardiUS gun violence in three years - proves no shooting but declined further comto have been the work of killers in- ment, citing confidentiality restrictions. spired by Islamic militants, it would In addition to the pair of assault-style mark the most lethal such attack in rifles and semi-automatic handguns the United States since Sept. 11, 2001. they carried the day of the killings, the While investigations into assaults couple were found to have amassed branded as acts of terrorism often fo- thousands of rounds of ammunition.

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4 female students who went to Syria to join ISIS attended Islamic school in Mississauga

girl and three young women left Canada to join ISIS in Syria after studying at the Al-Huda Islamic Institute in Mississauga, Ont. — a school whose sister institution in Pakistan is now connected to the mass shooting in California. It’s unclear exactly when the Canadian students travelled overseas, but sources have confirmed they all left in the last two years after attending the school founded by controversial female Islamic scholar Farhat Hashmi. Hashmi’s ultra-conservative teachings in lectures and online have faced criticism for promoting an extreme wifely subservience to a husband. The school’s founder, however, is not a Canadian resident, despite several media reports to the contrary, sources told CBC News. Hashmi has not been in Canada for three years, those sources said. School accredited by Ontario Al-Huda’s Mississauga campus opened in 2004. It’s accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education as a private school, where roughly 160 students in kindergarten to Grade 6 attend classes every day. But in the evenings and on weekends, teenagers and adults can take seminars there. It’s those classes the four Canadians, who ranged in age from 16 to early 20s, took in recent years before leaving for Syria. The oldest attended for three months in 2012. She’s been living in Syria since the summer of 2014, her sister told CBC News. The woman and her family are not identified in this story, because of concerns about their security.

RCMP looking for missing man - ABDULRAHMAN Surrey RCMP is re-appealing to the public for assistance in locating a missing male who has now been missing for over six months. Shareef ABDULRAHMAN was reported missing on May 29, 2015 and has not been seen or heard from since. ABDULRAHMAN is described as a 32 year old Arabic male, 5’6”, 176 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes . Police are concerned for ABDULRAHMAN’s well-being as he requires essential medication. He is known to frequent the City Centre area of Surrey and Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Officers have taken a number of investigative steps to locate this individual including regular checks with financial, governmental, and community organizations. They have also followed up on information regarding his possible whereabouts overseas. “Our Missing Persons Unit has a very good solve rate in locating individuals, however, we continue to seek the public’s assistance in locating this particular individual who has been missing for quite some time,” says Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann. “Any little bit of information would be helpful to our investigators to help determine the possible whereabouts of Mr. ABDULRAHMAN.” Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this person is asked to call the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca quoting file number 2015-74236.

“It’s really scary and it’s really dangerous — and if she gets caught she will get killed,” the sister said. Security officials intercepted the other three Canadians in Turkey after they disappeared in July 2014, according to RCMP. The teens were taken into custody and brought back to Canada. It’s still unclear how those teens and the other Canadian woman became connected to ISIS and radicalized. Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino, Calif., shooters, attend-

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i

ed classes six days a week for more than a year at Al-Huda’s Pakistan campus, a school spokeswoman told The Associated Press. But it is not known how, where or by whom she was radicalized. It’s also unclear how much contact, if any, the teens or women would have had with Hashmi. But the founder of the school — and the one like it in Pakistan — regularly delivers lectures by audio link to the Mississauga campus, CBC has learned. Lectures can also be found through Hashmi’s website. School ‘deeply disturbed’ by allegations RCMP officers recently visited the Mississauga school to ask about the former students. Al-Huda’s operations manager told CBC News that the school would help with the investigation in any way possible. “This is the first that we are learning of such allegations and [we] are as deeply disturbed as anyone,” Imraq Haq said in a statement. “We are very clear that terrorism is against Islamic teachings … and we emphasize that it is both a civic and religious duty to help keep Canada, and the world, safe from violent extremist ideologies.”

Woman who plotted to kill family of eight gets only house arrest

n Edmonton dental assistant was sentenced Tuesday after she tried to hire an undercover police officer to kill eight members of a family so she could obtain two properties they owned. My Tai Sparling, 46, pleaded guilty in provincial court to counselling murder and uttering threats for her failed plot to kill the entire family. “This plan bordered on the absurd, but it’s clear she wanted these people dead,” said provincial court Judge Michael Allen. “The facts here are extremely unusual.” In 2014, Sparling hired Richard Sicard and Sang Phan to renovate a property she owned. Months later, Sicard was arrested on an unrelated assault charge and Sparling paid his $500 bail. On the drive home, Sparling claimed Sang had stolen money and property from her. On May 5, 2015, Sparling went to Sicard’s home to craft a plan to “get rid of Sang’s wife and family.” Sicard thought Sparling was kidding and told her he wasn’t interested in killing anyone.

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AUTO

Airbag fix delays cause some to consider drastic action

etro Vancouver drivers who received recall notices about faulty Takata airbags months ago are looking for answers, and some are considering taking matters into their own hands. The massive safety recall affects at least 41 million vehicles worldwide and Consumer Reports says at least 10 different auto manufacturers are affected. The problem? Recall notices warn that the airbags could send exploding fragments into the driver or front passenger, causing injury or death. Eight fatalities have been linked to the faulty airbags. But there is a shortage of parts to fix the

problem and that’s causing delays and fear among drivers. East Vancouver residents Paul and Villoo Boissonnault own a 2005 Toyota Matrix. They received a notice back in July about the front passenger side airbag. Now Villoo is forced to ride in the back seat of the car because she fears she could be killed. “I hate it. I can’t see anything. Just the sides,” said Villoo. “I want to get this thing replaced, like now,” her worried husband said.. Richmond resident Mike Kelly also received a recall notice on his 2005 Ford Mustang in July. His problem is the driver’s side airbag and he’s concerned. Mike read us the notice he received: “The inflator rupture could result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants.”

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i

Ontario solo drivers can use highoccupancy lanes – for a price

he Ontario government is tentatively dipping its toe into a form of tolling, promising a pilot project that would let people pay to drive in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on a stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Way. The long-awaited announcement comes after the provincial Liberals mentioned high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in at least two consecutive budgets. Although key details remain to be worked out – including how much it will cost to drive in these lanes – Monday’s event offered the most information yet on the proposal. The HOV lanes will be converted to HOT next summer on a

16.5-kilometre stretch of the QEW from the Oakville to the Burlington areas. Vehicles carrying at least two people will continue to be able to use the lanes for free. But solo drivers will be able to purchase a monthly permit allowing them access to the lanes. “HOT lanes are currently being used in 13 jurisdictions,” Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said. “They have been effective at managing congestion, by giving people options and incentives to change the way that they commute.” The use of a permit to drive in the lanes puts the province at odds with the most advanced HOT systems elsewhere, though. In places such as Minneapolis, “dynamic pricing” is used to adjust the cost in response to traffic conditions, charging more when congestion is worse in a bid to keep vehicles moving.

Volkswagen Canada offers $1,000 credit to upset owners, but still no fix

olkswagen Canada has officially offered Canadian owners of vehicles caught up in the company’s emissions scandal a package of service credits worth $1,000, but still has few details on how exactly it plans to fix all those dirty engines. Worldwide, Volkswagen said 11 million vehicles — including almost half a million in the U.S. and an unknown number in Canada — have been equipped with a “defeat device” aimed at fooling emissions tests while secretly allowing the cars to belch out far more pollutants than

advertised under real-world conditions. Although the company still doesn’t know exactly how many vehicles in Canada are affected, Environment Canada estimates there are about 100,000 Volkswagen diesel engines on the road in Canada, many of which may be included. VW has made a list of all the models and model-years that may be impacted, which includes a searchable VIN database for drivers to see if their cars are known to have the defeat device installed. Canadian owners of affected 2.0L TDI diesel vehicles were informed by the company recently if they are eligible for a package of credits that includes:

$500 for use at Volkswagen dealerships. A further $500 for use at their Volkswagen dealership or anywhere credit cards are accepted. No-charge 24-hour roadside assistance for three years, with unlimited mileage. Monday is the first day that Volkswagen owners are able to sign up for the program, which had been previously reported on with vague details. But as of Monday, owners are instructed to input their information at a website Volkswagen Canada has set up to handle the problem in Canada, and the company says signing up for the program does not forfeit the owner’s right to take part in lawsuits or

other forms of compensation. The move is an olive branch to angry VW drivers with cars they paid a premium to own that are now mired in a dark cloud. But almost three months after problems with VW engines were first uncovered, the company still has no actual fix for the engines themselves. Environment Canada is working with U.S. regulators including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board on a potential fix for the engines, but so far neither the regulators nor the company itself have offered any sort of concrete plan or timeline for that.

Court acquits Salman Khan in 2002 hit-and-run case Salman Khan

he Bombay High Court on Thursday acquitted Bollywood megastar Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case and quashed his conviction and 5-year sentence. Justice A.R. Joshi, who was making his observations as the open-court dictation of his verdict entered the last lap, said the “prosecution failed to establish the charges (against Salman) on all counts”.

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Parineeti Chopra who was once called the bubbly beauty is now creating trends with her BOLDappearance in the latest photoshoot with a perfect figure on. Parineeti Chopra is known for her

ward-winning composer and playback singer Shankar Mahadevan best remembered for his first album Breathless was on Sunday admitted to hospital in Delhi after suffering a heart attack. The 48-year-old musician was rushed to the hospital after he complained of chest pain. While the music director’s family and friends maintained it was a heart scare and re-

boldperformance on screen but now she turned into a completely tuned body with perfect size. It looks that she strug-

gled a lot to fetch that figure and her confidence in her eyes is simply uncontrollable.

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan during the promo shoot of Big Boss Season 9 in Mumbai on Tuesday

Shankar Mahadevan suffers heart attack

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Saturday - December 12, 2015

When Salman Khan made Shah Rukh Khan wait for 45 minutes

oung stars of Dilwale, Varun Dhawan, and Kriti Sanon have already promoted the movie on Salman Khan’s show. Bigg Boss season 9 will see Bollywoodsuperstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in one frame after a really long time! Both Shah Rukh and Salman posed for the shutterbugs when they were shooting promos for the episode in which Badshah Khan will feature with Bajrangi Bhaijaanstar. At Mehboob studio in Mumbai, Salman, all beefed up for Sultan, was wearing a black shirt and ripped jeans, while Shah Rukh Khan sported a white t-shirt and jeans. Young stars of Dilwale, Varun Dhawan, andKriti Sanon have already promoted the movie on Salman Khan’s show. But for the first time Shah Rukh Khan will be seen promoting a movie on Bigg Boss platform.

fused to divulge more details, reports state that Mahadevan suffered two back-to-back heart attacks. Now after successfully undergoing surgery for the same Mahadevan took to twitter thanking his wellwishers saying, “My dearest friends and well-wishers, I have no words to express my gratitude for the amount of love

Rani Mukerji, Aditya Chopra blessed with daughter

ani Mukerji said her daughter Adira was ‘God’s greatest gift’ in a statement soon after the baby’s birth. Rani and husband Aditya Chopra were blessed with a girl on Wednesday morning.

Parineeti Chopra

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Star & Style

Shahrukh Khan dances at a sangeet party

Legendary Dilip Kumar’s 93rd birthday

Actor Dilip Kumar (centre)93 says he won’t celebrate his birthday this year as he is saddened by recent tragic rains in Chennai, South India.

inister for Finance, Corporate Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Arun Jaitley’s daughter Sonali is exchanging wedding vows with businessman-lawyer Jaish Bakshi today in Delhi

Amtabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan and Dharemender enthralled many hearts through their films specifically ‘Sholay’ (flames) recreated magic of their friendship for 40 years later in the final episode of TV sho “Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi”. The Due also created the euphoria of the memorable song ‘Ye Dosti” again. Amit look to facebook to share

and who’s who of Bollywood are expected to grace the wedding today. However, superstar Shahrukh Khanmade the sangeet ceremony more fun-filled when Shahrukh shook his legs. He danced with the bride and the guests too joined him on the stage.

photographs about the Jai - Viru magic which still continue to prevail even 40 years later.

Dharmendra Deol

Salman Khan and Romanian model, Iulia Vantur spotted

Salman Khan and Romanian model, Iulia Vantur were recently spotted together. Salman Khan, who paid a late night visit to the Dhawan’s house, was seen with his rumoured lady love in the car. Salman Khan’s real-life romances have always made for good stories. The actor, who is currently one of the most eligible bachelor’s in town, has his fans waiting for the day when he will finall

Bollywood personalities’ birthdays this week Rajni Kant 12 December

Rana Daggubati 14th December

John Abraham 17th December

Ritesh Deshmukh 17th December

Mahie Gill 19th December

Star & Style

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 3

Sunny Leone to feature as desi Punjaban in new film

MOVIES RELEASED THIS WEEK - December 11, 2015

unny Leone has been making head lines with each film she features in, now we hear that after her last release ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’ Sunny will feature next in a film titled ‘Yaaron Ki Baaraat’. In fact from what we hear, in the film Sunny, contrary to her usual raunchy avartar will be seen playing a Punjabi girl who despite studying abroad will be seen sporting a traditional wardrobe.

The Silent Heroes

Sanjay Dutt to be freed from jail by March 7

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan graces her bodyguard’s wedding

Mahesh Bhatt’s Adventure, Starring: Maanuv Bhardawaj, Priyanka Panchal, Mann Bagga , Simran Deep, Nirmal Kumar Pant

Bigg Boss 9: Digangana’s fan attempts suicide after her eviction A Bangladeshi fan of Digangana Suryavanshi attempted to commit suicide after the TV actor was evicted from the Bigg Boss 9 house. The woman was allegedly upset that Digangana was voted out by contestants and the show did not consider the audience’s votes. Digangana told the website Miss Malini, “She is in the hospital right now and I have been trying to get in touch with her family to know how she’s doing.

Canadian born Nora Fatehi participating in Bigg Boss 9

he model-turned-actress Nora is tagged as one of the hottest itemgirls down south and was last seen in ‘Bahubali’. She is hot, fun loving and excited to enter the house the item girl revealed that she is in love with Salman Khan and how he is the main reason for her to do

Nora Fatehi

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, whose five-year sentence for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts was confirmed by the Supreme Court in March 2013, will be freed from prison by March 7, 2016, official sources said in Pune on Tuesday. The sources indicated that barring last-minute glitches, Sanjay would be released by March 7 after completing the remaining 42-month period of his sentence.

the show.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at her bodyguard, Shiv Raj’s wedding ceremony on Sunday. The star’s presence created a stir at the venue and she was seen chatting with the bride, Soni, and other guests at the reception.

When Richa Chadda sat on Francis Ford Coppola’s lap

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he Canadian housing market continued to show signs of strength as the annual pace of housing starts in November came in faster than expected, fuelling a prolonged housing boom despite signs the economy is flailing. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Tuesday the annual pace of housing starts increased to 211,916 units in November compared with 197,712 units in October. That compared with the

House prices ratchet higher but Montreal market staying relatively steady

ergio Bonici is disappointed that his fourplex in Montreal has attracted little interest in four months on the market. Despite only 10 people coming for a viewing, the 50-year-old has no plans to budge from his asking price of $525,000, saying the property is a revenue-generator and ideally located near a Metro station and hospital in the borough of Verdun. As home sales in Toronto and Vancouver continue to hit record levels, the real

estate sector in Canada’s second-largest city remains an outlier, with prices almost $100,000 less than the national average. “I would be more stressed out in those markets,” said Bonici. “If there was a downturn, I’d much rather be in this market because the risks are lower.” He said the main challenge he has noticed is that Montreal buyers don’t really understand the revenue property business. “Being that we have small-time investors here in Quebec, it’s harder for them to grasp the numbers. They’re looking more at how pretty the property is instead of looking at revenue.” After years of sharp price spikes and housing bubble concerns, Canada’s two hottest real estate markets are expected to moderate to levels closer to what most Canadians have experienced.

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Housing starts rise unexpectedly, fuelling boom 197,300 that had been expected by economists, according to Thomson Reuters. “Canadian homebuilding activity remains robust, and accelerating momentum through the latter stages of 2015 will likely catch the eye of policy-makers currently stewing over 4 istrength Saturday, July 25, ”2015 the in real estate, Bank of Montreal

senior economist Robert Kavcic said. Overall, the rate of urban starts increased by 7.7 per cent in November to 195,121, boosted by a gain in multi-unit starts, which increased by 13.2 per cent to 137,898. Single-detached urban starts fell 3.6 per cent to 57,223 units. The pace of urban starts increased in the

Prairies, Ontario and Atlantic Canada, but fell in British Columbia and Quebec. CMHC chief economist Bob Dugan noted that rising single home prices continue to support demand for multi-home starts. “However, inventory management is necessary to make sure that these units do not remain unsold upon completion,” Dugan said.

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Toronto, Vancouver house sales set blistering pace in November

ome sales are at record levels in Toronto and near record levels in Vancouver, despite a steep run-up in prices that is putting housing out of reach for many first-time buyers. The era of rock-bottom mortgage rates shows signs of ending, with bond yields on the rise and the U.S. set to raise its benchmark rate late this month, but demand for homes was still outpacing supply in Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two hottest housing markets. A record 7,385 homes were sold in Toronto in November and in Vancouver a near-record 3,524 changed hands. H o m e sales in Toronto through the first 11 months of 2015 amounted to 96,401, already more than the previous calendar-year record set in 2007. November is traditionally one of the slowest months for real estate sales. High prices, even for condos Both markets continue to defy predictions that they are overvalued and that prices will have to come down. The Toronto Real Estate Board estimates that the average price of a Toronto home was up by 9.6 per cent yearover-year to $632,685 in November. The price of a detached house within the city of Toronto was up 8.8 per cent over the past year to an average of

$1,018,621, while detached homes in the 905 area just outside the city rose by 10.7 per cent to $829,241. There is a tight supply of detached homes, with few listings and high demand. By contrast, a condo in Toronto cost 5.4 per cent more than it did a year ago, at an average of $415,316, and one in the 905 was 4.1 per cent more expensive at $385,506. The more modest price increase in condos reflects a big spike in new condo construction in and around the city. Va n c o u v e r home sales in November were up 40.1 per cent from last year. The MLS composite benchmark price for all homes in Metro Vancouver rose by 17.8 per cent over the past year to $752,500. A total of 1,335 detached properties were resold in Metro Vancouver and the benchmark price was up 22.6 per cent from November 2014 to $1,226,300. A shortage of listings and intense demand is driving up the price of detached homes, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. There were 1,553 apartment properties sold and the benchmark price increased 14 per cent in the year to $435,000. Vancouver doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have as much new condo construction as Toronto and that is pushing prices higher more quickly.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 7 From page 5 House prices ratchet higher but Montreal market staying relatively steady Sales slowdown The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is predicting that national price growth will slow to 1.3 per cent in 2016 and 1.4 per cent in 2017, down from 7.2 per cent this year and 6.7 per cent in 2014, due to softer growth in the two most expensive real estate markets. Although sales of Mo nt r e a l’s milliondollar homes surged 25 per cent in the first 10 months of 2015, the overall market has seen waning demand from first-time homebuyers for cheaper prop er ties. Montrealremainsoneofthecountry’sbestbigcity bargains when it comes to buying a home. The average sales price this year is forecast to be $338,500 in the city, compared to $612,000 in Toronto, $887,600 in Vancouver and $433,600 across Canada, according to the CMHC, which relies on figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association and the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards. Political instability is often cited as the reason for lower home prices in Quebec. But while flare-ups in the sovereignty de-

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bate or the election of the Parti Quebecois have periodically dampened sales, particularly in anglophones districts, other factors may be more dominant, say experts. Lower levels of immigration, weaker incomes and employment growth, tradi-

tional preference for renting and a less dynamic business activity have long constrained consumer demand and depressed prices, says Paul Cardinal, manager of market analysis for the QFREB. “We’re in a relatively balanced market for single detached homes,” Cardinal says. “That means there’s less pressure on price.” CMHC chief economist Bob Dugan says sales are impacted by population growth, the age of core buyers, economic strength and interest rates.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients Rice 1 cup Tomatoes 1/2 can, Green Pepper 1, Onions 1-2 Green Chillies 2-3, Ginger 1/2 inch, Garlic 2-3 cloves Fresh coriander bunch

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Add more water and cook until rice is done. Serve hot. Extra fancy: Top rice with cheese, tomato and green pepper slices (rings, e.g.) and bake for 20 25 minutes at 250o. CURD RICE Ingredients Rice 400 gm Fresh curd 600 ml Milk 400 ml Salt to taste Ginger 10 gm Green Chillies 10 gm Mustard seeds 4 gm Asafoetida A pinch Curry leaves 1 sprig Oil 30 ml Method: · Boil rice, add salt and cook slightly · Mix with curd, add boiled and cooked milk chop green chillies and ginger · Heat oil, fry mustered seed and asafoetida. · Add curry leaves and chopped ingredients sauté for 2 minutes. · Switch off the fire and add the rice, curd mixture to the pan · Mix well

Housing starts rise unexpectedly, fuelling boom

ural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 16,795 units. The strength of the Canadian housing market is being closely watched. New home construction in Canada has picked up strength in the second half of this year after a weak start to 2015, against the backdrop of a struggling economy. Statistics Canada figures show Canadian GDP dipped slightly from June through September, the latest month for which data is available. “Looking forward, relatively tight housing market conditions in Ontario and B.C. may continue to encourage a relatively lofty pace of new home construc-

tion at least through the first half of 2016,” TD Bank economist Diana Petramala said. “However, the combination of weaker economic growth and rising longer-term borrowing rates in Canada will likely pull some of the steam out of housing activity overall next year.” The report on housing starts came as Statistics Canada said municipalities issued $7.7 billion worth of building permits in October, up 9.1 per cent from September and the first increase in three months. The value of residential building permits totalled $4.8 billion in October, up 15.5 per cent from September, while permits for non-residential buildings slipped 0.2 per cent to $2.9 billion in October.

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20 i Saturday, December 12, 2015

NATIONAL

Ontario employers banned from taking share of servers’ tips

ntario is banning employers from taking a cut of tips that are meant for servers and other hospitality staff. The Protecting Employees’ Tips Act passed third reading Monday, making it illegal to withhold their employees’ tips, except temporarily if they are pooling all of the gratuities to redistribute them among all employees. The idea was brought forward years ago by Michael Prue, an NDP MPP who lost in the 2014 election, and picked up by Arthur Potts, the Liberal MPP who defeated him. “Since I brought it (forward) I have heard many stories from employees where the employer typically will take 25, 50 per cent right off the top of a tip pool-

ing and distribute it to themselves rather than their employees,” Potts said Monday. “It’s not as widespread as I think people sometimes imagine but it is happening and this levels the playing field for everyone.” Though the bill passed with unanimous consent, the NDP accused Potts of watering down Prue’s work by not banning employers from recovering credit card fees — often up to 2.5 per cent — from the tip when a customer pays by credit card. New Democrats concerned about ‘loophole’ “At the end of the day we’re going to support this bill, only because it will provide some improvements for the workers in this province, but this loophole is really problematic,” said New Democrat Cindy Forster.

Canada wins one billion award in WTO trade sanctions against U.S. over meat-labelling rules

anada has been awarded the right to seek $1 billion in trade sanctions against the United States by a World Trade Organization panel in a dispute over American meat-labelling rules that single out foreign beef and pork. The Liberal government said it will “quickly take steps to retaliate” against the U.S. if the labelling requirements aren’t dropped promptly — a condition the lead American senator on agriculture issues said he will do his utmost to satisfy before Canada imposes tariffs. At issue is the U.S.’s mandatory labelling for packaged steaks and other cuts of meat, which requires gro-

cery stickers explaining where livestock was born, raised and slaughtered. Labelling defenders say consumers deserve to know where their meat comes from. Opponents, including Canada and Mexico, say it’s simple protectionism, designed to suppress foreign-sourced meat in the U.S. market without any food-safety or inspection benefits. The WTO arbitration panel said Monday the annual losses to Canadian cattle, pig and hog producers as a result of the U.S. country of origin labelling laws amount to $1.054 billion — an amount Canada can now seek to reclaim by slapping tariffs on certain imports from the U.S.

Mike Duffy blames everyone but himself for defrauding the Senate and the taxpayers

enator Mike Duffy denied in court testimony Wednesday that he has ever broken Senate rules or had any motive to defraud the Senate, attempting to counter allegations that his precarious financial situation prompted him to claim inappropriate expenses. Duffy testified that when it came to claiming housing expenses on his Ottawa residence, he was instructed to do so by Conservative Senator David Tkachuk, who was a member of the internal economy committee that oversees Senate expenditures. Donald Bayne, Duffy’s lawyer, asked his client whether he made any of these expense claims secretly. “I made them openly, forthrightly, completely in the open and completely transparently and honestly,” Duffy said. Duffy has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery related to expenses he claimed as a senator and later repaid in March 2013 with $90,000 from Nigel Wright, who at the time was chief of staff for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Residency is one of the central issues in the case against Duffy. He designated his home in Prince Edward Island as his primary residence, making him eligible to claim meals and living expenses for his time in Ottawa, even though he has lived and worked in Canada’s capital since the 1970s. The Crown contends that Duffy should not have been eligible for those claims. Tkachuk told him, Duffy testified, that it was “essential” that he make claims and allowances for his home in Ottawa, and that he was entitled to them. Duffy said Tkachuk told him that he didn’t want Duffy to “create any light” between himself and any other senators

who were making the same claims. “Even when I don’t really believe in per diems,” Duffy testified he said. Duffy said Tkachuk again insisted he must claim the housing allowances. Tkachuk remembered things differently. “I think he’s talking about a briefing that we would have had with all the newly appointed senators at the time,” Tkachuk said. “And I would have told them that if you ‘re staying here in Ottawa that you should be claiming expenses, because your primary residency is in your home province. “And if I was living here in Ottawa, and that was [my] primary residence, I shouldn’t be claiming expenses.” Duffy told the court that he had been concerned about a news article quoting a legal expert who said Duffy was ineligible, based on his residency, to be a senator for P.E.I. But he said he was assured by Tory senators, members of the Prime Minister’s Office and Harper himself that his primary residency was P.E.I, a fact made effective once he was appointed a senator there. During the course of the trial, court heard from a forensic accountant who had testified that over a six-year period, Duffy was withdrawing more money from his bank account than he was making in deposits and that Duffy was forced to fund the difference with his line of credit. But Bayne suggested on Wednesday that his client was never strapped for cash and that Duffy and his wife, Heather, had received money from estates during that time period that totalled almost $350,000. Court also heard that Duffy’s wife was receiving an income during that time.

POLITICS

Rona Ambrose attacks Liberal agenda as return to ‘big activist government’

nterim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose took sharp aim at the Liberal plan for the 42nd Parliament today, insisting it lacks a transparent costing and implementation strategy, and warning it will download a huge fiscal burden to the provinces. Responding to the throne speech in the House of Commons, Ambrose said the roadmap shows “big, activist government is alive and well.” The Liberals have delivered many promises, but few concrete plans, she said. In his own remarks, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed his government would introduce its promised “middle-class tax cut” on Wednesday, and that the first large group of government-supported Syrian refugees would arrive this week. Ambrose warned that Trudeau has a recipe for big spending that will lead to higher taxes, massive deficits and eventually, major program cuts. “We will be the taxpayers’ watchdog,” she said. Ambrose said the throne speech failed to address: An economic plan. Supports for the private sector. A strategy for the auto, forestry and energy sectors. Help for unemployed Albertans. A future role for agriculture, farming. She praised Trudeau for revising his plan to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by year’s end, and expressed hope he would revisit other key promises, including the pledge to pull Canada’s fighter jets from Iraq and Syria. Trudeau can offer “no sensible argument” for the withdrawal, she said, because “there is none.” “Canada is not back, Canada is backing away,” she said. Ambrose called it “alarming” that the throne speech made no mention of ISIS, as U.S. President Obama and other

allies ramp up efforts to take on the global threat from the militant group. “While our allies are ramping up their efforts, the prime minister has believed that posing for selfies at international conferences is a better use of his time,” she said. New tone or sharp tongues? While all party leaders have promised to adopt a more conciliatory, constructive tone, it didn’t take long for the sparks to fly. Treasury Board President Scott Brison responded to Ambrose’s critique, blasting the Conservative record in 10 years in office. “How can she speak about big government when she was part of one of the biggest, most wasteful governments in Canadian history?” he asked. Ambrose responded: “It’s been 25 minutes and the sunny ways are over,” in reference to a phrase used by Trudeau several times in the wake of his election on Oct. 19. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, who cast his party as the “progressive opposition,” criticized the throne speech for failing to reference: More oversight for intelligence agencies under Bill C-51, the Conservative anti-terror legislation. Restoring door-todoor mail delivery by Canada Post. Returning the retirement age to 65 from 67. “There wasn’t a word about child care,” he added. Mulcair urged the Liberal government to take quick action to close the funding gap for First Nations education, and take steps to address the “archaic” firstpast-the-post electoral system that leads to “phony” majorities.

Trudeau accused of ‘stepping back’ from fight against ISIS in his first question period

rime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of “stepping back” from the coalition fight against ISIS as a feisty first question period kicked off today. Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose was quick to drop the gloves as she asked why Canada is ending airstrikes against the militant group in Iraq and Syria when U.S. President Barack Obama called the aerial bombing campaign a “key pillar” of the mission. “Why is the prime minister stepping back from the fight when our allies are stepping up?” she asked. Ambrose pressed Trudeau to concede he is more committed to his own “ideology” than he is to Canada’s allies. Describing ISIS as a “death cult” that sells women and men into slavery and targets religious minorities, gays and lesbians, Ambrose asked just how bad it would have to be for Trudeau to leave Canada’s warplanes in the theatre. Trudeau said Canada will continue be a strong partner in the coalition. He has promised to expand the number of Canadian troops who will train local forces, and to continue with humanitarian assistance including the resettlement of Syrian refugees. “The question has always been, how best to engage,” he said. Trudeau and his cabinet ministers faced a range of questions, from the feasibility of tax cuts for the middle class, to refugee resettlement. Mulcair asks about climate change NDP Leader Tom Mulcair used his time on the floor to grill Trudeau on the government’s plan and targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Canadians are proud to see a change in tone on climate change, but they’re also hoping the change in tone will bring about a concrete change of direction,” he

said. “Once [the government] finally decides on Canada’s targets, will it make them binding by enshrining them into a climate change accountability law here at home?”

Saturday, December 12, 2015

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Trudeau defends taxpayer-financed nannies

rime Minister Justin Trudeau has defended using tax dollars to pay for two nannies, insisting he is only shuffling the household budget to suit his young family. “Obviously it will come as no surprise to people that we have a different family situation with three small children than the Harpers did,” he said during a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday. “That means we will operate within the same family budget that the previous prime minister had, but we will shuffle it around so that it fits better our priorities. “And that is what Canadians expect.” Trudeau was grilled during question period by Ontario Conservative MP Karen Vecchio, who said she was “offended” that one of the PM’s first acts was to take up a benefit no other Canadian receives. She accused Trudeau of saying one thing during the campaign and then doing another after his election. “Why didn’t the prime minister keep his word, and is it because he’s entitled to his entitlements?” she asked. The “entitlements” phrase was a reference to well-publicized remarks from Royal Mint CEO and former Jean Chrétien cabinet minister Da-

vid Dingwall in 2005 during testimony before a committee about his questionable expenses. 2 nannies hired by Trudeaus Trudeau has come under fire for having taxpayers foot the bill for two nannies hired to care for the children of Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau. CBC News reported on the cabinet orders that were posted online authorizing the appointment of the two women under the Official Residences Act as “special assistants at the prime minister’s residence.” They were to be paid between $15 and $20 an hour during the day and $11 to $13 an hour for night shifts effective Nov. 4, the day Trudeau and his cabinet were sworn in. The revelation came after Trudeau repeatedly attacked the Conservatives’ enhanced universal child care benefit during the election campaign, maintaining that “wealthy families” like his didn’t need taxpayers’ help. Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose said the “rich” Trudeau family should pay for their own nannies, while Conservative finance critic Lisa Raitt accused Trudeau of being “hypocritical.”

Liberals back away from promise to keep annual deficits under $10B

Finance Minister Bill Morneau to focus on infrastructure spending, lowering debt-to-GDP ratio instead

anada’s finance minister is highlighting three economic priorities for the new government — but the Liberal campaign vow to keep annual deficits capped at $10 billion is apparently no longer among them. Bill Morneau says the government will focus on its election pledges to invest in infrastructure, lower the federal debt-to-GDP ratio and balance the books in the fourth year of their mandate. But Morneau avoided the question when asked about the Liberal promise to keep shortfalls under $10 billion per year. The finance minister’s remarks come

a day after the parliamentary budget office warned the government was on track to run annual deficits that would likely be billions of dollars higher than expected. Morneau himself recently released a fall fiscal update that said the state of the federal books had deteriorated due to declining economic conditions connected to global uncertainty and low commodity prices. During the campaign, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau vowed to keep annual expected deficits under $10 billion in 2016-17 and 2017-18 unless the economic situation got “radically worse.”

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CLASSIFIEDS

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Matrimonial

JOBS

Parents looking match for their Canadian 27 year old very handsome, jat sikh boy, 5’9”, graduate , well establisehd businessman. Girl must be well cultured, educated, Canadian citizen or permanent resident . Contact after 6pm 604-598-1987 - 778-387-1672

using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, custom doors with jams; Install hardware such as hinges, handles, catches using hand tools and power tools; Repair doors & replace panels of doors. Job requirement: High school with 2-3 years of experience. Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. If interested send resumes by email at westerndoormanufacturing@gmail. com ------------- September 5, 2015

JOBS Vacancy for In-home Caregiver Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for Inhome Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. Full Time, $11 / hour, 40 hrs/week. Applicant must have high school with minimum of one year of related experience within last three years or six months of full time training in caregiving. Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children. Send resumes by email at balwinderssinghmaar@gmail.com -------------- Oct 31 2015

Western door manufacturing Ltd. located at #109-8250 124Street, Surrey BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy of Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exterior doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors. Full time permanent job position with wages of $25per hour. 35 to 40 hours per week. Job Duties includes Read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; Estimate height, width, length, & other proportions; Measure, cut, shape, & assemble materials

Jun13_155 Long Haul Truck Drivers Reqd. Sal:$23.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. & Class A 0r 1 license reqd., FT/PT Duties: Operate, drive straight or articulated trucks to transport goods & materials on local routes or over long distances.Plan trip logistics & obtain required documentation to transport goods. Perform pre-trip & post-trip inspection of vehicle systems. Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled & fuel consumption.May perform emergency roadside repairs. Lang: English. Work at various location in Canada & USA. Contact: Balwinder from Metro Transport ltd.12772 82nd Ave, Surrey, V3W 3G1 E-mail your resume at metro_transport@yahoo.ca. ------------------------------Jun13_15

1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd. Sal: $22.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yrs exp. or certification reqd., FT/ PT Duties: Obtain specifications for eyeglasses or contact lenses from a prescription. Assist clients in selecting eyeglasses. Grinding & polishing of lenses. Cut & edge lenses & fit lenses into frames. May supervise or manage activities of other opticians. Lang: English. Location: 12841 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 6V9 Contact: Imran from Eye See 2020 Optical at opt_eyesee@yahoo.ca. ------------------------------Jun 06_15 Dosa Corner Restaurant

JOBS

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. -----------------------------------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 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 ------------------------------------English Classes for Adults Register for classes September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. victoryesl.com Call: 604.755.7976 E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com ---------------------------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

E JOBS

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

S Basement for Rent

One bed room basement suite is available for rent from 1st of January 2016. Rent $ 600 including utility & internet . Walking distance to Bell Centre, Elementary & High School and Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib. Call 778-628-4473 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 that arise, such as customercomplaints and supply shortages, • Maintain specified inventory and ordermerchandise, Prepare reports regarding sales volumes, merchandising and personnel matters, Hire and train or arrange for the training of new sales staff,

For more info. Apply by email: saimscomm@yahoo.ca -----------------------------

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

COMMUNITY ------------------------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to come and play Bingo for the sake of fun and make some new friends, on November 22nd 2015( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall 8321 - 140th street Surrey B.C. Please bring only two dollars with you to play 2 games, do not worry if you do not know how to play, members will explain you the game just for the sake of fun. Tea & light snacks will be served after the game is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator at 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details. -----------------------------------LCA of BC Celebrates Jalaram Jayanti in Burnaby and Surrey 1. Keshyapbhai Ruparel & Family (Bharat Jewellers) cordially invites all to 216th Jalaram Jayanti celebrations with bhajans and kirtans on Saturday November 21, 2015 at VHP Temple, 3885 Albert Street, Burnaby. Priti Bhojan 5.30pm Bhajan\Satang program 7.00pm For Further Information Please Contact: Kaushikaben Pabari: 604 945 5640 VHP Temple: 604 299 5922 -----------------------------------------------------------Hetsi and Keshvi Vithlani & FAMILY cordially invites all to 216th Jalaram Jayanti Celebrations with Bhajans and Kirtan on Sunday November 22, 2015 at 10.30 am at Laxminarayan Temple, 8321 140th Street, Surrey. Bhajan Program will be Presented by Highly Talented Local Group. Priti Bhojan After Arti. For Further Information Please Contact: Mansukhbhai Thanki (604) 518-1557. ----------------------------------------------------------Secret Asian Super Singer to Support S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Seniors Service S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society Goodwill Ambassador Charity Night will be held at 6:00 pm , Monday, November 2, 2015 at the River Rock Show Theatre, Richmond. The event aims to raise $ 110,000 to support the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Seniors Care Home expansion and maintenance project. The festivities include a VIP reception, an exclusive dinner, entertainment and fundraising karaoke. The night will feature an acclaimed popular artist from Hong Kong as a secret guest performer. A group of artists from AM1320 will present a mini concert and a Beijing Opera from Sunshine Troupe Association will perform as well. The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and other elected officials will join the event. The Goodwill Ambassador Council is a group of passionate volunteers of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society. Established in 2006, the Council hosts fundraising events every 2 years to support the Society to improve the quality of life for the seniors. Incorporated in 1995, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society was established to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate care for seniors in our community. ------------------------------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Iron Deficiency & Dipression Dr. Pargat Bhurji - Nov. 15th 2015 - 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Vedic Senior Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and also non members

to attend a presentation on - Iron Deficiency & Dipression - by Dr. Pargat Bhurji a Pediatrician and a well known Person in the South Asian Community, on November 15th 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 140th Street Surrey BC. Dr. Pargat Bhurji will answer your health related questions, tea and light snacks will be served after the presentation. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

i 23

Acharaya Shrinath Dwivedi honored with “Saraswati Award”

-----------------------------------The Global Hindu Foundation with support of SMH will celebrate Diwali -the Festival of Lightson November 9,2015 at Main Cafeteria from 1.00-2.30 PM. The guests will be served with sweets and snacks. This celebration is in the true spirit of multiculturalism and interfaith of Canada. ALL ARE WELCOME. For further information call to Acharya Dwivedi-604 507 3099 or Deepa Sharma 778 388 9024 ------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Clinical Prevention Workshop, 8th Nov. 2015, 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members as well as non members to attend Clinical Prevention Workshop presented by Dr. Virendra Sharma MD, MPH, Project Coordinator with Fraser Health Authority on November 8th 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. There will be questions & Answers session after the workshop and you can ask questions about Clinical Prevention. Tea and light snacks will be served after the workshop is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information. -------------------------------

Public Notice

All foreign governments may deny visa or entry into country on Non-machine readable passports’ with effect from 24.11.2015 because of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s(ICAO) decision to entirely phase out all ‘Non-machine readable passports’ by 24.11.2015. Accordingly, Indian citizens residing in India and abroad with handwritten passports as well as 20 year validity passports, valid beyond 24.11.2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of passports in order to obtain ‘Machine readable passports (MRPs) before 24.11.2015 to avoid any inconveniences in obtaining foreign visa or immigration problem. Schedule of Consular Camps ------------------------------Surrey - 1st November 2015 Col. Darshan Singh Sidhu, Indian Ex-Servicemen Society, Surrey, 201-8212-128 Street, indianexcervicemen@yahoo.com darshansidhu08@gmail.com 6045963327 -----------------------------------Vancouver - 1st November 2015 Mr.Kuldip Thandi, President, Ross St. Gurdwara 6047196800 kdsross@live.com ----------------------------------------Kamloops - 25th October 2015 Mr. Kulwinder Singh Kular, President, Sikh Cultural Society, kal@topdriver.ca Cell:2503768285 ------------------------------------Abbotsford - 8th November 2015

Hindi Writers Guild, a literary group in Canada, organized a special function to honor renowned poet and eminent scholar, Acharya Dwivedi, by bestowing upon him the “Saraswati Sammaan” (Award) for his significant contribution in promoting the Hindi language and literature in Canada. Dr. Shailja Saxena, the Chair of the Guild, made Mr. Jatinder Singh Gill Recording Secretary, Heritage Gurudwara, Abbotsford Bhajan Singh Toor 6048647700 kds@canadiansikhheritage.ca -------------------------------------------------------------Free English for the Workplace Classes at PICS PICS’ new Project Based Language Training Program (PBLT) is now offering free English classes for the Labour Market. It helps immigrants overcome language barriers that hinder new immigrants’ path to employment. The priority for this project is to attach clients to Labour Market and help them actively seek employment or prepare them to enroll in a training course or move to an enhanced Labour market program. Students will learn and develop soft skills, job search, resume writing, interview skills, networking and much more. To avoid disappointment, please register for classes by calling 604-5967722 ext 138 ASAP. Free Childminding on site. ----------------------------------------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities November 2–8 Free Drop-In English Conversation Circle for Temporary Foreign Workers Meet new people and give support to your fellow TFW’s. Ask questions about housing, health, and employment concerns. Mondays, 6:30–8:30pm until December 14 MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St 604 254 9626 ext 487 -----------------------------------------Public Speaking Without Panic: Learn Effective Strategies to Communicate with Confidence Learn strategies and techniques for building self-confidence to communicate your ideas and opinions in a group setting. Tuesdays, 6–8pm until November 10 1522 Commercial Drive, Vancouver 604 254 9626 -----------------------------------------------English Conversation Circle for New Westminster Newcomers Wednesdays, 10–11:30am until December 2 Fraserside Community Services Society, 2nd floor, 519–7th St, New Westminster 778 558 9011 Let’s Talk! Support Group for Newcomer Parents Learn about Canadian cul-

the welcoming remarks. The celebration, which included 300 members of the literary community, was held on November28, 2015, at Glan Forest Hall in Mississauga Ontario. This special event also included dances, music as well as a selection of three stories from Suman Kumar Ghai, Ramshwar Kamboj Himanshu and Vishnu Prabhakar. ture, multicultural parenting, financial literacy, leadership skills and mor Thursdays, 1–2:45pm, until December 3 Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School, 1714 8th Ave, New Westminster Yumi 604 345 7737 ---------------------------------------------------Seniors Club: Taichi Class Fridays, 9:30–11:30am Brentwood Community Resource Centre, 2055 Rosser Ave, Burnaby 604 292 3908 Crossing the US/Canadian Border November 4, 10am–12pm New Westminster Public Library, 716 6th Ave 604 438 8214 ext 114 ----------------------------------------------Ways to Improve Job Search Skills for \ Work Permit Holders November 7: Creating effective résumés November 28: Different styles of cover letters December 5: Interview skills December 19: Stress management Saturdays, 10:30am–12pm MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St ‘ Lam 604 254 9626 ext 258 ------------------------------------Legal Information Workshop: Employment Standards Learn about your rights in the workplace! The workshop will provide an overview on employee and employer rights and responsibilities, including: the minimum wage, parental leave, working hours, filing complaints, holiday pay and more. November 8, 1–3pm MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway 604 438 8214 ext 211 ---------------------------------------------Do You Have a Child with Autism? Free evening presentations in Punjabi Siblings, Parents, Grandparents and Neighbours — all are welcomed to these community events aimed at increasing awareness of the potential of children and adults with autism and the needs of their families for information and support. October 13, 2015 The Individualised Education Plan (IEP)— what the school is supposed to do and how the parent can support the IEP process Speaker: Raminder Kaur, Behaviour Consultant, posAbilities November 17, 2015 Advocacy Tools for Parents— how to help your child get the services they need

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Saturday, December 12, 2015

Bill Morneau confirms tax cuts coming for ‘middle class’

inance Minister Bill Morneau is moving ahead with his government’s plans to cut taxes for what it calls “middle class” workers, while at the same time hiking taxes on the “top one per cent.” Morneau spoke to reporters in Ottawa to outline his plans to move on the tax changes coming this week and in next year’s budget. The Liberals campaigned hard on a promise to lower the second income-tax bracket — which in 2016 will cover earnings between $45,282 and $90,563. Right now the rate for income in that range stands at 22 per cent; the Liberals intend to move it to 20.5 per cent. For individuals at the top of the income bracket, the tax cut will save them $680 a year starting in 2016. The forgone revenues from that are expected to be

partially off-set by a corresponding tax hike on those making more than $200,000 a year. A new rate of 33 per cent will be charged on income over $200,000 — the previous top bracket of 29 per cent will now only apply on between $140,388 and $200,000 of earnings. During the election campaign, the Liberals said the tax hike would generate $2.8 billion in new revenue for the government, the same amount the tax cut was forecast to reduce government coffers. However, Morneau acknowledged the view from his seat in government has changed the outlook. “We’re facing a level of economic growth that is lower than we expected in the course of the campaign,” he told reporters in Ottawa on Monday.

Business / Finance

Liberals admit numbers touted in election campaign just don’t add up

he Trudeau government will acknowledge this week that its tax hike on the richest Canadians won’t cover the entire cost of its promised tax cut for the middle class, adding to the fiscal pressures on coming federal budgets, sources said. Finance Minister Bill Morneau is set to announce changes to federal tax brackets in the coming days, at the same time as he will confirm that Ottawa is rolling back the maximum annual contribution to tax-free savings accounts to $5,500, from $10,000. Both changes are scheduled to take effect Jan.1. The measures were key parts of the Liberal Party’s election platform, and are now the legislative priority as the House of Commons sits for one week ahead of the holiday break. The Liberals had promised the lost revenue from their “middle-class tax cut” would be offset by a new tax bracket for income of more than $200,000. But economists have since raised questions about the Liberal Party’s numbers, which are magnified by new forecasts that show an increasingly negative picture of Ottawa’s fiscal situation. Instead of inheriting a balanced budget, the Liberals

argue the government was already in the red when it took office, before it even started to implement ambitious spending plans and the tax cut. Mr. Morneau said he will present the costs and benefits of the tax changes when he introduces them this week. While he refused to tip his hand over the past few days, federal sources confirm the numbers do not balance, which will add to government deficits in coming years. “There are going to have to be some adjustments around the margins,” a senior federal official said. Still, the official said the numbers are not as bleak as those presented by the C.D. Howe Institute, which predicted a multibillion-dollar shortfall. Billing it as a middle-class tax cut, the Liberal government has vowed to reduce the tax rate on income between $44,701 and $89,401 to 20.5 per cent, from 22 per cent. It will also introduce a new tax rate of 33 per cent on income above $200,000, representing the top 1 per cent of income earners. The party has estimated these two measures will offset, meaning the tax hike would generate $3-billion in revenue and cover the $3-billion revenue cost of the tax cut.

Liberal government passes ‘middle-class’ tax cut

he paycheques of nearly a third of Canadian workers will look a little different in the New Year. The House of Commons made official today the government’s “middle-class tax cut” and corresponding tax-hike for the “one per cent.” Both will kick in on Jan. 1 With the passing of the motion — called a ways and means motion — the tax rate for the second income bracket will drop to 20.5 per cent from 22 per cent in 2016. That bracket will catch all income between $45,282 and $90,563. The savings translates to a maximum of $680 for those with income at the top of the range and beyond. The changes also create a new bracket for income above $200,000 with a rate of 33 per cent. The previous top rate of 29 per cent will still apply to all income between $140,388 and $200,000 in 2016. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair pointed out those making just shy $200,000 a year — said by the Liberals to constitute top “one per cent” of income earners — will be among those who benefit most from

the changes being made. “What they are doing is giving a tax-break to people who earn 200,000 bucks a year and leaving out a family with two kids earning 45 grand a year,” Mulcair said during question period Wednesday. “They are the middle class, they are the ones who should have gotten help. The rest is a chimera.” Nonetheless, NDP MPs voted in favour of the motion because they support raising taxes on high-income earners. The motion passed by a vote of 230 to 95. How does the ‘middle class’ tax cut work?1:04 Conservative MPs voted against the motion, which also drops next year’s planned increase to contribution limits for tax free savings accounts. Former prime minister Stephen Harper was in the House for the vote. The previous Conservative government had changed the law to boost cumulative annual contribution limits to TFSAs by $10,000 per year effective in 2015. As they promised, the Liberals have dropped next year’s increase back to $5,500. The Conservatives say the move will deny seniors an important tool to protect their savings.

Business / Finance

Oil price dips below $37 US

il prices continued their slide on Thursday, with a barrel of the North American crude benchmark known as West Texas Intermediate changing hands down 56 cents at $36.60 per barrel at the close of trading. Oil has slumped all this week after OPEC announced it was happy to keep flooding the market. That trend continued into Thursday with crude crashing through the $37 barrier. That’s the lowest level of the year, and within striking distance of the low it hit during the recession, when WTI bottomed out at $33.98 in February 2009. The loonie was also lower because of

oil, falling one third of a cent to 73.39 cents US, a fresh 11-year low. It had risen 0.12 on Wednesday. In its monthly report for November, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said it boosted output by 230,100 barrels a day to 31.695 million a day in the month, the highest since A p r i l 2012. There was a slig ht pu l l b a c k from Saudi Arabia, but Iraqi volumes surged. OPEC predicts non-OPEC supply will fall by 380,000 barrels a day next year as the rest of the world reacts to continued low oil prices.

Negative interest rates an option in Canada, Stephen Poloz says

anada could theoretically follow the lead of other countries that have recently gone to negative interest rates in order to stimulate the economy, central bank governor Stephen Poloz told a business audience today after yet another drop in the loonie. Speaking to the Empire Club in Toronto, Poloz said moving its benchmark interest rates below zero is something in the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy toolkit that the bank may consider down the line. That’s a departure from 2009, when the bank said its theoretical lowest-possible interest rate was 0.25 per cent because to go lower would have been incompatible with certain financial markets, such as money-market funds. “The bank is now confident that Canadian financial markets could also function in a negative interest rate environment,” Poloz said. Poloz was speaking after the Canadian dollar today shed another halfcent from the previous day, dropping to a new 11-year low under 74 cents US. But while Poloz opened the door to the possibility of negative interest rates, he stressed — in English and French — that the bank has no current intention to do so. “Today’s remarks should in no way be taken as a sign that we are planning

to embark on these policies,” Poloz said. “We don’t need unconventional policies now, and we don’t expect to use them. However, it’s prudent to be prepared for every eventuality.” The Bank of Canada twice this year cut its benchmark interest rate in an attempt to stimulate the economy. But other countries have gone even further, slashing their rates below zero in an attempt to encourage spending and investment, instead of fearfully hoarding capital. Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and the European Central Bank have all dipped their benchmark rate below zero for various reasons in recent years. Switzerland’s central bank rate is now minus 0.75 per cent, for example. That means banks must pay a fee to store money with the central bank — something that encourages them to not do so, and deploy their capital into other investments that grow the economy. “Why would anyone ever accept a negative nominal return when they could always simply hold cash and earn a zero return?” Poloz asked, rhetorically. “A big part of the answer is that there are costs to holding currency, particularly in large quantities, and these costs affect the lower bound. Because of the costs, which include storage, insurance and security, central banks can charge negative rates on commercial bank

Saturday, December 12, 2015

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PUNJAB

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Brig Sant Singh cremated with military honours

rig Sant Singh (retd), one of the country’s most highly decorated soldiers who had passed away on December 8 at the age of 94, was cremated with full military honours here today. A large number of relatives, friends and well-wishers attended the funeral. He had been decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest gallantry award, twice for his actions in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars. A ceremonial guard was provided by his unit, 5 Sikh Light Infantry, which reversed arms as a mark of respect, while bu-

Cops who make mistakes should face criminal charges: Justice Katju

glers sounded the Last Post. The Commanding Officer and the Subedar Major of the battalion were also present. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Brig Sant Singh had commanded this battalion that had played a key role in wresting the difficult OP Hill feature in Jammu and Kashmir back from Pakistan after the ceasefire post-1965 war. A contingent from a Dogra battalion based locally acted as the pall bearers. Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, KJS Cheema, represented Parkash Singh Badal and Brig JS Arora (retd), Director Defence Services Welfare, Punjab,

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju said criminal cases should be registered against those police officers who had carried out fake encounters in Punjab during the days of militancy. The reaction came in the wake of recent revelations by former police “cat” Gurmeet Pinky. Justice Katju cited one of his own judgments during his tenure wherein he suggested that police officers involved in fake encounters should be

Farm union activists burn effigies, hold march in several districts

KU Ekta Ugraha district president Shingara Singh Mann said by passing the law, the SAD-BJP government had curbed the right of the people to protest against its anti-people and anti-poor policies. Under this Act, the state government could send any person to jail by registering false cases against them, he said. SP City

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given capital punishment. “All police officers, who had killed youths in fake encounters in Punjab should be booked according to law,” said Katju, who was here to participate in a seminar organised by the Sikhs for Human Rights, Lawyers for Human Rights, Punjab Human Rights Organisation and Sikh Youth of Punjab to mark the Human Rights Day.

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Bathinda Desraj said the police had detained 20 protesters in the city and later, they were released with a warning. He also claimed that protesters were also detained from other places in the district as well. He said that all protesters were detained to maintain law and order in the district as it was reported that these activists could block roads in the district. Later, activists of BKU Sidhupur submitted a memorandum to ADC Sumit Jarangal against the Bill.

Every 4th food sample adulterated in state It is official — every fourth food sample has been found adulterated in Punjab. This year, 27 per cent food samples have been found adulterated. According to a report prepared by Punjab’s Food and Drug Administration, 7,826 samples of 17 food and beverage items were collected this year so far for quality testing. It was found that out of them, 2,159 were adulterated. The adulteration included items which were unsafe or sub-standard or mis-branded or contained extraneous matter. The samples which were collected included food items like spices, bakery products, sweets, tea, coffee, edible oils etc. In beverages, there were milk, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and mineral water etc. As per the report, the nature of adulteration varied from item to item.

Family can’t compromise on behalf of dead victim: HC

he Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that a deceased victim’s family cannot strike a compromise with the accused on behalf of the dead. “Legal heirs of the deceased have entered into a compromise with the accused. It is inexplicable how they can be allowed to do so on behalf of a dead person. Possibility that they have acted under pressure or for some consideration cannot be ruled out,” Justice Rajan Gupta has asserted. The ruling came on a petition filed by Kulvir Singh against the State of Punjab and other respondents. He was, on the basis of a compromise, seeking the quashing of an FIR dated May 15, 2012, registered against him for death due to rash and negligent act and other offences under Sections 279, 304-A and 427 of the IPC at Kiratpur Sahib police station in Ropar district. The FIR was registered on the complaint of victim Darshan Singh’s son Surjit Singh. It was alleged that the accused rammed his scooter in the motorcycle the victim was riding. Darshan Singh later succumbed to his injuries.

fOOD INDIA

6 i Saturday - April 4, 2015

Saturday, December 12, 2015

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Three convicted for Kolkata Park Street gang rape

court in Kolkata has found three men guilty for the 2012 gang rape of an Indian woman who later waived her right to anonymity to encourage other rape survivors to speak out. Suzette Jordan (pictured) , a single mother of two girls, was picked up from the busy Park Street as she came out of a night club. She died in March this year from a deadly form of meningitis The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, had called her a liar after the attack. Her comments that she was trying to make the government look bad outraged both Kolkata residents and the media. The three convicts will be sentenced on Friday, the court said. Two other accused are still on the run, though Interpol red cor-

ner notices have been issued for them. Jordan was picked up on 6 February by the rapists who offered her a lift home as she came out of a night club. For the next several hours, she was gangraped inside the moving car and was thrown out during the early hours of the morning. The case is widely known as the Park Street rape case. Initially, the police were reluctant to accept the complaint, but when the media started reporting the incident, an inquiry was initiated. Though India’s laws prohibit the disclosure of the identity of a rape victim and those guilty of doing so can be sent to prison for up to two years and fined, Jordan came

US lawmakers call for enhanced defence partnership with India

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Top US lawmakers have called for strengthening of defence ties with India as merce and Industry (FICCI) to discuss how Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar arrives the US and India can work together to grow here to hold talks with US Defence Secre- and innovate in the aerospace and defence tary Ashton Carter on Thursday at the Pen- industries. Congressman George Holding, tagon. “There are many opportunities for another Co-Chair of the Congressional InAmerica and India to grow their strategic dia Caucus and Ed Royce, Chairman of the partnership,” Congressman Ami Bera, Co- powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair of the Congressional Caucus on In- were also present during the meeting. “I look dia and Indian Americans said after he and forward to continuing this discussion when otherProcedure: lawmakers met a visiting delegation of I travel with a Congressional delegation to India next year,” Bera said. Carter hosted an members of thethe Indian defence Marinate chicken withindustry. the ginger garlic paste and the yoghurt for 20 min. soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp informal dinner at the Pentagon last night for “Today, we discussed how we can advance oil to a pan. sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil for 1 minute on each side to a golden colour. remove the chicken pieces. in the same pan, add 1tbsp oil and the chopped Parrikar who is on his maiden visit to the US the US-India defence relationship and build onions. saute till a translucent pink. Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cook on medium flame till the tomatoes are tender (approx. 4-5 as the Defence Minister. The two leaders will on theminutes). partnership that has been created beremove from flame and run in a blender with the soaked cashews to make a smooth paste. return to the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add have formal discussions at the Pentagon totweenthe thechicken countries administrations, Bera pieces. simmer for”4-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Add the low fat cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Broil the fenugreek leaves on a pan. crush the day and Parrikar would be provided with an said. fenugreek The meeting was organised theremove leaves over the currybyand from fire. serve hot. Federation of Indian Chambers of Com- enhanced honour cordon by Carter.

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Saturday, December 12, 2015

INDIA Gandhis ordered to appear in court in National Herald case

op Indian Congress party leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been ordered to appear in court for allegedly illegally acquiring the assets of a newspaper. The National Herald newspaper, which ceased publication in 2008, was acquired by the Congress in 2010. The petitioner, Subramanian Swamy of the ruling BJP, says the Gandhis took it

over for its considerable assets. The Congress leaders deny any wrongdoing. They will now appear before a district court on 19 December. The Delhi High Court rejected their plea to be exempted from personal appearance in court. The party has previously said it wanted to revive the paper, established in 1938 by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

India and Pakistan agree to resume high-level peace talks - yet again

ndia and Pakistan have agreed to resume high-level peace talks which stalled in 2012. The agreement was announced at a regional conference in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the foreign secretaries of both countries would meet to set an agenda for meetings on “peace and security”. Talks are to include Kashmir, the spark for two of the rivals’ wars since independence from Britain in 1947. The region, claimed by both countries in its entirety, has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years.

“The foreign secretaries of both countries will meet and chart out the agenda for the meetings,” Ms Swaraj told reporters after meeting her counterpart, Sartaj Aziz. Pakistan has assured the Indian side that it is taking steps to expedite the early conclusion of trials of those accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks of 2009. Swaraj’s visit came in the aftermath of a dramatic rise - and then a rather sudden easing - in tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan wants to discuss Kashmir, claimed by both countries in its entirety.

Pakistani woman killer may have visited India: Report

he Pakistan woman suspect in the San Bernardino mass shooting may have travelled to India from Saudi Arabia once in 2013, a year before she came to the US with her husband, a media report said today. Tashfeen Malik (27), had visited Saudi Arabia twice, the New York Times quoted a Saudi Interior Ministry official as saying. After one of the visits to the kingdom, she had left for India, the report said. The report quoted Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Turki as saying that Malik had arrived in Saudi Arabia in June, 2008 from Pakistan to visit her father and stayed for about nine weeks before returning to Pakistan. “Then, in 2013, she arrived on June 8, from Pakistan, and departed for India on October 6 of the same year,” Turki

was quoted as saying in the NYT report. But there is no further detail about whether Malik had reached India or for how long and where in India she stayed. The details of her life before arriving in the US emerged as investigators probed the background and motivation of Malik and her Pakistani-American husband Syed Rizwan Farook (28), for carrying out last week’s mass shooting that killed 14 people before both were shot dead by police. Turki said there was “no evidence” that Malik had met her husband in the kingdom, but they were in Saudi Arabia at the same time for about five days in October 2013. Farook visited Saudi Arabia twice, once for the Hajj pilgrimage in October, 2013, and once for an off-season Umraah pilgrimage for nine days in July, 2014.

‘”Crime lord” Dawood Ibrahim’s Mumbai restaurant sold

Mumbai social worker has bought a restaurant owned by India’s “most wanted man” for 40.5m Indian rupees ( $673,500). The government auctioned the restaurant and other properties owned by Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai on Wednesday. S Balakrishnan, who bought the Delhi Zaika restaurant, wants to make it an education centre for the poor. Ibrahim is a fugitive in India and has been charged with masterminding the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings. Some 257 people died and more than 700 others were wounded in the attacks. India alleges that Ibrahim lives in the Pakistani city of Karachi, but Islamabad has always denied the charge. Mr Balakrishnan needs to pay the sum he bid on the restaurant

within 30 days to acquire it, and is seeking donations to do so. “I want to open a computer centre for children and also a legal aid centre for women of the area,” he said. The former journalist said that the government’s earlier attempts to sell the property had failed because people were afraid to buy the underworld don’s property. “But this time we decided to show courage,” he said. Ibrahim was named a “global terrorist” in October 2003, and in June 2006, then US President George W Bush labelled him a “foreign narcotics trafficker”. He is accused of smuggling narcotics from Afghanistan and Thailand to the US, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

Beatles’ Indian retreat opened to public

117 Street and 80th Ave., (near Scott Road).

n abandoned spiritual retreat in the Indian town of Rishikesh where The Beatles learned to meditate has been opened to the public. The Beatles spent time at the 18acre ashram, meditating and writing songs in 1968. Many of the songs made it onto the band’s iconic White Album.The ashram was run by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a flamboyant self-styled Indian guru, who died in 2008. It was abandoned by the guru and his followers in the 1970s. But the retreat, which was taken over by the local forestry department in 2003, remained a big draw with Beatles fans from all over the world. They would usually sneak in by climbing the walls or paying a small bribe to a gatekeeper. The derelict ashram is located on the fringes of a tiger reserve. A meditation hall with colourful graffiti on the walls is the main attraction. Authorities opened the ashram to visitors on Tuesday, and are charging Indian and foreign tourists 150 ($2.24) and 700 rupees ($10.49) respectively.

FIJI

Fiji, Switzerland discuss bilateral matters

ilateral relations, trade and climate change dominated talks between senior officials from Fiji and the Swiss governments in Suva this week. Switzerland’s senior official responsible for the Asia Pacific region, Johannes Matyassy and Assistant State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, conducted bilateral

meetings with acting Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Esala Nayasi. Facilitated by the Fijian Embassy in Switzerland, this visit represented the first high-level visit by a Swiss-based official to Fiji on bilateral matters, and it is hoped that bilateral relations will be strengthened through concrete cooperation as a result of this visit.

Fiji wins Dubai 7s, eyes next tournament

iji has won the 2015 Dubai 7s tournament. The Vodafone-sponsored side defeated England 28-17 in the final this morning (Fiji time). South Africa won the Plate final 19-14 in extra-time against Australia and Vereimi Vakatawa’s France beat Scotland 24-14 in the Bowl final. The next tournament in the HSBC Sevens World Series will be Fiji side with the Dubai Sevens trophy after defeatplayed in Cape Town, South Africa ing England in the final 28-17 early this morning (Fiji on December 12 and 13. time). Picture: MARTIN SERAS LIMA.

41 people facing sedition charges remanded in custody

orty one people charged with sedition and urging political violence in Fiji have been further remanded in custody. The group is among 44 charged in relation to alleged para-military style training in the province of Ra and Nadroga/ Navosa appeared at High Court in Lautoka yesterday. The matter has been adjourned until Thursday for a ruling on bail for the twen-

Step dad charged with child rape

A 33-year-old man who allegedly raped his 6-year-old step daughter in Lautoka last month has been remanded at the Natabua Prison. The man who was arrested earlier this week in Sigatoka appeared before Magistrate Raramasi Salakubou at the Lautoka Magistrates Court yesterday charged with one count of rape. The alleged incidents took place between November 27 and 28. The case has been transferred to the High Court in Lautoka.

ty accused who had applied for bail. Another 21 applied for bail during the hearing and that matter has been adjourned until December 23. Two juveniles among the 44 accused are on bail while Saimoni Nacolawa was earlier released on bail on medical grounds.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 i 31

Sydney police arrest teenager and man over ‘terror plans’

olice in Sydney have arrested a 15-yearold and a 20-year-old in a counter-terror operation. They have been charged with “conspiracy to conduct an act in preparation for a terrorist act”, Federal Police said. The arrests are linked to a plot outlined in material seized last year as part of Operation Appleby. That operation, in September 2014, was sparked by intelligence reports that Islamist extremists were planning random killings in Australia. Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at the time a senior Australian Islamic State militant had called for “demonstration killings”, reportedly including a public beheading. While its FA-18 fighters bomb socalled Islamic State targets many thousands of kilometres away, and its soldiers train

Fijian actor finds his feet in Bollywood

ijian actor Anil Rai Mani is slowly finding his feet in Bollywood and has four major projects lined up for next year. The Tavua born Sydney based actor who made his Bollywood debut in Raju Kafley’s psychological journeyNirankush in 2013 recently finished his second movie titled- The Power which will hit the cinemas internationally in 2016. Mani said he feels at home whenever he flies to Mumbai for shoots and has blended well with the Indian lifestyle and culture. “It takes

a lot to seal your spot in the industry and I am happy to get some good projects after my first movie in 2013. I must say that the directors and producers have been impressed with my dedication and time management attributes.” “There are thousands of actors available and you really need to be on par and ready for the challenges to make the final cut.” “I am happy to carry and fly Fiji’s flag on the international arena and though I reside in Sydney, people in the industry know me as a Fijian and I am proud of my mother-

It’s not ‘numbers’ but the ‘reality’

iji only have five years before it reaches the carbon emission level that will bring us 1.5 degrees of global warming and less than 20 years to reach the two degrees level. Professor Elisabeth Holland, the director of the Pacific Centre

New Airbus to arrive on December 29

iji’s national airline, Fiji Airways will welcome its new Airbus A330-300 on December 29. And the collection ceremony of the new aircraft will take place in Fiji and not in Paris due to Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s early return from France. The President Major-General (ret’d) Jioji Konousi Konrote will take delivery of the aircraft, and be the Chief Guest for its arrival ceremony in Nadi. They will be on the inaugural ferry flight and will be welcomed home

Iraqi forces, Australia continues to confront the enemy within. More counter-terrorism raids in Sydney have yielded further arrests, and will make an uneasy nation even more anxious on the eve of the first anniversary of the deadly Sydney siege. Last month, a poll found that more than half of Australians thought a large-scale attack was likely, and one-quarter was convinced it was inevitable. The prime minister has promised a “calm, clinical and effective” response to the menace of home-grown extremism. “We cannot eliminate entirely the risk of terrorism any more than we can eliminate the risk of any serious crime,” said Malcolm Turnbull in his first national security address. “But we can mitigate it. We will continue to thwart and frustrate many attacks before they occur.”

by Government officials, members of the tourism industry and airline staff

for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD), said she broke down in tears after she did calculations following the release of carbon emission statistics by the Global Carbon Project. Prof Holland was part of a Pacific briefing, which included Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga and Fiji’s Agriculture Minister Inia Seruiratu. “So that is a very sobering message for those of us in the Pacific. I confess that I have broken down in tears after doing the calculations this morning (Paris time),” Prof Holland said yesterday. Kiribati President Anote Tong said it would only take four years for us to reach the 1.5 degrees Celsius level of global warming. “For us, it is not about the numbers because we are already facing the effects of climate change,”Tong said. Sopoaga echoed the same sentiments, but added the challenge was getting the message to the wider COP21 community. Seruiratu said the release of the statistics reinforced the Pacific’s call to cap global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. “We used to have difficulties in getting scientific data, but we now have it,” he said. On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chairman Hoesung Lee said

PAKISTAN

32 i Saturday, December 12, 2015

USA wants India, Pakistan to continue talks

he US has said it was “encouraged” to see India and Pakistan revive the stalled dialogue process and wants the two countries to continue the discussions. “We want to see the discussions continue, so we’re encouraged by the recent dialogue between India and Pakistan. It’s exactly what we’ve been strongly trying to encourage,” John Kirby, State Department Spokesman said on Wednesday. He, however, said it was for the two neighbouring countries to decide on the pace and scope for such talks. “It is for India and Pakistan to bilaterally work out the issues between them and to continue to have a dialogue and to discuss and to reach diplomatic solutions to some of the thorny problems which the two countries still face,” Kirby said in response to a question. “We would leave it to those countries to determine who’s going to have what meeting and who’s going to sit in on what discussion,” he said. When asked about the recent visit of the Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to

the US, Kirby said there was nothing new in it. “They’ve been coming to visit counterparts here in the United States for quite some time, as do our military leaders go to Islamabad. Our bilateral relations with Pakistan are important,” Kirby said. “I know they’re going to continue to be important, not just with the military but with the elected officials as well,” he said. External Affairs Minister Swaraj arrived on a two-day visit to Pakistan on Tuesday to attend the ‘Heart of Asia’ ministerial conference on Afghanistan. Swaraj’s visit here came days after talks between the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan in Bangkok, where they discussed terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir and a range of key bilateral issues apart from agreeing to carry forward the “constructive” engagement. A joint statement issued after the meeting of NSAs said the talks were held pursuant to a meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the climate meet in Paris. — PTI

Imran Khan, Modi hail improvement in Pakistan, India relations

NEW DELHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Friday evening, where he invited Modi to visit Pakistan, the India Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Twitter. Swarup said that the two leaders welcomed Imran Khan meeting with India’s Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi. the recent developments ran Khan will be meeting Indian PM before in bilateral ties between India and Pakistan, speaking at the India Today conference. and hoped that these would lead to closer The PTI chairman left for New Delhi earcooperation. But earlier today, PTI Central lier today on a two-day visit to attend a conInformation Secretary Shireen Mazari had ference on Indo-Pak relations. The event said on Twitter that party chief Imran Khan is being hosted by India Today, according is in India on the invitation of India Today to a tweet by the PTI’s official account. A and ‘a meeting may also take place with InPTI official told Dawn.com Khan is accomdian PM on latter’s invitation.’ panied by party leaders Shah Mehmood In a statement, advisor Naeem ul Haque Qureshi and Naeemul Haq. The meeting had said the Indian premier and Pakistani between Imran and Modi comes days after politician will discuss “matters of mutual Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Prime MinisIndian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj interest”. Later, Mazari confirmed that Imter’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. visited Islamabad and held meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PM’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. The two sides greed to reinitiate the comprehensive dialogue process to discuss all US prepares to sell F-16s to Pakistan, the country’s former top diplomat has warned outstanding issues including terrorism and the Congress that such fighter jets would end up being used against India and not against Kashmir. They noted the successful talks terrorists. Describing sale of such military hardware and even reported talk of a civil nuon terrorism and security related issues in clear deal as an appeasement policy towards Pakistani military, the former top Pakistani Bangkok by the two National Security Addiplomat has urged the US to tell the leaders in Pakistan that their ambition of rivalling visers and decided that the security advisIndia is akin to Belgium trying to rival France or Germany “The Obama administration’s ers will continue to address all issues conconsideration of a nuclear deal with Pakistan, just like its decision a few months ago to sell nected to terrorism. Pakistan assured the almost USD 1 billion in US-made attack helicopters, missiles and other equipment to PaIndian side that the government is taking kistan will fuel conflict in South Asia without fulfilling the objective of helping the country steps being to expedite the early conclusion fight Islamist extremists or limit its nuclear arsenal,” said Husain Haqqani. of the Mumbai trials.

Witness turns hostile, claims Kasab is alive

rosecution in Mumbai attack case faced embarrassment when a key witness turned hostile and said that Ajmal Kasab, the lone gunman caught alive after the assault and later hanged, was alive. “Mudassir Lakhvi, the headmaster of a primary school in Faridkot, where Ajmal Kasab studied for three years told the court that he taught Kasab and he is alive,” a court official told PTI today. The hearing of the case was held by the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad judge at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi yesterday, the same day when Pakistan assured India of “steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion” of the Mumbai attack trial during a meeting between External Affairs Minister

US aid will be used against India, not terrorists: Former Pakistan diplomat

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NRI

India can easily grow at 8%; 9-10% a challenge, Meghnad Desai says

ndia has a lot of potential and can grow at 8 per cent if it gets the right policies and strategies in place, eminent economist Lord Meghnad Desai said today. “Growth of Indian economy will continue. I think a growth rate of 7-7.5 per cent is a default rate, but the real challenge is to get 9-10 per cent, which India is capable of but requires hard work. With right policies, it can easily grow at 8 per cent,” the Indian-origin British politician told PTI. The Finance Ministry last week said the economy would grow in the vicinity of 7.5 per cent this fiscal, down from the earlier projection of over 8 per cent. In the first half of 2015-16, it expanded at 7.2 per cent.

The country faces several structural-technical problems related to ease of doing business, regulation, infrastructure and bad debts, he said. The professor emeritus at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) also drew attention towards issues like failed land reforms and uncertainty over labour reforms. He said the much-awaited GST may not be implemented from next April, but it looks like the landmark indirect tax reform will eventually go through. Desai said the domestic policy is restricted by the external sector, which is very dynamic. Therefore, the coun-

2 Indians win Queen’s Young Leaders award in UK

wo Indians have won the Queen’s Young Leaders award in the UK for their exceptional work in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities. Kartik Sawhney, 21, and Neha Swain, 28 from India are among 60 others who won the Queen’s Young Leaders award 2016 which will be presented by the British monarch at a gala ceremony in Buckingham Palace in June next year. Kartik, who was born blind, has been acknowledged for his exceptional work highlighting universal access to education for all. “I am so honoured to be part of the Queen’s Young Leaders programme. I am passionate about universal access to education,” said Sawhney, who was born blind. “After discovering that blind students were unable to pursue science after Grade 10, I appealed and enrolled as India’s first Grade 11 blind science student. I faced similar challenges when trying to enter engineering colleges. “I founded Project STEMAccess, which offers hands-on science workshops in India, as well as virtual training sessions,” he said. Neha, a youth facilitator and co-founder of NGO Rubaroo provides an inclusive space for

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young people, irrespective of their socio-economic background, to develop their leadership skills through interactive workshops. Her team provides workshops to schools in India free of charge and has so far worked with nearly 2,000 young people in the city of Hyderabad. “Once again 60 incredible young people from around the Commonwealth have shown strength, leadership, empathy and drive. “Some of our winners are just embarking on their leadership journey and others are more established. Either way, we recognise not only what these amazing young people have achieved, but also their potential in changing people’s lives for the better in the countries and communities in which they live,” said Astrid Bonfield, chief executive of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust present the award to recognise young people from across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth who are “taking the lead in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities”. The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme was established in 2014 by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee

Govt to reach out to NRIs for fund raising flagship schemes

on-resident Indians, especially those living in the UK and Qatar, will be reached out to by a government-supported trust to raise funds for ‘Swachh Bharat’ and ‘Clean Ganga’ projects. India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI), the not-forprofit trust, will also create a focus group for facilitating contributions by NRIs in the forthcoming Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Conference, 2016. This was discussed during the fifth meeting of the board of trustees of IDF-OI, chaired by Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Sushma Swaraj, here yesterday. The board reviewed the progress made by IDF-OI on the revised mandate given in its last meeting on May 23, 2015 i.e. to promote among the overseas Indians the flagship programmes of Government of India -- Swachh Bharat Mission and National Mission for Clean Ganga; projects identified by the state governments and donor advised projects. “The board directed that IDF-OI may enhance its outreach among overseas Indians, through visits to the UK and Qatar. “In the forthcoming Pravasi Bhartiya Divas conference 2016, there will be a focus group on facilitating contributions by overseas Indians through IDF-OI,” a press release issued today by the government said.

Sushma Swaraj is the Chairperson of IDF-OI, set-up by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to facilitate philanthropic contributions by overseas Indians to social and development projects in India. During the meeting, IDF-OI informed the board that under the Swachh Bharat Mission, overseas Indians were invited to fund construction of household, community and public toilets in both urban and rural areas. “IDF has also invited contributions for the National Mission for Clean Ganga. In response to IDF-OI’s request, several state governments have identified social and development projects in their respective states in areas such as sanitation, education, drinking water, women’s empowerment etc which are available for funding through IDF-OI,” it said. IDF-OI also conducted an outreach in UAE in October 2015 as a result of which many overseas Indians made commitments to funding projects especially those under the Swachh Bharat Mission. The board meeting was attended by prominent Indians and NRIs including Yusuff Ali, Subhash Jindal, B K Agnihotri,Ashok Chowgule, Ritu Beri and Bindeshwar Pathak. Senior officials from Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, Niti Aayog and Finance were also present.

try has to be smarter and policymakers need to factor in the importance of external shocks which affect capital flows. He said in terms of capital mobility, India has partially liberalized its capital account, and this is a good thing because the country is in great need of foreign capital. However, India also needs to care about the type of capital inflow. Currently, it appears to prefer foreign institutional investments over foreign direct investment, even though the former flows are more unstable, he added. One of the causes of recent surge in capital inflows is that Western countries have not been able to increase demand for in-

vestments even at near-zero interest rates. But to continue to attract capital, India has to minimize exchange rate risks, he said. India will have to judiciously manage its exchange rate because corporates have borrowed abroad in large amounts, and there is a danger that a sudden drop in rupee value will have adverse valuation implications for this debt, he said. The global economy is fairly open and this gives India several opportunities to attract investment. However, India is learning to be an open economy, and a complete integration of domestic policy with global regime is still awaited, he added.

Indian student in UAE gets perfect SAT score

15-year-old Indian student here has scored a perfect 2400/2400 in the coveted Scholastic Aptitude Test exams held on November 7, a media report said on Monday. Sanchit Kapoor, who has represented the UAE at the World Youth Scrabble Championships (WYSC) for the last four years, is among the top 0.5 percent out of the 1.8 million students who appeared for the college board exam, the Gulf News reported. The SAT score is a qualifying prerequisite for admission into undergraduate degree courses in US universities. The student dreams of studying software programming and computer science engineering at Stanford. “I knew I had done

well, but never expected this score. It was a surprise,aA Gulf News quoted Kapoor as saying. A Class 11 student at GEMS Modern Academy student in Dubai, he topped his school as well as throughout the UAE in his Class 10 board examination. “Annually, only 400 students worldwide a” from a 1.8 million who appear for SAT a” achieve a perfect score. Of the 75 per cent perfect score applications to Harvard University, for example, only 10-15 per cent make it,aA said Peter Davos, a Dubai-based independent educational consultant for US universities. He said a perfect SAT score has brought Kapoor closer to his objective of gaining admission in a top US university.

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SOUTH ASIA

Muslim Alliance dissociates from Madhesi front in Nepal

he anti-Constitution agitation in Nepal suffered a jolt today with the National Muslim Struggle Alliance dissociating itself from the blockade enforced by the Indian-origin Madhesis, saying it will not get involved in any activity jeopardising national sovereignty. The Alliance issued a statement announcing that it has broken its alliance with the Joint Madhesi Democratic Front (JDMF), which has been leading protests in southern Nepal districts, accusing the front of repeatedly breaching the understandings reached between the two groups. “We will not get involved in any activity that would jeopardise national sovereignty and lead to humanitarian crisis,” the alliance said. The alliance pointed out that it will launch separate protests and the programmes will be peaceful in nature. The alliance further accused the JDMF of ignoring the issues of the Muslim organisation and not including its

Senior leader of Madhesi party Upendra Yadav (C) observe minutes of silence in memory of people killed.

representatives in meetings and negotiations with the government and top leaders. Meanwhile, four Madhesi protestors were injured today when locals clashed with the cadres of the JDMF staging protest at Gaur Municipality in Rautahat district. Nepal-India border near Rautahat remained tense for half an hour following the clashes.

Bangladesh assessing ties with Pakistan: Foreign Minister

angladesh is “assessing” ties with Pakistan after it criticised the country over the executions of two top war crimes convicts, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said today as he called “ridiculous” Islamabad’s denial of complicity in the atrocities during the 1971 Liberation War. “We are assessing (the Pakistani stance)... We are thinking what steps we will take,” Ali said. He was speaking at a discussion here titled “Relationship between Bangladesh-India in the Touchstone of Time” to mark the 44th anniversary of the Victory Day today. Ali called “ridiculous” Pakistan’s denial of complicity in the atrocities during the nine-month-long war. He said the report of the Hamidur Rahman Commission, which Pakistan formed to assess the reasons for their defeat, also suggested to what extent they had com-

mitted atrocities. Ali said even former Pakistani president Gen Pervez Musharraf during his visit to Dhaka had tendered an apology in July 2002, “though in weak words”. He said many Pakistanis have admitted the crimes committed during the war. “But now there is no benefit of denying it saying that they did not do anything. It’s ridiculous.” The minister recalled with gratitude the Indian support in 1971 and said a “qualitative change” in the Dhaka-Delhi ties took the relationship to a new height. “This relation is now so consolidated that none could crack it.” Ali’s comments on Pakistan came amid mounting anger in Bangladesh over Islamabad’s reactions after the war crimes convicts -- BNP stalwart Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed -- were executed last month.

46 killed in Taliban siege at Kandahar airport

ith final mopping up operations continuing late on Wednesday in Kandahar, 24 hours after Taliban insurgents attacked its airport, 37 civilians and members of Afghan security forces had been killed and 35 wounded, the defence ministry said, even as a key district in neighbouring Helmand province fell to the insurgents. The attack on the airport, one of the most heavily protected bases in the country, underlined the Taliban’s ability to inflict serious damage on security forces, still shaken by the insurgents’ brief capture of the northern city of Kunduz in September. In addition, nine Taliban men were killed and another wounded with a final survivor still resisting security forces, the ministry said. One security official said the assailants held some civilians as “human shields”, which had complicated their operation. Adoctor at a local hospital, said 41people (37 civilians and 4 soldiers) had been killed. In a separate incident in neighbouring Helmand province, where the Taliban has been increasing pressure for weeks, insurgents captured the district of Khanishin, a major control point for drug smuggling routes through the south.

Bangladesh’s prosecutor in 1971 trial packs a punch She’s one of the most talked-about women in Bangladesh today and also one of the most admired and reviled. Tureen Afroz is the person responsible for sending the 1971 war criminals to the gallows and her feisty but well-crafted arguments as the chief prosecutor in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh has won her legions of followers across the country. It also earned her a lot of death threats, abuse and even Molotov cocktails hurled at her bungalow in Dhaka’s chic Uttara Model Town. Afroz, in her mid-forties, in her small frame. She is unfazed by the death threats-— she moves around without any police escort—and the volley of verbal abuse infamously heaped on her inside the courtroom over the past four years by one of the recently executed (former BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury) did not detract her from her firm resolve to secure convictions for the accused. Afroz is also a robust defender of the ICT that has been criticized by the UN, many western governments,

legal bodies and human rights organisations like Amnesty International for being opaque and unfair.

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