The Asian Star_May02_2015

www.theasianstar.com nstar.com om om Vol Vol 14 14 Issue Issue 14 14 Saturday, Saturday, May May 2, 2, 2015 2015

Tomatoe Rice

Tel: 604-591-5423

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Ent. Section

We We compliment compliment each each other other say say Sonika Sonika and and Rajan Rajan Saggi Saggi

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Many Canadians missing in Nepal

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6000 dead, hundreds of thousands missing and homeless after Nepal quake

Check Inside for Details

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he number of missing people after Nepal’s deadly earthquake is likely in the thousands, with the tally for Canadians who have yet to make contact with home remaining a mystery. Up to 1,000 Europeans are among the missing, a European Union official said Friday. The Canadian government has no such estimates.

The Foreign Affairs Department said in an email Thursday that search and rescue efforts are continuing, and it’s “too early to make a determination on how many Canadians are missing in Nepal.” “The Emergency Watch and Response Centre is currently reviewing files of a number of Canadians who are believed to have been in the affected area at the time the earthquake hit,” the email said.

A Nepali woman holds her baby in front of the wreckage of a house that was destroyed in recent quake. See more stories on pages 3 and 28

Ramdev’s “boy child” medicine that promises male child denounced

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pposition members in India have demanded the ban of a product by yoga guru Ramdev’s Divya Pharmacy that promises a male child. Terming the product as illegal and unconstitutional, members of the Rajya Sabha sought stringent action against the manufacturers during a session in the House. Janata DalUnited (JD-U) leader K.C. Tyagi demanded a probe and showed a packet of the “Putrajeevak Beej”, which he claimed to have bought from the pharmacy. He also had a copy of the purchase Baba Ramdev receipt to prove that the sale was recent. Tyagi claimed that sale of such products by “the Brand Ambassador of Haryana” was illegal and unconstitutional. He asked “if the Government of India under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approves of this,” without naming the yoga guru. Bollywood veteran actress and MP Jaya Bachchan took the packet and gave it to health minister JP Nadda.

Continued on page 6

Violent crime up in Surrey 1,732 violent crimes this quarter, compared to 1,233 in the same period last year

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urrey RCMP crime statistics reveal violent crime rose by a whopping 40 per cent in the city during the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year.

These are the depressing numbers : Homicides, up 100 per cent (there were two in this quarter); Attempted murder, up 25 per cent; robbery, up 14 per cent; sexual assaults, up 46 per cent; assaults, up 29 per cent and kidnappings — of which there were 11 recorded in this quarter — rose by 175 per cent. All told, 1,732 violent crimes were recorded in this quarter, compared to 1,233 in the same time period last year. Despite the dire numbers, Surrey RCMP Sgt. Dale Carr prefers to compare the statistics of this first quarter of 2015 with the last quarter of 2014. “My attitude is ‘What have you done lately?’” Carr said. “That was a year ago.

‘What are you doing right now for us’ is our attitude. The work we’ve been doing in the last few months.” If you look at it that way, Surrey is making headway in the fight against crime in this quarter compared to the one immediately before it. In the fourth quarter of 2014, Surrey recorded 1,962 violent crimes: Five homicides, one attempted murder, 219 robberies, 81 sex assaults, 1,025 assaults and 12 kidnappings.

Continued on page 7

2 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

Local

B.C. teachers lose latest court fight on class size, composition

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bitter battle between British Columbia’s teachers and the provincial government could be headed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In a 4-1 decision, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that the province did not violate teachers’ constitutional rights when it introduced Bill 22 in 2012 — legislation that temporarily limited teacher bargaining on class size and composition. Difference of opinion However, the two sides have different positions on the scope of today’s ruling, which did not address an earlier bill — Bill 28 — enacted in 2002 which also stripped teachers of their right to bargain class size and composition. In 2011, the courts sided with the teachers and ruled that legislation was, in fact, unconstitutional. The government maintains that, as a result of today’s ruling, it is not obligated to bargain class size and composition in the future.

“We have an opportunity to move ahead in a collaborative way and find those unique opportunities for education in the future,” said

Education Minister Peter Fassbander. But the B.C. Teachers’ Federation says that since the earlier ruling on Bill 28 still stands, it does retain the right to bargain in those areas. “A government should not be able to just dictate what they want, simply talk to the union and force it by legislation, when there are collective agreements in place,” said the federation’s president Jim Iker.

“Collective bargaining needs to be about give and take, about respect and hard negotiations between employers and employees.”

No matter what the interpretation, the decision is a major blow to the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, which had earlier won two lower court rulings on the matter. In today’s majority decision, written by Chief Justice Robert Bauman and Justice David Harris, the judges found the government acted in good faith when it consulted with teachers leading up to the introduction in 2012 of Bill 22. “Between the consultations and the collective bargaining leading up to the legislation, teachers were afforded a meaningful process

in which to advance their collective aspirations,” the judgment said. “Their freedom of association was respected.” Their ruling overturns an earlier decision by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Susan Griffin, who ruled only last year the province did not consult in good faith before passing Bill 22. In today’s decision, the B.C. Court of Appeal said Griffin went too far. “In our opinion, the judge should not have assessed the substantive merit or objective reasonableness of the parties’ negotiating positions,” Bauman and Harris wrote. “Courts are poorly equipped to make such assessments.”

Dissenting opinion The lone dissenting opinion was written by Justice Ian Donald, who did agree

with the majority that the province’s consultations with teachers were relevant to the constitutionality argument. But Donald disagreed with the decision to overturn Griffin’s ruling that the province acted in bad faith.

“An appropriately deferential approach to the trial judge’s findings of fact … leads to the conclusion that the trial judge’s finding that

the passage of Bill 22 was unconstitutional must be upheld,” Donald wrote. The B.C. government also won its appeal of a decision to release information it says is subject to cabinet confidentiality. The information in question was read out in open court during the B.C. Supreme Court case. But the appeal court ruled the information was released by the provincial government for litigation purposes only, and should never have been made public. Off to the Supreme Court of Canada?

The teachers union says it will seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. It’s unclear whether Canada’s high court would hear the case, as it agreed to hear only eight of 80 applications from the B.C. Court of Appeal level last year. This case was somewhat unusual, in that five justices heard the appeal instead of the traditional three. Only three cases out of 453 at the B.C. Court of Appeal last year were heard by five judges. No reason was given for the decision to sit five judges.

Punjab family refuses to cremate victim molested on a bus owned by the Badals

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efusing to cremate the 13-year-old who was killed after being molested and thrown off a moving bus belonging to the Orbit Bus Service, the victim’s family on Friday claimed they were now being pressured into reaching a compromise with the company and police authorities. The transport company is chiefly owned by the ruling Badal family.

TV channels on Friday ran a news item showing a letter purported to be carrying the thumb impression of the teen’s father endorsing the police’s action taken thus far, even as the victim’s father, Sukdev Singh maintained that he put his thump impression on the paper without knowing its contents.

Two days after she saw her daughter being molested and pushed out of a moving Orbit Aviation bus to her death, a badly bruised Chinder Kaur, who was also thrown out of the bus and currently being treated at a civil hospital, said: “Ours is story of the faceless general public in Punjab. No one would have even known about the molestation and the death, had I not survived. Now that a whisper has gained voice, the government is trying all methods, including negotiation and threats, to silence it.” Rajpal, Sukhdev Singh’s older brother, said: “Around 10 am on Thursday morning, four people came to our house in Lande Ke village. After making various offers, mainly involving money, to which I did not agree, I was given a mild threat of ‘pher vekh lavange’ (Be prepared for the unexpected)”.

Such threats, the victim’s family said, were issued to several relatives. Jagwinder Dhaliwal, a relative at Chinder Kaur’s bedside, said: “On Thursday night at around 10 pm, Pankaj Kumar owner of the local motor company where Sukhdev Singh worked came by in his car. There were policemen around him. He offered us money to strike a compromise. He, too, gave indirect threats like his (Sukhdev’s) job could be at stake and that he should remember that he needed extra money very often”. “I am very sure the police did not book the persons involved in the incident going by the political patronage they enjoyed. In fact, the FIR is registered against ‘Unknown’ people. I have asked the police to show me the accused. I remember each face. I fought with them, before someone administered power and I became unconscious.”

LOCAL

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n RCAF plane carrying approximately 100 people who survived a massive earthquake in Nepal arrived in New Delhi late Wednesday, the Canadian government said.

On board the C-17 transport were both Canadians and people from other countries, while an additional 70 Canadians have since left Nepal on commercial flights, Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson said in a statement. The plane arrived in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, early Wednesday morning, carrying elements of the government’s Disaster Assistance Response Team to assist in a crisis the United Nations estimates is affecting 8 million people. A second C-17 is also on the way, carrying 51 Canadian Forces members, including medical staff, as well as a military ambulance and forklift and other supplies to be used by the response team in the aftermath of last weekend’s quake.

The plane will then be used to get more people out of the country, the government says. “Officials are on the ground and co-ordinating rescue efforts with our allies whose helicopters and assets are in the area,� Nicholson’s statement said. “Our consular officials are providing the last known co-ordinates of Canadians in remote areas to our allies and, despite the challenges, we will continue to provide assistance to those who may be stranded.� In 2013, more than 12,000 Canadians visited Nepal, according to that

Vancouver has become a ‘critical money laundering hub’ for international criminals, experts say

Military flight evacuates Canadians from Nepal

A fully loaded CC-17 Globemaster sits on the tarmac at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on Sunday April 26, 2015. country’s tourism agency, most for holidays or mountaineering expeditions. Foreign Affairs has said 338 Canadian were registered as being in the country, but it is only an estimate

as registration is voluntary. Those Canadians who are now in India will be given consular assistance, transportation, lodging and medical assistance, Nicholson said. The 7.8-mag-

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 3 nitude earthquake, centred 80 kilometres from the capital, hit on April 25.

Nepalese police said Wednesday the death toll from the quake had reached 5,045. Another 61 died in neighbouring India, and China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported 25 dead in Tibet. The disaster also injured more than 10,000, police said and left thousands more homeless. In addition to the disaster response team, the Canadian government has pledged $5 million in humanitarian assistance and is also matching donations from citizens until May 25.

Canada’s diplomatic presence in Nepal is limited but staff from the High Commission in Delhi have been sent to Kathmandu and a consular service point has been established at the Phora Durbar American Club.

Planes carrying food, shelter and other supplies have been arriving steadily at Kathmandu’s small airport, but the aid distribution process remains fairly chaotic, with Nepalese officials having difficulty directing the flow of goods.

The U.N. World Food Program warned that it will take time for food and other sup-

WHEN DOES UNLIMITED MEAN UNLIMITED?

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ancouver is “emerging as a critical money laundering hubâ€? for international criminals, due to a convergence of factors including drug money, international connections, an active port, and a hot real estate market, experts say. International criminals looking to “washâ€? ill-gotten gains in Vancouver remain a persistent problem, said Kim 0DUVK D 9DQFRXYHU EDVHG Ă€QDQFLDO FULPH specialist with decades of experience in law enforcement and private investigations.

Thursday in Vancouver, Marsh will make a presentation to a group of anti-money laundering professionals, detailing his role in a complex 2013 investigation that came to be known as “the Libyan Caper,� a story illustrating the global nature and massive scope of money laundering.

In Vancouver, one can’t look at money laundering without considering property investment, Marsh said. And a more active market means more opportunity for funds to be washed. “What’s happening here in the real estate market is pretty remarkable,â€? said Marsh, ZKR QRZ ZRUNV IRU D IUDXG SURWHFWLRQ Ă€UP after 25 years with the RCMP. He mentioned an “increase in value of property across the boardâ€? and “non-stop residential building.â€? “Part of that is the success story of Vancouver. But there’s a lot of dirty money washing around with these purchases,â€? said Marsh, now executive vice-president of international operations for IPSA International, a root9B Technologies company.

It’s a growing concern for Vancouver, said Christine Duhaime, a Vancouver law\HU DQG Ă€QDQFLDO FULPH VSHFLDOLVW “There is more of a money laundering problem now and part of that is because law enforcement agencies say Vancouver is emerging as a critical money laundering hub for transnational criminal organizations,â€? Duhaime said.

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4 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

EDITORIAL

Senators should know that none exitent rules does not mean you can steal from the public

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enator Mike Duffy and others of his ilk (there are many more Senators who misrepresented their primary residence in order to taxpayer funds, judging by the Senate’s refusal to hand over an internal report on the subject), feel they can loot the public if there are no clears stopping them from doing so. At least that is what it appears like going by the representation of Duffy’s lawyer continuously bombarding crown witnesses with statements such as “but there are no clear rules. Others are doing it too so why shouldn’t Senator Duffy?” And suspended Senator Patrick Brezeau’s lawyer Christian Deslaurier is chortling that he likes the way Duffy’s case is going. “It’s definitely more realistic to think that if a judge was to render a decision (in the Duffy trial) saying the residency issue is unclear,” Deslaurier added, “then I don’t see how anyone could willfully breach or do something illegal.” Okay, if you say it is not illegal, does it make it legal???

Apparently, all Senators know what “primary” and “secondary” mean as in “primary or secondary residence. If not illegal, is it legal?

Is it morally right?? Putting aside morals,

how can one even consider it “not illegal?”

There is a thing called “fiduciary duty”, usually applied to company directors and financial workers. It covers things such as quoted by Duffy and Brezeau’s lawyers. Even if something is not specifically forbidden by law or rules because none exist, then a sane person should know a certain act is wrong.

Such as, when a person who withdraws $20 from an ATM but the ATM spits out $200 in error. It does not mean that person gets to keep the extra $180 the machine spits out. In fact, courts have routinely convicted and sentenced people who have received excess funds from ATM in such a manner and have failed to return the funds to the bank or the ATM’s owners as quickly as possible.

By the same token, how can Senators such as Duffy and Brezeau claim to be “innocent” by saying that no Senate rules existed to prevent them from basically stealing from the public – that is claiming fund for a primary residence when their primary residence was always in Ottawa itself?

As well, the defense of “others were doing it so I did it and why am I alone being pros-

ecuted?” does not hold water either. Dozens of rioters at the 2010 Stanley Cup final in Vancouver claimed that there were “going with the flow” in following the crowd to riot.

They were still convicted. Duffy should suffer the same fate. These are questions that have not been asked in the Court yet but you can bet that it will be brought up by the prosecutors once they feel that the Court is likely to believe no rules defining primary and secondary residence of Senators existed. In the meantime, this is a good time as any to burn down the Senate and be done with it.

Why did Chrétien meet Valdmir Putin ?

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he Harper government wants to know what former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien said in his meeting Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. And Defence Minister Jason Kenney said he hopes Chrétien delivered the same message the Conservatives always send these days to the Russian leader — get out of Ukraine. The reports by Russia’s news agency that Chrétien met Putin in one of his palaces near Moscow on Thursday appeared to catch the Conservatives off-guard. The meeting was a slap to the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which has moved to politically isolate the Russian leader, blaming him for the unrest in Ukraine and Russia’s annexation of Crimea last year. “I haven’t been briefed on what happened. I’m not sure if Mr. Chrétien has chosen to brief our mission in Moscow. We would be curious to know what was discussed,” Kenney said during a symposium on Canada’s security relations with the European Union. “All I can tell you is that the government of Canada

has taken whatever opportunity we’ve had in meeting Mr. Putin, such as Prime Minister Harper’s brief encounter with him at the margins of the G20 in Melbourne, to be very clear about our insistence that Russia get out of Ukraine.

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

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 5

6 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

LOCAL

Story from Page 1...

Ramdev’s “boy child” medicine that promises male child denounced

Tesla launches home battery with aim to revolutionize energy consumption

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Baba Ramdev

“Government is serious about the matter. We will look into it and action will be taken,” Nadda said. Several opposition members also condemned sale of the product.

Bachchan sought assurance that the government would take action against the manufacWXUHUV RI WKH PHGLFLQH ´:H QHHG QRW ÀJKW this… If there is an effort…with regard to selection of sex through a medicine, or pre-na-

tal sex determination, they are all against the law. If this is being encouraged by any state government, it is against the constitution. But chair cannot do anything,” Deputy chairman P. J. Kurien said. “Government is very serious on sex-ratio,” Nadda said, adding that Modi was personally monitoring the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ (save the girl child, educate the girl.

esla CEO Elon Musk is trying to steer his electric car company’s battery technology into homes and businesses as part of an elaborate plan to reshape the power grid with millions of small power plants made of solar panels on roofs and batteries in garages.

Musk announced Tesla’s expansion into the home battery market amid a party atmosphere at the company’s design studio near Los Angeles International Airport.

The festive scene attended by a drink-toting crowd of enthusiasts seemed fitting for a flashy billionaire renowned for pursuing far-out projects. For instance, colonizing Mars is one of Musk’s goals at Space X, a rocket maker that he also runs.

Now, he is setting out on another ambitious mission. “Our goal here is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy,” Musk told reporters gathered in Hawthorne, Calif.

Although Tesla will make the battery called “Powerwall,” it will be sold by a variety of other companies. The list of partners includes SolarCity, a solar installer founded

by Musk’s cousins, Lyndon and Peter Rive.

Musk is SolarCity’s chairman and largest shareholder.

As with Tesla’s electric cars, which start around $70,000 US, the battery might be too expensive for most consumers. When it goes on sale, the system will carry a suggested price of $3,000 to $3,500, depending on the desired capacity. That could discourage widespread adoption, especially for a product that may only have limited use.

“I don’t believe this product in its first incarnation will be interesting to the average person,” conceded Peter Rive, SolarCity’s chief technology officer. Rive, though, still

expects there to be enough demand to substantially increase the number of batteries in homes. Hopes to ship internationally next year Musk is so encouraged by the initial demand that he believes Tesla and other future entrants in the market will be able to sell two billion battery packs around the world — roughly the same number of vehicles already on roads. Although that may sound like a “super crazy” goal, Musk insisted it “is within the power of humanity to do.” Tesla Energy batteries for businesses and utility companies. It will take a long time to get there. Tesla hopes to begin shipping a limited number of Powerwall batteries this summer in the U.S. before expanding internationally next year. The long-term goal is to reduce the world’s reliance on energy generate from fossil fuels while creating regional networks of home batteries that could be controlled as if they were a power plant. That would give utilities another way to ensure that they can provide power at times of peak demand.

For now, the battery primarily serves as an expensive backup system during blackouts for customers like David Cunningham, an aerospace engineer from Foster City, California. He installed a Tesla battery late last year to pair with his solar panels as part of a pilot program run by the California Public Utilities Commission to test home battery performance.

Can be recharged with solar panels Although Cunningham’s home has not endured a blackout in the six months that he has had the battery, it’s capable of running critical home appliances like lights and refrigeration and can be recharged by solar panels during the day.

LOCAL

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 7

Why did ChrĂŠtien meet Valdmir Putin ?

From page 4 “We would hope that Mr. ChrĂŠtien would have taken — availed himself — of the opportunity to convey the same message.â€?

Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson made a similar comment when asked on Parliament Hill Thursday about the meeting.

Harper has avoided direct contact with Putin, save for a brief and memorable handshake at the G20 summit in Australia last year, at which he tersely told the Russian leader to “get out� of Ukraine.

What did ChrĂŠtien say? Harper’s spokesman Stephen Lecce said the government wants to know what ChrĂŠtien told Putin. “Mr. ChrĂŠtien was clearly not representing the government of Canada at this meeting,â€?

Lecce said in an email. “Our government’s position on the Putin regime is clear.�

A spokesman for ChrĂŠtien did not respond to a request for comment.

Liberal foreign affairs critic Marc Garneau said he did not have information about Chretien’s meeting but expected details of it will emerge. In an interview, Garneau said that although his party’s position on Russia and Ukraine is “in sync with the government,� he said the door should not be shut to direct engagement. “We can still be tough on them but keep the door open.� In the TASS news

agency report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying ChrĂŠtien and Putin “discussed the painful points of current international situation.â€? “It’s well known they have friendly relations or I’d even say relations of partnership,â€? he continued.

Canada takes hard line Unlike his fellow G7 leaders, Harper has chosen not to engage Putin over the crisis in Ukraine and has used strong language to personally blame the Russian leader for it.

The Russians have hit back. Its embassy in Ottawa recently said it is both “counterproductive and deplorable� for the government to deploy 200 Canadian Forces soldiers to Ukraine as trainers to improve the combat skills of troops there.

Ukraine’s visiting foreign minister, Pavlo Klimkin, called it a joke that Russia characterized Canadian’s military mission that way.

The Canadian Forces trainers will bring Ukraine’s soldiers and national guard up to a higher standard so they can better repel Russian aggressors, Klimkin told a news conference in Ottawa.

Klimkin was in Ottawa to meet Nicholson, who announced seven new projects worth $14 million to strengthen human rights, improve access to justice and give support to civil society in Ukraine.

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8 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

LOCAL

Deepak Chopra speaks at opening of $80M Volken recovery centre in Surrey

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piritual advisor and life style guru to the wealthy in the United States, Deepak Chopra, was in Newton last week to help officially open the $80 million Volken recovery Centre in Newton (near King George and 70th).

Chopra was here to help John Volken officially open the academy last Friday (April 24), and to help him kick things off was celebrated philosopher Deepak Chopra, an alternative medicine advocate, author and promoter of spirituality. The John Volken Academy utilizes a “therapeutic community” approach to recovery, says founder, Volken.

The people in the program, also known as a “life skills academy,” work in the Price Pro store and live in the homes adjacent to it.

Volken grew up in an orphanage and immigrated to Canada from Germany at the age of 18. As a dishwasher, farm labourer and construction worker, he rose from rags to riches. He found his passion in sales and business, opened a secondhand furniture store in 1981 and from there built it into United Furniture Warehouse, a large chain in North America with 148 locations. After making himself and his family financially secure, Volken decided he wanted to give back. After researching areas of social hardship, he discovered there was a need for longterm residential-based treatment facilities. In 2004, he sold his business to begin a new adventure in life: the Welcome Home Society, now the John Volken Academy.

The concept is that students are not patients, but part of a family, and that it takes a long time for an addict to overcome an addiction, taking more than just talk to change life patterns. The two-year program is about life-long sobriety, says Volken. Back in 2009, there were 16 students in the program. Today there are roughly 40, and the new building has room to house some 150 people. In 2009, the first phase of Welcome Home was approved by Surrey council despite stiff opposition from residents. At the time, residents said they already had their fair share of such things, and some opposed the project because of its size and feared its clients, some who would be there under a court order, would cause trouble in the

neighbourhood. That first phase (36 units) was passed in October 2009, with only then mayor Dianne Watts and councillor Bob Bose voting against it. Dr. Chopra praised Volken’s holistic approach to recovery, which takes into account not only the physical body, but the spiritual and emotional states as well.

“Once you’ve created this environment, then you have to bring about all the moralities that will trigger both healing and transformation into not only recovery from addictive states, but who wants to recover from an addiction to go out into that insane world out there.

What we call normal today is an insane civilization,” he said to the crowd. “We have created climate change, we’ve caused the extinction of species, we’ve destroyed the ecosystem, we have 50 per cent of the world living on less than $2 a day… we have war, we have terrorism, we have beheadings, and we

call that normal. It’s an insane asylum.

It’s the psychopathology of the average which we take for granted. Recovery, and this is my hope, is to first get out of that clouded state… but then step into the insanity and say what am I going to do about the insanity. In my personal transformation, let there be a healing of the world, let there be healing of our communities, of our traumatized families, of our countries, of the state of the world, of the ecosystem. “Can we participate in the creation of a more peaceful, just, sustainable, healthy, happy world? This was given to us and we’ve desecrated it.

So I congratulate you, once again John, for this wonderful place that you have.

I’m happy to offer my help to you and to others. But I think we need to take recover to a level of higher consciousness.

To a level where love and compassion and joy and service and meaning and purpose become the norm…. I think we could save ourselves and we could save

westernunioncanada.ca/india

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 9

Deepak Chopra and John Volken prepare to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the John Volken Academy.

LOCAL

10 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

India Club’s AAA academic awards

Telus gets OK to launch free Wi-Fi in Vancouver

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i-Fi will be coming to a Vancouver venue near you soon but the plan to roll out free wireless hot spots across the city is already getting some static.

City council gave the go-ahead to Telus this week to carry out its plan to install wireless networks at 43 city locations, including community centres, outdoor pools, public golf course clubhouses, theatres and cultural centres and the city’s marinas in False Creek. Two outdoor locations — around the convention centre and along the downtown section of Granville Street — are still on the city’s list, but the city said rollout will be delayed while technical issues in The president of India Club, Dr Dr Preeti Misra (right) and Swami Dr Satya Prakash (secgetting connectivity and power to poles are ond from right) present awards to community members at India Club’s annual AAA award worked out. winners ceremony last Saturday night. At right are two of the award winners of the event.

The city-funded Vancouver Public LiPhotos: Chandra Bodalia brary already has free Wi-Fi spots, which have shown huge demand, logging TELUS STORES nearly 1.7 million sessions last year.

While welcoming the free Wi-Fi, Abbotsford Highstreet Shopping Centre Vancouver-based Internet advocaSevenoaks Shopping Centre cy group OpenMedia.ca wanted to 2140 Sumas Way see a smaller independent compa32915 South Fraser Way Aldergrove ny provide the service. Telus won 26310 Fraser Hwy. the initial five-year contract but Burnaby both Shaw and Telus have been Brentwood Town Centre Crystal Mall approved as vendors pre-qualified Lougheed Town Centre to compete for potential further ™ Metropolis at Metrotown expansion of the service.

3855 Henning Dr. 4501 North Rd. “It’s really good that the City of Coquitlam Vancouver has taken this on and Coquitlam Centre recognized it as something that’s Westwood Mall important to residents. It’s good for 1071 Austin Ave. Delta the economy, it’s good for reducing Scottsdale Centre inequality and the digital divide,” 1517 56th St. said Steve Anderson, founder and 4841 Delta St. 4912 62nd St. executive director of OpenMedia.

Langley ca. “I have some problems with Willowbrook Mall the process and the way it was 8700 200th St. 19638 Fraser Hwy. set out because a huge part of the 20159 88th Ave. reason people want public Wi-Fi 20202 66th Ave. is they want to get away from the Maple Ridge Haney Place Mall large telecom incumbents that 22661 Lougheed Hwy. have very high prices. … To award Mission it to one of those incumbents is alMission Smartcentre 32670 Lougheed Hwy. most the opposite of what people New Westminster want. People want a new choice.”

Royal City Centre Paul Mochrie, general manager North Vancouver in charge of human resources and Capilano Mall Lynn Valley Centre digital for the city of Vancouver, 1295 Marine Dr. said while smaller vendors ex1801 Lonsdale Ave. pressed interest, they didn’t have Pitt Meadows 19800 Lougheed Hwy. the resources to carry out the conPort Coquitlam tract. Under the terms the city was 2020 Oxford Connector seeking, the Wi-Fi structure would Richmond Lansdowne Centre be installed and maintained at the Richmond Centre vendor’s cost. “Something of this 11686 Steveston Hwy. scope could be difficult for a small Surrey Central City Shopping Centre company or a non-profit to have Cloverdale Crossing the resources to do,” said Mochrie.

Guildford Town Centre “It is a significant infrastructure Semiahmoo Shopping Centre 3189 King George Blvd. cost to them.” Neither users nor 7380 King George Blvd. the city are paying for it. Mochrie 13734 104th Ave. said had the city carried out the inVancouver Oakridge Centre stallation and maintenance of the Pacific Centre Wi-Fi services itself, it would have 220 East 1st Ave. * amounted to $4 million over the Get a FREE 40 Samsung Smart TV 551 Robson St. five-year term of Telus’s contract.

808 Davie St. 991 Denman St. when you sign up for Optik TV & Internet for 3 years.

“It’s a great opportunity for the 1095 West Pender St. folks in Vancouver,” he said. “One 1143 Robson St. of the key drivers for the city was to 1855 Burrard St. 2338 Cambie St. provide more and easier access for 2372 West 4th Ave. people who don’t have connectiv2706 Granville St. Call 310-MYTV (6988), go to telus.com/freetv ity at home. “Bridging the digital 2748 Rupert St. or visit your TELUS Store.

3121 West Broadway divide is important for us.”

West Vancouver Installation will start in several Park Royal South weeks, with the rollout based on Offer available until June 30, 2015, to residential customers who have not subscribed to TELUS TV or Internet in the past 90 days. Minimum system requirements apply. Final eligibility for the services will be determined by a TELUS representative. TELUS reserves the right to modify channel lineups and packaging, and regular pricing without notice. Cannot be combined with other offers. The Essentials is required for all Optik TV subscriptions. Offer not available with TELUS Internet 6. HDTV-input-equipped television required to watch HD. *A retail value of $689, based on the city’s requirements, said Josh the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, plus a 2 year extended warranty, provincial government eco fees and shipping. TELUS reserves the right to substitute an equivalent or better product without notice. A cancellation fee applies for early termination of the service agreement and will be the value of the promotional gift received in return for your term commitment, multiplied by the number of months remaining in the term (with a partial month counting as a full month), divided by the total number of months in the term, plus applicable taxes. TELUS, the TELUS logo, Blair, chief corporate officer at Optik, Optik TV, the future is friendly and telus.com are trademarks of TELUS Corporation, used under licence. Samsung and the Samsung logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Samsung Canada. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 TELUS. Telus.

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Persons of the Week

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 11

We compliment each other say Sonika and Rajan Saggi of “ Saggi Financial Solutions” Shruti Prakash- Joshi

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ne doesn’t usually tailor make compatibility or order it according to ones wishes but when one happens to finds it in a relationship, it makes for a power packed combination which lasts a lifetime. Such is the relationship of Rajan and Sonika Saggi, who have been working in tandem with each other for the last many years, the former as a mortgage specialist and the latter as an insurance agent.

Both of them excel in their respective fields but do make for a powerful combination when they handle clients together. “It’s interesting that our skill sets happen to be complimentary to each

focusing on exports and manufacturing. Sonika in fact started working in the insurance field in India, even qualifying for the Million Dollar Round Table, a premier association for financial professionals, back in the late 90s. “Very few people around the world are able to quality for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) and I am indeed one of those few ones who has achieved that goal,” said Sonika. Rajan and Sonika soon moved to Canada first landing in Toronto and then choosing to move to British Columbia. Not cowed down by the challenges that newcomers are confronted with when they move to a new country, Sonika with steadfast belief in her abilities started and completed her Certified Fi-

the anxiety that they may feel, Sonika is excellent with advising clients about insurances that best fit their clients needs. “We certainly complement each other very well,” said Rajan adding that they have the ability, the experience and the capability of thinking outside the box for the benefit of their clients. Although Sonika sells all kinds of insurances including life, critical illness and disability Insurance, she also handles investments in segregated funds and sells RESPs but her speciality lies in life Insurance and estate planning, especially key person insurance. “I also advise a large number of truck drives and taxi drivers because they depend heavily on disability insurance and I have had a great track record of advising them correctly,” said Sonika. But since the market has so many insurance agents and mortgage brokers, why should people choose Saggi Financial Solutions? “First of all we offer stability. We are not some fly by night operators, who have opened shop today and will disappear tomorrow.

We have been in the same business for the last nearly 12 years. Our clients are like family for us now. Any new business that we get is purely through referrals. People appreciate the fact that we are here to stay and will be with them in case any emergency befalls”, explained Sonika. A yet

another reason that people have overwhelmingly chosen the couple for their business is because there is a strong emphasis on ethics when they talk to their clients. “We believe in full disclosure and ensure that the client honestly tells us about his/her conditions, simply to avoid complications with the insurance company later on. This upfront attitude and being honest and ethical with our clients has helped us build a credible practice,”added Rajan. Rajan and Sonika currently practice out of their Delta home but Rajan is soon planning on expanding and building his own team of mortgage associates and Sonika is working hard to get her 10th MDRT certification, which will place her in the prestigious life member club of MDRT. And when Sonika and Rajan are not helping people with their insurance and mortgage needs they either travel with their two

sons, catch that occasional hindi soap opera on TV or films or simply socialize. “And of course we attribute our greatest thanks to the Lord and the values that our parents have instilled in us” said Sonika and Rajan in unison.

For more information on Rajan and Sonika Saggi visit http://www.mortgagebazar.ca

Sonika and Rajan Saggi other but not once have we forced our clients to use both of our services. But we do find that when we work together the comfortable level for the clients is so much more,” said Sonika Saggi and Rajan Saggi in an interview with the Asian Star recently.

Sonika Saggi is from New Delhi and completed her Bachelors of Commerce degree from Sriram College of Commerce, Delhi University’s most sought after college for Economics and Commerce. Sonika enrolled to do her Masters from Delhi School of Economics but soon got married and had to move to Punjab. Sonika continued her education even after marriage Getting a B.Ed and an M.ED. Rajan Saggi on the other hand also has a Bachelors of Commerce degree from Punjab University, Chandigarh and was self employed in India doing his own business

nancial Planning (CFP) designation , a comprehensive and rigorous financial planning course which covers all aspects of financial planning including estate planning, family law and taxes.

Rajan who was doing door to door sales first for Bell in Toronto and then for Telus in Vancouver also got his mortgage license and started his practice soon after moving to B.C. “It just made sense for me to get a mortgage license. I had a choice to either become a realtor or a mortgage consultant but then since I am good at number crunching and even better at documentation, I decided that being a mortgage consultant would be the best choice for me,” said Rajan adding that he hasn’t regretted that decision for a minute since. While Rajan specializes working with first time homebuyers, taking them through each step of buying a house carefully respecting

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LOCAL

12 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

South Asian man killed wife, then set fire to Saanich home, family says

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he family of the woman found dead inside their home in the Cordova Bay area of Saanich last week said a coroner’s report confirmed Julie Khurana was killed by her husband, Peter Vinoo Khurana, who then set fire to the home before hanging himself. Julie Khurana suffered serious domestic abuse over the course of her relationship with her husband, said her brother-in-law, Kelly Tarpley. He said Julie often called police to the Saanich home when Peter Khurana was violent, but he would be back in the house by the next day.

Tarpley and his wife, Karen, live in Palm Springs, Florida. He said his wife communicated with her sister via email every day. After March 30, the emails from Julie stopped.

Karen couldn’t reach Julie by phone and after three weeks, the couple became so

concerned they considered contacting police. It was too late. They got a call from the U.S. consulate informing them Julie was the suspected victim in a murder-suicide. Saanich police and fire departments were called to the home at 4904 Cordova Bay Rd. at 3:27 a.m. on April 21 after someone saw smoke billowing out. Once firefighters had put out the blaze, two bodies were found inside. One dog was rescued and another dog was found dead in the home. The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit launched an investigation but has released little information. Julie’s body was so badly damaged from blunt-force trauma to the head and face, and the subsequent fire, it took the B.C. Coroners Service almost a week to identify her, Tarpley was told. Julie had talked with her sister and brother-in-law about leaving the abusive relationship, but didn’t want to leave their two

Mental Math Schools

The winners of Mental Math Schools’ second annual BC provincial competition held in Surrey on August 20. All the winners were South Asian students. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

dogs and didn’t have enough money to support herself, Tarpley said. “He beat her up so many times, I lost count,” he said. “I’ve done everything short of coming up there and dragging her out of the house. “He’s been escorted out of the house five or six times in the last five or six months.” Saanich police would not confirm how many times they were called to the home before April 21. Julie Khurana had few friends in Victoria and rarely socialized with neighbours, Tarpley said. “She was like a hermit in that house,” he said. “Peter didn’t let her have any friends because he would lose his control.” Tarpley said he hopes Julie’s story will serve as a cautionary tale to women suffering from domestic abuse. “The only thing I can hope for is it might keep some other woman from being killed,” he said.

Peter Khurana was born in India in 1956.

He and his mother moved to Switzerland, where he met his first wife, Irene Khurana.

The couple moved to Canada and Peter Khurana bought the Cordova Bay Road home in 1998.

Irene Khurana said last week that her ex-husband had a violent temper and she tried to get a restraining order against him in 2004. The couple divorced in 2006. Peter Khurana met Julie online through a stock-trading website and she left her home in Louisville, Kentucky, to be with him in Victoria around 2007. At one point, the couple moved to Mackenzie, a town about 180 kilometres north of Prince George, where Peter Khurana ran a dental practice. It was there that he was charged with assault causing bodily harm against Julie in December 2013. Peter Khurana pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of assault. He was sentenced to one day in jail

and one year of probation. He was released on conditions that included avoiding alcohol or drugs and attending counselling. He was not allowed to contact Julie, but the couple continued to live together back in Victoria. In January 2014, he was charged with breaching those conditions and sentenced to another day in jail. Parm Kroad, deputy director of the Victoria Women’s Transition House, said women thinking of leaving an abusive relationship can call the 24-hour crisis line at 250-385-6611.

Man who spent 27 years in jail has right to sue for wrongful conviction

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man who spent 27 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted for a series of sexual assaults will now be able to sue police and federal, provincial and municipal authorities for damages, the Supreme Court of Canada says.

Canada’s highest court ruled Friday that Ivan Henry, 67, can move forward with lawsuits against authorities that include the City of Vancouver and members of the Vancouver Police Department. In 1983, Ivan Henry was convicted of 10 sexual offences in Vancouver and sentenced to jail. Henry always maintained his innocence. In 2010, the B.C. Court of Appeal found serious errors in the conduct of the trial and quashed all of those convictions, effectively acquitting him of the crimes. This 1982 Vancouver police lineup photo, showing an officer holding Ivan Henry in a choke hold, was submitted to the B.C. Court of Appeal, before his conviction was overturned in 2010.

Henry then launched a lawsuit for the wrongful convictions, claiming his Charter rights were violated when the Crown failed to disclose key information about his case, including conflicting statements from witnesses, that there was another suspect, and that similar assaults occurred after his arrest.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed, and ruled Henry can sue provincial and federal authorities as well as Vancouver police officers involved in his case. The Crown had argued at the hearings that the prosecutors didn’t act maliciously and that Henry would have to prove they did.

LOCAL

NDP MPs demand 100 new RCMP Officers for Surrey now

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ederal New Democrats are demanding immediate approval of 100 new police officers for Surrey from the Conservative government.

Jinny Sims, MP for Newton-North Delta, and Jasbir Sandhu, MP for Surrey North, led the NDP’s charge in the House of Commons on Thursday.

“The violence on our streets is real,” Sims said. “Will the minister of public

Metro Vancouver transit vote hits halfway point

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plan. In total, Elections BC has received over 537,000 ballot packages (34 per cent voter turnout) but that number includes ballots that have not yet been screened.

In comparison, voter turnout in the transit plebiscite is starting to approach the levels seen during municipal elections.

Turnout during the 2011 City of Vancouver elections was 35 per cent (it went up to 43.4 per cent in 2014). Voter turnout in the last provincial general election was 55.32 per cent. Fifty-two per cent of British Columbians voted in the 2011 referendum that killed the Harmonized Sales Tax. Polls in the Metro Vancouver transit plebiscite close at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 29

Man surrenders after barricading himself inside Surrey house in the 8200-block of 134th Street around ngoing gang war in Surrey 7:30 p.m., according to Surrey RCMP. Poclaims first life, fuels public safelice said the residents, ty concerns concerned for their safeTurf war behind spate of shootings: Surrey RCMP Surrey RCMP say a ty, immediately fled the house and called police.

Mounties say no one was 34-year-old man who The man refused to leave injured after a man barthe house, damaging the forcibly entered a ricaded himself inside a interior and was seen family member’s house family member’s carrying a weapon, acin Surrey on Tuesday home is known cording to police. Police night. called a negotiator to the to police.

The 34-year-old Surscene, who was able to rey man, who is known talk the man into comto police, allegedly forcing out of the house. He was arrested and is ibly entered a house without permission in police custody awaiting charges.

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Container Truckers meet the South Asian press

safety commit here and now to 100 new officers and resources, and provide a clear timeline for when they will arrive?”

Surrey city council has asked for urgent help in response to escalating violence here.

Sandhu said it’s “unacceptable” the government has not committed to a time frame. “Surrey needs more resources, including youth gang prevention programs. The immediate approval of 100 RCMP officers would be a start.”

Voter turnout in Metro Vancouver transit plebiscite near 30% ancouver mayor ‘pleased’ with new transit fund in federal budget Metro Vancouver transit plebiscite votes start rolling in Voter turnout for the region’s transit plebiscite is near 30 per cent with a month left until polls close.

Elections BC released its weekly update on ballot returns Wednesday, confirming that 455,220 ballots have been received and screened to date. Those ballots represent a voter turnout of 29.2 per cent so far. The region’s voters are being asked to vote on a proposed 0.5 per cent Congestion Improvement Tax to help pay for the region’s 10-year, $7.5-billion transit

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 13

Representatives of the Container Truckers at press conference in Surrey Monday to discuss their ongoing dispute with the port of Vancouver.

Photo: Chandra Bodalia

14 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

LOCAL

South Asian candidate’s rejection by Alberta’s governing party creates controversy

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ours after three Wildrose defectors lowed,” Lall said in a statement Monday. “I were defeated in Tory nomination was not given a opportunity to meet with battles, Chestermere-Rocky View hopeful Jathe nomination committee mie Lall says he was given a grim to receive more informachoice. The longtime Alberta tion and it was published Progressive Conservative candion the PCAA website that date and executive, aiming to unI was disallowed later that seat another Wildrose floor-crosssame night.” Last Tueser in MLA Bruce McAllister, said day, Lall said he received he received a text message from word his nomination had the party’s executive director late been approved by the loSaturday night to step aside or cal nominating commitbe kicked off the ballot. It came tee, with no suggestion he the same night former Wildrose was on shaky ground. The leader Danielle Smith, along with former Tory candidate for ex-Wildrosers Gary Bikman and Jamie Lall, Calgary-Buffalo, who fell Rod Fox, lost their nominations PC party candidate to Liberal Kent Hehr in the to run under the PC banner in 2012 provincial election, an expected spring election. “This was the said despite previously being vetted three first I heard of my candidacy being disal- times ahead of previous nomination battles, this time he was asked to meet with a private investigator earlier this month. Kelley Charlebois, the party’s executive director, issued a short statement Sunday, declining to explain why the decision was made.

“The vetting process abides by the privacy of the people we vet. As such, we decline further comment,” he wrote. Premier Jim Prentice also weighed in Monday to reporters, but declined to get into the reasons for Lall’s disqualification. “We vetted, I think, four or five candidates out of several hundred people,” he said. “Mr. Lall was one of the people vetted. He was vetted for good reasons. “I won’t speak to the reasons, only he can do that.” Progressive Conservative Leader and Alberta Premier Jim Prentice faced repeated questions about his party’s standards for candidates on Wednesday as he defended incumbent MLA Mike Allen’s sex conviction.

Prentice was asked during a Calgary radio program about the party’s controversial disqualification of now independent Chestermere-Rocky View candidate Jamie Lall in March after Lall released a series of text messages on Tuesday between himself and PC executive director Kelley Charlebois.

Prentice explained that the PC nomination committee determined a restraining order against Lall from 2007 made him “not acceptable” as a candidate but refuted comparisons to Allen’s conviction for soliciting prostitution in 2013.

“He didn’t lie about that. He accepted responsibility,” said Prentice, noting Allen pleaded guilty after he was arrested in an undercover prostitution sting during a government business trip to St. Paul, Minn., in July 2013. Allen paid a $500 fine plus court costs and sat as an independent for almost a year before returning to the Tory caucus.

“He served his punishment and at the end of the day he fulfilled his responsibilities to society on that front,” said Prentice.

Lall, however, was “not forthright” with the PC nomination committee about his 2007 restraining order, said Prentice, and the details of the restraining order alone “clearly means he’s not acceptable as a candidate.” Prentice noted that the woman who originally filed the order has told media that she’s upset and, he said, she “shouldn’t have been brought into it.”

Prentice also said that Calgary-Arcadia candidate Jonathan Denis, who messaged Lall to tell him to get a lawyer because he was “being set up” for disqualification by the party, “is going to have to explain his emails.” When Prentice was queried again by media following the radio interview, he said he would “encourage everyone in the media and otherwise to get back to what is critical to the people of this province.”

LOCAL

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Most Canadians say they’ll never fully retire, survey suggests

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new survey suggests more than half of Canadians either plan to ease into retirement by working reduced hours before hanging it up for good or have no plans to ever quit. The report by HSBC found that 45 per cent of working-age Canadians expect some period of semi-retirement before fully packing it in, while another 15 per cent expect to never be able to fully retire.

That’s compared with 17 per cent of current retirees surveyed who said they semi-retired before fully retiring. Delayed plans Betty Miao, HSBC Bank Canada’s head of retail banking and wealth management, says while under-employment challenges facing young Canadians are well-known, the report suggests older Canadians are also feeling the pinch.

The survey results come as Canadians balance saving for retirement while grappling with record debt levels.

TransCanada says it expects B.C. to decide soon on 2 pipeline projects

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ransCanada Corp. says it expects B.C.’s oil and gas commission to decide soon on two pipeline projects that the company wants to build across the province.

One of the projects is a 900-kilometre pipeline to move natural gas from the Montney gas-producing region near Fort St. John, in northeastern B.C., to a connection near a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal near Prince Rupert, B.C. The other project is a 670-kilometre pipeline to move gas from the Montney region to another proposed LNG terminal near Kitimat, B.C. TransCanada’s expectations of a decision on the pipelines this quarter were included in the company’s first-quarter financial report, which largely met analyst estimates.

The Calgary-based company says its “comparable earnings” for the first three months of 2015 were 66 cents per share or $465 million, up from $422 million or 60 cents per share in last year’s first quarter.

Analysts tracked by Thomson Reuters also estimated 66 cents per share of earnings for the quarter.

TransCanada’s net income — which includes items excluded from comparable earnings — was $387 million or 55 cents per share, down from $412 million or 58 cents per share in the first quarter of 2014.

Russ Girling, TransCanada’s president and chief executive officer said there was improved performance from each of the company’s core businesses.

“Strong performance from our Keystone System, Eastern Canadian Power and U.S. Power segments helped to offset depressed power prices in Western Power and clearly demonstrates the strength of our diverse portfolio of critical energy infrastructure assets,” he said

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 15

Statistics Canada said last month that the ratio of household debt to disposable income hit a new high in the fourth quarter of last year, with households owing about $1.63 in consumer credit, mortgage, and non-mortgage loans for every dollar of disposable income. The record level of debt has been driven in part by a prolonged period of low interest rates that have made borrowing more attractive and helped drive up home prices. The online survey by HSBC was part of a global review of some 16,000 working and retired people in 15 countries and territories, including 1,000 Canadians. Compared with Canada’s 45 per cent, an average 26 per cent of working-age people globally planned to semi-retire. According to the survey, 57 per cent of those working-age Canadians planning to semi-retire want to stay in the same job, but work fewer hours,

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ew West police seek suspect in machete attack Woman dies after being struck by tractor-trailer in New Westminster Metro Vancouver sees three suspicious deaths in 24-hour period The New Westminster police department fired one of its sworn officers for allegedly stealing money and property from the department. Adam Spindor was terminated in March after eight years of service with the NWPD, Sgt. Chad Johnston wrote in a statement on Tuesday. An internal investiwhile 35 per cent plan a career change as well as reduced hours. Some positive news The HSBC report found that for the Canadians surveyed who did opt for semi-retirement, the decision was a positive one, with 38 per cent choosing to go that route because they didn’t want to fully retire immediately.

Another 37 per cent said they continued to work to help keep themselves physically and mentally active. However, 12 per cent

gation led to three charges against Spindor for theft of money and property and breach of trust. Police will not comment further since the charges are before the courts.

said they could not immediately afford to retire full time, while 18 per cent cited health reasons or physical demands. The polling industry’s professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error as they are not a random sample and therefore are not necessarily representative of the whole population.

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16 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

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ess than three months after he was arrested in Surrey for breaching his release conditions, police are warning residents that James Conway, a high-risk sex offender, will be moving to Delta. Conway was freed from custody earlier this year, in February, choosing to live in Surrey. But only a week after his release, he was arrested after allegedly sitting beside a 14-year-old on a bus, contrary to his release conditions that he not be near anyone under 18. On Tuesday (April 28) the Delta Police Department issued a statement saying the 40-year-old has once again been released from jail and is planning to reside in the Delta area. Conway has previously been convicted of three sexual offences against children. His history includes sexual interference of a person under 16, sexual assault and arson. According to B.C. Corrections, he has “maintained a versatile pattern of sexual offending against female children in a predatory and opportunistic manner.� Conway is described as

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white, 6’4� tall, weighing 276 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He likes to use public transit to get around, police say. He is being monitored electronically by authorities, is under house arrest and is not allowed to leave his home unless accompanied by a case worker. In total, he is to adhere to 24 DPVSU PSEFSFE DPOEJUJPOT t /PU FOHBHJOH in any activity that involves contact with persons under the age of 18 years including using a computer system; t /PU FOHBHJOH JO BOZ BDUJWJUJFT WPMunteer work and/or employment that would involve being in a position of trust or authority or involves contact XJUI QFSTPOT VOEFS UIF BHF PG t Prohibited from attending or being within any public park, playground or school, child daycare centre, community centre or public swimming area or other sites including churches which offer activities GPS DIJMESFO VOEFS UIF BHF PG t .VTU OPU consume alcohol or controlled substances or OPO QSFTDSJCFE NFEJDBUJPO t .BZ OPU USBWFM BMPOF PO QVCMJD USBOTJU t .VTU OPU QPTTFTT any weapons as defined by the Criminal Code except for knives to be used only for the preparation and consumption of meals;

B.C. gov’t is giving $270,000 for Surrey’s anti-gang program Bains said more police officers are he BC government is givrequired right away. “They don’t even ing $270,000 in one-time have enough resources to put out the funding to a Surrey school fires,� Bains said about the RCMP’s program to stop kids from choosing forced reactionary approach. Surrey the gang life. B.C. Premier ChrisMayor Linda Hepner said the funding ty Clark was at Surrey City Hall on is great news for the City of Surrey. She Tuesday afternoon for the announcement of funding, which will augment the successful Surrey Wraparaound Program (Wrap), which works to reduce gang-related activity among youth.

The program currently serves 60 individuals and the extra funds will allow for another 15 to 20 more. Surrey Board of Education Chair Premier Christy Clark and Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner Shawn Wilson is happy (left) at Surrey City Hall on Tuesday. to get the funding, but said she heard from the public at a reacknowledges he would have liked to cent crime forum in Surrey that they see some ongoing revenues for future wanted more investment in the Wrap years. He said the cash injection this program. year should help reduce the wait list “Having identified that, having spo– which stands now at about 40 kids ken with the premier and have it happen – by a fair amount. Harry Bains, the so quickly, I’m very grateful,� Hepner NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton, said told the crowd. She said the request for the funding falls way short of what’s 100 new police officers this year have necessary to address the crime probbeen “fast-tracked� by the province and lem in Surrey. In the last seven weeks, is now in the hands of Ottawa. “I can there have been 23 shootings, one of tell you there will be a mixture of rookthem fatal. The man killed was Bains’ ies, new officers and those more frontnephew, Arun Bains. “It is just a lined officers and more seasoned comquick, knee-jerk reaction,� Bains said ing to the City of Surrey,� Hepner said. of the provincial funding. “It is not a “Some of those officers will be going to real solution to the real problems that the RCMP youth unit.� our community is facing.�

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LOCAL

Burnaby RCMP arrests two fugitives from Alberta

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spike in pickup truck thefts in Burnaby has resulted in the arrest of two fugitives wanted on more than 120 charges in Alberta, say Burnaby RCMP. The man and woman are believed to have arrived in the Lower Mainland around the end of January, said Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Andy LeClair at a press conference Tuesday. On March 25, Burnaby RCMP’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team started investigating after they noticed a significant spike in the theft of Ford F-series trucks in Burnaby.

Two days later, a police and a civilian vehicle were rammed as Abbotsford Police Department tried to arrest a suspect driving a stolen Ford F350 truck. The driver escaped.

On April 2, Burnaby RCMP officers tried to stop another stolen F350 but it fled at high speed, and was not pursued for safety reasons, said Staff Sgt. Major John Buis.

Then on April 14, Burnaby RCMP officers watched a stolen F250 truck on Royal Oak Avenue. The truck left the area but was followed with the help of the RCMP’s Air 1 helicopter to the 6200-block of 137 Street in Surrey. On video captured from the chopper, the truck is seen running red lights, driving into oncoming lanes of traffic, onto sidewalks and through school sidewalks, and knocking over trash cans, all to avoid being stopped in traffic. “There was a huge threat to public safety here,” said LeClair. The driver and companion then ran into a home where, with the help of several integrated teams, including the Lower Mainland Emergency Response

$OOHJHG SUROL¿F auto thief arrested in Burnaby A 23-year-old man has been arrested in Burnaby after being caught with a stolen car and eluding police as they followed him through several municipalities.

The vehicle, a 2015 BMW X3, was stolen April 19 from a garage in Coquitlam.

It appears the suspect found the car keys inside the victims’ home while they slept and no other items were stolen during the break-and-enter, say Lower Mainland District RCMP. On April 23, officers with the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto New Westminster, Surrey and Burnaby. The Lower Mainland Urban Patrol helicopter was able to monitor the vehicCrime Team (IMPACT) spotted the vehicle in Coquitlam before it was seen being driven throughle as it travelled through a number of municipalities and provided updates to officers on the ground, which included RCMP from Coquitlam, Burnaby, Ridge Meadows and Surrey.

Officers from the Port Mann Freeway Patrol, driving a marked police vehicle, tried to stop the stolen vehicle in New Westminster but the BMW sped away, RCMP said. Numerous Burnaby residents then began calling in complaints about the way the vehicle was being driven. Eventually, the BMW was involved in a minor collision at Imperial Street and Macpherson Avenue where the driver allegedly fled the scene. A short time later, the driver pulled the vehicle over around Imperial and Kingsway and fled on foot. The man was found a short distance away hiding in a stairwell of a home and was arrested by police and the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service. During a search of the BMW, police found items suspected of being stolen including mail, jewelry

Team and Police Dog Services, and Surrey RCMP, the couple were arrested. “This individual didn’t give up right until the end,” he said of the male suspect. Two search warrants were executed in Burnaby and Surrey, leading police to seize 14 firearms, including prohibited weapons, two Air Soft guns, a BB gun, bullets, magazine clips, a knife, designer sunglasses and drugs including heroin, crystal methamphetamine and cocaine.

The pickups were likely used in committing property crimes, said LeClair, noting prolific auto thieves also tend to target the same types of vehicles. “He bragged he could steal the vehicle within 10 seconds and be on his way,” LeClair said of the suspect. “He’s a very savvy car thief.” He estimated the pair were responsible for stealing, “conservatively, 15 to 20 vehicles” during their time in the Lower Mainland. The suspects were “desperate” and were involved with drugs. “When people are that desperate, they’re not thinking about

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 17

23rd shooting in 7 weeks in Surrey-Delta

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urrey-Delta area’s 23rd shooting in seven weeks took place early last Tuesday morning. At about 3 a.m.

Tuesday, Surrey RCMP were called to 94 Avenue and 124 Street to reports of an unknown number of shots fired. There were also reports of people arguing and cars driving erratically. When Mounties arrived, they found evidence of a shooting at the scene and an indication of a fight.

Police indicate a man was also stabbed at the scene. Police say there is no indication at this point that Tuesday’s shooting is related to previous gun violence in Surrey and North Delta. Police are asking anyone with more information to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS ).

On Tuesday afternoon, in response to the recent spate of shootings and violence, Delta Police announced that a mobile surveillance camera trailer will be installed in North

Delta to improve and ensure ongoing community safety and to assist with investigative initiatives. The unit is self-contained with a 30-foot tower boom that houses four individual high-resolution cameras. They will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“The cameras are being deployed as a temporary crime deterrence initiative in response to the ongoing gun violence across Surrey and Delta,” said Acting Delta Police Chief Lyle Beaudoin.

“We believe they will both deter criminal actions related to the violence, but also aid us in the investigative process.”

Access to the footage will only be granted following any incident in which it is believed the footage will assist in an investigation, and only at the direction of police inspectors within the Delta Police and CFSEU. The unit has been loaned to the Delta Police Department at no cost from a local manufacturer. The tower camera will be initially deployed at 80 Avenue and 120 Street.

18 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

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Vancouver property exclusively marketed to international buyers; sells for $5 million over asking price

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hat statement came in an email to say, but there would be an additional adfrom the commercial real estate ministrative burden, and it could possibly company, which recently travelled be subject to challenge by the charter.” He to Asia to showcase some of their proper- argues that Vancouver is simply a victim of ties. The international-only sale that went $5 incredibly high demand. “I don’t know what million above asking price is an accurate reflection is in Vancouver, but CBRE of the market, I don’t If the escalating price of wouldn’t tell where its exact know what the market is location is. What exactly it Vancouver real estate – and supposed to look like. At means depends on who you the role international buyers the end of the day, it is ask. To some, it highlights contribute to it – frustrates market economics. If it’s the lack of regulation on for- you, a recent statement by a valuable asset, if more eign ownership in VancouCBRE Group won’t help people want it, more ver. While several provinces people are going to pay matters limit foreign ownership of for it.” Tsur Somerville, agricultural land, and many Director of UBC’s Cencountries impose restrictions or additional tre for Urban Economics and Real Estate, taxes, no such laws exist in British Columbia. says that international buyers of commercial “There are no regulations in British Co- property doesn’t concern him. “No one buys lumbia that restrict foreign ownership of an office building to hold it vacant. People land,” says Alexander Fane, a Real Estate buy office buildings because they want rent.

Partner with Bull Housser. “Controls could Who owns it doesn’t matter because they’re be imposed. Would they be effective? It’s hard going to go out and get it, and fill it best they

can anyhow,” he says. However, Somerville says that vacant properties are a greater problem. “I’m a lot more concerned with the vacant property, independent of who owns it.

I’m much more aligned with ‘let’s find a way to tax property that’s not being used, that’s vacant, [and] use that money to then help low-income people looking for housing,’” he says. “That strikes me as a nice connection between a need and what’s causing it.”

‘Thin home’ sells for $1.35M in Vancouver’s Point Grey

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ne of Vancouver’s rare ‘thin homes’ sold last week for $1.35 million, but don’t expect to see more of them popping up to solve the city’s housing crunch, according to one real estate agent. The split-level home on West 15th Avenue in Point Grey is only 3.6 metres wide (12 feet) and has a floor space of about 945 square feet. But it still manages to contain a master bedroom, kitchen, living room, den, one and a half bathrooms and garage, all on four different levels and fitted out with

luxury finishes and landscaping. The Point Grey home, which was built in 1987, is one of roughly 60 in Vancouver that were built on half-sized lots. Realtor Ken Wyder says while he’s never sold one, he’s been in a few, and they have a certain charm. “What are they like? Thin!” says Wyder. “I think that’s it. They’re cute. It’s like a dollhouse feel to them,” he said.

“It’s narrow living. Narrower than you would typically see perhaps in a condo or townhome or half duplex.”

2 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

REAL ESTATE / FINANCE

Toronto has hottest luxury-home market in the world, Christie’s says at 225 days. That’s partly because a relative uxury homes in Toronto sell an avlack of homes for sale drives up demand and erage of three times faster than they interest in the ones that are. Extremely low do in New York Christie’s Real Essupply of homes in Toronto has pushed prictate says Toronto has the hottest market for es to $1 to $2 million for what Christie’s calls luxury homes on Earth, with a price point “relatively average homes in the city� and up of $3 million US being the starting point for to $2 to $4 million for larger homes or those what the high-end real estate firm says qualiin the most desirable neighbourhoods. fies as luxury.

The shortage of homes pushed luxury conIn its annual ranking, the real estate comdo prices above $1 million as well in 2014. pany — best known for being an auction Justine Deluce, of Chestnut Park Real house — says the volume of luxury home Estate, said 2014 was Toronto’s second-best sales rose by 37 per cent in Toronto last year, sales year on record. much higher than increases “If there had been They are: seen elsewhere. more inventory, the ret 5PSPOUP Christie’s polled 1,350 of cord would easily have t -PT "OHFMFT its associated realtors in more been shattered.� t %VCBJ than 70 markets around the Muskoka market t )POH ,POH world before arriving at its booming, too t -POEPO conclusion. Overall, the comToronto’s booming t .JBNJ pany came up with a list of the luxury home market t /FX :PSL 10 “best of the best� cities for is also spilling north t 1BSJT luxury real estate. of the city, as Christie’s t 4BO 'SBODJTDP Of that group, only Toronto reports a better-thant 4ZEOFZ saw more luxury home sales in normal market in the 2014 than the previous year. cottage country district So, what does luxury mean? The price of Muskoka. Last year, the part of Ontario varies from place to place, but in Toronto, that the New York Times once described as Christie’s says it starts in homes worth $3 “the Malibu of the North� saw a marked inmillion US — about $3.6 million Cdn — and crease in sales of luxury homes. “The jump up. Across all the cities included in the surin luxury sales volumes does not necessarily vey, the average starting price for luxury is $2 show that average sale prices increased, but million. That floor sinks as low as $750,000 does indicate that buyers had an appetite for US in Durban in South Africa, and as high as more expensive recreational properties — $8 million US in Beverly Hills, Calif. something that has not occurred since beQuick sales In addition to seeing the largfore the recession of 2008,� Deluce said. In est growth in home sales, Toronto also had that part of cottage country, Christie’s says the fastest turnaround time to sell, with the the cut-off for what is considered luxury is average luxury home selling just 31 days after $1 million. Sales in that segment of the marlisting. In New York, it took an average of ket increased by 66 per cent compared to 87 days for a luxury home to sell last year. In 2013’s level, the real estate firm said.

Hong Kong, it took the better part of a year

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I’m both Hindu and Muslim: Salman Khan tells court

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ollywood star Salman Khan was nonplussed when a judge in Jodhpur asked him about his caste but he quickly gathered his wits and replied that he was both “Hindu and Muslim”. Khan also told chief judicial magistrate Anupama Bijlani that he had been framed in a case registered against him under the Arms Act over the shooting of some endangered ani-

mals in 1998. The actor appeared in the court to record his statement in the case. As part of the process, Khan was required to answer questions about his father’s name, profession and caste.

The court witnessed an interesting exchange when the judge asked Khan to state his caste. Khan was confused by the judge’s question and someone in the court suggested he should say

he was a Muslim. The actor then said he was both Hindu and Muslim. “My father is Muslim and my mother is Hindu,” Khan said, speaking in Hindi. Later, the judge read out the statement of four prosecution witnesses and asked Khan for his statement. Khan told the judge he was innocent and had been framed E\ RI¿FLDOV RI WKH IRUHVW GHSDUWPHQW +LV counsel sought more time from the court

to present witnesses in Khan’s defence.

7KH FRXUW ¿[HG 0D\ DV WKH GDWH IRU WKH next hearing. During the last hearing on April 17, the judge had directed Khan to appear in person. Khan arrived in court at around 10 am as a large crowd thronged the premises to get a glimpse of the star. His bodyguards entered the courtroom but were pushed out by policemen.

4 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 5

FOOD

6 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

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 Random spices p

Method: ¡ Fry cut onions, green pepper, ginger, garlic, random spices (cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves) and salt for 5 10 minutes. ¡Add tomatoes, sautÊ for a while. ¡Add washed and drained rice, fry for 5 minutes or so.

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 5LFH JP Fresh curd 600 ml 0LON PO Salt to taste Ginger 10 gm Green Chillies 10 gm 0XVWDUG VHHGV JP 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 sautÊ for 2 minutes. ¡ 6ZLWFK RII WKH ¿UH DQG DGG WKH rice, curd mixture to the pan ¡ Mix well ¡ Serve with pickles

Paratha

Recipe

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Method of cooking the paratha Preheat a cast-iron tawa over medium heat. Place the rolled dough on the palm RI RQH KDQG DQG ÀLS LW RYHU RQ WR WKH tawa. When the colour changes on the

hese breads, called SDUDWKDV DUH ÀDN\ DQG somewhat more elaborate than chapattis or rotis. The dough is rolled out and brushed with ghee or oil folded and brushed with ghee or oil again and folded again to form a layered slice. This is then rolled out again. This is then put on a hot griddle and brushed with oil. The heat makes the layers of dough VZHOO DQG SXII UHVXOWLQJ ÀDN\ SDVtry OLNH ÀDW EUHDGV 7KH\ PD\ DOVR EH used as snacks, lunch-box favourites, light brunch items or travelling munching companions. Allow 1 or 2 per person.

Ingredients: FXSV FKDSDWWL ÀRXU 1 cup water at room temperature FXS FKDSDWWL ÀRXU ghee for brushing the bread Method to roll out the dough Prepare Basic dough and allow to rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. To make triangularshaped parathas, divide the dough into peach-size balls. With a rolling pin, roll out 1 ball to a circle 5 inches in diameter. Brush the circle of dough with ghee, and fold in half to from a crescent then brush again with ghee and fold into a triangle. Seal the edges well. Dust the paratha ZLWK ¿QHO\ VLHYHG ZKROH ZKHDW ÀRXU DQG UROO LQWR D ODUJH ÀDW WULDQJOH RU round paratha. Try to make the edges slightly thinner to ensure uniform cooking. Rather than shaping all the parathas at one time, cook each one as the next one is rolled out.

Your f

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top and bubbles appear, brush ghee over the surface of the paratha and turn it over. Repeat the process of brushing the paratha on the other side. Keep ÀLSSLQJ LW RYHU WLOO ERWK VLGHV DUH browned and spots appear on the paratha.

With experience the paratha will puff on the tawa.

To keep the parathas warm as they are cooked, place them in a towel-lined bowl and fold over the sides of the towel. Serve hot.

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LOCAL

20 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

GM to cut 1,000 jobs at Ontario plant

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utomaker outlines plans to invest $5.4 billion in U.S. but nothing in Canada GM has confirmed it will cut 1,000 jobs at its Oshawa, Ont., assembly plant, even as it announces $5.4 billion US in investment in its American operations. On Thursday, GM confirmed the end of production for the Chevrolet Camaro at the Oshawa Assembly plant will be Nov. 20 of this year.

The plant is still waiting for the company to announce a model to be made after 2016, but GM claims it does not yet have a model ready to go into the plant. By December of this year, Oshawa will have 2,600 employees, building five vehicles: the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Regal, Cadillac XTS, the Impala Limited, and the Chevrolet Equinox. The company said it is working with autoworkers union Unifor to offer retirement incentives to workers to minimize the number of layoffs. More than

2,000 GM workers in Oshawa are eligible for retirement packages. Even as the announcement of layoffs was made in Canada, GM was pledging $5.4 billion US in investment in its U.S. plants over three years. Speaking in Pontiac, Michigan, GM North America president Alan Batey outlined specific plans totalling $783.5 million for GM’s three MichJHBO QMBOUT ćFTF JODMVEF t NJMMJPO GPS the Pontiac Metal Center, where major body QBOFM EJFT XJMM CF QSF UFTUFE t NJMMJPO for tooling and equipment for new vehicle programs at the Lansing Delta Township BTTFNCMZ QMBOU t NJMMJPO GPS B OFX body shop and stamping facility upgrades for pre-production vehicles in Warren. All of the investments are geared toward improving the quality of GM products, according to GM vice-president Cathy Clegg. The automaker said it would announce another $4.6 billion in investments over the coming months.

Canada’s 150th anniversary winning logo designed by university student

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he official logo for Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation has been revealed as the creation of design contest winner and University of Waterloo student Ariana Cuvin. The design by Cuvin, a second year Global Business and Digital Arts student, was chosen from more than 300 eligible entries submitted for The official logo for Canada’s 150th anniversary the Canada 150 Logo Design Content. of Confederation (right) has been revealed as the The new logo features a series of dia- creation of design contest winner and University of monds shapes arranged to form a ma- Waterloo student Ariana Cuvin (left). ple leaf, meant to represent the provincprocess has drawn criticism from Graphic es that formed Confederation in 1867. “The repeated shape is meant to create a Designers of Canada, the national certificasense of unity and the 13 shapes forming the tion body for graphic and communication leaf represents our togetherness as a country. designers. President Adrian Jean says the In the coloured iterations, the centre four design contest is unethical and exploitative to diamonds are similar in colour,� said Cuvin, young students. “The GDC continues to feel who immigrated to Canada with her family disgust that the government not only did not fairly compensate those who provided graphfrom Hong Kong in 2002. “From left to right, similar colours are used ic options but also that the so-called winner in a row to show the provinces and territo- has just given up their rights of ownership of ries that joined Canada in the same year. The this mark,� said Jean in an open letter posted multi-coloured iteration gives a feeling of to the body’s website.

The new logo will be featured in all proddiversity, while the red one shows pride and unity.� Logo design contest criticized Cu- ucts and events related to the 150th annivervin will receive $5,000 for her work, but the sary in 2017.

Medical marijuana prescriptions prohibited for under-25s in B.C.

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eople under the age of 25 or suffering addiction should not be prescribed medical marijuana, according to stricter standards being introduced by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. A version of the new professional standards was published on the college’s website earlier this month, but has since been taken down. College registrar Dr. Heidi Oetter said the statement is being reworded to allow for some exceptions for palliative-care patients and patients with seizure disorders. Oetter said the new policies will also prohibit doctors from charging patients for completing a medical document prescribing cannabis. “We certainly have learned from our colleagues to the south, particularly in places like Colorado and Washington state,� she said. “They have had instances where physicians have literally opened up hotel rooms to authorize permits at hundreds of dollars per head, and that type of unprofessional activity really tarnishes the profession.�

Oetter said the college has not received any complaints about B.C. physicians charging

for medical cannabis prescriptions. ‘We are moving backwards’ The new guidelines are concerning for some B.C. doctors who prescribe cannabis. Dr. Kevin Kanerva, a medical consultant with the Do No Harm Clinic in Kelowna, thinks the new policies are too restrictive. “I have patients who are under the age of 25 who have been successfully using cannabis. So all of a sudden they would be cut off from their legal tested supply, forcing them to go back to the black market,� he said. “We are moving backwards in Canada, which is unfortunate.�

Oetter said the college will publish an updated version of the professional standards in the next few weeks and it expects B.C. physicians to adhere to the policy when prescribing medical cannabis. “This particular document is a standard. That means it is a policy of the college and that means it is enforceable,� she said. “If we were to receive a complaint, that may be the basis for the matter being considered by the inquiry committee or the discipline committee.�

NATIONAL

Duffy trial delayed until Monday due to battle over evidence

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he judge in Mike Duffy’s Senate expenses trial has adjourned proceedings for the rest of the week in an Ottawa court to give the Crown and defence time to prepare arguments over the admissibility of a Senate committee report. The Crown is arguing the report, which is already a public document, should not be considered evidence because, the Crown contends, its conclusions are hearsay. The 2010 report from the Senate’s internal economy committee followed up on audits of the senators’ financial management conducted in 2009. Defence lawyer Donald Bayne told the judge he was worried that a delay in the trial might endanger the appearance of Gerald Donohue, Duffy’s friend and key witness. Donohue is recovering from serious health issues, and Bayne said that his health is a “grave concern,� and Donohue “may not be with us.�

Ontario Court Judge Charles Vaillancourt said it could take him until sometime in June to reach a decision on the issue. But the court will continue to hear from other witnesses after Monday. The trial, in its 17th day, began April 7 in the provincial court.

Conservatives still on top as parties report latest fundraising totals

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Mike Duffy The adjournment put on hold Bayne’s cross-examination of the former head of Senate finance, Nicole Proulx. Proulx had returned for her sixth day in the witness box, where she has undergone intense, and at times combative, grilling by Bayne about the administration’s rules and regulations regarding senators’ expenses. Proulx will come back to testify after Vaillancourt has ruled on the admissibility issue.

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 21

s the clock ticks down to the fall fixed election date, the Conservative Party continues to dominate the pre-campaign fundraising circuit, according to the latest party financial reports posted to Elections Canada’s website.

During the first three months of the year, the Tories pulled in $6.3 million — more than both their closest competitors combined — from just over 41,000 donors. That’s an increase of just over $1.7 million over last year’s first-quarter returns, although down slightly from the $6.6 million the party reported for the last quarter of 2014. The number of donors also shot up by nearly 10,000. “These results show that Canadians are continuing to donate more to the Conservative Party because they know the tough job of being prime minister requires a strong, serious leader, and they’re rejecting the highrisk, high-tax, high-debt schemes of Justin

Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair,� Conservative communications director Cory Hann said.

Not surprisingly, that’s not how the other parties see it. NDP, Liberals tout results In an email to supporters sent out before the results had even been published, the Liberals trumpeted the $3.8 million collected from 34,508 contributors as the party’s “best Q1 everâ€? after beating last year’s haul by just over $100,000. As Liberal Party communications director Olivier Duschesneau pointed out to CBC News, that doesn’t take into account the fact that last year’s revenues were inflated by the party’s biennial convention, which was held in February, 2014. “If you remove the convention revenues and paying delegates, we raised close to a million [dollars] more [this year] than last Q1 ‌ and had more than 2,000 additional donors,â€? he noted.

It is also the party’s eighth consecutive quarter with more than 30,000 donors, he added.

Highlights of the Auditor General’s 2015 spring report .H\ ¿QGLQJV IURP WKH VSULQJ UHSRUW RI WKH IHGHUDO DXGLWRU JHQHUDO UHOHDVHG 7XHVGD\

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he Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada should be doing more to mitigate the health risks posed by antimicrobial resistance — the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections, or “superbugs,� due to the misuse of antimicrobial drugs.

Despite accounting for tens of billions of dollars in annual government expense, the federal government’s tax-based expenditures — boutique tax credit measures such as the children’s fitness tax credit, for example — are not properly evaluated or subject to adequate parliamentary oversight.

Health Canada can’t say for sure that all eligible First Nations individuals in remote communities in Manitoba and Ontario can

access sufficient clinical and client care services and medical transportation.

Only 1 of 45 randomly chosen nurses in the First Nations communities had completed all five of Health Canada’s mandatory training courses.

Not all nursing stations in the communities meet health and safety requirements or building codes. In one case, a nursing station residence had been unusable for more than two years because of a broken septic system.

The Canada Border Services Agency is not properly managing its information-technol-

Senate moves to keep internal report on residency secret

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he government’s plan to nearly double the TFSA contribution limit might not be a problem for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s granddaughter after all, according to a new calculation done by the Parliamentary Budget Office. So few people will actually be able to contribute $10,000 a year to their accounts that the fiscal hit to the federal govern-

ment will be manageable, the PBO said. “This is not something that can get out of hand because people have limited room to save and invest. Even if you triple the size of the TFSA, only a very small number of people will have the financial room to take advantage of it,� said Mostafa Askari, the assistant parliamentary budget officer.

ogy projects, many of which were executed inefficiently or lacked clear requirements or measurable benefits.

Lower-risk offenders are being released from prison later in their sentences and with less time supervised in the community be-

cause Correctional Service Canada recommends early release less often. Some 80 per cent of offenders were behind bars beyond their first parole eligibility date, while more offenders are being released directly from medium- and high-security penitentiaries.

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22 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

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JOBS 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 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

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JOBS 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

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Matrimonial

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

Minimum qualification for these positions are completion of secondary school and BST Justice Training of BC. Past experience is preferred but we are willing to train candidates who show eagerness to learn.

For more information please visit our website at www.transworldsecurity.ca.

Please email you resume to hr@ transworldsecurity.ca.

------------------------------------Retail Sales Supervisor (6211); Saim’s Communication Inc.,Surrey, British Columbia, (6211); Salary: $17:50/Hourly; Positions Available: 2; Type: FullTime; Minimum Education: High School; ,Description : Assign sales workers to duties and prepare work schedules, Authorize payments by cheque and the return ofmerchandise , Sell merchandise to customers, Resolve problems that arise, such as customercomplaints and supply shortages, t .BJOUBJO TQFDJöFE JOWFOUPSZ and ordermerchandise, Prepare reports regarding sales volumes, merchandising and personnel matters, Hire and train or arrange for the training of new sales staff, Ensure proper tagging, packing and displaying of products, Travel upto four different sites daily and/or weekly as required,

Seeking a suitable match for Ravidasia Sikh Boy, 30 / 5’10”, Living in Canada, B.Tech.

Please send your biodata and pics at aman.shine@gmail. com or contact +1 306 461 3131.

Resolve disputes related to customers and employees, Get daily reports from employees and

submit report to head office, Meeting with management and employees when required, Responsible to manage repair department for products.

Language Requirement:English is a must. Speaking other languages such as urdu or punjabi would be an asset.Apply by email: saimscomm@yahoo.ca ----------------------------Administrative Assistant (1241)Saim’s Communication Inc., Surrey, British Columbia, NOC : Secretaries (Except Legal and Medical) (1241), Salary: $21.00/ Hourly, Positions Available: 1, Type: Full-Time, Minimum Education: Diploma, Description :Prepare, key in, edit

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

Hair Stylists Required 2 Hair Stylists reqd. Sal:$13.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. or certification reqd., FT/PT Duties: Suggest hair style compatible with client’s physical features. Determine style from client’s instructions. Cut, trim, taper, curl, wave, perm & style hair. Apply bleach, tints, dyes or rinses to color, frost or streak hair. Analyze hair & scalp condition to advise & provide basic or beauty care treatment. Clean & style wigs & hair pieces. Lang: English.

Location: #11- 8430 128th Street Surrey, BC V3W 4G3.

Contact: Sandeep from Basra Hair & Beauty Salon at basra_ salon@yahoo.ca or fax at (604)365-8861

COMMUNITY Vancouver- Starting 1st May 2015, PICS Vancouver Settlement Services RIÂżFH ZLOO EH RIIHULQJ VHUYLFHV LQ 7Dgalog Language to serve the Filipino community in Vancouver.

7KH YROXQWHHU EDVHG VHUYLFHV ZLOO EH SURYLGHG WZLFH D ZHHN DQG ZLOO DSSO\ WR HYHU\ FOLHQW ZKR ZLVKHV WR PDNH use of these services. The services RIIHUHG ZLOO IRFXV RQ D IXOO UDQJH RI support services including orientation, training, guidance, mentoring, YROXQWHHULQJ DQG VHUYLFH EULGJLQJ among others.

For more information contact 6XNKZLQGHU *RVDO 9DQFRXYHU 6HWWOHPHQW RIÂżFH DW ------------------------------------------------9,6+:$ <2*$6+5$0 All are Welcome All Day Free Community Event Sunday, April 19, 2015 67 6XUUH\ %& Schedule DP WR DP 6KXEK 0DQJDO Inauguration DP WR DP <RJD $VDQDV DP WR SP 6ZDGK\D\D 5HĂ&#x20AC;HFWLRQ RQ <RJD LQ PRGHUQ OLIH E\ 'U 3UHHWL 0LVUD SP WR SP *\DQ <RJD 0HGLWDWLRQ OHG E\ 6ZDPLML 'U 6DW\D 3UDNDVK EDVHG RQ *LWD 3DWDQMDOL <RJD 6XWUD Yogavashishtha and YogoupaniVKDG IROORZHG E\ 7KRXJKWV RI *XHVW 6SHDNHUV 03 0/$ 2WKHUV 4 pm to 6 pm : Yoga Dance, Yoga *DPHV <RJD 9HJHWDULDQ $\XUYHGLF Health secrets SP WR SP %KDNWL <RJD ZLWK 0XVLF DP WR DP <RJLF %UHDNIDVW 12 pm to 2 pm: Yogic Lunch SP WR SP <RJLF 'LQQHU For Information Please Call : 3DXO .DORWL Ravi Khosla: 604-301-0360 'U 3UHHWL 0LVUD For VISHWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Recent Events and Activities Watch: KWWSV ZZZ \RXWXEH FRP ZDWFK"Y W&KI:G -E KWWSV ZZZ \RXWXEH FRP ZDWFK"Y W,H7RV(MV Regards, Dr Preeti Misra Co-ordinator, VISHWA

ZZZ VZDPLVDW\DSUDNDVK RUJ --------------------------------------------7LFNHWV RQ VDOH QRZ IRU WKH 6XUUH\ International Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival For immediate release: April 14, 2015 6XUUH\ %& Âą 7LFNHWV IRU WKH WK DQnual Surrey International Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival go on sale today at 12 noon DW WKH 6XUUH\ $UWV &HQWUH ER[ RIÂżFH 7KLV \HDUÂśV IHVWLYDO LV EHLQJ KHOG 0D\ Âą ZLWK VHYHQ WLFNHWHG KHDGline performances over three days.

7LFNHWV DUH HDFK $ 6DWXUGD\ ³$OO $FFHVV 3DVV´ LV DOVR DYDLODEOH IRU ZKLFK DOORZV IXOO DFFHVV WR DOO SHUIRUPDQFHV VXEMHFW WR VKRZ DYDLODELOLW\ DQG DOO DUWV DFWLYLWLHV RQ VLWH Entrance to the festival is free, as are many community performances and art activities.

The Surrey International Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s )HVWLYDO H[SRVHV FKLOGUHQ WR WKH DUWV LQ D IXQ DQG LQWHUDFWLYH ZD\ 7KLV yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line-up ranges from preschool performances for children as young DV PRQWKV WR LQWHUPHGLDWH VKRZV

for older children, aged 9 and up. International and national performancHV LQFOXGH 0XVLF ZLWK 0DUQLH DQG 7KH Secret Life of Walter Manny from BC DQG 0DQLWRED FLUFXV SHUIRUPHUV 7KH 6WUHHW &LUFXV )HVWLYDO JRHUV ZLOO DOVR have the once-in-a-lifetime opportuniW\ WR H[SHULHQFH D WUDGLWLRQDO SXSSHW theatre performance from Vietnamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s *ROGHQ 'UDJRQ :DWHU 3XSSHW 7KHatre. This unique type of storytelling performance features ancient music, GDQFH DQG VRQJ Âą DOO RQ ZDWHU 3XUFKDVH WLFNHWV RQOLQH DW ZZZ VXUUH\ FD FKLOGUHQVIHVWLYDO RU E\ FDOOLQJ WKH %R[ 2IÂżFH DW &KHFN WKH ZHEVLWH IRU IXOO IHVWLYDO programming information.

-30For event details contact: Maria Danysh Festival Organizer Surrey International Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival 604.501.5064 mdanysh@surrey.ca ----------------------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Cruise

to Panama Canal 2015 Meeting of Families on April 5th 2015 at 2.00 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey is organizing a 19 days cruise to Panama Canal and a tour to Orlando Attractions USA from April 15th 2015 to May 8th 2015. The meeting of all the families ( 52 members ) who have already registered for the cruise has been arranged for April 5th 2015 at 2.00 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. Since the day of departure is coming close, hence the meeting has been arranged to know each other and to discuss some important issues regarding the tour, the Excursions, the bus arrangement from the Temple and the group photograph for the life long memory etc.. It may take about an hour, tea and light snacks will be served after the meeting. Please contact Surendra Handa Cruise and Tour Organizer Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

---------------------------------The Indo-Africa Charitable Society (IACS)

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 23 is holding its 4th Annual Mothers Day Fundraising Gala Event on Friday, May 8th, 2015 at 6:30 pm. The Fundraising Gala allows us to continue our Medical Mission efforts in India and Uganda as well as support our local community by serving lunches to Homeless lunches twice a month in Vancouver East End. IACS primary objective is to relieve poverty in developing nations by means of promoting, providing and supporting public health, safe drinking water and advancement of education. For last 8 years we have hosted significant number of medical camps in India and in Uganda, and have made arrangements for provision safe & clean water in number of village schools in India. Our medical camps are largely staffed by volunteer Medical professionals a well as non-medical volunteers from Canada, UK and USA and host countries.

Apart from our work overseas we also provide, food and other assistance to homeless and less privileged in Greater Vancouver. For last 3 years we have been serving homeless once month.

24 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

Business / Finance

Ontario approves bill to create provincial pension plan starting in 2017

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ntario passed legislation Wednesday to create a provincial pension plan for more than three million people who do not have a workplace pension, despite critics’ warnings it amounts to a job-killing payroll tax.

Workers will be required to contribute 1.9 per cent of their pay to the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, to a maximum of $1,643 a year, which employers have to match for every employee. “Over $3.5 billion will be invested in the fund each year,” said Associate Finance Minister Mitzie Hunter. “Members of the plan will be able to have an income stream for life when they retire.”

The mandatory contributions will be phased in over two years, starting with larger companies Jan. 1, 2017 before moving to

smaller operations like convenience stores and dry cleaners. Ontario wants to mirror the Canada Pension Plan as much as possible, and Hunter said the province still would prefer to enhance the CPP instead of creating its own plan. Contributions would be “locked-in” just like CPP contributions, prohibiting people from cashing them out before retirement. Still in development However, Hunter could not say when retirees could expect to start receiving benefit payments from the provincial pension plan.

“We’re still actually developing details of the plan,” she said. “So people will be making contributions to the plan, and that’s the beginning.” Premier Kathleen Wynne has said the province had to create its own retirement plan for the more than two-thirds of Ontario workers who don’t have a pension at work

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ou now have a little more time to file your taxes, all thanks to a Vancouver Island accountant.

The Canada Revenue Agency gave the wrong income tax deadline in a notification sent out to some taxpayers on Friday, saying the deadline had been extended to May 5 when it actually hadn’t been.

Accountant Chris Cowland, from Sidney, noticed the CRA’s mistake on Monday and alerted Green Party leader Elizabeth May who passed it on to federal Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

“And boom, CRA fixed it,” Cowland said.

The CRA has now officially extended the deadline to file to May 5th.

Cowland says the wrong deadline could have cost his clients dearly.

“Some of them can owe $10,000 ... $100,000 in tax. And if they left it until the [wrong] filing deadline, then 10 per cent penalty.”

But Cowland makes it clear he doesn’t want any special attention for his actions.

“Oh God, I don’t want to get my name out there cause they’ll audit me. I don’t want to be on the wrong side of the CRA.”

7)6$V ZRQ¶W EH D SUREOHP for Harper’s granddaughter, PBO report says

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he government’s plan to nearly double the TFSA contribution limit might not be a problem for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s granddaughter after all, according to a new calculation done by the Parliamentary Budget Office. So few people will actually be able to contribute $10,000 a year to their accounts that the fiscal hit to the federal government will be manageable, the PBO said. “This is not something that can get out of hand because people have limited room to save and invest. Even if you triple the size of the TFSA, only a very small number of people will have the financial room to take advantage of it,” said Mostafa Askari, the assistant parliamentary budget officer.

Facing criticism that the new TFSA contribution limits would deplete government coffers by billions, as Canadians shelter more of their investments from taxation, Finance Minister Joe Oliver defended the move, and suggested if there was a problem by 2080, “we should leave that to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s granddaughter to solve.”

But Askari said it might not be a heavy cross to bear. “The cost in the long run as a share of the size of the economy is only 0.65 per cent of GDP, which is similar to the cost of the RRSP now.” The PBO also pointed out the maximum contribution will now be a fixed $10,000 and will not be indexed for inflation, reducing the long-term financial impact. Askari estimates that the newly boosted TFSA contributions limits will reduce federal revenues by $9 billion by 2030, $29 billion by 2050 and $87.2 billion by 2080.

The big increase in the TFSA contribution

limit was a key policy plank in Joe Oliver’s budget released last week. While opposition parties have called it a sop for the rich, the government has defended TFSAs as valuable savings tools for Canadian seniors of all income brackets. But the PBO, while minimizing the revenue implications for future governments, doubled-down on its assertion that the move will disproportionately favour wealthy Canadians — calling the move “regressive.” “Irrespective of new changes, high wealth and older households are projected to receive relatively larger benefits than lower net worth, younger counterparts.”

Few benefit from limit increase In fact, the PBO report goes so far as to say that low- and middle-income households will see practically no benefit from higher contribution limits. More than half — 55 per cent of the benefits — will be concentrated in the hands of the wealthiest Canadians, it said.

At the end of 2014, nearly 12 million individuals had opened a TFSA. Of that amount 1.9 million had contributed the maximum amount — the vast majority (over 70 per cent) were aged 55 or older. Some 30 per cent of TFSA account holders had not made any contributions.

As it stands, most lower- and middle-income Canadians already have a lot of unused RRSP or TFSA contribution room. The tax-free savings account was introduced by then-finance minister Jim Flaherty in the 2008 federal budget. At the time, Flaherty called the TFSA the “single most important personal savings vehicle since the introduction of the RRSP.”

Business / Finance

Secure jobs in short supply in Canada’s new tough labour market cross Canada, the category of Lewchuk, who has been studying precariself-employed workers increased ous employment for seven years. There’s no almost 45 per cent between 1989 career path for temp or flex workers — they and 2007, according to the Statistics Canada lurch from one job to the next, get neither training nor benefits nor paid leave and are labour survey.

Precarious workers aren’t just mini- expected to save for their own pension. Sitmum-wage employees with irregular hours, ting by the phone “Often they don’t know their schedule until the day says Wayne Lewchuk, a probefore or their schedule fessor at the school of labour t became a way of keep- changes at the last minute studies at McMaster Univering down wages and compa- They don’t know where they sity. They’re also high-tech nies became addicted to it,” have to be until just before workers hired for projects, says Lewchuk their shift,” Lewchuk says. accountants who must seek Over a working life, the one job after another, social-service sector workers employed by penalty for precarious work is financial — temp agencies and university lecturers hired those in insecure employment earned about on contract. A lot of these jobs used to be se- 46 per cent less than workers in the same field who had standard jobs. But on a day-to-day cure, Lewchuk points out, but not anymore.

“It became a way of keeping down wages basis, the toll is often personal. “All of this and companies became addicted to it,” says makes sustaining a household and a family difficult,” Lewchuk says.

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Jason Kenney says no to easing new temporary foreign worker rules

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mployment Minister Jason Kenney says he has no intention of easing new, stricter rules for employers who hire temporary foreign workers. “No, we will not be making fundamental changes to the reforms that were implemented in June partly because there is already a regional dimension built into the system,” Kenney said during a conference organized by Canada2020, a policy think-tank, in Ottawa today. The new rules include barring employers from hiring low-wage temporary foreign workers in regions where the unemployment rate is above six per cent, and will require employers to cap the number of foreign workers they hire at 10 per cent by 2016. Kenney, who is the MP for Calgary Southeast, said the program has been “overused” in his home province of Alberta, where wages in the fast-food services sector have not kept up with the rate of inflation. “In my view, this is very clear evidence of a labour market distortion,” he told the conference.

Kenney’s answer came in response to a question from Randy Boissonnault, the Liberal candidate for Edmonton Centre, who was in attendance at the conference.

Boissonnault said businesses in Alberta and Saskatchewan have been particularly hit hard because of the government’s “blanket approach” to the new rules. Following Kenney’s answer, Boissonnault posted

a message on Twitter accusing Stephen Harper’s Conservatives of hurting Alberta’s economy. “Harper Govt continues to penalize Alberta,” Boissonnault said.

Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, Kenney’s former cabinet colleague, has said the new temporary foreign worker rules are making it difficult for employers to fill jobs.

Prentice has said he hopes to work with the prime minister on a solution during his first meeting with him.

Kenney’s speech was followed by a panel Jason Kenney on labour skills with Perrin Beatty of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Monte Solberg, a former Conservative cabinet minister who now works for a public affairs firm, Sean McGarvey and Rosemary Sparks who represented the trades. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne also addressed the conference earlier Thursday.

Non-permanent residents are a strong force in Canadian economy: CIBC

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on-permanent residents make up an increasing number of the under-45 generation in Canada, more than doubling to 770,000 in the past decade, according to a CIBC study. That means they are a substantial demographic force and have an impact on housing activity and consumer spending, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia. In total, there are 450,000 more non-permanent residents in Canada now than there were 10 years ago. CIBC found almost half these people are temporary foreign workers, or workers on contracts, an increase of 10 percentage points in the past 10 years.

About 38 per cent are students, a five-percentage-point increase, but the number of refugee claimants waiting for word on their status in Canada is making up a smaller per-

centage of the group, at 12.2 per cent.

“Unlike immigrants, the TFWs don’t have a predictable impact,” said Benjamin Tal, CIBC economist and author of the report.

He said many of people in this cohort of 384,200 non-permanent workers are in middle-income and professional jobs, and have every expectation of gaining status to remain in Canada. That means they are boosting demand for rental properties and contributing to overall retail spending like other middle-income Canadians. Some are even taking the plunge into the housing market, despite their temporary status. Because almost 95 per cent of these people are under age 45, they make up an important demographic of young workers, helping counteract the decline in the number of Canadian-born people in that age group.

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26 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

PUNJAB

Rahul Gandhi’s visit has supporters in combative mode

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nergized by the “massive” response to Minister Narendra Modi to “focus more on Congress vice-president Rahul Gand- i m proving the condition of the ahib hi’s visit to Punjab, the party’s state unit has farmers rather than the hollow ur S ndp a has a n ajr :A gone into a combative mode. ahib andum andhi to talk about his ‘Make in India’ S h l campaign”. h r G The PPCC has an“The Punjab hga litica hul gh C Fate em Sin by Ra s a “po out at a nounced two protest farmers have been feeding d isit Pr MP d the v markets a lashe e and e u jr programmes against, term b grain nduma ” the iss y from the nation, but the PM is ja a Pun k”. Ch liticising apolog rmer” not talking about them, what it dubbed, the “loot” ic n o a ti-fa m p of farmers in grain markets gimahul for “ to seek iating “anss’ six-de and that too at a time R him for init ongre d e and the delay in payment to when they are under . k y eC as rmers untr g th fa e co them by the SAD-BJP govstress due to non-lifting of the ies durin in th le c poli e ru ernment. their crop,” Rahul said during his brief cad Congress Legislature Parinteraction with the media in Chandigarh ty leader Sunil Jakhar said the Oppo- before leaving for New Delhi today. Bajwa sition MLAs would gherao the Chandigarh said the “Rail Roko” would be the PPCC’s residence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh first phase of “Jan Andolan” against the “anBadal. PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa ti-people” policies of the Badal government. has given a separate call for a statewide ‘Rail “The government must explain why it Roko’ programme between 12 noon and 1 took 28 days to announce release of part pm on May 2. Rahul on Wednesday held payment of Rs4,000 crore to the farmers. It the ruling coalition “responsible for the mis- appears the move came under pressure after eries of the farmers”. He today advised Prime Rahul’s visit as the RBI had cleared Rs16,460

crore cash and credit limit for wheat procurement on April 1. Nobody knows why the SAD-BJP regime delayed the payment,” he said.

Jakhar said the Congress would resort to a chain of protests to ensure payment to the farmers.

file photo of Rahul Gandhi with migrant farm workers

SGPC teams start relief work in Nepal

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hough dry ration dispatched by the SGPC for helping the earthquake-hit people is yet to reach Nepal and Bihar, it has directed its teams, which have already reached there, to start providing relief to victims at the local level till then. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said they had arranged funds for their teams in Nepal and Bihar and had asked them to help the quake victims in every possible way till the time dry ration and other relief material reached them. He revealed that the buildings of the two historic gurdwaras in Kathmandu were okay. He said they would set up their relief camp in one of these gurdwaras which also houses the Sikh Mission. A round-the-clock ‘langar’ facility will serve meals to the quake victims at the camp.

New terminal at Chandigarh airport to be ready by end of May

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ome June, domestic and international flights will take off from the new terminal of the Chandigarh international airport that has been readied by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of over Rs 475 core. Coinciding with the Narendra Modi government’s one year in office on May 26, the new facility is expected to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister to showcase the airport as one of its achievements. The date of the inauguration of the new facility by the end of May will be finalised in consultation with the PMO’s office.

Remove incorrect content about Sikhs from books: SAD to Centre

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he Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has urged the Union Government to set up a special board to correct various “incorrect, vague and unsubstantiated” references especially related to Sikhs in history books of the country. MP and SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra today said he had brought such instances in history books to the notice of Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, urging her to do the needful to remove such content from the books. “I have also spoken in Parliament to bring it in the House record besides asking Smriti Irani to include Sikh history scholars in the Indian Council of Historical Research to work on the projects to correct the references in history books.

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L

L Saturday, May 2, 2015

SOUTH ASIA

Nepal PM faces fury of earthquake victims

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ATHMANDU: Protests on Wednesday greeted Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala in relief camps as anger spilled over to the streets with people seizing food and water supplies, four days after a devastating quake claimed over 6,000 lives. People vented their anger when the PM visited their camps to assess relief work and complained that they were not getting any aid.

Koirala told them that he had come to see for himself the difficult situation Nepal is faced with and assured them that help would reach them at the earliest. Thousands of desperate Nepalese, who have been staying in the open with no houses to return to and fearing more devastation from aftershocks, clashed with police and seized water-bottles and other essential supplies. Frayed tempers were also witnessed at the main bus station where quake victims had gathered to get out of Kathmandu but the promised buses failed

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to arrive. Scuffles broke out between angry crowds and the riot police which arrived there to control the situation. Over 6,000 bodies have so far been pulled out from under mounds of debris and rubble left by razed homes and buildings in Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7.9-magnitude temblor, deputy PM Bam Dev Gautam said. On Tuesday, Koirala had said the toll could reach 10,000 because information from the affected remote villages is yet to come. More than 11,000 people have been injured in the quake, the worst in over 80 years. Rescuers are still struggling to reach remote mountainous areas in the Himalayan nation, where relief efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and landslide even as global help poured in. Officials warned that they faced problems in getting aid into the country and then delivering it to the remote communities in desperate need. Nepal has declared three days of mourning for the victims of Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earthquake.

Drank own urine in 82-hour earthquake ordeal

ATHMANDU: A man pulled from the rubble of a collapsed hotel by a French rescue team more than three days after the deadly Nepal earthquake says he was forced to drink his own urine to survive. Rishi Khanal, 27, had just finished lunch at a hotel in Kathmandu and had gone up to the second floor when everything suddenly started to move and fall apart. He was struck by falling masonry and trapped with his foot crushed under rubble. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had some hope but by yesterday Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d given up. My nails went all white and my lips cracked... I was sure no one was coming for me. I was certain I was going to die,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said from his hospital bed, surrounded by his family. He was surrounded by dead people and a terrible smell. But he kept banging on the rubble all

around him and eventually this brought a French rescue team that extracted him after an operation lasting many hours. By the time he was pulled out, he had been trapped - in what could have become his tomb - for 82 hours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no sound going out, or coming in. I kept banging against the rubble and finally someone responded and came to help. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eaten or had anything to drink so I drank my own urine.â&#x20AC;? From beneath the rubble, Khanal had called his brother-in-law Bhattarai to plead for help. But Khanal, who has a wife and a six-month-old baby, had forgotten the name of the hotel where he had been staying. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;?Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trapped hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said, but in panic he forgot the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. If he had remembered, maybe we would have found him earlier,â&#x20AC;? Bhattarai said.

At epicentre, villagers say every home lost someone

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ORKHA (Nepal): The tall, dark green mountains that lean over river Marsyangdi at Mungling, 21km east of here, look menacing; the grey clouds are ominous. The occasional sound of helicopters and ambulance sirens add more to the eeriness thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reigned over this stretch of Prithvi Rajmarg since Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devastating earthquake, whose epicentre Barpak is located close to Gorkha.

Numerous houses remain toppled on the slopes below the Rajmarg. At Khaireni, 14km from Gorkha, villagers narrated the devastation at and around Barpak. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take us very long to forget what happened. Almost every house has collapsed at Barpak,â&#x20AC;? Naren Ghalay, a teenager said. Barpak had about lost all its

houses, which numbered a little over 1,000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every family has lost somebody there,â&#x20AC;? Narenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s companion added.

Locals said rescuers from Indian and Nepali armies were helping villagers at Barpak. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The village needs more help in a more organized manner,â&#x20AC;? they said. A restaurant employee at Amukhairani, 7km from Mungling, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were mild tremors in the afternoon.

But weather was better than last three days.â&#x20AC;?

Gorkha, about 140km west of Kathmandu, saw largescale devastation. The Gorkha Durbar and a temple on its premises have suffered considerable damage.

The Nepal government said so far 5,045 people have died in the earthquake. The figure may go up when rescuers reach remote areas. The government sought help from the media to locate areas where rescue and relief teams are yet to reach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rescue work has picked up momentum,â&#x20AC;? government said.

But Kathmandu was not the only place that saw protests against governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts. In Dolokha that borders Tibet, villagers damaged government offices to protest against slow rescue and relief work. The Nepali diaspora has lent help in relief work. Groups of Nepali-speaking people from India have to help government. Mahendra Rajmarg, which runs east to west in Nepal, was dotted with buses and vehicles with relief material from the eastern districts and Bihar. Government has also asked non-resident Nepalis to donate money collectives instead of sending funds individually as these cost extra transaction fees

INDIA

CBI charges industrialist Naveen Jindal, 14 others in coal block scam

I

ndustrialist Naveen Jindal, ex-Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and 12 others were this week charged by the CBI in connection with Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block allocation scam case. Besides them, former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and five firms, including Jindal Steel and Power Ltd and Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, have also been chargesheeted in the case for alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, before whom the chargesheet was filed by senior public prosecutor VK Sharma, said it would be taken up for consideration tomorrow. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand’s

Birbhum district in 2008 to Jindal Group firms —Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL). Six other individuals named as accused in the CBI charge sheet are — Gyan Swaroop Garg, Suresh Singhal, Rajeev Jain, Girish Kumar Suneja, RK Saraf and K Ramakrishna Prasad. Besides the 10 individuals, the firms chargesheeted in the case are — JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Naveen Jindal Infraenergy Ltd, New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd and Soubhagya Media Ltd. The agency has alleged in the chargesheet that Jindal group firms had misrepresented facts

to acquire the coal block in 2008

Concept of marital rape not valid in India: Govt The concept of marital rape cannot be applied in India where marriage is considered as a “sacrament”, the government said today, adding there is no proposal to make it a criminal offence. “It is considered that the concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context due to various factors, including level of education, illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of society to treat the marriage as a sacrament etc,” Minister of State for Home,

S

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by pursuing the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, pending before the Rajya Sabha. The official amendments approved will be the part of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which also provides guidelines for commercial organisations to prevent persons associated with them from bribing a public servant.

US okays $96 Million in logistical support for C-130J planes

T

he US State Department has approved the sale of $ 96 million worth of equipment, spare parts and logistical support for C-130J Super Hercules cargo planes to enable the Indian Air Force to sustain a higher mission-ready status fleet.

India needs this support for its Super Hercules aircraft to ensure its aircraft operate effectively to serve its transport, local and in-

ternational humanitarian assistance, and regional disaster relief needs, the Defence Security Co-operation Agency said in a notification to the Congress last Friday. India is also using these cargo planes for delivering emergency supplies to quake-hit Nepal. “This proposed sale of additional equipment and support will enable the Indian Air Force to sustain a higher mission-ready status for its C-130J fleet,” it said.

Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said. He was replying to a question of DMK MP Kanimozhi in the Rajya Sabha. Kanimozhi had asked the Home Ministry whether the government will bring a Bill to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to remove the exception of marital rape from the definition of rape; and whether it is a fact that the UN Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against women has recommended to India to criminalise marital rape.

Indians flee Nepal, leaving behind jobs & savings GORAKHPUR: Traveling for hours on packed buses and boulder-strewn roads, thousands of Indians living in Nepal have fled home after last week’s devastating earthquake, most with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Indians account for the largest segment of foreigners in Nepal,

Penalty for corruption increased to 7 years jail

eeking to bring corruption into the heinous crime category, the Union Cabinet today approved official amendments to an anti-graft legislation, enhancing the penalty under it to a maximum of seven years imprisonment from the present five years. The proposed amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 provides for more stringent punishment for the offence of bribery — both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker. The meeting of the

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 29

amounting to about 600,000 in a country of 28 million, according to some estimates. Officials, though, say the open 1,750km (1,100 mile) border and a lack of visa requirements means it is impossible to pinpoint the number of Indians living or visiting there at any one time.

Rahul begins padyatra, meets Maharashtra farmers

C

ongress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today began a 15-km day-long padyatra in Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, during which he is meeting the families of farmers who committed suicide. Rahul, who reached Nagpur last night, left this morning for Gunji village to begin the foot march dubbed as ‘sanvad padyatra’. On the way to Gunji, people were seen lined up on roads at Kondhali and Talegaon villages to greet the Congress leader. Rahul stopped at Talegaon for some time before proceeding to Gunji. Rahul spoke to the people who greeted him and sought to know their problems and the issues affecting them.

He will be visiting five villages between

Gunji to Ramgaon and will meet the farmers who have suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rain. He is accompanied by MPCC president Ashok Chavan and senior state Congress leaders.

Congress Vice-President Maharashtra is Rahul Gandhi one of the states that experienced severe agrarian crisis and Amravati division in Vidarbha region has witnessed many suicide cases of farmers this year.

NRI

30 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

Obama invites Indian-origin immigrant from Fiji for state dinner

W

ASHINGTON: An undocumented Indian origin-immigrant has attended the state dinner hosted by US President Barack Obama at the White House for visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Bupendra Ram, who came to the US at the age of two from Fiji, attended the dinner along with his partner Kamala Ram. In fact, the list of guests indicated that Ram was the only Indian-origin person to have been invited for the most sought after dinner of the town.

The invitation by Obama to an undocumented immigrant came as he fights the Republican-controlled Congress for com-

prehensive immigration reforms.

With 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, Obama’s plan would let some 4.4 million who are parents of US citizens and legal permanent residents remain in the United States temporarily, without the threat of deportation. According to some estimates, there are 4.5 illegal Indian immigrants in the US. This was Obama’s Administration’s eighth State Dinner. Held in the East Room and of the White House, the State Dinner fused traditional American cuisine with a Japanese influence. This event showcased the diversity of American food as well as the delicate spring produce grown by farmers from across the country.

Indian government proposes to give voting rights to NRIs

N

EW DELHI: The government today agreed to convene an all-party meeting to discuss its proposal to give NRIs the right to exercise their franchise by e-postal ballots or through proxy voting.

Replying to a calling attention motion moved by leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, the law minister made it clear that the government was acting on the Election Commission report regarding voting rights of over one crore NRIs and not as directed by the Supreme Court. During the debate, ppposition members charged the government with taking up the matter against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s directions, with leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad saying they were not opposed to voting rights for NRIs but the way the Government has moved the proposal without discussing it with the political parties.

The minister said the report had recommended the options of the e-postal ballot system and proxy voting and the government had submitted before the Supreme Court accepting the recommendations. To ensure that secrecy and methodology is maintained, Gowda said “e-postal and postal ballot voting methodologies are being worked out for the voting rights of the NRIs”.

However, he agreed for an all-party meeting as demanded by several opposition parties like AIADMK, DMK, BJD, CPI, SP and JD-U. On the crucial issue of voting rights for domestic migrant labours, he said the Election Commission would convene a meeting of the political parties to gather their views on this issue also.

“I (will) request Election Commision to hold all party meeting to get their feedback,” he said while adding that it was necessary for legislation on voting rights for migrant voters travelling across the country in search of work.

Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said there was a broad consensus at an all-party meeting called by Election Commission on the issue of voting rights for NRIs and the government would work in this direction

60,000 Indians could benefit from Oman’s amnesty

A

round 60,000 Indians may benefit from an amnesty scheme announced in Oman, under which people without valid documents could either return to their country without being penalized or can rectify their papers, said a diaspora expert. The Oman government announced the scheme on Monday and said it will run from May 3 to July 30. S. Irudayarajan, who heads the migration cell at the Centre for Development Studies, told IANS that Oman has an estimated 400,000 Indians, among them 1.89 lakh Keralites. “Of the 400,000 Indians in Oman, around 15 percent would be without legal documents.

This is the best time for all those who do not have proper documents to either rectify that or return home,” said Irudayarajan.

He said according to informed sources, a similar scheme might be announced in Bahrain in two months’ time. “We have made numerous requests to the authorities that there should be a pre-departure training for Indians who decide to take

up jobs in the Middle East countries,” said Irudayarajan. He said most of the people who do not have valid documents are labourers who pay around Rs.1 lakh to get a work visa to work. “At times, some people are unlucky as they do not get the job and the salary they were promised, and then trouble starts for them. After the completion of their contract term which could be two or three years, they skulk from the employer and then they work illegally and end up without having any documents for a legal stay,” said Irudayarajan. The most recent study conducted by K C Zachariah and Irudayarajan reveals that the number of Kerala emigrants as in 2014 was 23.63 lakh.

Nearly 90 percent of the Kerala diaspora is in various Middle East countries. During the 12-month period ending March 1, 2014, the total remittances to Kerala stood at Rs.72,680 crore. Remittances were 1.2 times the revenue receipt of the state and 4.9 times the money that the state got from the central government.

FIJI

Fiji is now an expensive tourist destination

F

iji is now considered as one of the most expensive destinations for the Australian traveller. The Economic Standing Committee in Parliament was informed of this when the Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association objected the proposed 5 per cent service fee to be imposed on tourists.

In making their submission to the committee, FHTA chief executive Michael Wong said over 64 per cent of visitor arrivals were from Australia and New Zealand, where they did not charge for services, but guests would pay a tip for exceptional services. “Having a service charge imposed via legislation will increase the cost to the guests to visit Fiji and will have a negative impact on our visitor arrivals and the affordability of the destination,” Mr Wong said. He said as of now, the costs incurred by guests included 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) and the 5 per cent service turnover tax, which equated to a 20 per cent tax charged to the guest. “In addition, there are other fees such as the $200

FWCC backs PM’s anti-violence stand The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre yesterday welcomed Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s remarks publicly denouncing any act of domestic violence. FWCC co-ordinator Shamima Ali said Bainimarama highlighted the issue of family violence at a high political level and forced officials to take seriously the zero-tolerance policy towards domestic violence. “The Prime Minister’s comments about the crisis of family violence in Fiji and the Pacific is an important political step in giving new impetus to the laws that are already in place and that should be protecting women and children,” said Ali. “The simple message that violence is not acceptable in any form is a milestone event for the struggle to eliminate violence against women and children in Fiji.”

She said it was now up to the relevant officials, especially the police force and social services, to enforce laws relating to domestic violence.

Opposition MP in court for failure to declare liabilities

O

pposition Member of Parliament and Opposition Whip Ratu Isoa Tikoca appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon charged with failure to declare liabilities. Tikoca appeared before Magistrate Margaret Mua to answer to charges of failing to declare his liabilities before the 2014 general election.

FICAC lawyer Rashmi Aslam stated to the court that Mr Tikoca failed to declare his liabilities contrary to Section 24 (2)(a) (viii) and section 24(5) of the Political Parties (Registration, conduct, funding and disclosures) Decree No. 4 of 2013. Section 24(2)(viii) of the decree requires candidates nominated by political parties to provide the Registrar of Political Parties within seven days of nomination with a statement that listed, among other things, the liabilities incurred or discharged by the candidate whether in Fiji or abroad in the five years preceding nomination and the amount of each liability. It is alleged that between August 20-25, 2014, upon his nomination by the Social Democratic Liberal Party as a candidate for the 2014 election, failed to declare the liability and the amount of the liability to the Registrar, the permanent secretary responsible for the Elections.

Airport Departure fee that drive up the cost of travel for our guests; to layer an additional 5 per cent service charge would bring the overall taxation level to 25 per cent and it would not be sustainable.” The hotelier said the cost of air travel to Fiji had increased despite the introduction of various budget carriers, which when compared with travelling to Asia made travelling to Fiji expensive. Mr Wong said to counter the increased cost of airfares and to ensure occupancy, hoteliers have been forced to reduce their accommodation charges and the unfortunate effect had seen those that used to stay in three-star hotels now staying in five-star hotels.

Police Officer hurt in robbery attempt

A

police officer sustained injuries in a confrontation with five masked men who attempted to rob a service station in Nadi on Monday morning.

Police confirmed the officer was part of a team that had been monitoring the five men who allegedly planned the robbery of Aerotown Mobile Service Station at around 3am.

According to police, a 35-year-old security guard and a 25-year-old cashier were threatened by the thieves as they tried to steal from the cash register which contained $500.

“The team of police officers who had been gathering intelligence on the planned robbery confronted the masked men where a police officer was injured after stones and broken bottles were thrown at them,” said chief of investigations and intelligence ACP Henry Brown. “A suspect was arrested at the scene and is under police guard at the Nadi Hospital. “The remaining four fled in a rental vehicle which was later found abandoned at Denarau Rd.”

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 31

PAKISTAN

32 L Saturday, May 2, 2015

Activist murdered as free-speech fears grow

Military’s move on Karachi seen part of “creeping coup”

I

SLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan’s main spy agency is spearheading a campaign to wrest control of the teeming port city of Karachi from a powerful political party, the military’s latest, and some say boldest, foray into civilian life in recent years. According to military officials, police officers and members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party which has traditionally dominated Karachi, Rizwan Akhtar has decided the time for policing the city from the sidelines is over.

“There is a quiet, creeping takeover of Karachi by the military,” said a government official close to Akhtar, head of of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which traditionally acts as an extension of army power in Pakistan. “Karachi is just too big ... too much land, too much business, resources. No one party will be allowed to rule Karachi from now on,” added the official, who declined to be named. The sweltering, violent metropolis is Pakistan’s largest and wealthiest city. It accounts for half of national revenues and hosts the stock exchange, central bank and a giant port.

G

unmen on motorcycle attacked activist Sabeen Mahmud (pictured) last week in southern port city of Karachi, as she was leaving her cafe, where she held art exhibitions. She had just hosted a discussion on disappearances in Baluchistan, a resource-rich southwestern province where the Pakistani army is fighting a separatist insurgency, and, rights workers say, overseeing a campaign of killing opponents. The army denies rights abuses. Investigators recovered bullet casings from the scene but drew a blank. “That suggests that a new group or new weapon has been used in the killing,” a law enforcement official involved in the case, who declined to be identified because the topic is sensitive, said late on Monday. Police say their only witness is Mahmud’s mother, who was with her and was wounded. Investigators suspect the killers had a back-up team of two men on a motorcycle and police are poring over CCTV footage. Investigators desperate for clues are monitoring social media in hopes that loose talk could provide a lead, said another senior law enforcement official.

Moderate quake jolts North Western province of KPK

P

ESHAWAR: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted various parts of Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province today, triggering panic among the people. The epicentre of the quake was in the Hindukush mountain ranges near Tajikistan border at a depth of 144 kilometres, an official of the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.

The tremor was felt in Malakand, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir districts of the province. “So far no loss to life or property has been reported,” the official said.

The quake came days after a powerful 7.9 temblor jolted Nepal and neighbouring areas in China and India.

The quake left a trail of devastation in the region with thousands dead and scores injured. Pakistan had suffered a 7.7-magnitude quake in 2013 which hit southwestern Balochistan province and killed about 500 people. However, Pakistan’s worst quake was in 2005 when a 7.6 tremor killed more than 73,000 people.

Storm kills 45

P

ESHAWAR: A freak “mini-cyclone” tore roofs of buildings and brought down trees and power poles in Pakistan, killing 45 people and injuring more than 200, officials said on Monday. Army teams were on their way to the area of Peshawar city to help with the rescue, a military spokesman said.

“We’ve never experienced such a devastating wind storm before in this region,” said Mushtaq Shah, director general of the meteorological office in Peshawar. “Its speed in the open was more than 120 kph (75 mph) and that’s what caused destruction on such a large scale. It’s a completely new phenomenon in this region.” The wind, accompanied by heavy rain and hail late on Sunday, disrupted power supplies and telecommunications services and damaged infrastructure and crops, said district official Riaz Mehsud.

Nawaz Sharif blames India for lack of better ties

I

ndia has failed to respond to Pakistan’s desire for good relations, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, in rare rebuke of a neighbour with which he has promised to mend ties. Sharif made improving relations with India a priority when he swept to power for a third time in a 2013 election, raising hopes that a Pakistani civilian government would finally wrest control of foreign policy from the powerful military.

The nuclear-armed neighbours’ top diplomats met in Pakistan last month, after at least a dozen people were killed in a series of exchanges of fire along their disputed border, but there has been little sign of progress in ties. “Our desire for good neighbourly rela-

tions with India has not been reciprocated,” Sharif told the Saudi Gazette in an interview during a recent visit that was published in Pakistani newspapers on Wednesday.

The neighbours have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over Kashmir

which they both claim in full but rule in part.

Sharif said his acceptance of an invitation last May to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration was “an exceptional decision”.

But months later, India withdrew from talks after Pakistan’s ambassador in India met Kashmiri separatist politicians.

Sharif said that was a “frivolous pretext”.

“There is no sign of India desiring resumption of dialogue with us,” he said. Pakistan’s military, which has ruled for about half of its history since 1947, traditionally sees relations with India as its of responsibility, even during civilian rule. Sharif ’s aim to improve ties with India was widely seen as cause of friction with the army, though tension has eased since last year when the coup-prone military helped calm anti-government protests.

A government insider said at the time Sharif would stay in power but had to “share space” with the army on issues such as relations with India and security.

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Unifor denounces $526M loan for Volkswagen ‘match-making’ process Export Development Canada says loan is to hook up VW and auto parts suppliers

A

utoworkers union Unifor has denounced an Export Development Canada decision to loan Volkswagen $526 million without any guarantee of Canadian jobs, calling it an example of the “incoherence of the federal government’s auto industry policy.” Earlier this week, EDC announced it would loan the $526 million to Volkswagen, which has no manufacturing presence in Canada, to help it consider doing business with Canadian parts makers.

But Unifor president Jerry Dias says VW is committed only to a “matchmaking” process and any business for Canadian firms would probably flow to their parts plants in Mexico, where VW has an assembly plant. Under WTO rules, EDC cannot tie its loans to specific purchases. “It is absolutely incredible

that a Canadian government agency is helping to facilitate and accelerate the migration of the continental auto industry to Mexico, and with no guarantees of any Canadian benefit from the loan whatsoever,” Dias said in a statement released Friday.

Loss of Windsor engine plant He called on Industry Minister James Moore to review EDC’s actions, pointing out it gave a similar loan to BMW last year and has also supported Canadian parts makers who want to open new plants in Mexico. “It is painfully ironic that we recently lost out on a lucrative engine investment in Windsor

by Ford, largely because of inadequate government support. Yet we can somehow find $526 million to help a foreign firm invest in Mexico,” Dias said.

Loss of Corolla doesn’t have to be lethal blow for Canadian auto production

T

he news that Toyota is moving production of its popular Corolla vehicle from Cambridge, Ont., to Mexico is further confirmation that Canada has slipped to third place in North America’s auto sector, but don’t go writing the obituary of Canadian car manufacturing just yet. Canada still makes about 2.4 million vehicles a year, about 80 per cent of which are exported, mainly to the U.S. While that’s down from a peak of three million in 1999, auto manufacturing still contributes about $16 billion annually to the country’s GDP and employs 120,000 people directly (plus an additional 280,000 in related industries) — compared with more than $21 billion and 175,000 workers at its height. Two record years for auto sales — and a third one on the way — fuelled by the U.S. economic recovery, have boosted production,

but there’s been bad news, too, even before Wednesday’s Corolla announcement. GM is moving production of the Camaro to Lansing, Mich., from Oshawa, Ont., this year and in 2016 will shut down one of two production lines at its Oshawa facility. There is no doubt that Canada’s auto manufacturing sector has been in steady decline from its heyday in the 1970s to late ‘90s when the Auto Pact between Canada and the U.S. guaranteed that for every car sold in Canada, one had to be built here and that a majority of the parts were North American built. “There was an emphasis on Canadian-built, valued-added vehicles that required a lot of labour, and there was a shift in the ‘70s and ‘80s to source a lot of bigger vehicles up here — and trucks,” said Dimitry Anastakis, a Trent University history professor who specializes in the auto sector.

Saturday, May 2, 2015 L 33

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LG G3

$49 with 2-year Tab24 agreement on a Smart plan5

fido.ca/getcurious Offers subject to change without notice. +On the Fido network or in an Extended Coverage area. Coverage not available in all areas. 1. Smart plans available monthly or with a 2-year Tab24 agreement. Additional long distance, roaming, data, add-ons, provincial 9-1-1 fees (if applicable) and taxes are extra & billed monthly. 2. Third-party services are not provided by Fido and are subject to third-party terms and conditions provided at time of registration. These services are available with Fido Pulse plans only and are free of monthly subscription fees for a 2-year period starting on the day your plan is first activated. Access to third-party services will end after such 2-year period, unless you elect to purchase a paid subscription to such service (where applicable). Changing to an ineligible plan or cancellation of your plan or account will end your access to these services. Spotify Premium: Limit one Spotify Premium subscription per subscriber across all Rogers brands; you will not be eligible for a similar offer under another Rogers brand, should such an offer be available, after having activated your subscription under this offer. Data consumption: approx. 1 MB/min for use of audio streaming and approx. 6 MB/min for use of video streaming (varies based on length of audio/video, stream quality, device and other factors). Data usage exceeding your plan allotment (overage) is charged in increments rounded up to the next MB or GB (as applicable based on your plan). Standard roaming charges apply when not on the Fido network or an Extended Coverage area within Canada. 3. Additional data: $5/100 MB, charged in $5 increments. Visit fido.ca/roaming to learn more about data roaming pay-per-use rates. 4. Plans include messages sent from Canada to Canadian wireless numbers. Sent/received premium messages (alerts, messages related to content and promotions) and messages sent while roaming not included and charged at applicable rates. Airtime includes calls from Canada to Canadian numbers only, billed by the minute. Each additional minute costs 45¢ (20¢ for Call Forwarding). 5. Taxes extra. With new activation on a 2-year Tab24 agreement on a Smart plan. A device savings recovery fee applies in accordance with your service agreement. If, for any reason, you downgrade to a lower tier plan category during your term, then you will be charged a one-time price plan downgrade fee as set out in your service agreement. TMFido and related names & logos are trademarks used under licence. © 2015 Fido Solutions

36 L Saturday, May 2, 2015